Temple Veil – video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDNHoijNO2I
Music and Duck Dynasty testimony:
Natalie Grant – Alive (Resurrection music video)
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KPYWPGNX
“Bless The Broken Road” – Rascal Flatts Official Music Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-vZlrBYLSU
The Robertsons (Duck Dynasty) - You can only run the ole’ sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll so far - video
http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/the-robertsons/
Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson: "Happy, Happy, Happy" - video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jAku3B5vnc
Mysteries: The Trinity - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA04hu_o0oo
The Contradiction of the CrossHeather Williams – Hallelujah – Lyrics
“On the cross, our false dependencies are revealed. On the cross, our illusions are killed off. On the cross, our small self dies so that the true self, the God-given self, can emerge. On the cross, we give up the fantasy that we are in control, and the death of this fantasy is central to acceptance. The cross is, above all, a place of powerlessness. Here is the final proof that our own feeble powers can no more alter life’s trajectory than a magnet can pull down the moon. Here is the death of the ego, of the self that insists on being in charge, the self that continually tries to impose its own idea of order and righteousness on the world.
The cross is a place of contradiction. For the powerlessness of the cross, if fully embraced, takes us to a place of power. This is the great mystery at the heart of the Christian faith, from Jesus to Martin Luther King Jr., the mystery of the power of powerlessness. As long as I am preoccupied with the marshaling of my own feeble powers, there will be no way for God’s power to flow through me. As long as I am getting in my own way, I cannot live in the power of God’s way.”
– Parker Palmer, The Promise of Paradox, Pg 46-47
http://www.findingrhythm.com/blog/?p=2183
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX2uM0L3Y1A
Propitiation Revisited - video (The just Judge and the guilty daughter)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9v1h1PeFtg
G.O.S.P.E.L. – video
https://vimeo.com/20960385
Is Jesus really the only way to heaven? - Chad Gross - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSc-itcR_OU
Here is a excellent article for explaining The Doctrine of ‘Justification by Faith’
The Doctrine of Justification by Faith
http://www.redeemedscoundrels.com/Writings/salvation/justification.62607.html
As to the grace of God, this video is very good for explaining the upside-down world that God's grace often presents to us.
Philip Yancey “What Good Is God” – video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEZUF1eMofo
LEE STROBEL: The Case for Faith (Special Upload) Full Documentary
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FJ0J2FNU
Why Any Serious Religious Quest Should Begin with Christianity - Sean McDowell - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl_LLjR_5FU
Why would God, who is infinitely perfect and complete within Himself, create?
Philosophy for Understanding Theology
http://books.google.com/books?id=Mc5wweqfm-gC&pg=PR22#v=onepage&q&f=false
Review: Warranted Christian Belief by Alvin Plantinga
http://www.apologetics315.com/2013/04/review-warranted-christian-belief-by.html
C. S. Lewis has his own distinctive view on ‘evolution’ and Christianity;
C.S. Lewis - Evolution and The Christian Experience - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/7060815/
This following is just plain interesting; The precious stones mentioned in Revelation have a special property that sets them apart from other precious stones, that was just recently discovered:
Dark Diamonds – video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXfCdcNRN60
Sometimes it is honestly asked, "Why did God wait so many billions of years to send Jesus to this earth to reconcile God with man?" Yet we find,,
Anthropic Principle: A Precise Plan for Humanity By Hugh RossHugh Ross - The Anthropic Principle and Anthropic Inequality - video
Excerpt: Brandon Carter, the British mathematician who coined the term “anthropic principle” (1974), noted the strange inequity of a universe that spends about 15 billion years “preparing” for the existence of a creature that has the potential to survive no more than 10 million years (optimistically).,, Carter and (later) astrophysicists John Barrow and Frank Tipler demonstrated that the inequality exists for virtually any conceivable intelligent species under any conceivable life-support conditions. Roughly 15 billion years represents a minimum preparation time for advanced life: 11 billion toward formation of a stable planetary system, one with the right chemical and physical conditions for primitive life, and four billion more years toward preparation of a planet within that system, one richly layered with the biodeposits necessary for civilized intelligent life. Even this long time and convergence of “just right” conditions reflect miraculous efficiency.
Moreover the physical and biological conditions necessary to support an intelligent civilized species do not last indefinitely. They are subject to continuous change: the Sun continues to brighten, Earth’s rotation period lengthens, Earth’s plate tectonic activity declines, and Earth’s atmospheric composition varies. In just 10 million years or less, Earth will lose its ability to sustain human life. In fact, this estimate of the human habitability time window may be grossly optimistic. In all likelihood, a nearby supernova eruption, a climatic perturbation, a social or environmental upheaval, or the genetic accumulation of negative mutations will doom the species to extinction sometime sooner than twenty thousand years from now.
http://christiangodblog.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html
http://www.metacafe.com/w/8494065
At least one scientist is far more pessimistic about the 'natural' future lifespan of the human race than 20,000 years:
Humans will be extinct in 100 years says eminent scientist - June 2010
http://www.physorg.com/news196489543.html
and from the perspective of human race itself it is found:
What happened 5000 years ago? - Dinesh D'SouzaWorld Population Growth Through History - Graph
Excerpt: The Population Reference Bureau estimates that the number of people who have ever been born is approximately 105 billion. Of this number, about 2 percent were born before Christ came to earth. "So in a sense," Kreps notes, "God's timing couldn't have been more perfect. If He'd come earlier in human history, how reliable would the records of his relationship with man be? But He showed up just before the exponential explosion in the world's population, so even though 98 percent of humanity's timeline had passed, only 2 percent of humanity had previously been born, so 98 percent of us have walked the earth since the Redemption."
http://www.estatevaults.com/bol/archives/2008/07/14/what_happened_5.html
http://cdn.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/worldpopulat.gif
Human Genome in Meltdown - January 11, 2013This following article is interesting for revealing that the Gospel of Christ was actually originally written in the Zodiac before it was twisted by astrology:
Excerpt: According to a study published Jan. 10 in Nature by geneticists from 4 universities including Harvard, “Analysis of 6,515 exomes reveals the recent origin of most human protein-coding variants.”,,,
"We estimate that approximately 73% of all protein-coding SNVs [single-nucleotide variants] and approximately 86% of SNVs predicted to be deleterious arose in the past 5,000–10,000years. The average age of deleterious SNVs varied significantly across molecular pathways, and disease genes contained a significantly higher proportion of recently arisen deleterious SNVs than other genes.",,,
As for advantageous mutations, they provided NO examples,,,
http://crev.info/2013/01/human-genome-in-meltdown/
Galatians 4:4
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
The Gospel in the Stars: Part 1
http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/lesson-13-the-gospel-in-the-stars-part-1/
The Gospel in the Stars: Part 2
http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/lesson-14-the-gospel-in-the-stars-part-2/
The Gospel in the Stars: Part 3
http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/the-gospel-in-the-stars-part-3/
The Gospel in the Stars - video
https://vimeo.com/51606512
This following video clearly illustrates why Jesus Christ is uniquely necessary for the salvation of man:
Christian Particularism - Kevin Lewis - video
http://www.metacafe.com/w/5444670
How Can Christianity Be The One True Religion? Dr. William Lane Craig - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANkJrynhEzo
First and foremost as to establishing God's deep personal involvement with man, there are millions of people in the world, including myself, who have personally experienced a touch of Jesus Christ in their lives when they have called on Him in times of need in their lives. Here is one such story in this following video:
Encounters with God - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ4RM_mo-YE
Experiencing Jesus Christ – Francis Chan – video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4928919
One of John Lennox´s Great Personal Stories Told to Harvard Students - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh0M0EG2jKY
Kirsten Powers’ Reluctant Journey from Atheism to Christian - 2013Faculty Believers (Purdue University) - video
Excerpt: Then something very unusual happened to Powers on a trip to Taiwan in 2006.
