“ACCURACY OF THE BIBLE”

Over 2,200 years ago, a man measured the Earth… using shadows and a stick. In the 3^rd century BCE, in the great Egyptian city of Alexandria, lived a man named Eratosthenes. Some mocked him by calling him Beta — the second letter of the Greek alphabet — implying he was second-best at everything. But in truth, he was an Alpha in knowledge. Astronomer, geographer, philosopher, poet, historian, mathematician, and director of the Great Library of Alexandria — he was a true Renaissance man… centuries before the Renaissance.

One day, he read in a scroll that in the city of Syene (modern-day Aswan), on June 21st, the summer solstice, a vertical stick cast no shadow at noon. The sun stood directly overhead. But in Alexandria, on the same day and same hour, a stick did cast a shadow. Where most would overlook such a detail, Eratosthenes saw a cosmic clue.

He reasoned: If the Earth were flat, the sun’s rays would hit both sticks equally — the shadows would match. But they didn’t. So, what could explain the difference? Only a curved Earth. He measured the angle of the shadow in Alexandria. It was about 7 degrees — roughly 1/50^th of a full circle. He hired someone to measure the distance between Syene and Alexandria: about 800 kilometers. Then he did the math: 800 km × 50 = 40,000 km — the circumference of the Earth.

That’s astonishingly accurate. No satellites. No telescopes. No calculators. Just observation, curiosity, and a mind that dared to ask why. Eratosthenes became the first person to calculate the size of a planet — and he did it by watching how a stick cast its shadow.

“It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in…”. (Isa. 40:22).  

“When he established the heavens, I was there: when he set a circle upon the face of the deep…” (Prov. 8:27). 

by: Carl Sagan

“THE PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING”

 Job 28:1-11 - The wealth that is hidden in the earth cannot be obtained but with a great deal of difficulty. So is it true of spiritual wealth (TRUTH). It’s situated purposefully by God and can only be uncovered with great effort. Only those who pursue with all their heart will find it and benefit therefrom. Job observes in the remainder of this chapter:

“But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The deep saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal: Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the heavens. Destruction and Death say, we have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.  

God understandeth the way thereof, And he knoweth the place thereof for he looketh to the ends of the earth,  and seeth under the whole heaven; to make a weight for the wind: Yea, he meteth out the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder; then did he see it, and declare it; He established it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”

God’s wisdom is as the pearl of great value and the hidden treasure (Matt. 13:44-45). Once discovered, nothing should prevent us from possessing it. 

“Honoring the Father”

 Honoring someone is one of the highest forms of respect that can be performed,  especially when given with understanding. This is especially true in honoring God. God is a heavenly Father and He deserves honor from his children. God’s love for His children is the basis for which they give honor. God’s love for His children is stated in the following passages:

“My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art reproved of him; For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Heb. 12:5-7). Moses said: “as a man chasteneth his son, so Jehovah thy God chasteneth thee” (Deut. 8:5). God told David: “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind” (2 Sam. 7:14).

Solomon wrote of a father’s love: “He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” (Prov. 13:24). “Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death.” (Prov. 19:18). “Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol. My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart will be glad, even mine: Yea, my heart will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. Let not thy heart envy sinners; But be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long: For surely there is a reward; and thy hope shall not be cut off. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.” (Prov. 23:13-19).

Honoring God has great reward: “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him. Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bare thee rejoice. My son, give me thy heart; and let thine eyes delight in my ways.” (Prov. 23:24-26).

“THE BENEFIT OF BIBLE STUDY”

   

Gus Nichols (1892-1975), minister of the Lord's church in Jasper, AL, preached in a gospel meeting in Munford, AL, in 1937. During the meeting, he stated that he had studied the Bible five hours a day for twenty years. Franklin Camp (1915-1991), a young fellow, heard that statement. He decided that if a man of Gus Nichols' ability needed to study the Bible five hours a day, he needed to study it even more. He started then to spend at least six hours a day in Bible study. He would go to his study at four-thirty or five o'clock in the morning because he had learned that early morning is the best time for meditation. He believed that his greatest responsibility was to study God's word to be able to teach it to others. Think of the examples of Gus Nichols and Franklin Camp and admire them for devoting all those hours to Bible study, and the subsequent knowledge they gained for themselves and for teaching others.

