Telltale Tidings

Dear Reader,

I come to this blog with mixed emotions, yet I come enthusiastically with great blessing after bearing a number of burdens over the years...that ended up providing a greater understanding of how far away modern "churchdom" has come from the design of God!  Over the past 13 or so years, the LORD has used a number of different circumstances to open our eyes to an unBiblical, religious "hierarchy" that exists in most of our modern church assemblies.  With that in mind, I invite you to the series of posts I am making on our ministry site:  Creation Family Ministries.  I'm purposefully NOT widely sharing links to these posts, particularly since they are embarrassing to membership and leadership of some church assemblies.  I have felt for some years that the LORD has brought a number of "negative" situations into our lives for a reason.  

"And we know that all things work together for good..." Romans 8:28  

I simply want to bring God glory by removing the proverbial "rug" under which many things have been swept.  One may wonder, "How does this glorify God?"  

1. His Word includes examples of evildoing by church folk.  (Alexander and Diotrephes)  
2. Scripture instructs us to warn of evil doers and false teachers.  
3. I find it better to leave behind the negative by laying everything out for whoever to read.  
4. Somehow, wrongdoers in church leadership must be held accountable for their actions.

My wife and I are very thankful that the LORD delivered us from a lording, CEO pastor, and that HE opened our eyes to man-made hierarchies and traditions that have SO many bound!  We were bound by false and unBiblical, man-made ideology, not being able to "see the forest for the trees."  So, let me pique your interest to check out a recent series of posts we have entitled, "Telltale Tabernacle Tidings."  May our LORD open your eyes too and bless you real good with religious freedom as He has us!!

Brother Jeff

Freed to Serve Freely!

DinoMight begins soon!  We have tons to do before our first VBS, which will be right around the corner from us at Spencer Road Baptist.  That will be great to have an opportunity in our "Jerusalem"!  We're extremely grateful to have a "petite place on Puett Park" where we now have our rig parked and hooked up to power, water, and septic!  For a few years now, after we were pressured out of our home church in Hickory (long story), we've bounced around to different places in our home area.  On one occasion we were quite literally kicked off the property of a church (Gospel Light Baptist) that had supported us for about a year.  Check out this poem I wrote about the unforgettable experience!  All due to some actual teaching about why we use the King James!  Another rather involved story!  All of these situations have driven us to seek the LORD and study His Word especially what He has to say about the pastor and the local church.  But if it weren't for the negative occasions, which actually were positive, we wouldn't have been motivated to build our house when we did--at the least likely time during a COVID summer!  After approximately 8 months, from July 6 - March 8 when we actually spent our first night in the house, we now are blessed to have our own place!  All glory to our great God Who provided grace all along the way!  We do pray for the "Diotrephes" (3 John 1:9-10) and "Alexanders" (2 Timothy 4:14) who have done us wrong.  However, we are extremely grateful to be freed from them and their false belief system, knowing also that without the negative things that happened, we wouldn't be where we are today with our own property and house!  It is a HUGE blessing to now be free from the burden of living under their "lording" ways (1 Peter 5:3).  In addition, those situations drove us into deeper study of the Word of God, bit by bit setting aside fallible opinions and traditions of men.  As a result, we've been blessed even more to better follow our LORD and His design for His people, because we see His design more clearly!  Amen!  Recently, those studies have resulted in a couple of series on video that we've called "Foundation Focus" which deals with important issues such as marriage and the church. We desire your prayers as we seek to be a blessing to the body of Christ, directing our attention to the Word of the living God!  Until next time...stay true to the Scripture!

 We're looking forward to sharing our dinosaur theme in '21!  After skipping it last year due to having only a couple of meetings because of COVID fears, we're greatly anticipating the opportunities to share messages of God, His Word, and His works using the awesome creatures called "dinosaurs"!  Strange, ancient, mighty...yet most Bible believers don't know what to think of them.  Where do they fit in history?  Have they ever lived at the same time as people?  Did some of them evolve into birds?  Are some types living today?  Most of all, are they referenced in the Bible and what do they tell us about God?  If you cannot join us in person at some point this coming summer of "DinoMight," check us out online using either Facebook or Youtube! 

Covid Cares

COVID Cares, etc.