"I woke up in what felt like a strange cross between a dream and reality. Jesus came to me and said, 'Here I am.',,,
Powers doesn't recall what Kathy Keller taught on that day, but when she left the Bible study she knew everything had changed. "I'll never forget standing outside that apartment on the Upper East Side and saying to myself, 'It's true. It's completely true.' The world looked entirely different, like a veil had been lifted off it. I had not an iota of doubt. I was filled with indescribable joy.",,,
"Everywhere I turned, there He was. Slowly there was less fear and more joy.
http://crossmap.christianpost.com/news/fox-news-kirsten-powers-reluctant-journey-from-atheism-to-christian-6355
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh73kqt19Pc
What we need is a living encounter with God! - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnlTIODfbhY
Jesus Vs. Religion - Mark Driscoll - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GJOvwDNEqc
Religion Saves: and 9 other myths - Humor (Mark Driscoll) - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAhGLAlPOFI
Matt Moore; My Story: Homosexuality, Drunkenness, Grace and Redemption. - March 2012In fact a 'personal relationship' with the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth, as strange as that may sound to some people, is the overwhelming claim of the Bible:
Excerpt: A question I often face is "how do you know the Bible is true?" About a year ago I would normally go into an apologetic spill about the evidences of the Bible's authenticity and about the amount of manuscripts we have of the New Testament as opposed to other famous works of antiquity that are not even slightly questioned. But it is really much simpler than that. The Holy Spirit of God witnesses to the children of God that they are His and He speaks to them and gives them assurance of things that are true, just and right. The Holy Spirit also witnesses to the spirits of the those who believe in Christ that the Scriptures are true.,,,
http://blogs.christianpost.com/standing-in-truth/god-saves-drunken-promiscuous-homosexuals-he-saved-me-8783/
THE EIGHT-FOLD WAY TO KNOWING GODThe following video is beautiful in explaining the difference between merely knowing about Jesus and having a personal knowledge of Jesus:
A Study From The Second Epistle of Peter, Chapter One by Lambert Dolphin
Knowing God Personally and Intimately
Excerpt: Can a person embark on a journey that leads to knowing God? The overwhelming claim of the Bible is yes! Not only can anyone of us know the Lord and the Creator of everything that exists, we are invited—even urged—each one of us, to know him intimately, personally and deeply.
http://ldolphin.org/Eightfld.html
Have You Experienced Jesus - Episode 8 - video
Excerpt: At the 6:40 minute mark of this video, Kay Sorenson a former Las Vegas Singer at the age of 46 had an amazing born again experience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNcXkMxQjDU&feature=player_detailpage#t=400s
Psalm 143:8God Can Be Personally Known and Experienced – Dr. Craig – video
"Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWL5QhBQB30
Bring It On: Personal Relationship with God - CBN video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li69XGSI7FU
HEARING THE VOICE OF GODBesides the personal witness of Christ’s reality from millions of people who have experienced the presence of His spirit, many people, including myself, argue that the Bible itself is proof of God’s supernatural and personal involvement with man because, among other things, the Bible is ‘alive’, and I mean that in a way that specifically differentiates the Holy Bible from inanimate objects. This is because the words of the Holy Bible have literally, in a event that turned my worldview completely upsidedown, ‘come alive’ as I was reading them: This following testimony reveals one such time this occurred:
John 14:26
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
http://www.christian-marriage-today.com/support-files/hearinggodspeakbiblestudy.pdf
Strange But True - Miracle Testimony
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AYmaSrBPNEmGZGM4ejY3d3pfNTNocmRjZGtkdg&hl=en
Amazing find inside of used bible - video
http://screen.yahoo.com/san-clemente-woman-finds-stunning-070200024.html
Hebrews 4:12ALF's Miracle
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15HyqZQemXGK9eYJ3NwZtTIg2r_BQnAYasrwbqAiqJRM/edit
Mark Burnett says 'weird things happened' on 'The Bible' set by Grady SmithI can relate:
“The hand of God was on this…. the edit came together perfectly, the actors came together perfectly, it just comes to life.” But Burnett wasn’t just speaking about how well the practicalities of production had gone. “Weird things happened during filming,” he said. “Everybody would look at each other like, “Whoa.”,,,
A mighty desert wind
“There’s a scene with Jesus and Nicodemus, when Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the night. It’s a very still night, not a breath of wind, and we’re on the edge of the Sahara desert in a palm grove in an oasis… Jesus says, ‘The Holy Spirit is like the wind.’ At that moment, a wind, like as if a 747 was taking off, blew his hair, almost blew the set over and sustained for 20 seconds across the desert, and the actors didn’t break — they kept going. And everything stopped. Everyone just looked at everyone like, ‘What just happened?’”,,
http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/03/06/mark-burnett-bible-set/
Miracle Testimony - One Easter Sunday Sunrise Service - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3995314/
John 3:8Francis Chan - Becoming doers instead of just hearers of the Word of God - video
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIG8JHT_hWY
Seems to me these following videos are not far from the mark at all;
Hearing God's Voice - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paeBB-U_Kq8
Hearing God - Are We Listening? - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4200224/
Testimony Dr Hugh Ross - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zmzAdqqLks&feature=related
The Word Is Alive - Casting Crowns - music video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/5197438/
The Word - Sara Groves - music video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ofE-GZ8zTU
The birth of the Messiah revealed in scripture -- Pastor Mark Biltz - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLfIfvSd5zs
Here is an interesting point of authentication for the Holy Bible. The New Testament gospel is actually hidden within Genesis:
The New Testament Hidden In Genesis - Chuck Missler - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4193378
Names Bible Code Illustrated: Adam to Jesus (10 min) - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxGLeux40RQ
Chuck Missler - Learn The Bible In 24 Hours - video series
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1XUj_14c58aa9vFEaDBOh21Ny7QBkcVp6TEph_jF7Co8
How Did We Get Our Bible and How Did God Keep it Safe From Errors? - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJxc3kKiLOA
How to Interpret the Bible Correctly: The Bridge of Bible Geography - video
https://vimeo.com/59608576
John 5:39As to the One of whom the Bible testifies,
Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me;
Amazing! 11 Year-Old Reveals Jesus Throughout the Entire Bible! - Inspirational Videos
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=76WDLLNX
Interestingly, the Bible also has a 'hidden watermark' of a 'heptadic structure of sevens' which authenticates it as inspired by God:
The Holy Bible - God's Watermark Of Authenticity - Ivan Panin - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4136566
IS GOD A MATHEMATICIAN? - Ivan PaninHere is a defence of the integrity of Ivan Panin's impressive work on Bible Numerics from 'higher level' criticism:
Excerpt: It was in 1890 that Dr Panin made the discovery of the mathematical structure underlining the vocabulary of the Greek New Testament. He was casually reading the first verse of the gospel of John in the Greek: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with the God and the Word was God...". Dr Panin was curious as to why the Greek word for "the"' preceeded the word "God"' in one case and not the other. In examining the text he became aware of a number relationship. This was the first of the discoveries that led to his conversion and uncovered the extensive numeric code.
http://www.wordworx.co.nz/panin.html
BIBLE NUMERICS EXAMINED -- PART 2
http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1363.cfm
Chuck Missler - Hidden Torah Message Bible Code - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBjjnC8DiSo
As well there is a very mysterious 'Bible Code' in the Bible that has some very interesting results:
Bible Codes (Yacov Rambsel) - (Jesus name found in Isaiah 53) - video
http://vimeo.com/4470170
Scientific Reliability of the Bible - Bible Code Mystery Discussed At 26th Minute of Video - Don Johnson
http://www.vimeo.com/11746912
Center of the Bible - video
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=K7KYYWNX
The mystery doesn't stop there, this following videos show how pi and e are found in Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1
Fascinating Bible code – Pi and natural log – Amazing – video (of note: correct exponent for base of Nat Log found in John 1:1 is 10^40, not 10^65 as stated in the video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg9LiiSVaes
Euler's Identity - God Created Mathematics - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4003905
This following website has the complete working out of the math of Pi and e in the Bible, in the Hebrew and Greek languages respectively, for Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1:
http://www.biblemaths.com/pag03_pie/
As well, pi in the Bible was 'corrected' by a similar method:
Answering the objection that The value of Pi is not correct in 1 Kings 7:23
http://www.apocalipsis.org/difficulties/pi.htm
These following videos of Bruce Kuhn reciting the Bible from memory are fun to watch;
The Gospel According to Luke,,, Recited From Memory - Bruce Kuhn
http://vimeo.com/35834513
The Acts of the Apostles - Recited From Memory - Bruce Kuhn
http://vimeo.com/35814436
This video is of interest to those who have ever been hit with this old question from skeptics, ‘Why are there mythical unicorns in the Bible?’ (They were rhinoceroses!)
