Dr John Matthews has a PhD in Earth Science, B.Sc in Mathematics, chartered geological status (C.Geol. and F.G.S) from working in the upstream oil industry on geoscientific issues.
Geology as currently taught in schools, colleges and universities knows nothing of Noah’s Flood when according to the Bible , the whole world was submerged under water recently (thousands not millions of years ago). The Biblical Flood is sidelined by the establishments bondage to uniformitarianism.
Neither is there any reference in this ‘bondage’ geology to the large number of non biblical flood legends from many parts of the world. These should have prompted a serious study before geology became entrapped by uniformitarianism which is hardly liberated by admission of the occasional catastrophe.
“The UK, because of its relatively small size compared to the world land mass and the early development of geology here has been explored to to a higher level of detail than most other countries. This paper presents evidence from within the uniformitarian paradigm that the UK experienced a complete flood recently. In the process we show that there are other pointers, quite independent of flood legends, to the whole world having experienced a global flood. Other researchers are then encouraged to complete this story geologically.”
Paper appeared in Journal of Creation Vol.27 (1) 2013.
Proof of the truth of the Bible from its foundations in GENESIS
After reading Bill Cooper’s book you will never read Genesis in the same way again.
Bill Cooper is a respected historian and scholar who recently on behalf of the British Library transcribed and edited the latest reprint of William Tyndale’s 1388 translation of the new Testament. He has authored numerous articles and books including the acclaimed After The Flood in which he documents how the earliest Europeans recorded their descent from Noah.
Archaeologists and students of history know that museums around the world contain numerous records of the ancient civilizations that lived around the middle east 2,500 years before Christ. A remarkable number contain narratives that are identical or similar to events documented in Genesis particularly the big three: the CREATION account, a WORLDWIDE FLOOD and CONFUSION OF LANGUAGES at the Tower of Babel. Cooper demonstrates that the weight of evidence points to GENESIS being the original , authentic record of these events.
Cooper presents compelling evidence that the modernists’ claim, that the Babylonian Flood Legend (Epic of Gilgamesh) is the source of all other Flood legends is false. For example in the last decade of the 19th century, an archaeological dig by the University of Pennsylvania unearthed a tablet fragment from the ancient city of Nippur. It is written in Semitic Babylonian which is closely related to biblical Hebrew. Most significantly it is dated to at least 2,500 years BC – centuries older than the original text of the Gilgamesh epic. It’s phraseology is so close to the Genesis text its translator Professor H.V. Hilprecht, wrote:
“…its significance is further enhanced by the fact that in most important details it agrees with the biblical version of the deluge in a very remarkable manner – much more so than any other cuneiform version previously known”.
It is arguably one of the most precious discoveries ever for those who seek to defend the Bible’s account of history.
As with the Flood legends there is an abundance of testimonies from all over the world , concerning the building of a great tower and the subsequent confusion of languages at Babel.
If people dispersed out of the Middle East a little over 4,000 years ago, as the Bible indicates, we would expect the descendants of people all over the world to share these common legends of a worldwide flood and confusion of languages but this would not be the case if the secular evolutionary history of mankind is true that people dispersed from Africa around 60,000 to 100,000 years ago.
You can source Bill Cooper’s book from www.creation.com. This summary is extracted from the Journal of Creation Vol. 27 (1) 3013
New BBC Series “Wonders of Life” How Life First Began
Extract of article by Dominic Stratham:
Professor Brian Cox particle physicist at Manchester University UK is set to takeover from David Attenborough as BBC’s popular science presenter.
It seems he has all the right credentials: in 1990’s he played keyboard for the pop group D Ream, he is considered the best looking physics professor around and he has no time for the God of the Bible.
This latest series by the BBC unequivocally promotes the naturalistic world view as scientific with statements about evolution prefixed with phrases such as “We Know” and What’s certain”
The good news is that there are so many unscientific arguments presented by Dr Cox that this programme is very reassuring for creationists: if this is all they can come up with then we have very little to fear. The tragedy however is that for the general public it just reinforces what they have been fed by the secular media and educational establishments. To read Dominic Statham’s full article go to http://www.creation.com
International ICCC Conference in Jerusalem March 3rd to 6th, 2013.
All of the Aussie delegates to the ICCC (International Christian Chamber of Commerce) Conference were expectant that God would speak to them through the experience and I don’t believe any are disappointed.
