Break from the Heat

Well, we had a busy weekend. Friday I went with a friend to see the new Transformer movie and got home about 1:30am. I really liked the first one but the second one had too much stupid little humor in it. I will say the special effects of the decepticons tearing down the Great Pyramid was pretty cool.


Saturday Trish was on her way home from Florida and they hit stop and go traffic. I drove down to meet her in Decatur, AL and they were so late I had to kill about 2.5 hours. Luckily, they have a wildlife refuge that I drove around on to take up my time. We got home about 9pm and Trish and Jedi were asleep in about 5 minutes.


Sunday morning I drove a golf cart shuttle at church. Our class covers this on the 4th Sunday of the month. It was hot and humid but I had fun and got to meet some new people. We are probably going to join the church this coming Sunday because I will actually start teaching the Sunday after that. I am going to teach the "Case for Christ" book to one of the 8:00am classes.


Monday was not as hot as it has been. The humidity was way down and it only got into the mid 80s. I took Trish to some of the places I checked out while she was in Florida. We started at Winstead Hill. This is a great little park with monuments to the Civil War Battle of Franklin. They have a great walking trail that is about 1 mile long through a forest and meadow that we walked. I then drove by the Carter House and Carnton Plantation that I toured to show Trish where they are. We made our way out to the Factory. This is an old stove works factory that has been converted to a shopping mall. As I suspected, Trish really liked it and Jedi said he wanted to live there. The pictures here are of Jedi on a giant rocker at the Factory and sitting on the bench with manachin. I told Jedi the second picture is of "two dummies sitting on a bench".



We left the Factory and went to eat at PF Changs. This is one of the few Chinese restaurants Trish will eat at but I had never tried it. Sorry, but I was not impressed. I like the buffets where you can choose a variety. Their rice was too dry and hard as well. I'll have to go back to Ming Court in Dickson, I really liked it. We made a quick stop at Wal-Mart in Franklin and then went home to rest a few hours. About 6:00pm we headed to Henry Horton State Park and had a picnic supper by the Duck river and then played frisbee golf. Jedidiah loved playing frisbee and we had a hard time getting him to leave even though it was getting dark. Of course being the wonderful, well disciplined parents we are that have raised the perfectly behaved child we bribed him with ice cream and cookies to get him in the car and stop crying:) Hope your weekend was as eventful as ours. Today was start of week 5 of summer school, almost half way done already.

Day 29 Devotion – Five Cities of the Plain

And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. Genesis 14:8-12

Picture: The map shows the five cities that archaeologists have uncovered on the southeast side of the Dead Sea. They are identified with the red dots.

In this story we are told that four kings from the east in Mesopotamia come west and attack the five cities in the plains on the southeastern side of the Dead Sea. At one time, scholars thought that Amraphel king of Shinar was the famous Hammurabi who wrote the famous Babylonian law code. More modern archaeological finds have shown this was not him and actually this is too early. Hammurabi is more of a contemporary with Moses. Scholars also doubted the truth of this story because they felt there was no way that there were five cities in this region. The southeast side of the Dead Sea is harsh country. The climate is extremely dry with hardly any fresh water for drinking. The area is salty and would not be good for growing crops. There was petroleum here and asphalt actually floated on top of the Dead Sea here. Geology confirms the existence of the asphalt pits that the Bible refers to here. When Alexander the Great came through here they took him to show him the flammable liquid that came out of the ground. He used it as a weapon to throw flaming balls at his enemy and it became known as Greek Fire. Archaeology has also confirmed that precisely five cities existed here exactly as the Bible says. Even today, nomads live in this area. These skeptics ignored modern evidence and came up with their conclusion without reason. As our story continues we will see that two of these five cities are Sodom and Gomorrah and that two archaeological digs match up with them quite nicely.