Of course there are Unicorns, pt.I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWHJMz2Neog
A Jet Tour of Biblical History - video
https://vimeo.com/57469497
Historically, the Bible has indeed proven extremely resilient in its historical accuracy with stunning archaeological confirmation:
50 People in the Bible Confirmed Archaeologically - Feb. 12, 2014
http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/50-people-in-the-bible-confirmed-archaeologically/
The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict (Authenticity of the Bible) - Josh McDowell - Video Part One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H25ymflbkiE&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL55851D67C8DDD788
Joseph Holden - Archaeology and the Bible: What Stones Tell Us About the Reliability of Scripture - video
http://vimeo.com/24514152
Archeology: Digging for the Truth of the Bible - Dr. Don Patton - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWawVUZg3Es
Dead Sea Scrolls - Dr. Don Patton - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEa1dGHyDJY
Proving the Bible through archaeology Part 3 of 6 - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqy9fnOlQcE
Isaiah 53 and the Dead Sea Scrolls - verified prophecy before the birth of Christ
http://www.allaboutarchaeology.org/dead-sea-scrolls-2.htm
"In Extraordinary ways, modern archaeology has affirmed the historical core of the Old and New testaments - corroborating key points of the stories of Israel's patriarchs, the Exodus, the Davidic monarchy, and the life and times of Jesus."This is a gem of a quote from a Bible skeptic who thought it unfair to use the Bible as a guide in archeology since,,,::
Jeffery Sheler - 'Is The Bible True', U.S. News and World Report, Oct. 25th, 1999, pg.52
‘he knew immediately that, proceeding in this way (using the Bible as a guide), “she would certainly find that building”I think the following explorer has a pretty strong case, including chemical lab work, that his team may have actually discovered the actual remains of Noah's Ark:
http://www.uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/materialism-vs-science-in-archaeology-and-the-difference-it-makes/
Arch Bonnema - 'Possible' Petrified Noah's Ark Remains - video
http://vimeo.com/23641811
Google map image of the Turkey-Iran border area:
http://www.noahsarksearch.com/UrartuMap2.jpg
Fertile Crescent: Farming started in several places at once, researchers report (with map) - July 4, 2013The real Ark of Noah - Gary Stearman interviews Arch Bonnema - video- pt.1 of 3.
Excerpt: For decades archaeologists have been searching for the origins of agriculture. Their findings indicated that early plant domestication took place in the western and northern Fertile Crescent.,,
demonstrate that the foothills of the Zagros Mountains of Iran in the eastern Fertile Crescent also served as a key center for early domestication.
They documented an 8 meter thick sequence of exclusively aceramic Neolithic deposits dating from 11,700 to 9,800 years ago. These excavations produced a wealth of architectural remains, stone tools, depictions of humans and animals, bone tools, animal bones, and – perhaps most importantly – the richest deposits of charred plant remains ever recovered from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic of the Near East.
http://phys.org/news/2013-07-fertile-crescent-farming.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmM16NtUYUw
As well, there is actually very strong archaeological evidence tracing all human races to the three sons of Noah:
TABLE OF NATIONS (GENEALOGY OF MANKIND) by Tim OsterholmIn this following video lecture (on the ‘table of nations'), at around the 6:00 minute mark, we find that the first ‘advanced’ human civilization, (with the oldest archeological evidence of metallurgy, agriculture, wine making, etc…), flourished near, or at, the Ankara area,,,(The Ankara area is called Anatolia in the video), which is close to where Noah’s Ark is said to have come to rest on a mountaintop:
Excerpt: The fact is, that wherever its statements can be sufficiently tested, Genesis 10 of the Bible has been found completely accurate; resulting partly from linguistic studies, partly from archaeology, and, more recently still, from the findings of physical anthropologists, who are, to this day, recovering important clues to lines of migration in ancient historic times. As implied in verse 32 of Genesis 10, this Table includes everybody; meaning that so-called fossil man, primitive peoples (ancient and modern) and modern man are all derived from Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
http://www.soundchristian.com/man/
Tracing your Ancestors through History - Paul James-Griffiths
http://edinburghcreationgroup.org/video/1
AnkaraThough, because of his Young Earth Biblical view, Paul James-Griffiths did not give the dating of the area, the dating of the first 'advanced' human civilization, around that area, is 12,000 years before the present:
Excerpt: Centrally located in Anatolia, Ankara is an important commercial and industrial city.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankara
Stone Age Temple May Be Birthplace of CivilizationHere is a very interesting geographical finding which corroborates the archeological finding for the first human civilization at Ankara:
Excerpt: The elaborate temple at Gobelki Tepe in southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, is staggeringly ancient: 11,500 years old, from a time just before humans learned to farm grains and domesticate animals. According to the German archaeologist in charge of excavations at the site, it might be the birthplace of agriculture, of organized religion — of civilization itself.
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/gobeklitepe/index
The Center of the Earth by Henry Morris, Ph.D.Now this is very interesting!,,, That the first archeological evidence for a 'advanced' human civilization, with metallurgy, wine making, agriculture, would be very near, or even at, the 'geographic center of the earth' is a very 'spooky' thing for modern science to find! Pondering all the many places where the beginning of advanced human civilization 'could have' happened, instead of where it actually 'did happen', should make any reasonable person scratch their head in wonder!
Excerpt: The problem is basically to determine that point on the earth’s surface, the average distance from which to all other points on the earth’s land surfaces is a minimum. This point is defined as the earth’s geographical center.
(1) Divide all the earth’s land areas into small, equal, unit areas.
(2) Select one of these unit areas as a possible location of the earth’s center.
(3) Measure the distance along the earth’s surface from this reference area to each of the other unit areas, all over the earth.
(4) Add up all these distances and divide the total by the number of individual distances measured. The result is the average distance from the reference area to all the other unit areas around the world.
(5) Repeat the entire process in steps (1) through (4) above for each one of all the other unit areas around the world.
(6) Compare the "average distances" so calculated for all the different unit areas. The one for which the average distance turns out to be the smallest is the earth’s geographical center.
Actually, the calculation becomes feasible only if it can be programmed on a high speed computer. To accomplish the latter requires a knowledge of spherical trigonometry, geodesy, calculus, and computer science. In addition, there must be available accurate data on the earth’s land and water areas, arranged in a grid network tied to latitude and longitude. With these factors present, the computation then becomes quite feasible.
RESULTS
,,, The exact center of the earth, insofar as Mr. Woods’ calculations could determine, was found to be near Ankara, the present capital of Turkey, at latitude 39° and longitude 34°, on the same latitude as Mount Ararat and essentially the same longitude as Jerusalem.,,,
http://www.icr.org/article/50/
Moreover, besides the 12,000 years before present starting point for the beginning of 'advanced' human civilization at 'the center of the world', geographically speaking, there is now mounting evidence for global catastrophic flooding 13,000 years before the present:
Humanpast.netFurther assorted notes on Global Flooding 13,000 years before present:
Excerpt: Worldwide, we know that the period of 14,000 to 13,000 years ago, which coincides with the peak of abundant monsoonal rains over India, was marked by violent oceanic flooding - in fact, the first of the three great episodes of global superfloods that dominated the meltdown of the Ice Age. The flooding was fed not merely by rain but by the cataclysmic synchronous collapse of large ice-masses on several different continents and by gigantic inundations of meltwater pouring down river systems into the oceans. (124)
What happened, at around 13,000 years ago, was that the long period of uninterrupted warming that the world had just passed through (and that had greatly intensified, according to some studies, between 15,000 years ago and 13,000 years ago) was instantly brought to a halt - all at once, everywhere - by a global cold event known to palaeo climatologists as the 'Younger Dryas' or 'Dryas III'. In many ways mysterious and unexplained, this was an almost unbelievably fast climatic reversion - from conditions that are calculated to have been warmer and wetter than today's 13,000 years ago, to conditions that were colder and drier than those at the Last Glacial Maximum, not much more than a thousand years later. From that moment, around 12,800 years ago, it was as though an enchantment of ice had gripped the earth. In many areas that had been approaching terminal meltdown full glacial conditions were restored with breathtaking rapidity and all the gains that had been made since the LGM were simply stripped away…(124)
A great, sudden extinction took place on the planet, perhaps as recently as 11,500 years ago (usually attributed to the end of that last ice age), in which hundreds of mammal and plant species disappeared from the face of the earth, driven into deep caverns and charred muck piles the world over. Modern science, with all its powers and prejudices, has been unable to adequately explain this event. (83)
http://humanpast.net/environment/environment11k.htm
Various Catastrophic Mega-Floods 13,000 years before present from around the world
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sXjqFo9osUO4pWfxsx3Brb565KvqfVIaP1vtDGa95tg/edit
The following videos outline some more surprisingly strong geological evidences for a global flood that will make any honest person scratch their head in wonder:
Startling Evidence That Noah's Flood Really Happened - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGeULHljDn8
"Does the rock and fossil record speak of Noah's flood or evolution?" - debate - Young Earth Creationist Andy McIntosh & paleontologist Robert Asher
listen at
http://bit.ly/171dSf9
Dr. Robert Carter of CMI interviewed on 100 Huntley Street about the Universal Flood model - video
http://www.ultimatetube.com/videos/20721/Dr.-Robert-Carter-of-CMI-interviewed-on-100-Huntley-Street
Geological Evidences for a Flood
http://www.cs.unc.edu/~plaisted/ce/flood.html
The Worldwide Flood - Geologic Evidences - Pt 1 with Dr. Andrew Snelling - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwGgSNDPhO0
The Worldwide Flood - Geologic Evidences - Pt 2 with Dr. Andrew Snelling - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMSSwoJFq-8
Here is a article that gives evidence of ‘submerged’ landscapes, just as the preceding video postulated:
The Rise and Fall of Submerged Landscapes - July 2011
http://crev.info/content/110710-rise_and_fall_of_submerged_landscapes
This following article points to a global anomaly in sediment layers. A anomaly that would be expected from a global flood perspective:
Ancient Earth Smackdown at Santa Fe Tells Global Story - August 2010Worldwide 'planation' also points to a global disaster from water:
Excerpt: “Geologist John Wesley Powell called this major gap in the geologic record, which is also seen in other parts of the world, the Great Unconformity.” Clicking on the link elaborates further: “The Great Unconformity is a geologic feature that exists across the world at a relatively consistent rock strata (or depth relative to sea-level).” Any unconformity worldwide in its extent would seem to require to a global catastrophe.