Of the many delegates that I spoke to, all are challenged to a deeper walk with the Lord by the main speaker, Dale Fife the author of “The Secret Place”. A yearning for a deeper intimacy with the Lord is growing amongst God’s people as things (governments, economy, morality) around them start to crumble. HE is driving us to a place of desperation where we realise that unless HE shows up we are in deep trouble.
Fortunately I had already come to the realisation that our walk with the Lord is a daily affair, still I realised from Dale’s walk that a far deeper level of intimacy is available to us IF only we will spend the time with HIM in the “Secret Place”. Get/Download his book, you will be inspired.
There were 36 nations represented at the conference with 360 members. Regardless of whom I spoke to, ALL believed that we are in the latter days/end times, with events unfolding with ever-increasing speed as if we are in “fast forward”. For those that are listening “time is short” but the harvest is ripe and the Lord is looking for workers who will go where HE calls/sends. Will we be one of those that obeys? It is an exciting time, persecution comes with the territory but victory is assured and the rewards in heaven great and everlasting.
With the unexpected and sudden passing of the President and VP last year we all understood that it is a new season at ICCC. The conference theme was appropriate “Beyond the Barriers”. The new Board elected on the last day of the conference seems appropriate for the new season and includes Paul McConnell (Australia) as the head of the ICCC Business Development Centre (BDC) in Israel. One of the major projects initiated by the BDC is a hydro power plant in Burundi. With Paul relocating to Rwanda in August he will be well positioned to oversee this project.
After starting my report on the conference I received the following report on the conference from Ntiense. He is on the new International Board and in charge of the Prayer Domain.
His report says it all.
Global Prayer Watch
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
Psalm 42 vs. 1-2.
One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD , and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 27 vs. 4-5.
I wish to give a brief summary of the highlights of the just concluded ICCC international conference and IGM held in Jerusalem March 3rd to 6th. 2-13.
The conference marked the beginning of a “new season” given that we in ICCC have been in transition in the last few years. This was marked by the opening night when the trumpets (shofars) were blown in consonance with the instruction of Numbers 10 vs. 10 “at the beginning of your months..” We consecrated the conference and ourselves to the Lord so that His glory can be tangibly manifested in the marketplace in fulfilment of the claim that the Lord has made over the marketplace when He led J Gunnar Olson (Founder) to proclaim the vision of ICCC. This claim of God over the world is absolute!!
The timing of our conference is also significant because when the decision was made by the international board in 2011 to hold the conference and IGM in March 2013 we were actually being led by the Lord to a unique season of a shift. Certain events like the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the elections in Israel and even the pending visit of President Barak Obama to Israel all point to the fact that there is indeed a shift of season! We therefore sense that this conference was positioned to accelerate the shift of seasons so that we can experience a real manifestation of the power of God and the gradual close of the age. This will be accompanied by the unprecedented harvest of souls as well as the manifestation of the glory of God. Our Speakers made certain declarations to this effect. While Dr. Dale Fife declared; “This is our day!” Dr. Mark Kauffman proclaimed; “God says this is your Kairos time ICCC!”.
A major theme that came through during the conference whose theme was “Going beyond Boundaries” was the imperative of intimacy with God. The two Scriptures quoted above give light to the critical need to find the “secret place” and dwell there as a way of life so that we can become more of those who “be” rather than those who “do”. This will require a life of worship, prayer and indeed a desperate passion for God! Some delegates shared how they are practically seeking to implement this in their workplace. Gunnar said something that is remarkable. He said “You do not have to build the Kingdom. God says believe in me and I will build the Kingdom. Therefore we need to seek the Kingdom of God and walk in faith which will cause God to manifest on the earth”. What lies ahead of us is impossible with man’s effort, so like God told Moses, “I have come down”. This becomes more relevant in view of the coming industrial revolution as well as key areas of scarcity namely; energy, water and food. This certainly requires a walk of faith like never before.
Again let me quote something else that Gunnar said, “When God called Abraham, he made Himself dependent on the faithfulness of one man! Abraham did not settle for anything else as he held the yardstick of the “Holy City” he saw and therefore remained faithful waiting for God to manifest His promises. Upon this faithfulness the redemption of the entire world depended” This in my view is incredible that God’s purpose could be tied so delicately to the faithfulness of man. Therefore the call of God upon us is far more significant than our personal wellbeing or “blessing”. We are called like Israel was to be God’s servants! Again Gunnar declared, “You were born with a purpose, you are not here for yourself”!