If we believe the Bible is the word of God and the only guide for our lives in spiritual matters, how devoted to reading and studying it are we? The Bible is not just for preachers, it is for all people. Let us give ample time to its precious and powerful message and live by it.

“To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.” (Proverbs 8:4-9).

There is a fountain of wisdom open to us in Bible study. Let us remember this when we sing, “There’s a fountain free; 'tis for you and me; let us haste oh haste to it’s brink”.

“A DYING COAL”

 

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending their services regularly, suddenly ceased his attendance. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preacher's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace, and waited.

The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, he took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember, and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow, and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and lifeless.

The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember, and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the ‘fiery’ sermon. I shall be back in the assembly next Sunday.”

What silent message would God have you share with someone today? “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16). A man may go to heaven...without health, without wealth, without fame, without a great name, without learning, without earnings, without culture, without beauty, without friends, and without ten thousand other things...but he can NEVER go to heaven without Christ. We need each other to keep the flame burning.

“Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works” (Heb. 10:24).

“UNDERSTANDING NECESSARY INFERENCE”

 

To “infer’ is ‘to derive as a conclusion from facts or premises’ (Meriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dict.). It means to: judge, conclude, or perceive. Although ‘infer’ is not used in scripture, the synonyms “conclude”, “perceive” and “judge”, are found. Within the definition, the dictionary advises, “see imply”. That is because an inference can never stand alone. There must be an implication in order to qualify as a necessary inference. There can be no necessary inference unless it is based on information from statements, commands, approved examples, or some combination thereof. For an inference to be authoritative, it must be a necessary conclusion. There are many possible inferences we might make based on sketchy information, but unless we can determine that the Holy Spirit has implied something, we cannot draw a necessary inference. When one draws a conclusion without an implication he is merely surmising.

Three approved apostolic examples of the use of necessary inference:

1] From the events in Acts 10, Peter understood that ​people are accepted for their reverence to God and obedience to His will (Acts 10:34-35). That was the only conclusion he could reach from what GOD had revealed.

2] The apostle Paul could only conclude that GOD is the GOD of both the Gentiles and the Jews (Rom. 3:28ff); based on Abraham being justified by faith apart from the law (Rom. 4:1-3).

3] In Acts 15, we find the use of a statement, an example, and a necessary inference all in one context. In establishing authority for conversion of Gentiles, Peter makes a statement that GOD ‘chose’ that they “should hear the word of the gospel and believe” (v. 7). Paul and Barnabas then cited an example of GOD working signs among the Gentiles (v. 12). James draws the conclusion by saying, “I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to GOD” (v. 19).

As Doy Moyer put it, “Inferences are a natural part of all reasoning. These are conclusions we draw from the data we have. We all do it. We just need to learn to do it correctly.”

In honor of all “Mothers” and “Grandmothers”

“SOMEBODY”

Somebody said that a child is carried in its mother's womb for nine months. Somebody does not know that a child is carried in its mother’s heart forever.

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you’ve had a baby. Somebody doesn’t know that once you’re a mother, normal is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct. Somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring. Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver’s permit.

Somebody said if you’re a “good” mother, your child will “turn out good”. Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.

Somebody said “good” mothers never raise their voices. Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor’s kitchen window.

Somebody said you don’t need an education to be a mother. Somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.

Somebody said you can’t love the fifth child as much as you love the first. Somebody doesn't have five children.

Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books. Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery. Somebody never watched her “baby” get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten.

Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back. Somebody never organized seven giggling Brownies to sell cookies.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married. Somebody doesn’t know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother’s heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother’s job is done when her last child leaves home. Somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don’t need to tell her. Somebody isn’t a mother.

"He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!" ~ Psalm 113:9