http://www.creationsafaris.com/crev201008.htm#20100810a
Planation surfaceThis ‘global anomaly’ of planation, is exactly what we would expect to see from a global flood perspective, yet the dating of the global catastrophe(s) from water, as far as I know, is not yet known to accurate detail. Indeed I know of no secular reference of any known ‘mass extinction’ that mentions any ancient global disaster for water covering the face earth, to form this worldwide 'unconformity' and planation. And yet, there the worldwide anomaly sits. An anomaly that certainly requires a global deluge to explain!:
Excerpt: planation surface, any low-relief plain cutting across varied rocks and structures. Among the most common landscapes on Earth, planation surfaces include pediments, pediplains, etchplains, and peneplains. There has been much scientific controversy over the origins of such surfaces.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/462878/planation-surface
It’s plain to see - Flat land surfaces are strong evidence for the Genesis Flood
Excerpt: A planation surface is a large, level, or nearly level, land surface that has been ‘planed’ flat by running water. Scientists believe that running water cut these surfaces because they are covered by rounded rocks. Water is the only agent we know that can produce rounded rocks, by tumbling them against each other as it transports them along.,,, Planation surfaces sometimes cut across tilted sedimentary rocks. They are especially easy to recognize. The layered sedimentary rocks are often a combination of hard and soft rocks. Only a gigantic, fast-running water flow could have cut both the hard and soft rocks evenly.,,, Geomorphologist Lester King has documented that planation surfaces are abundant on all continents and found at different elevations. He noted about 60% of Africa is a series of planation surfaces. Some planation surfaces are located on the top of mountains.
http://creation.com/its-plain-to-see
The following video is very interesting for it shows a geological formation that is now known to have been formed by a catastrophic flood, yet Charles Darwin himself had 'predicted' the geological formation was formed 'gradually':
Where Darwin Went Wrong - geology video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3darzVqzV2o
This following secular article 'honestly' admits that 'some big canyons' were formed by catastrophic floods:
Secular Geology Admits to Rapid Canyon Formation by Megafloods - June 21 2010The following article investigates eight anomalies of the Grand Canyon that strongly suggest rapid formation by a catastrophic flood of global proportions:
Excerpt: “Our traditional view of deep river canyons, such as the Grand Canyon, is that they are carved slowly, as the regular flow and occasionally moderate rushing of rivers erodes rock over periods of millions of years.” Quoting Michael Lamb of Caltech, co-author of a paper in Nature Geoscience, the article said that such is not always the case: “We know that some big canyons have been cut by large catastrophic flood events during Earth’s history.”
http://www.creationsafaris.com/crev201006.htm#20100621a
8 Grand Canyon Evidences
http://www.canyonministries.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=15
Here is another anomaly of the Grand Canyon:
Grand Canyon Sand Hails from Back EastHere is a site that, though written from a Young Earth perspective, gives a fairly good overview of the many strange anomalies in the fossil record that point to an ancient global flood:
Excerpt: Sands from the Appalachians have found a tourist mecca in the arid Southwest, it seems. Two weeks ago it was reported that Utah’s Navajo sandstones came from the Appalachians, and now a geologist from Univ. of Arizona thinks the same for Grand Canyon sandstones, He bases his conclusion on radiometric dates of zircons in the sand which match those in Appalachia. This would require huge rivers bearing sand thousands of miles westward to Wyoming, “from whence winds blew it south into the dune fields” of Arizona. The resulting sand pile covered an area the size of the Kalahari desert. “I was very surprised by what we found,” said one of the geologists.
http://www.creationsafaris.com/crev0903.htm#geo71
The Fossil Record
http://detectingdesign.com/fossilrecord.html
Of related interest; Rainbows are formed by what are called ‘Quantum Catastrophes’. Thus, since I find Quantum Mechanical phenomena to be thoroughly Theistic, as to the necessity of providing a coherent non-local (beyond space and time) causation, that does not dissolve into absurdity as postulated ‘non-reductive’ materialistic causes do, then yes I actually do think God does form rainbows;
Quantum CatastrophesThis is neat: Ever see the end of a rainbow?
Excerpt: Catastrophes [1] are at the heart of many fascinating optical phenomena. The most prominent example of such a catastrophe is the rainbow.
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~ulf/catastrophe.html
27 Amazing Miracles in Real Life
Excerpt: Our son died of a brain tumor at 17. On the second anniversary of his death, as I was driving to work, a double rainbow appeared in the clear sky. One end was on the road in front of us and the other at the cemetery where he was buried. —Peggy H., Boone, North Carolina
http://www.rd.com/family/27-amazing-miracles-in-real-life-2/
Christian Couple Finds Both Ends of the Rainbow - 11-11-2013 - with video
http://ipost.christianpost.com/news/christian-couple-finds-both-ends-of-the-rainbow-12400/
This following video, and article, are very interesting for they talk about the scientific evidence for a 'genetic Adam' and a 'genetic Eve', and how the evidence relates to Noah's flood:
Does human genetic evidence support Noah's flood? - Fazale Rana - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4116168
Book Review; Who Was Adam?: A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Man:Of note: There was a study in July/August of 2013 that supposedly resolved this dating discrepancy between a 'genetic Adam' and a 'genetic Eve', but it appears in the study that the researchers assumed a mutation rate for mtDNA (genetic Eve) that was different (54 times slower) than the actual 'observed mutation rate' of mtDNA, thus calling into question the integrity of their study:
Excerpt: The Bible claims that there was a genetic bottleneck at the Genesis flood. Whereas all females can trace their ancestry back to Eve (through the three wives of Noah's sons), all males trace their Y-chromosomes through Noah (through his three sons). This predicted discrepancy for molecular dates of mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome data is actually seen in the scientific literature.
http://www.godandscience.org/newsletters/2005-09.html
http://www.uncommondescent.com/genetics/genetic-adam-and-eve-could-have-been-contemporaries/#comment-466843
The Non-Mythical Adam and Eve! - Refuting errors by Francis Collins and BioLogos - August 2011
http://creation.com/historical-adam-biologos
CMI has a excellent video of the preceding paper by Dr. Carter, that makes the technical aspects of the paper much easier to understand;
The Non Mythical Adam and Eve (Dr Robert Carter) - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ftwf0owpzQ
Adam, Eve and Noah vs Modern Genetics by Dr Robert W. Carter - 11 May 2010Traces of the Bible in our Genetic Code--Dr. Robert Carter (Ph.D. Marine Biology) - video
Excerpt: It comes as a surprise to most people to hear that there is abundant evidence that the entire human race came from two people just a few thousand years ago (Adam and Eve), that there was a serious population crash (bottleneck) in the recent past (at the time of the Flood), and that there was a single dispersal of people across the world after that (the Tower of Babel).1 It surprises them even more to learn that much of this evidence comes from evolutionary scientists.
http://creation.com/noah-and-genetics
Do women have one more rib than men? - with video
Excerpt: Since Eve was formed out of a rib from Adam some Christians have grown up believing that men have one less rib than women, which they don't. Some anti-creationists have used this to mock Genesis. But today, if someone loses their hand it doesn't mean that their children will be born without hands. Interestingly ribs are one of the few bones in the body that can grow back if removed as long as the periosteum, the tissue around the bone, is left intact. So even Adam would have had the same number of ribs as everyone else. [8]
http://creation.com/creation-videos?page=1&fileID=levHPPIzJuc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDuLEVu1C4A
The following videos have some fairly persuasive archaeological, and even geological, evidence that the Exodus of the Israelis from Egypt actually did occur:
Exodus Revealed - Startling Evidence For The Hebrew Exodus From Egypt - documentary video
http://www.itbn.org/index/detail/ec/xucDlyMjq42Ibg4UR3qBV1z7scwwPDOI
And The Sea Will Tell: Archaeological proof of Moses crossing The Red Sea. - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8USn3KlekM
The Exodus Case Interviews with Lennart Moller - video
http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/the-exodus-case-interviews-with-lennart-moller/
Here is a small portion of the video footage showing the coral encrusted remains of Egyptian chariots in the Red Sea at the proposed Nuweiba crossing,,, Seems the Charlton Heston depiction in the movie, 'The Ten Commandments', was not that far off the mark of what really happened after all!