Dr. Dale Fife, our main speaker, challenged us to go deeper in our walk with God by declaring “There is more”! He shared from Abraham’s experience; “he journeyed going on still” Gen 12 vs.9. He indicated that all the patriarchs journeyed. We tend to be comfortable with our present locations but God want us to journey! We can mark our journeys with God through divine encounters. There are dimensions that we have never known before that God wants us to encounter. Sometimes in our journey we come to a “roadblock”. It is the key of faith that will enable us to wait upon the Lord when we come to the roadblock. There are various levels of intimacy. Unless you are desperate you will not find the “secret place”. Sometimes God takes us into the wilderness so we can really be thirsty for Him. The mind of Christ comes through intimacy with God. Dr Fife ended with a long list of distractions that can hinder our intimacy with God. These include material possession, health, sex, people, work, ministry, entertainment, etc
One inspiring input to the conference were the panel discussions particularly the session presented by the “young professionals”. They shared on the topic “What do you have in your hand? – Your calling in Business as a Divine instrument for God” We felt that the young professionals are a key constituent for the future relevance of ICCC. We prayed for and dedicated this track of young professionals for the release of the needed strategy and unction to harness their gifting and callings for the furtherance of God’s purpose in the marketplace. Contact with this group for now will be through the international office.
A new international board was elected during the IGM. The composition of the board is also another sign of a new season.
The above are just my recollection and some of the notes I took during the conference. You can always order the full recording of the conference from the ICCC international office in Sweden.
PRAYER THEMES
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Give thanks and Praise for the success of the Conference and IGM
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Pray for the new international board to receive clearly the mandate for the new season
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Pray for Israel particularly the need to form a new government following the last election. Also pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Where to and what to do from here on?
In my last blog I mentioned a prophecy I received from a Canadian pastor, Ron Sawka (Christian International Asia) who has been ministering in Japan for 25 years.
Ron prophesied over all of the Australian delegates that attended the ICCC (International Christian Chamber of Commerce) Conference in Bangkok April 2012. I am on the Board of the Australian chapter so know the Board Members well. Ron’s prophecies to all 14 delegates were “spot on” particularly those given to the Board Members. It was mind blowing that a man who knew none of us could know what he knew about each of us. It could only be GOD. The prophecy I received has proved to be life changing for me.
When Ron said, “I see an open book but the book needs to be closed. God wants to begin a new book but the old book needs to be closed first”. I had been procrastinating about handing over control of Care & Share Products to my sons even though I knew it was God’s succession plan for the company. This word touched a raw nerve but I knew in my heart what I had to do. I have now extricated myself totally from Care & Share Products www.careandshare.com.au. The rest of Ron’s prophecy was about what God wants me to do.
“God is going to use you to train up marketplace Kingdom warriors. So the Lord says you will activate and teach many, many people. Of course this may have to do with ICCC Australia right?” I believe it does have a lot to do with ICCC and their training materials particularly the series Transformed Working Life but also How to Start a (Kingdom) Business and How to Develop a Kingdom Business.
Please help me get the word around that I am available to train business people to develop Kingdom businesses with JESUS at the head (Lord of All).
I am presently producing a video which I will post on YOU TUBE and FACEBOOK to connect with people who want to start or grow a successful Kingdom business. Watch out for it.
Why call my post – LIVING ETERNAL NOW?
Eternal Life is so much more than a theological concept.
It is tangible, it is REAL. You can experience it now. Why would you not want this life?
“And this is the testimony, that GOD gave us Eternal Life and this life is in HIS son JESUS.“ 1 John 5:11
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of GOD, JESUS that you may know you have Eternal Life.“ 1 John 5:13
“I (JESUS) came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
JESUS promises abundant life which begins already in the here and now, a rich, full, joyful life, one overflowing in meaningful activities under the personal favour and blessing of GOD and in continual fellowship with His people.
I started this life at age 47, I am now 76 and just starting “a new book”.
