Shark!

A friend of mine shared a story about the U. S. National Park Service finding fossilized remains of a shark in Mammoth Cave. In Kentucky! THAT was a little interesting, so I checked it out. The story was indeed true (link at bottom).

So Kentucky was underwater at some point. Really. Kentucky is where the Smoky MOUNTAINS are located. Hmm. Then I remembered another story about finding fossils of water-based creatures on Mt. Everest. That story is also true (link at bottom).

There are two possibilities here. Either the mountains were formed after, and out of, the sea, or there was a world-wide flood. Or both, I guess.

When I was in high school, living in a Milwaukee suburb, I was a rock collector. I heard about a place to the north called the Lannon Quarry that was known for its fossils. So I took a little trip. The information I had received was true and it wasn't long before I was chiseling out a cephalopod I had found in the limestone. I only got one because some guy came running out towards me, yelling at me to get out.

Anyway.... I guess Wisconsin was once under underwater as well.

People have lots of theories about how the world and life began. I'm not going to get into those. I'll just leave you with this:

"Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it - I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

³¹God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." - Genesis 1:29-31

God created everything. WHEN He did it and HOW He did it are beyond me. But for today, just knowing that there once were sharks swimming around the neighborhood, makes me think twice about taking a dip in the local pond. Lol! Not really. But it DOES make me think about the amazing power of God.

Mammoth Cave Sharks - National Park Service

Mt. Everest Marine Fossils

Nephilim

"The Nephilim were on the earth in those days - and also afterward - when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." - Genesis 6:4

There was a plot by Satan and his fallen angels to create a new race of people - bigger, stronger, more evil, more perverse, and totally devoted to worshipping the devil himself.

If you are wondering why God destroyed every living thing on earth (except Noah and his family) these Nephilim, which literally means "fallen ones," are the reason for the flood. They and the perverse offspring of these demons and humans.

There are many parallels between the times of Noah and the days we are living in today. So many similarities in fact that one could think that the flood was prophetic in nature for when Jesus returns to judge us all.

There are no giants in the world today, or are there? Perhaps instead they are giant corporations doing Satan's bidding. Like Planned Parenthood for example. A giant baby-killing machine to be sure. Killing off potential Christ worshippers just like King Herrod did back when Jesus was born, trying to kill off the coming Messiah.

And what about the United Nations? They too are a giant organization who seem determined to eliminate Israel from the face of the earth. That sounds like something Stan would love as well. Eliminate God's chosen people? Oh, yes indeed.

There are many things that we have to look forward to when Jesus returns. One of them will be live without all these evil things in our lives. New bodies, no more tears or pain, no more suffering. Only love, and worship and peace. These are promises from God!

Until that day we must endure. We must endeavor to persevere. But, oh, what a glorious day that will be when Jesus returns! Until then, let us not become children of darkness like the Nephilim. We are children of God. We should act like it.

"You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness." - 1 Thessalonians 5:5

"Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them." - John 12:36

Special thanks to Pastor Dave for inspiring this story through his teaching on Sunday. You can find his message on Calvary Chapel - Waupaca's website under "Teaching". To be posted 7-21-20

Calvary Chapel - Waupaca - Teaching

Hidden In Plain Sight

What does your name mean? And why did your parents name you that? Was it because it just sounded cool? Or did it have some special meaning? A SECRET meaning?

Enoch, from the Book of Genesis in the Bible, was born around 4600 BC. He was the father of Methuselah and the great grandfather of Noah. Enoch was a prophet in his time and prophesied about a great flood that would be coming.

What's interesting is that Enoch named his son Methuselah which literally means "his death shall bring". Bring what? The flood.

The flood was preached for four generations - Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah. "His death shall bring" (Methuselah) meant that the flood would not come until Methuselah died. Guess what. The year Methuselah died, the flood came.

Here's a trivia question for you. The oldest man in the Bible was Methuselah, yet he died before his father did. How is that possible? Because Enoch did not die.

"When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." - Genesis 5:21-24

The Bible has so much information in it. Most of it we just gloss over as "boring." I have read the Bible eight times and never even stopped to think that Biblical names might carry actual meanings. Our pastor preached about those meanings on Sunday and offered this very interesting observation.

If you took all the ancient Hebrew names listed in Genesis 5 and wrote down their English translation, this is what you would have.

"man" - Adam

"appointed" - Seth

"mortal" - Enosh

"sorrow" - Kenan

"the blessed of God" - Mehaliel

"shall come down" - Jared

"teaching" - Enoch

"his death shall bring" - Methuselah

"despairing" - Lamech

"comfort, rest" - Noah

Now, string all those meanings together and see if you notice anything.

Man is appointed mortal sorrow: but The Blessed of God shall come down teaching. His death shall bring the despairing comfort, rest.

It's Jesus! It's the Gospel!

And if you think about it, don't we all need to get into The Ark named Jesus Christ in order to be saved from God's wrath?

Here's another trivia question for you. Who closed the door after everyone got on the ark? It wasn't Noah. It wasn't any of his sons.

"Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in." - Genesis 7:15-16

Get on The Ark of Jesus Christ today before the wrath of God comes and you go the way of all the earth.

Hidden Treasures in Genesis - Chuck Missler
Genesis 5