As everyone around the world as seen, something called "COVID" has pretty much wreaked havoc on life....at least that's what we're told.  A virus is a virus, a disease, a germ, bacteria, etc. with varying effects depending on the individual.  In all of the major news about such, what we aren't hearing are ways to boost our God-given immune systems so that our bodies are strengthened against germs that exist both exterior AND interior!  For about 25 years, we've learned a GREAT deal mainly from our naturopath doctor that truly helps our bodies to heal themselves, like a cut heals itself.  Not only did God, the Creator of all things, design our bodies to heal themselves, but He also provided for us in His creation a multitude of various herbs and plants that assist us in our health needs.  All in all, such needs stem back to the origin of sin and its effects in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve rebelled against the design of God Who told them not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  And just as they ignored His instruction and listened to the temptation of Satan, so mankind still ignores the Creator and listens instead to the devil and his plans.  We do this to our own detriment and destruction.  Such is also true in matters of health.  Whether it is Rescue 5, lavender oil, Hawthorn Smart, or baked sweet potatoes, there are a multitude of tools about which we have learned (and are still learning) that have helped us with health issues.  If you are interested in learning more, we have a handout we've produced that we update each January for our annual Health Matters creation fellowship.  We'd be glad to send that to you as an email attachment.  Just send a request to creationfamin@yahoo.com.

With all of the hype about the Wuhan, China-originated virus, our past summer was drastically affected, to the point that all but one VBS was cancelled.  We could have traveled all the way to UT and WY for two meetings, but it was not feasible to take our RV-home all the way there without meetings to and from that usually help finance the entire trip.  As the meeting "dominoes" began to fall, it became clear that it was time to BUILD!  Yes, the lack of summer meetings was actually an open door to start construction on a small house that will be our base of operation where we can park our rig when we are home.  This frees us from having to rely on churches in our home area, which we have discovered can sometimes be pretty tricky! (See this blog post for one egregious example!)  We're extremely grateful for sweet church families (and Hickory Cove Bible Camp) that have provided us a place to park our RV-home in our home area.  Where we are right now is Command Baptist in Statesville, NC.  As of now, it is looking like we will be able to move in to our house sometime in October, 2020.  We just today saw the completion of the roofing, after a long saga.  The plumbing has also been an issue that likely will be resolved soon.  The process is quite lengthy, especially given the particularly onerous regulations of our county, Catawba county.  All in all, things have gone pretty well.  Our good friend, Don Lackey, has been a wonderful help and we just don't know how we'd have done it without him!

Looking ahead, after tax season which for us is the days before October 14, we will soon be working toward having our first-ever joint Creation Fellowship sometime in later October or early November, working with Pastor John Charles of Central Baptist in Yorktown, VA and our SET representative there, Brother Brian Frederick.  Check out the Creation Fellowship Facebook page for more!  This will be our only fellowship until Health Matters in January, 2021.  In addition, we will be working with Heather's dad to develop The Bible Study group in our hometown of Hickory, NC that will also be shared online.  Check out this Facebook page for more!  After January, we plan to have a virtual Doubt Darwin Day on February 14, and our monthly fellowships through May before heading out for a summer of DinoMight!  Stay tuned!

 

Back Home!

As of this writing, we've been back home in NC almost two weeks now from summer and fall travels that took us to SC, VA, PA, OH, IL, WY, MT, UT, NE, and TN!  We were blessed to reach over 334 children in 9 VBS meetings, and even more in revival meetings and a city fair after summer ministry was officially over.  It is a great blessing to our hearts to have this opportunity to share truths from both Scripture AND science, pointing people to the Creator using His creation!  While home now, we have quite a few "irons in the fire" with helping our parents move, preparing for two conferences in February, developing our small piece of land, conducting bi-weekly Bible studies and monthly creation fellowships, and more.  We're just thankful to the God-Who-Is for keeping this work going, for allowing us to labor for HIM in this ministry that is approaching 20 years in 2020!  In celebration of this, we're having the mobile museum ministry of Creation Truth Foundation of Noble, OK join us for conferences at Sweethaven Baptist in Portsmouth, VA and at Southview Baptist in Statesville, NC.  Please join us in prayer for these events, and if you can, join us live or live stream for some of the sessions!  Check out SET Foundation or our Creation Family Ministry Facebook page for more information as we seek to bring our nation back to its founding of "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..."