For any unbeliever reading this blog, when I became a Christian in 1982, I was born again, the HOLY SPIRIT (GOD) came to indwell my spirit. It’s His role to be our counsellor, comforter, teacher and even healer. You don’t live the Christian life on your own, without help. A Christian knows GOD is real because of the self authenticating witness of the HOLY SPIRIT. I need to say here, that sadly, though all Christians are indwelt by the spirit not all are filled with the Spirit. The Bible teaches that we can grieve the HOLY SPIRIT by sin and quench the HOLY SPIRIT by repressing His work in our lives. The carnal Christian will have doubts about his faith. When I am walking in the SPIRIT my faith is vital when I am not the opposite is true.
I mentioned above that I am just starting “a new book” or if you like chapter in my life. It all started with a PROPHECY I received in April, 2011 which caused me to close “the old book”. It was wonderful to learn that GOD wants to open (start) a new book with me at age 75.
I will share more on this “new book” in the next blog but let me share here that my doctors and optometrist recently confirmed for me that GOD has maintained my physical health in preparation for what’s ahead. At 75 you need to get a comprehensive health certificate completed by your doctor to renew your driver’s licence. My doctor decided it was time for me to get ALL of the blood tests done seeing I could not remember when I had any done in the past. When I dropped in to pick up the certificate for the RTA, my 50 year old doctor not only said that the blood test results were great but he wished they were his. I also had to see the optometrist. I had prescription glasses for reading but not driving given to me two years previously. The optometrist said that my sight had improved from the previous test and that she has never had to say that to anyone before. She was a young Chinese optometrist who was clearly taken back by the results.
For me these test results from two health practitioners was the confirmation I needed to know that I was obeying GOD by “closing the book” on the company (www.careandshare.com.au) I had founded and managed for over 25 years.
More on “the new book” in the next blog.
Decline of the ANGLICAN CHURCH in the UK: comment by Dr Albert Mohler President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
As valid as the institutional question of establishment may be, the more important factor in this pattern of decline is theological. Churches and denominations decline when they lose or forfeit their passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for the Bible as the enduring, authoritative, and totally truthful Word of God. If life and death are no longer understood to hang in the balance, there is little reason for the British people to worry about anything related to Christianity. If a church is not passionate about seeing sinners come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, if there is no powerful biblical message from its pulpits, then it is destined for decline and eventual disappearance.
When a church forfeits its doctrinal convictions and then embraces ambiguity and tolerates heresy, it undermines its own credibility and embraces its own destruction.
Johan Huiber spent $1.2 million and 20 years building this full sized replica of Noah’s Ark
What are your plans for 2013
If you want to be challenged about how you are living your life then I suggest you read LOVE DOES by Bob Goff. I was given the book for Christmas by my eldest son, Brett and he said as he gave it to me, “you need to read this dad”.
I finished the book yesterday.
Bob Goff doesn’t go to Bible Studies, each week he goes to Bible Doings with a bunch of guys. I like his answer for not calling it a Bible Study. “Wouldn’t it be a horrible thing if we studied the ones we love instead of bonding in deeper ways by doing things with them”.
At their Bible Doing meetings the group study God’s word. “We read what God has to say then focus all of our attention on what we are going to do about it”.
What Bob has achieved with God over his lifetime is mind boggling. Like my son said, “you need to read this”.
It was a New York Times best seller in 2012.
JESUS birth prophesied by Micah
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to ME the ONE to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” Micah 5:2 NKJV
This prophecy impacted history in a powerful and tragic way. In Matthew 2:1,2 we read “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him”. The next verse says “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him”. He called together his chief priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They of course searched the OT scrolls and found this verse in Micah . The prophecy is very specific. It said the baby must be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. Since there were two towns called Bethlehem, one near Nazareth and another south of Jersualem in the region Ephrathah, the distinction was important. What else did the prophecy reveal that shook Herod to the core? It clearly said that the one to be born had lived from everlasting. Even secular history records the following event: Herod ordered the death of all male children under the age of two. Satan through Herod did his utmost to kill Jesus.
As I mentioned in an earlier post on PROPHECY, it is one of the most powerful evidences of the TRUTH of the BIBLE. We have 300 more prophecies of Jesus birth, life, ministry, death and RESURRECTION in the OT which clearly reveals it is GOD breathed. The authors were led by the Holy Spirit to write the TRUTH.
The Nativity Scene pictured is up on top of “The Place” in Evergreen, Colorado. It is 30m x 12 m high with 2,600 light bulbs. It was an effort by my son Brett to put Christ back into Christmas.