Yuppie Nerd

Well, the nerd is at it again. This morning I drove into Franklin for some more Civil War history. On the way I stopped at a park I have been noticing that is built like a little rest area. The other day I learned that it actually was a Civil War historical site. Winstead Hill is a beautiful little park. It was the vantage point that General Hood used to watch the Battle of Franklin. The Sons and Daughters of Confederate Veterans has erected some very nice markers here that reminded me of Gettysburg. There is also a walking trail here but it was too hot so I'll have to go back for that.



The next stop was the Carnton Plantation. This home is very close to the Carter House where the Battle of Franklin took place. Soldiers were brought in and rooms in the house were used as operating rooms. There are still blood stains on the hard wood floors. The house is amazing with colorful wall paper and Victorian furniture. Andrew Jackson was friends with the McGavock family that lived here and frequented often. The McGavoks gathered up almost 1500 dead confederate soldiers and burried them on the property. This is the largest privately owned Confederate Cemetery.

It was lunch time after the tour so I went to scout out the Factory on the north side of Franklin. This is an old stove works factory that has been converted into a shopping mall. This was such a cool idea. As you walk in it feels like you are going into an old dirty factory but as you enter it has lots of small shops and eateries. I had a chicken wrap and and iced mocha. I felt like a real yuppie. On the inside they maintained the old stained windows and some of the cracked ones. The hand rails are iron beams so it really has a factory feel to it. I know Trish will like this place.

After luch it was real hot and muggy out so I stopped and bought some new clothes at Wal-Mart in Franklin. I baddly needed some shorts for summer. Then I had an incling for a scenic drive so I checked out Henry Horton State Park about 20 miles east of Spring Hill. I can't wait to go back in cooler weather. They have great picnic areas on the Duck river with swimming and canoeing. They have a swimming pool besides the river and a disk golf course. They also have camping, cabins and a lodge.

Well, that was my day so far. Now for a quick nap and supper. Tonight I'm going to the new Transformer movie with three other yuppie nerds:)

Day 28 Devotion – Abraham Visits Egypt

Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, Genesis 13:1-3

Picture 1: The map shows Bethel north of Jerusalem. When Abram and Lot split up, Lot settles southeast of the Dead Sea and Abram settles in Hebron west of the Dead Sea.

We see that when Abram returned to the Land of Canaan he went back to his camp between Bethel and Ai.

Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. Genesis 13:5-6

Abram’s nephew Lot is traveling with him and they are both accumulating so many livestock that the land won’t support them both and they separate.

Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. Genesis 13:11-12

Abram lets Lot have first choice and he chooses the plains on the southeast side of the Dead Sea. Abram stays in Canaan.

Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD. Genesis 13:18

Next, we are told Abram moves further to the south and settles near Hebron, which is south of Jerusalem. Remember the name of Hebron because it plays a very significant role in the history of Israel. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph were all buried here as we will see later as we continue the story.

Picture 2: Lot settled on the southeast side of the Dead Sea. Down here the land is flatter but much more of a drier desert.
















Picture 3: Abraham settled on the west side of the Dead Sea where the land is much more rugged and hilly. At first glance you would say that Abraham really got shafted in this deal. Actually the southeast plains are some of the driest, saltiest and barren places on earth. The plateaus of the hill country get more rain and are more fertile. Lot chose what he thought looked best and compromised his values to settle in an immoral community while Abraham was blessed for his unselfishness.

Day 27 Devotion – Abraham Visits Egypt

Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South. Genesis 12:7-9

Picture 1: Abraham moved form Shechem to camp on the east side of Bethel, which is just a little north of Jerusalem.

We are told here that Abram is traveling south through Canaan. First he camped at Shechem and here we see he camps between Bethel and Ai, which are both north of Jerusalem.


Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. Genesis 12:10


Next we are told that a famine causes Abram to flee to Egypt to escape it. We will now see that Egyptian archaeology is important in understanding Biblical archaeology and history. Egyptian records tell us that there was a famine so severe in Palestine that refuges fled there for relief. This famine took place during what is called the First Intermediate Period. Egyptian history is divided up into kingdoms and intermediate periods. During the kingdoms, the Egyptians were in power but there were periods in between where foreign rulers conquered Egypt and ruled. The Old Kingdom is important because that is when the pyramids were built. Then the Old Kingdom falls and the First Intermediate Period begins. One of the reasons Egypt probably was so friendly to the refugees including Abraham was that Egypt had been overthrown by foreign people of a similar ethnicity and were more welcoming. It is mind boggling to me that the pyramids are so old that when Abraham came in on this visit they were already about 400 years old. It is amazing how well the dry climate preserves structures and documents that would have long withered away under more humid and rougher weather conditions.

Picture 2: The Pyramids of Giza are the only surviving landmarks of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It's amazing that they are about 4500 years old. The middle one of the big three still has some plaster at the top. At one time the whole pyramid was covered with this white plaster that gave it smooth sides and looked like a snow capped mountain in the desert. The plaster has eroded off because of how steep the sides are. Many people confuse this pyramid with the Great Pyramid. The Great pyramid is actually in the back on the far right. The Great Pyramid is the tallest stone structure in the world from base to top. It looks shorter than the middle pyramid because the middle pyramid is sitting on higher ground.

Local History

When I move to a new area I like to go to visitor centers and chambers of commerce to get information so I can learn about the area. As you study the history you quickly learn where the names for areas and streets come from. Trish and Jedidiah are out of town this week and they don't like history so I'm doing that on my own.


Picture: Carter house in Franklin. The Battle of Franklin was fought on these grounds.


We have just moved to Spring Hill close to Franklin, TN and is located in Williamson County. Franklin is named after Benjamin Franklin who was friends with another continental congress member whose last name was Williamson. So you can see what I mean about learning where names come from. The Carter house is a National historic site and I visited it on Monday. I had no idea the Battle of Franklin was so important or so bloody. After General Sherman burned Atlanta and started his famous march to the sea towards Savannah, General Hood of the Confederates decided the next best move was to cut Sherman's supply lines coming down from Nashville. Sherman had to leave part of his army behind to protect these supply lines and to make a long story short, the two armies met at Columbia, Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville. The worst battle was at Franklin around the grounds of the Carter house. Approximately 10,000 men died in a two-four hour period on November 30, 1864. The confederate army was slaughtered, losing one-third of their men. One of the confederate soldiers was Todd Carter. He was shot nine times with a bullet lodged above his left eye but still alive. He was carried to the house and lived 36 more hours before dieing in the same room he was born in. What a cool but sad story. The tour guide said if there had been a photographer, this site might have as much attention as Gettysburg or Shiloh. But, The Carter house is a quaint little stop in town and definitely worth the visit. Friday I plan to visit the Carnton Plantation where the confederate cemetery is.

Day 26 Devotion – The Call of Abram

And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran. Genesis 11:31-32

Picture 1: Haran is in northern Mesopotamia. Notice that they did not cut strait across to Canaan. There are several explanations for this. One is they were avoiding the most treacherous desert. Another is they were avoiding robbers by staying on well traveled roads. It is also possible they had family connections in Haran and stayed there for a while.

The city of Ur is one of the most famous cities of the ancient world and famous archaeological digs because it is one of the oldest ever discovered. It was located close to the Persian Gulf not far from modern day Baghdad. This was the hometown of Abram. We are told he left there with his father Terah and they resettled in Haran. Haran was the name of a region as well as a specific town. Also notice that one of Terah’s sons was named Haran so don’t confuse the place with the person. Haran was in upper Mesopotamia in what is modern day northern Iraq or Iran. It is northeast of Israel.

So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. Genesis 12:4-5

Picture 2: Map showing that Shechem is north of Jerusalem. This is the first campsite mentioned for Abram as he entered Canaan.