THE REAL EXODUS - A SMALL PORTION THE SUPPRESSED EVIDENCE - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqf6t_DnmGY
For those unfamiliar with the Caldwells' story this following video is essential viewing. Jim and Penny Caldwell's painstakingly documented explorations deep into the Arabian Peninsula over an 8 year period corroborates in great detail the earlier findings of the late Ron Wyatt - but it goes further by fleshing out the exodus and 40 year wandering accounts in startling ways;,,
Jim and Penny Caldwell - Mountain of God [2009]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaPn_pKQt0s
The Exodus Conspiracy - The Real Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHbz92YTzjU
Rough map of Exodus route:
http://www.bibleprobe.com/redseacrsg.gif
http://www.bibleprobe.com/exodus.htm
Steve Schrader - Historical Reliability of the Bible - video (extra-biblical proof of exodus plagues at 22:30 minute mark)
http://vimeo.com/15742096
The egyptian papyrus of the ten plagues - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNtLesHEJLg
The Search for Mt. Sinai - Bob Cornuke - video
http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/tv-program-the-search-for-mt-sinai/
The Search for the Real Mount Sinai - videoArchaeological and historical articles dealing with the validity of the Exodus-Conquest narratives of the Old Testament, circa 1500-1350 B.C.
Description: Biblical explorer Bob Cornuke and his friend, Larry Williams' incredible expedition into the blistering desert of Saudi Arabia has turned up what many scholars believe to be one of the greatest discoveries in history...the real Mount Sinai.
https://vimeo.com/61087314
http://www.biblearchaeology.org/category/exodus-conquest.aspx
The Logistics of the Exodus
http://www.tektonics.org/af/exoduslogistics.html
Has the Exodus Really Been Disproven? Excerpt: Many archaeologists, Bible scholars and historians continue to conclude from the evidence that the Exodus did indeed occur, among them the editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, Hershel Shanks (Ha'aretz Magazine, Nov. 5, 1999). http://www.dovidgottlieb.com/comments/Exodus.htmThis following video has some very persuasive evidence concerning the Arc Of The Covenant:
Arch Bonnema Speaks about Noah's Ark and the Arc of the Covenant - video
http://vimeo.com/23634220
The following video is very strong in its archeological confirmation for the bible:
Jericho Unearthed - Bible Confirmed Once Again - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-cmdl4Cqdo
There was/is a controversy over the Carbon dating of the destruction of Jericho. Dr. Wood responds to that controversy here:
"My dating of the destruction of Jericho to ca. 1400 B.C. is based on pottery, which, in turn, is based on Egyptian chronology. Jericho is just one example of the discrepancy between historical and C14 dates for the second millennium B.C. C14 dates are consistently 100–150 years earlier than historical dates.,,, Because of the inconsistencies and uncertainties of C14 dating, most archaeologists prefer historical dates over C14 dates."The following video is downright jaw-dropping with its archeological evidence for authenticity of the Bible:
http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/08/Carbon-14-Dating-at-Jericho.aspx#Article
The Physical Ashen Remains Of Sodom and Gomorrah - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwTVFk1HK3Y
Searching for Sodom and GomorrahArchaeologists strike gold in quest to find Queen of Sheba's wealth - February 2012
Excerpt: Most traditional theories place the cities at the southern end of the Dead Sea, in and around the well-watered and fertile plains and valleys south of the Lisan peninsula. At the southern end of this region, the Bible and other sources, including the first-century A.D. historian Josephus and the sixth-century A.D. Madaba Map, locate Zoar, one of the cities of the plain and the place to which Lot and his daughters fled following the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 19:22-23).*
http://www.bib-arch.org/e-features/sodom-and-gomorrah.asp
Genesis 19:22-23
Hurry up! Run there, for I cannot do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city is Zoar.
The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar.
http://digg.com/newsbar/Science/archaeologists_strike_gold_in_quest_to_find_queen_of_sheba_s_wealth
Here are some more videos defending the Bible as a reliable ancient historical text;
Persian History and The Old Testament - Dr Mark Woolmer - video
http://vimeo.com/426015
Egyptian Chronology and the Old Testament - Dr Mark Woolmer - video
http://vimeo.com/410567
Shrine Discovery in Judah May Confirm, Clarify Biblical Descriptions - May 2012The Nativity Defended – Jonathan McLatchie – October 26, 2012
Excerpt: "This is the first time that archaeologists uncovered a fortified city in Judah from the time of King David," Garfinkel said in a press release.,, "For the first time in history we have actual objects from the time of David, which can be related to monuments described in the Bible," the press release, provided by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, states.
http://www.christianpost.com/news/shrine-discovery-in-judah-may-confirm-clarify-biblical-descriptions-74613/
Ancient shard offers archaeology’s first mention of Bethlehem - May 2012
Excerpt: A 2,700-year-old clay shard with an ancient Hebrew inscription mentioning the city of Bethlehem has been found in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Wednesday.,,, “This is the first time the name Bethlehem appears outside the Bible in an inscription from the First Temple period, which proves that Bethlehem was indeed a city in the Kingdom of Judah,
http://www.timesofisrael.com/ancient-shard-offers-archaeologys-first-mention-of-bethlehem/
http://www.apologeticalliance.com/blog/2012/10/26/the-nativity-defended/
The True Christmas Story - Herod and Jesus - Today's Christian Videos
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=DWYYD7NX
Herod and Jesus: A Contrast Between Two Kings
http://followtherabbi.com/world/encyclopedia/article/herod-and-jesus-a-contrast-between-two-kings
The following article, radio interview, and videos provides airtight rebuttals to the ‘nitpicking’ arguments that have been used trying to undermine the authority of the New Testament in documenting actual historical events.
Can You Trust the Bible Historically? - Is it a Game of Telephone? - What about the Gnostic Gospels? - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHWVWw9gJT8
Is Today's Bible Authentic? - Eric Metaxas - video
http://www.exploregod.com/is-todays-bible-authentic-video
How Do We Know the New Testament Is Unaltered? - William Lane Craig - video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEUqlgM-v-E
Alleged Contradictions in the Gospels by Dr. Timothy McGrew - lecture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJizWvoGCIg
Audio Resources by Tim McGrew
http://www.apologetics315.com/2012/11/audio-resources-by-tim-mcgrew.html?m=1
Who Wrote the Gospels? - Dr. Timothy McGrew - Week 1 - video
https://vimeo.com/57485839
The Gospels as History: External Evidence - Dr. Timothy McGrew - video
https://vimeo.com/58486762
The Gospels as History: Internal Evidence - Dr. Timothy McGrew - video
https://vimeo.com/59012954
Alleged Historic Errors in the Gospels - Dr. Timothy McGrew - video
https://vimeo.com/59608577
Alleged Contradictions in the Gospels - Dr. Timothy McGrew - video
https://vimeo.com/59940602
Undesigned Coincidences - Tim McGrew - article
http://www.uncommondescent.com/philosophy/detecting-authenticity-in-lack-of-design/
Tim McGrew - radio Interview
http://www.brianauten.com/Apologetics/interview-tim-mcgrew.mp3
The Gospels and Acts as History by Dr. Timothy McGrew - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAPG3eECaxw
Alleged Historical Errors in the Gospels (Luke & John) by Tim McGrew - lecture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5kJuTkUo0w
Frank Turek interviews Tim McGrew on the subject of "undesigned coincidences" in the New Testament: - very interesting apologetic!! - radio interview
http://mediaserver3.afa.net/archives/CrossExamined/ft_073011.mp3
Tim McGrew on Frank Turek - Part II
http://www.afa.net/Radio/show.aspx?id=2147493203&tab=audio&audio=2147510644
Undesigned Coincidences (evidence for the historicity of the Gospels) - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGVLeC5HbSQ
Who Wrote the Gospels? by Timothy McGrew - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gldvim1yjYM
Along that same line, This is an excellent video presentation by Dr. Peter Williams on the latest evidence that the Gospels came from eye-witness accounts.