Post-Conference Update

We were richly blessed to serve in two areas conducting conferences this past week at Eastside Baptist in Statesville, NC and at Sharon Baptist in Hampton, VA.  It was a special blessing and privilege to once again have Dr. & Mrs. Jobe Martin as our guests, this time with their daughters, Taryn and Mirren.  We greatly enjoyed the special music abilities with piano and violin that the girls brought to the meetings!  Our theme was "Wilderness Wonders" and the folk were so enthusiastic about the messages!  In addition to conducting sessions for both adults and children, we hosted Leaders Luncheons for pastors, their wives, and other church leaders who have a burden and vision for creation/apologetics ministry.  Specifically, we presented an initial layout for SET Foundation Ministries, which stands for "Strengthening believers...Engaging unbelievers...Training others..."  In Philippians 1:17, we read "I am set for the defense (apologia) of the gospel."  While we have greatly enjoyed the past nearly 20 years in creation ministry, we do not wish to reach a "plateau."  The LORD willing, we plan for SET to reach farther into the future as a joint effort to make a difference in our day by "using creation to turn hearts to the Creator."  Please consider joining with us in reaching others with the foundation for the Gospel message, as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:22 - "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." After conference season, we are now focused on two more monthly fellowships before we begin our summer travels which are slated to take us into the fall as we head west again this year.  Our summer theme this year is Jungle Tales, including messages on big cats, monkeys, gators, snakes, and sauropod dinosaurs living in the Congo!  We're also in the throes of making decisions regarding a small piece of property we were able to purchase last year for the purpose of parking our RV/home.  In the short term, we plan to restore the well that was already existing and build a larger pump house that will also serve as a storage building.  As for Heather's health, her breathing issue is largely gone, praise the LORD!!  Due to two shots of steroids, the scar tissue shrunk and her airway is now an estimated 80% (as opposed to 60% blocked last spring)!  We praise the LORD that she is doing so well, so much so that she was able to conduct sessions for children during both conferences this past week!  Now, it is only a matter of keeping an eye on the potential of the scar tissue returning, an issue that caused two trips to the ER last October (2018)!  We SO much need and appreciate the prayers and financial support of God's people!  May HE bless each of you with what you truly need!

Memorial Day Blessing

Just a brief note on this important day of gratitude to share with you a little about both the human sacrifice that has been spent for the freedoms that we all hold dear here in America, and the "Lasting Memorial" that the LORD Jesus expressed concerning the sacrifice that an unnamed woman gave to Him while He walked on earth.
 
ALL GAVE SOME. SOME GAVE ALL.

With a number in our families who have given "some," we are dearly thankful for all who have sacrificed their lives for freedom.

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

While we are extremely grateful for all who have contributed to make Memorial Day what it is, we must not forget the memorials expressed by Jesus Himself, the Creator and Sustainor of life. In Mark 14, we read the account of a woman who came to Jesus and expended a box of precious ointment, pouring it on His head. Some had indignation and thought her precious sacrifice of more than a year's worth of wages was a waste. However, Jesus said it was a "memorial."

"Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." Mark 14:9

As we compare the accounts of Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12, we see a number of differences, making it very clear that Matthew and Mark are parallel, but John recounts a totally different situation. Here are seven reasons why the woman in Matthew and Mark is not the same one as John describes:

1. An unnamed woman. It is intriguing why John named Mary, but Matthew and Mark didn't. They must certainly have known her, if she were the same person in both accounts.

2. A specified location. While John mentions the town, Matthew and Mark mention an exact location: the house of Simon the leper. John just tells that Lazarus was present at the meal.

3. Different times. The Synoptic Gospels' account is that the unnamed woman came to Jesus 2 days before the Passover, while John wrote that Mary came 6 days before the Passover.

4. Different amounts. John gave a specific weight of one pound, and the value of that weight, while the account in Matthew and Mark is of an unspecified amount in a "box."

5. Different anointings. Mary in the book of John anointed Jesus' feet, while the woman in Matthew and Mark anointed His head. Psalm 23:5 "...thou anointest my head with oil..."

6. Different values. Along with the amounts came the stated values. John wrote that one pound was worth 300 pence, but Mark accounted that the box of ointment was worth "more than 300 pence."

7. Different respondees. The earlier account in John states that Judas' response was the only one that was critical of Mary's sacrifice. In the writing of Matthew and Mark, the response came from a group that is referred to as "his disciples" or as "some had indignation..."

In both cases, there was a great sacrifice made to, and recognized by, the LORD Jesus. While we remember the great sacrifices that men and women have made for us to maintain the freedoms we hold dear in our nation today, we cannot forget to also make the connection to the sacrifice of our Savior of His life and blood on the cross for our sin. In addition, what we may have in our hands today, consisting of our "lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor," is nothing compared to what God did for us at Calvary. So, what is our "box" of earthly value that we can "break" in sacrifice to our LORD? In addition, what might we offer in sacrificial love for a nation that has afforded us so many freedoms, which include the freedom to freely share the Gospel?

May each of you have a blessed day!

The Secrets of Sinai

"...for this Agar is Mt. Sinai in Arabia." Galatians 4:25

Check out my Powerpoint presentation on Youtube here!

Is there something wrong in our Bibles? While we sometimes hear that we can trust our Bibles "from cover to cover," what is often inserted between those covers are man's fallible ideas. This includes the maps.

 

We make clear in this session that there is a difference between the actual text of the Scripture and the notes or references in the columns between page sections, or the maps. Even the verse and chapter numbers were not in the original text as part of Scripture. What this message highlights is the usual differences between the message of the maps and what the actual text states. In this case, Mt. Sinai is described by the Apostle Paul as being "in Arabia." This mountain is extremely important since it is where God came down and gave to Moses the Ten Commandments. 

 

So, what do the maps indicate?