The land of Canaan was the ancient name for modern day Israel. This same area is also called Palestine which comes from a later people group called the Philistines. Obviously the modern day Palestinians derive their name from this word. At this point in the story Israel doesn’t exist yet so it was known as Canaan. Remember, Canaan was the son of Ham, one of the three sons of Noah and Abram is a descendant of Shem. We are then told that Abraham camped at a place called Shechem, which is north of Jerusalem.

Picture 3: Ruins of the city of Ur. Notice the Ziggurat in the background.

Day 25 Devotion – The Dispersion of Nations

Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. Genesis 11:9

Picture 1: Gebel Arak knife excavated in Egypt.

I want to spend today on one of the most fascinating archaeological finds I have ever read about. Most people have probably never heard of it but once again I have to thank David Rohl for his information in his book called Legend. This artifact is known as the Gebel Arak Knife. This knife was discovered in Egypt but is so ancient it actually gives clues as to where the ancient settlers of Egypt came from. You are probably familiar with Egyptian dress from pictures of pharaohs you have seen. Now look at the close up picture of the engraving on the knife. It doesn’t look Egyptian at all. Actually, the man engraved on the knife looks very Mesopotamian. Canyons in eastern Egypt have also revealed carvings of Mesopotamian peoples migrating into Egypt. This is great evidence that the earliest people groups dispersed exactly as the Bible pictures here and they came from Mesopotamia.

Picture 2: Closeup view of the knife's handle. Notice the man does not look Egyptian but looks very Mesopotamian. This man is called the "Master of Animals" and the animals are occuring in pairs.

There is one other thing to note about this close up engraving on the knife. Notice that the animals occur in pairs. Also notice that he is controlling two huge lions by grasping their throats. Archaeologists have nicknamed this man the “master of animals”. Is it just a coincidence that the Bible tells us that shortly after the flood that people migrated out of Mesopotamia and then here we find evidence of Mesopotamians settling in Egypt? Is it just a coincidence that the Bible tells us that Noah controlled pairs of animals just before this dispersal? Although we do not know all the details we can show that there is archaeological evidence to support the basic stories of the Bible such as the Garden of Eden and Noah’s Ark. So many people write these off as myths and fairy tales. Our children grow up now in an age where you are viewed as stupid if you believe these stories are real. There is plenty of evidence to hold to the inerrancy of scripture; we need to equip our young people with this information. You may be looking at an engraving of Noah.

Day 24 Devotion – The Tower of Babel

Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:1-4

Picture 1: Painting of the Tower of Babel.

The Tower of Babel is a famous story of the Old Testament. It explains how and why one people group was dispersed into the various nations. When archaeologists first read about a tower in the land of Shinar they knew exactly what the Bible was referring to. The land of Shinar refers to Mesopotamia in modern day Iraq and Iran. There are numerous towers there called ziggurats that were ancient temples. The earliest peoples descended from the Zagros Mountains in the north. They used to worship on mountain tops. Now they settled in the plains for better agricultural lands. The trouble is that they believed worship was to occur in a high place so this meant that they built artificial mountains to worship on. You will notice the similarity between the ziggurat pictured and the pyramids in Egypt and the pyramids of the Incas in South America. This idea stemmed from the original single race that everyone else divided from.

Picture 2: This ancient Ziggurat still standing in Modern day Iraq is probably more what the real tower of Babel looked like.












Picture 3: Incan pyramid in South America.













Picture 4: The step pyramid of Djoser (pronounced Zoser) is the first stone structure ever built.

Archaeology has also confirmed that these structures were made from mud brick. Stone would not be used for several centuries. The famous step pyramid of Djoser is the first large stone building ever constructed. Later the Great pyramid would become the tallest structure ever built by man (almost 500 feet) until the Eifel Tower was erected. The Great pyramid is still the largest stone structure ever made. The three pyramids of Giza are the only structures still in existence that are part of the seven wonders of the ancient world. To make you appreciate their age just think that they were built before Abraham was born and he saw them in their glory.