Video: New Evidence for Eye Witness Accounts
http://hcchristian.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/video-new-evidence-for-eye-witness-accounts/
Accuracy Of The Bible - Feeding 5000 - video
http://www.metacafe.com/w/6745194
Bible: Fact or Fiction? Peter Williams at UNC - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTtdBpMMAFM
Lecture - Dr Peter Williams - Things Which Ought To Be Better Known About The Resurrection Of Jesus - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbBVBUeHXZ4
J. Warner Wallace Lectures on the Evidence for Christianity - videoJim Warner Wallace - God's Crime Scene (Author of "Cold Case Christianity") - video
Description: Cold-case detective J. Warner Wallace, and author of Cold-Case Christianity, presented this lecture via Skype at Reasonable Faith Belfast on Monday, 3rd December 2012. He talks about the nature of evidence, possibility and reason, the chain of custody for the New Testament documents, and much more. The lecture is about an hour (with great visuals), followed by about 30 minutes of Q&A.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiYQzOypD9o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=a9zEqyi1c7Q#t=1264s
This following video debunks the internet pagan myth of Osiris and Horus being parallel to Jesus;
Jesus and the Story of Osiris and Horus (William Lane Craig) - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6AZqOO2FJA
Are There Other Resurrection Myths? - Dr. Craig - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSmykWnFOS0
Was Jesus a Myth? Part 1 - Dr. James White - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=00WOGeGcjYo#t=1951s
William Lane Craig - How Do We Know Jesus Was Raised From the Dead with Q&A (High School Audience)- video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33J9uR7ZaWA
The Real Jesus: Paul Maier presents new evidence from history and archeology at Iowa State - 2013 - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAN3kQHTKWI
Defense Of The Historical Jesus From Supposed Higher Criticism Of Biblical Text And Historical Reliability - William Lane Craig - video
http://www.vimeo.com/11144955
William Lane Craig: The Evidence for Jesus's Resurrection. Southampton Guildhall, October 2011 - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iyxR8uE9GQ
Does God Exist? - Argument From The Historical Jesus - Kirk Durston - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4171869/
Jesus ExistedDawkins Owned By Lennox: Admits Jesus Existed (O8:37 mark) - video
Excerpt: Contrary to some circles on the Internet, very few scholars doubt that Jesus existed, preached and led a movement. Scholars' confidence has nothing to do with theology but much to do with historiographic common sense.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-s-keener/jesus-existed_b_1652435.html
http://youtu.be/lbLRE_SIMMU
In the following video, the very liberal Bible scholar/critic Bart Ehrman tells an atheist that 'no serious Bible historian doubts that Jesus existed':
Bart Ehrman - Jesus Existed - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=WUQMJR2BP1w
“And you realize that 99.9% of scholars across the world will acknowledge that Jesus is an historical person. They may not say that Jesus is the Son of God, but they will say there was an historical figure named Jesus of Nazareth. But Tom [Harpur] has very grave doubts about this, so he claims. Now that floored me right there. Because, we have copious evidence for Jesus’ existence. If you don’t like the gospels, go to the Roman historian, Tacitus, who talks about the great fire of Rome and how Nero got blamed for it. To save himself, he blames the Christians. This Roman historian says that they are named for a Christus, who was crucified by one of our governors, Pontius Pilate. What more do you need? That quote alone would establish the historicity of Jesus. Suetonius mentions Christ in connection with the riot of those for or against Jesus across the Tiber. Pliny, the younger, Governor of Asia Minor, says that these Christians get up on Sunday morning and sing hymns to Christ as to a God. The Jewish rabbinic traditions mention Jesus of Nazareth in their own language. Whatmore do we need of witnesses? Josephus mentions Jesus twice.And in April 2011 Dr Maier gave this following interview:
I want to point out that Christian faith is based upon fact and not on fiction. The problem nowadays is that so many people are trying to turn fact into fiction.” Dr. Paul Maier (recently retired Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University) quoted from the 100 Huntley Street telecast on March 30/04
Easter Discussion — Dr. Paul Maier — video - 1/2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBmAWwpZqXk
Easter Discussion — Dr. Paul Maier — video - 2/2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kMrZX4trE0
The Case for Jesus - JP Moreland - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg9ztJyUoHc
Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? - William Lane Craig - video - October 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsYXKKAJp8M
Top Ten Reasons We Know the New Testament is True - Frank Turek - video
http://saddleback.com/mc/m/5e22f/
1 Corinthians 15:14Beyond the Passion - William Lane Craig - video
If Christ hasn't come back to life, our message has no meaning and your faith also has no meaning.
http://vimeo.com/31501493
Now what I find very compelling to the historical fact that Jesus rose from the dead, is that Jesus' own brother, James, did not believe in Jesus' claim that he was the son of God until after Jesus had appeared to him after his resurrection. The transformation i James life, from that appearance, was so dramatic as to cause him to become a leader in the Jerusalem church, write a New Testament epistle, and, moreover, to die a martyr's death for his belief in Christ.,,, Having two brothers myself, I can firmly relate as to just how dramatic the post-resurrection appearance would have to be in order to convince James that his earthly half brother, Jesus, was indeed the Lord of all creation!!!
James, Brother of JesusThe (Bart) Ehrman Project - several videos defending various Biblical texts and Historicity of Jesus
Excerpt: According to Josephus, the high priest, Ananus (his father was also called Ananus), a man bold in temperament and very indolent, convened the judges of the Sanhedrin and brought before them a man called James, the brother of Jesus who was called the Christ, and certain others. He accused them of having transgressed the law and delivered them up to be stoned (Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, page 598).
Hegesippus, a second century writer, says that James was thrown down from the pinnacle of the temple, stoned, and finally killed by a fuller's club (Jack P. Lewis, Historical Backgrounds of Bible History, page 141).
http://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/1999/jun/page5.shtml
JESUS AS GOD By Ben Witherington, III
Excerpt: But there are other indirect ways that Jesus signals who He is. For example, uniquely Jesus chooses to precede His own pronouncements with the term "amen," a term normally used by the congregation to affirm the truthfulness of what someone else says after they say it. Not so with Jesus. He vouches for the truthfulness of His own words in advance of offering them! He does not need others to bear witness to him in order to validate the truthfulness of his words.
http://www.4truth.net/fourtruthpbjesus.aspx?pageid=8589952873
http://www.youtube.com/user/ehrmanproject
These following videos, and quotes, show, that as far as the historical evidence itself is concerned, Jesus assuredly rose from the dead.