 

You can see three alternate routes that supposedly indicate that the Israelites crossed the "Reed Sea," or a sea of reeds (swampy-type terrain), and one of the possible routes has them crossing through a lake! However, Scripture says...

The Israelites did NOT cross through a lake or through shallow water that could never have formed "a wall of water" on both sides of the massive group of people! What this post details is the likelihood, using evidences, that Mt. Sinai is not located in what is called the "Sinai Peninsula," where nearly all Bible maps have it located. Rather, both Scripture and archealogical finds point to this intriguing and important mountain being in what is now Saudi Arabia, or as in Paul's day, simply "Arabia" just as Galatians 4:25 states!

It is therefore interesting to read indications of a mountain (or mountains) named "Jabal al Lawz" ("mountain of laws") or "Jabal Musa" (mountain of Moses) that exists on the east side of both the gulfs of Suez and Aqaba! And what about the crossing site? The tool of Google Earth helps with this research, as we shall see. But, the site where they actually crossed could NOT have been a cliff, or they would not have been able to cross. It has to be a place where the underwater terrain gently slopes into, and out of, the water on either side. Research has shown that there are only two sites where this is true: one being in the southern area of the Sinai Peninsula, and the second one being at what is called Nuweiba:

It is interesting to note the narrow passageway that exits at the Nuweiba beach from mountainous terrain. Scripture tells us that the Pharaoh of Egypt would think that the Israelites would be trapped in the wilderness:

Exodus 14:3 "For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in."

This terrain certainly fits the Biblical narrative that God (leading His people via a pillar, column-shape, of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night) went behind His people when the Egyptians caught up to the Israelites at the Red Sea. With the narrow passageway, and God in between as a column of fire, the Egyptians could not just go around the column of God's presence.

Exodus 14:19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

What about evidence at the bottom of the Sea? Take a look at this intriguing video! After the crossing, they encountered the Mountain of God, Mt. Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments directly from God. This mountain burned with the fire of God, possibly changing the color of the rock! Fire from God can do mighty things, such as eat up rock (Elijah on Mt. Carmel, 1 Kings 18:38).

There is a mountain with darkened rock that is intriguing, along with an interesting pile of rocks that's apparently in the same vicinity.

Using Google Earth, one can go anywhere in the world! An interesting "dot" sticks out like a proverbial "sore thumb" that, upon closer examination, gets darker and more stark compared to the surrounding terrain.

The premise is that the Israelites were able to cross the entire Sinai Peninsula to get to the Nuweiba crossing site. And why not? They were able to use whatever they desired of the Egyptians, which would have included anything with wheels to carry other items they took. In addition, the Scripture tells that God led them by day and by night(Exodus 13:21).

A notable event that took place at the base of Mt. Sinai, which is still reflected in our language today...

As human nature reveals today, no matter how close to God one may think themselves to be, there is always the fallibility of man to go astray quickly as did the Israelites who pressed Aaron to make them a "golden calf." It is intriguing that etched bovine figures have been seen in the area, a terrain that is goat and sheep country--not cattle country.

Check out this intriguing video! The Bible also tells of a large rock that Moses struck, from which God brought gushing water to meet the needs of His chosen people. Moses was told to strike the rock. It is intriguing to see a massive stone that is split down the middle, that is elevated so that (if this is the rock) water would run down to the people below... 

 

It is further interesting that at the bottom of the great split there is smooth rock such as what water erosion would produce! This reminds us that Christ was smitten for us on the cross, and He gives to all who partake "living water" (John 4:10).

The Book of Hebrews (12:18-24) references both Mt. Sinai and Mt. Sion, contrasting the fearsome holiness of the Creator and His righteousness that is available through the "blood of sprinkling" that was wrought for us through His work on the cross. We can be made children of the King of Creation through faith in Jesus Christ, even though the Creator/God of the Bible is to be feared!

These evidences are extremely important, as the Scripture tells us: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). About 5 years ago, I was able to share this presentation at our home church's Christian school. Afterward, a teacher I'd had when I was a student there told me this account:

The physical evidences are of utmost importance to the Creator! After Jesus arose from the dead, the resurrection being the great capstone of Christianity, He showed Himself alive for 40 days (Acts 1:3)! He even took special time to visit "Doubting Thomas" who had said, "Unless I see I will not believe"(John 20:25). Doubt in the reliability of the Bible has grown by leaps and bounds in the world today, and it is up to believers to "give an answer" (1 Peter 3:15) as to what we believe, that it is indeed the truth! However, what is actually happening, and has been taking place for about 100 years or more in my nation, is a great lack of foundational answers as to what Christians believe--that the Bible is indeed the reliable Word of the living God, the Creator of man.

We must get back to the foundation, rebuilding confidence that the Bible is the reliable Record of God's Revelation to mankind. This realization will result in people knowing that they can build their lives on it!