Picture 5: The Great Pyramid at Giza is still the tallest stone structure ever built and is one of the seven wanders of the ancient world.

Day 23 Devotion – Table of Nations: Shemites

The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber. Genesis 10:22-24

Picture 1: The Shemites are shown in the purple ovals. Notice that they settled in the Middle East and primarily Mesopotamia to start with.

Shem is the most important son of Noah for Biblical history. When words are translated from Hebrew into other languages an Sh is usually converted to just an S, so Shem is the father of the Semites. You have probably heard people who do not like Jews as being anti-Semitic. One of Shem’s descendants is Eber which has the same root word for where we get the word Hebrew. Also notice that Elam and Asshur were descendants of Shem. The Assyrians and Babylonians were also Semitic peoples and their Aramaic language was very similar to Hebrew. The Semitic people dominated the Mesopotamian region and then moved into the land of Canaan when God told Abram to move there.

Probably the first group of people mentioned in a history class is the Sumerians. Of all the people groups mentioned in Genesis chapter ten, the Sumerians are never mentioned. How can this be? One archaeologist came up with an interesting hypothesis. Not only does the Sh get converted to an S from Hebrew to English but also these languages did not write vowels so they can be interchanged. This would mean that Shemerian could be derived as Sumerian. Maybe the Bible doesn’t talk about Sumerians because that’s who was writing it, the Sumerians and Shemites are equivalent. This would also explain why Old Testament stories like the Garden of Eden and Noah’s Flood are so similar to Sumerian stories because they come from the same historical roots. These people began very early in the Zagros Mountains of northern Iran and then moved to the plains of Mesopotamia where they domesticated crops. Worship has always been associated with mountain tops so in the flat plains they constructed tall temples called ziggurats to worship on. Isn’t it interesting that so many Christians come back from special events even today and say they had a mountain top experience?

Picture 2: Zagros Mountains of Northern Iran where the birthplace of human civilization was.

So Easy a Caveman Can Do It!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Is it just me or does Gasol look like one of those Geiko cavemen? He's one of the ugliest basketball players I've ever seen. I was hoping the Cavaliers would play the Lakers. Oh well.
I haven't been on the computer since Thursday so I still need to give a shout out for my penguins. Go Pens! Doo Bee Doo Bee Doo. Now the playoffs are all over so what sport can I watch now? I guess a little NASCAR and Steroid Ball will have to tie me over until the Tide starts to Roll in September.
Jennifer and Melissa came to visit from Arkansas. We enjoyed the company. They came on Thursday and Jedi and I didn't even get to see them until Saturday. I know they came to see Trish but that's ridiculous. I do believe however they helped the local economy since they spent copious amounts of time at the three major malls in the area:) Trish missed church this morning because she was seeing them off. It's a shame because she missed something I never witnessed before. Our senior pastor drove a motorcycle down the isle to the platform to promote an upcoming Father's day ride. He's got to be the most hilarious pastor I've seen. He keeps you on your toes. Hope everyone had a good weekend and I'll probably post a new devotion Tuesday.

Soccer

Well, Jedidiah got his soccer pictures in the mail yesterday. Soccer was fun and would have been more so if Jedi liked it more. He started out liking it and then changed his mind. I am still looking for a sport he will really enjoy. Basketball was a flop as you saw in previous posts. Jedi also got his second trophy so I guess I'll have to start a display case. There is a football camp this month I am going to try and get him into. Today is a short post, I am off work on Fridays and am cleaning while Trish is out with Jennifer and Melissa from Arkansas. Have a great Day!

Day 22 Devotion – Table of Nations: Hamites

The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.” And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city). Genesis 10:6-12

Picture 1: The Hamitic peoples are shown with the yellow-orange ovals on the map. Notice they settled primarily in Israel, Syria, Jordan and Africa.