The Historicity Of The Resurrection Of Jesus - William Lane Craig - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYdzUYyIKMM
The (Unmatched Historical Reliability of the) Resurrection of Jesus - Dr. Gary R. Habermas (On Guard Conference 2013) - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNdmSQKyzgc
How Reliable Is the New Testament? – Dr. Daniel Wallace (16:30 minute mark of video “The New Testament has an ‘embarrassment of riches’ compared to other ancient texts”) – video (Dr. Wallace publicly debated Bart Ehrman 3 times)
http://www.watermark.org/media/how-badly-did-the-early-scribes-corrupt-the-new-testament/2305/
The reliability of the New Testament compared to other ancient texts - graph
http://visualunit.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/nt_reliability1.jpg
History proves Christ’s resurrection - article
http://www.c-bstatesman.com/news/2011-03-03/Church_News/RISEN.html
The Case For Christ - Lee Strobel - video
http://sv.cross.tv/32489
Experts' Evidence for Jesus' Crucifixion - Criteria of Embarrassment From Jewish Talmud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF0egAzJ7bw
How can God turn into a human if He's God?! - William Lane Craig - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmoUyCxv9dU
The Oldest Known Fragment Of The New Testament - Serendipitous Gospel - video
http://www.metacafe.com/w/6517637
Most Ancient New Testament Manuscripts discovered very recently match what we have in the present day New Testament - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DpWsgDMmaI
Why Historians Take The Gospel Seriously - video - (Oldest Christian Creed fragment at about 23 minute mark)
http://saddleback.com/mc/m/28a42/
Here's the clip from the preceding video:
Earliest manuscript evidence for Christianity - John Dickson - video (from "The Christ Files")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YpLfTo1jzU
Outside the bible historical evidence for Jesus is listed on the following site:
http://www.uncommondescent.com/atheism/on-a-case-study-of-the-willful-closed-mindedness-produced-by-the-selective-hyperskepticism-of-the-new-atheist-mindset/
As a sidelight to this, it is interesting to note that unlike Christianity (and Judaism) which each have stunning archeological confirmation backing up the historicity of each, the accuracy of the historicity of Islam, particularly its origin as told in the Koran, is in severe doubt when it comes to archeological confirmation. The following video reveals the poverty of archeological evidence backing up Islam's historicity:
Islam, the untold story - video
http://apostates.weebly.com/islam-the-untold-story.html
The History Of Jihad Told In Detail by William Federer (Part1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3SWgMfbizQ
What Americans need to know about Islam – part 1 of 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvoLg8KQmXs
Islam - A History Of Terror, A 1400 Year Secret, by Dr Bill Warner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Qpy0mXg8Y
Why believe in Christianity (and not Islam)? - Prof.David Wood - video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ajppRmF8P4
Islamic Atrocities Provoked the Crusades - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imTY5izhTDo
Siege of Vienna - video
Join Gordon Robertson as he travels to Vienna, Austria, to explore the first attempt by the Islamic Ottoman Empire to invade the city of Vienna. With prayer and creativity, the city’s outnumbered Christian army defeated the vast Ottoman forces at the height of their power and singlehandedly stopped the march of Islam through Europe.
http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/churchhistory/siegeofvienna/
The Politically Incorrect Truth about Islam
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
Islam's Latest Contributions to Peace (Thousands upon thousands of attacks since 9-11)
"Mohammed is God's apostle. Those who follow him are harsh
to the unbelievers but merciful to one another" Quran 48:29
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/index.html#PriorYears
Here is a post listing many verses from the Quran that incite violence and murder against non-believers in general and against Christians and Jews in particular:
http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-islam-and-christianity/comment-page-1/#comment-159800
podcast interview with former atheist turned christian apologist to Muslims - David Wood
http://www.apologetics315.com/2013/09/david-wood-interview-transcript.html
Here is a bit more detail as to Muslims denying the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins (and various other inaccuracies of the Quran):
http://www.uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/what-really-matters/#comment-445334
Here is a leading critic of Islam
Ibn Warraq
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Warraq
The Quran's doctrine of abrogation (In the Quran, Later verses of violence have authority over earlier verses of peace) - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxTKbOzl2Nw&list=UU1pQY-ajD-Nngos3N9-fUXA&index=17
Obsession - The Movie - Radical Islam Documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AediQLpoGGM
The Third Jihad- Radical Islams Vision for America & the world - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl6W341bADI
Besides encouraging murder, Islam also encourages lying for the sake of furthering Islam:
"Speaking is a means to achieve objectives. If a praiseworthy aim is attainable through both telling the truth and lying, it is unlawful to accomplish through lying because there is no need for it. When it is possible to achieve such an aim by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible (N:i.e. when the purpose of lying is to circumvent someone who is preventing one from doing something permissible), and obligatory to lie if the goal is obligatory... it is religiously precautionary in all cases to employ words that give a misleading impression...[2] Reliance of the Traveler, p. 746 - 8.2 (Shaffi Fiqh)As a Christian, and even as a human with basic moral precepts as to how one should act towards his fellow humans, I consider it a self evident refutation for any supposed holy book of the world to encourage murder, violence, and even lying, against those who don't believe as you believe.
http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Lying_and_Deception_in_Islam#Muslims_scholars_and_companions_of_Muhammad_on_Taqiyyah
Obama’s Allegiance to the Unholy Alliance - October 23, 2012
Excerpt: It is significant to note that lying about being a Muslim in a majority non-Muslim country is allowed under Islam.,,,, in Islam, lying for the purpose of jihad in Islam is also not only allowed, but an obligation to be proud of. One is even encouraged to blame the enemies of Islam for one’s lies.
Sharia law states: “Lying is obligatory if the purpose is obligatory.” Muslim clerics have no problem lying not just to the non-Muslim world but even to the Muslim masses since Islam also allows Muslims to lie in order to bring Muslims together in harmony and friendship.
http://frontpagemag.com/2012/nonie-darwish/obamas-allegiance-to-the-unholy-alliance/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=f58c47bf21-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag
Christianity & Islam: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? - William Lane Craig vs. Shabir Ally - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fyy4q8z4us
But to continue on with the accuracy of Christianity towards history, consider these following quotes on the historical Jesus:
A British agnostic once said “let’s not discuss the other miracles; let’s discuss the resurrection. Because if the resurrection is true, then the other miracles are easily explained; and if the resurrection is not true, the other miracles do not matter.”Historians and critics hostile to Christianity provide some excellent testimony in support of the facts surrounding Jesus' resurrection!
Sir Edward Clark — a prominent lawyer in Great Britain “As a lawyer, I have made a prolonged study of the evidences for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. To me, the evidence is conclusive; and over and over again in the high court, I have secured the verdict on evidence not nearly so compelling. The Gospel evidence for the resurrection I accept unreservedly as the testimony of truthful men to facts that they were able to substantiate.”
Canon Westcott — for years a brilliant scholar at Cambridge University “Indeed, taking all the evidence together, it is not too much to say that there is no historic incident better or more variously supported than the resurrection of Christ. Nothing but the antecedent assumption that it must be false could have suggested the idea of deficiency in the proof of it.”
Thomas Arnold — Professor of History at Oxford University; author of a 3-volume history on ancient Rome “I have been used for many years to study the history of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them; and I know of no fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than that Christ died and rose again from the dead.”
http://www.awordfromtheword.org/what-if.htm
“I humbly add I have spent more than 42 years as a defense trial lawyer appearing in many parts of the world and am still in active practice. I have been fortunate to secure a number of successes in jury trials and I say unequivocally the evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.”
Sir Lionel Luckhoo. A British lawyer knighted for his work. He won 245 consecutive murder cases.
“Let [the Gospel's] testimony be sifted, as it were given in a court of justice on the side of the adverse party, the witness being subjected to a rigorous cross-examination. The result, it is confidently believed, will be an undoubting conviction of their integrity, ability, and truth.”
Simon Greenleaf from his book “Testimony of the Evangelicals”. Greenleaf was one of the founders of the Harvard Law School who wrote the book “A Treatise on the Law of Evidence”. He was an atheist until some students challenged him to examine the evidence for the resurrection of Christ.
"I know men, and I tell you that Jesus Christ is not a man. Superficial minds see a resemblance between Christ and the founders of empires and the gods of other religions. That resemblance does not exist. There is between Christianity and whatever other religions the distance of infinity." - Napoleon Bonaparte
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/november/28.74.html
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." – C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity, pages 40-41
“One of the most certain facts of history is that Jesus was crucified on orders of the Roman prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate.”Here are a few more videos on the historical reliability of the trial and resurrection of Christ:
Skeptic, Bart Ehrman, Jesus Interrupted (2008) pg. 162
"The historian... cannot justifiably deny the empty tomb", because using standard historical criteria, "the evidence is firm and plausible enough to necessitate the conclusion that the tomb was indeed found empty."
Michael Grant, Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992), p. 176.
"It may be taken as historically certain that Peter and the disciples had experiences after Jesus’ death in which Jesus appeared to them as the risen Christ."
(Gerd Lüdemann - Skeptical historian (and atheist), What Really Happened to Jesus?, trans. John Bowden (Louisville, Kent.: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995), p. 8.)