The descendants of Ham settled in the Middle East and Africa and gave rise to the darker skinned races. Linguists still refer to this group of languages as Hamitic tongues. Ethiopia is also known as Kush. Seba refers to modern Saudi Arabia. Nimrod is mentioned as the first powerful leader and that he founded cities such as Babel and Nineveh. In a Western Civilization class you will learn that early human civilizations consisted of city states. There were no large empires at first. Each city was like its own separate nation and they warred with neighboring cities. Throughout history there are a few famous individuals who were able to get several cities to unify into one larger nation or empire. Alexander the Great’s father Philip II was famous for unifying Macedonia. Alexander inherited it after his father’s death and grew it into the second largest empire in world history, second only to the Roman Empire. Narmar unified Egypt into the Old Kingdom when the pyramids were built. A man by the name of Sargon is the first important individual to show up and unify the Mesopotamian region. Archaeologists credit him for founding the very cities mentioned in these verses. The most likely person to be identified as the Nimrod of the Bible is Sargon. If the name Sargon sounds familiar it is probably because there was an Assyrian King who attacked Israel by that name. He actually named himself Sargon because this first Mesopotamian ruler was his hero. Archaeologists call the Assyrian King Sargon II to differentiate them and they are separated by hundreds of years.

Picture 2: Bronze bust of Sargon. You will notice this strange beard appearance on a lot of Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian sculptures and carvings. The men of these cultures braided their beards.

Back in Dickson

Well, my summer schedule is pretty light compared to what I am used to. I am really enjoying having lots of spare time. My summer school class only meets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:00am until 11:00am. So I have four day weekends plus afternoons free. I know what you are thinking, "Boy! I wish I had a cream puff job like that." Well, the stress of fall and spring semesters make up for it. It's still not the perfect job. The perfect job is from 12:00 to 1:00 with an hour off for lunch:)


Last Wednesday I did go to the men's Bible study at my new church. I really enjoyed the group. They are real close and very friendly. The funny thing is I don't fit their profile. This class was started to reach disconnected men that normally wouldn't be in church. Some of these guys have been divorced before or were recently saved out of rough life styles. So why am I enjoying their company so much? I have been going to church since nine months before I was born. I have never drunk alcohol, smoked or done any drugs. I have never been divorced, killed or mutilated anybody (frogs and cats don't count do they?) I think I have nailed it on the head. These men are recent converts and are close because they have all been through rough trials and lean on each other and welcome anyone in who needs encouragement. This means they are not cliquish. It is very hard develop relationships with groups that do have cliquish tendencies. This is a demographic group I would like to help reach and disciple so I think I can learn a lot from them. I would encourage any Christian group to do a self evaluation to see if this is hindering growth. A sure sign is if new people usually do not return, they are not being made to feel welcome. You should also be active with lots of activities for people to enjoy. I look forward to meeting with them again tomorrow night and I would feel that way even if Tim did not promise to fry fish for us (OK, maybe that does put a little extra excitement into it). Trish has made some connections with the girls as well. They went to the zoo and have a play date tomorrow.


I have been killing some time this afternoon. I decided to come back to Dickson for the monthly men's Bible study. I just wanted to see some friends and say hey. I know they have missed me terribly and have deep longing pains for my company so it will be a big encouragement to them as well. To end on a serious note, I have enjoyed our move to our new location but have missed my Dickson friends. I mentioned that Trish and I know the education pastor at Thompson Station church because he used to be at Grand Avenue Baptist in Fort Smith. I had lunch with him (Louis Davis) yesterday. It was a good visit and I look forward to getting plugged in there. Louis and I had a good time bashing all the people at Grand Avenue we never liked (just kidding). Speaking of annoying people from Fort Smith, two of them are coming to visit this weekend. I have been instructed to stay out of the way and not hinder the girls' fun in any way. Seriously, we look forward to Jennifer and Melissa coming. Well, that about sums up my last week and future days also. Take care!

Day 21 Devotion – Table of Nations: Japhethites

Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood. The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations. Genesis 10:1-5

Picture: The descendants of Japheth are shown in the green ovals in the picture. Notice that they settled to the north of Israel in Europe and Asia.

Chapters 10 and 11 of Genesis are is reverse order. Chapter 11 records the Tower of Babel that led to the people groups scattering and Chapter 10 (the Table of Nations) tells where they scattered to. Today we will look at Noah’s son Japheth. Most of these names point toward the upper Middle East and Asia. Most scholars believe Tarshish was ancient Spain so they also settled in Europe. This means that Japheth is the Father of the lighter skinned races of Europe and Asia. At one time scholars thought that Magog referred to Russia and that Meshech referred to Moscow and that Tubal referred to the Russian city of Tobalsk. This gave rise to the end times interpretation from Ezekiel saying that Gog and Magog would descend on Israel that it was a picture of the Russians attacking. During the cold war this was an easily pictured scenario. Archaeology has turned up that these places were not referring to Russia at all but rather to the upper Middle East including Turkey and Iran. This means that much of what we have been taught about the end times is based on faulty information.
If Tarshish is Spain, then this sheds light on the story of Jonah. He was called to go to Nineveh but took a ship to Tarshish. This means he ran in 180 degrees the opposite direction from where God wanted him to go. Linguists recognized three families of languages. These people groups are grouped in what is called the Indo-European languages. English is a descendant of this group. Greek is also in this group as well as Phoenician, which gave rise to the alphabet.

Day 20 Devotion – Was the Flood Global?

So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. Genesis 7:23

One of the biggest controversies of the Bible is whether Noah’s Flood is real or myth. The fact that about 180 different cultures, including those in South America, have a flood tradition has convinced many that there was a flood so important that it divided history into before and after. The next question is “Was it global or just local”? This is not an easy question to answer and I personally take the “I don’t know” position but do lean toward the local flood explanation. Here are some arguments for each position.
Global Flood:
1. It makes the most sense from the way the story reads.
2. Noah wouldn’t have needed an ark if it was local; he and the animals could’ve just run to higher ground.
3. The Bible says everything was included.
Local Flood:
1. Geologists say there is no evidence for a flood that covered the whole earth.
2. There is evidence of large flood disasters in the Middle East.
3. Ancient Mesopotamian cultures considered their area to be the whole earth, it was the known world.
In my opinion, the scientific evidence is stronger for the local flood scenario. I do think that rather than fighting over how large it was, let’s focus on the evidence that it did in fact occur. Let’s refer back to the genetic studies I have mentioned in previous devotions. Geneticists say they have encountered something else in their studies of mitochondrial DNA. They have noticed evidence that after the human population began to grow that there was a massive die off and then the population recovered again. DNA evidence shows a population “bottle neck” just like the Bible pictures. So now we have geological, anthropological and genetic evidence confirming the flood did indeed take place and it divided history into before and after.

Day 19 Devotion – Did Giants Once Exist?

Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Genesis 6:1-4

These are some of the strangest verses in the Bible. Who were the sons of God that interbred with daughters of men? Some scholars say that the Hebrew language is pointing to angels coming down and interbreeding with female humans. This event led to the production of a half-breed, grotesque race of giants called the Nephilim. We then see that this evil is why God chose to bring about the flood to destroy mankind. Ancient man definitely believed these giants existed and Josephus refers to them in the first century AD. While the KJV and NKJV translate the word as giants, it is interesting to note that other translations such as the NIV and NASB only give the Hebrew word Nephilim because they are unsure of how to translate it. If you look up the word in a Strong’s Concordance you will see that it can be translated as “giants” or as “fallen ones”.
My scientific mind is very skeptical and will not allow me to accept the giant translation because there is no fossil evidence that they existed. The fossil record actually shows us that man was once much shorter than today. I believe these people fell away from God and interbred with ungodly people groups giving rise to a race of people that reached large numbers and because of their lack of morals became very corrupt and violent. The giant reference could be referring to their numbers and power rather than their actual size. Notice it says they were present afterward. The Nephilim are mentioned when Joshua tries to conquer the promised land. How did the giants return if God destroyed them in the flood? More later.

Day 18 Devotion – Did Humans really live Hundreds of Years?

So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech. After he begot Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died. Genesis 5:23-27


How can we believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God when it contains ridiculous information such as the Genesis chapter five genealogy? It claims people lived over 900 years with Methuselah living 969 years as the longest. Some scholars argue that these may be families or dynasties and that the family was dominant for that period of time before another took over. Others claim that Sumerian and Babylonian Kings lists also have inflated dates and this is just another mythological listing.

Recent findings in aging studies have revealed some interesting data. Aging of the human body and other mammals is largely a result of genetics (programmed cell death), exposure to chemicals such as free radicals and exposure to radiation. Experiments carried out in mice have shown that their lifespan can be extended by over 10% by blocking some of these factors. Researchers believe they are on the brink of extending by an additional 10% in the near future. On a recent news broadcast I watched, the reporter asked how long humans could theoretically live if these factors were successfully blocked? The researcher answered “several hundred years”. The life spans in the Bible are within scientifically confirmed limits.

I would also like to comment on Enoch. We are told that he walked with God and was taken or raptured. Jews believe that everyone must experience death, therefore, Enoch and Elijah must return to earth and experience death before the end of time. This is why many theologians believe they are the two witnesses who are killed and resurrected in the book of Revelation.

Day 17 Devotion – Where Did Cain get his Wife?

Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch. Genesis 4:16-17

Picture: Cain being cast out in the background as Adam and Eve mourn over Abel's body.

One of the oldest questions about the Bible is where did Cain get his wife? We are told about Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel but no other people are mentioned at this point. We must remember that we are told later that Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters. We are not specifically told that Cain and Abel were the first ones born. We know from DNA evidence that all the people on earth descend from one man and one woman so there is no choice but to visualize that Cain’s wife was either a sister or possibly a niece. Cain was also worried after he killed Abel that others would want to harm him so they must have been reproducing pretty rapidly.
Cain was banished to the land of Nod. David Rohl discovered several places east of Lake Urmia called Noqdi. Again he found numerous links that this is where the Garden of Eden must have been located.


And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. Genesis 4:21-22


This area in northern Iran is also the birthplace of civilization. It is where man first domesticated animals and plants and figured out how to smelt copper and then alloy it with tin to make bronze. They have even found musical instruments in their digs there. Archaeologists have been amazed at how rapidly man developed these skills. They appear rather suddenly, which contrasts with our typical view of man spending many millennia as primitive cave men. Ancient man was very intelligent and built structures that today we cannot figure out.

Thompson Station Church

We have heard a lot of good things about Thompson Station Church so that was our first obvious place to visit with our move to the Spring Hill area. The senior pastor is the son of a former pastor at our church in Dickson and he is still attending their and teaches once in a while. The music minister also used to serve at First Baptists Dickson. The education minister used to be the youth pastor at Grand Avenue Baptist in Fort Smith. One of my colleagues goes to church there as well. We visited her Sunday school class two weeks ago. The church has two services and three Sunday School hours to choose from. The 8:00am class was a little early for my family and they are rushed to finish the lesson and get to church. This week we went to 9:15 church and then visited a 10:45 class. This class was large and friendly. The girls invited Trish and Jedidiah on a zoo trip this Wednesday. The men have a study on Wednesday nights that they invited me to. The men at this church are real men; they like to kill and eat things so I think I will fit in pretty well. The class was active with good discussion with almost everyone participating. The service is very contemporary, rockin' and downright loud. We like it. One of the members of Avalon sang this week. She is going solo now. If my eyes didn't deceive me I think the senior pastor actually moon walked. He is hilarious. We hope and pray this is where God wants us and look forward to making new friends.