The Trial of Jesus Christ - Drive Thru History, Holy Land Ep.12 - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuoeMrJa9-o
Can We Trust The Bible Written 2000 Years Ago? Dr. William Lane Craig - Short video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reYBCz_kf1c
Does God Exist? - Argument From The Historical Jesus - Kirk Durston - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4171869
Amazing Coincidences Surrounding The Crucifixion Of Christ – Mark Biltz – video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4236805
This following video gives deep insight into a eclipse on the day of the Crucifixion:
The Day Of The Cross - Rick Larson - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4250948
The following is archeological confirmation of Paul's shipwreck in Malta;
Searching for Paul's Shipwreck on Malta - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuLUijSl6P8
TV Program: The Lost Shipwreck of Paul
http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/tv-program-the-lost-shipwreck-of-paul/
What Happened to the 12 Apostles of Jesus – How Did Jesus’ Disciples Die?
http://biblenest.com/?p=192
Did the Apostles Really Die as Martyrs for their Faith? By Sean McDowell - Fall 2013
http://magazine.biola.edu/article/13-fall/did-the-apostles-really-die-as-martyrs-for-their-f/
Even though this historical evidence for the Bible is certainly very strong, I feel the Bible finds a greater level of verification for its claim for supernatural (divinely inspired) authorship from the hundreds of precisely fulfilled, and unambiguous, prophecies in it that can be verified by numerous outside sources. (of personal note: I consider Nostradamus to be a fairly ambiguous, after the fact, prophet). Unique among all books ever written, the Bible accurately foretells specific events-in detail-many years, sometimes centuries, before they occur. Approximately 2500 prophecies appear in the pages of the Bible, about 2000 of which already have been fulfilled to the letter—no errors. (The remaining 500 or so reach into the future and may be seen unfolding as days go by. ;Ross RTB)
Here is a defense against those who think all the prophecy in the Bible has already been fulfilled:
WHY I AM NOT A PRETERIST
http://www.angelfire.com/nt/theology/preterist.html
If you think the religion of Islam worships the same God as Christians do, the first 20 minutes of this following video will dissuade you of that very quickly. In fact the Islamic 'messiah' is found to be the antichrist of Christianity!;
Walid Shoebat - prophecy conference - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHbH5lJTxKU
What is the alignment of nations (named in the Bible) that will come against Israel in the last days? - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs_GTDn9oX8
Here are a few resources showing the clarity and authenticity of Bible prophecy:
Bible Prophecy - Verify History
http://www.allabouttruth.org/bible-prophecy.htm
Bible Prophecy - podcast
http://www.allaboutgod.com/stream/think-again-10.m3u
The Bible: The Word of God? Extraordinary Claims Demand Extraordinary Evidence - video
http://vimeo.com/22684022
The Prophesied Second Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1Yyhb0EH6KaMTeX5bYuLD2fRFgEYJC2RKsjiTcqgEbII
Of all prophecies in the Bible, I think no other prophecy has had more of a dramatic, and inspirational, an impact than Isaiah 53. Especially after the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls had confirmed the history of Isaiah 53 prior to the birth of Christianity.
Analysis of The Mysterious Prophecy in Isaiah 53 – video
https://vimeo.com/37517468
The following article goes into a bit more detail of the controversial history and the true meaning of the Isaiah 53:9 text:
Isaiah 53:9 - The Theology of Scripture vs. the Pseudo-Theology of Apostasy, Heresy and IdiocyFurther notes:
Excerpt: The Remes is an irregularity in the text placed there under divine inspiration as a sign or pointer that there is a less obvious but important further meaning in the context. A Remes tells us, “STOP! DIG HERE!” Then you will discover the less than conspicuous true meaning of the text, which in this case is that in order to give us His life He died our death.
http://moriel.org/MorielArchive/index.php/uncategorized/isaiah-539
Probability Of Just Eight Prophecies Being Fulfilled - Jesus - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4041170
Prophecies Of The Passion - video
http://www.itbn.org/index/detail/ec/03eDlyMjoIlkOG_1e_zhu4iJr280UEjK
The Case for Jesus the Messiah — Incredible Prophecies that Prove God Exists By Dr. John Ankerberg, Dr. John Weldon, and Dr. Walter Kaiser, Jr.The Most Amazing Prophecy - Stoner and 70 weeks of years - video
Excerpt: But, of course, there are many more than eight prophecies. In another calculation Stoner used 48 prophecies (even though he could have used 456) and arrived at the extremely conservative estimate that the probability of 48 prophecies being fulfilled in one person is one in 10^157.
How large is the number 10^157? 10^157 contains 157 zeros! Let us try to illustrate this number using electrons. Electrons are very small objects. They are smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 times 10^15 of them, laid side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted four electrons every second and counted day and night, it would still take us 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one inch long.
But how many electrons would it take if we were dealing with 10^157 electrons? Imagine building a solid ball of electrons that would extend in all directions from the earth a length of 6 billion light years. The distance in miles of just one light year is 6.4 trillion miles. That would be a big ball! But not big enough to measure 10^157 electrons.
In order to do that, you must take that big ball of electrons reaching the length of 6 billion light years long in all directions and multiply it by 6 x 10^28! How big is that? It’s the length of the space required to store trillions and trillions and trillions of the same gigantic balls and more. In fact, the space required to store all of these balls combined together would just start to “scratch the surface” of the number of electrons we would need to really accurately speak about 10^157.
But assuming you have some idea of the number of electrons we are talking about, now imagine marking just one of those electrons in that huge number. Stir them all up. Then appoint one person to travel in a rocket for as long as he wants, anywhere he wants to go. Tell him to stop and segment a part of space, then take a high-powered microscope and find that one marked electron in that segment.
What do you think his chances of being successful would be? It would be one in 10^157.
Remember, this number represents the chance of only 48 prophecies coming true in one person (there are 456 total prophecies concerning Jesus).
http://www.johnankerberg.org/Articles/ATRJ/proof/ATRJ1103PDF/ATRJ1103-3.pdf
The King Jesus (A Precise Mathematical Prediction)
Excerpt: Here are the calculations.
March 14th, 445 B.C. to March 14th, 32 A.D. is 476 years.
(1 B.C. to 1 A.D. is one year, There is no year zero)
476 years x 365 days per year = 173,740 days
Add for leap years = 116 days (Leap years do not occur in century years unless divisible by 400 [therefore, we must add three less leap years in four centuries])
March 14th to April 6 th = 24 days
total = 173,880
How could Daniel have known this in advance? How could anyone have contrived to have this detailed prediction documented over three centuries in advance?
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/m.sion/kjesenpr.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejHX3uyySQQ
Here is an interesting related note:
Astronomical Eclipse Data and Israel's Feasts By Barry Setterfield (23rd December 2012)The Test of Prophecy;
Excerpt: Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire, who commanded that the work take place, did so as a result of a recurring dream featuring lions. The Lions Gate in the North-Eastern wall commemorates that event. It was through this gate that the Israelis gained access to the Old City to liberate it on June 7th 1967.
This is significant. In Daniel 9, the full period of 173,880 days is split into two segments, namely 156,240 days (62 periods of 7 years) and 17,640 days (7 periods of 7 years of 360 days). The Lions Gate was being built during 1539. If 156,240 days are added to that, we end up in 1967. Specifically, if the Lions Gate started construction on 20th August 1539, we end up with 7th June 1967. If we then add the remaining 17,640 days (or 7 periods of 7 years of 360 days) to the 7th June 1967, we end up on September 23rd 2015. This is the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, when the High Priest would come out of the Holy of Holies and bless the believing congregation. It is at this point that the astronomical data become of some interest.
http://www.ldolphin.org/Setterfield_study.html
'Other than Christ, no other religious leader was foretold a thousand years before he arrived, nor was anything said about where he would be born, why he would come, how he would live, and when he would die. No other religious leader claimed to be God, or performed miracles, or rose from the dead. No other religious leader grounded his doctrine in historical facts. No other religious leader declared his person to be even more important than his teachings.' - StephenB - UD Blogger
Isaiah 46:9,10:The Precisely Fulfilled Prophecy Of Israel Becoming A Nation In 1948 - video
"Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning
And from ancient times which have not been done,
Saying, My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure."
http://www.bibletoday.com/archive/prophecytest.htm
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4041241
The Miracle of the Restoration of the Nation of Israel - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydwxy9yqhzM
Bible Prophecy Fulfilled - Israel 1948 - articleThe preceding start date, used in the prophecy calculation, is confirmed by the archaeological record:
Excerpt: Although July 15, 537 B.C. can not be verified by outside sources as the exact day of Cyrus's proclamation, we do know that 537 B.C. was the year in which he made it. As such, we can know for certain that the Bible, in one of the most remarkable prophecies in history, accurately foresaw the year of Israel's restoration as an independent nation some two thousand five hundred years before the event occurred.
http://brittgillette.com/WordPress/?p=16
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHTThe following article, though the article has a minor discrepancy of being off by one year in their calculation from the previous calculation, points out the uncanny 19 year match in prophetic history between the nation of Israel being restored and Jerusalem being restored.
Excerpt "In late years several cuneiform tablets have been discovered pertaining to the fall of Babylon which peg both Biblical and secular historic dates. The one tablet known as the "Nabunaid Chronicle" gives the date for the fall of Babylon which specialists have ascertained as being October 12-13, 539 B.C., Julian Calendar, or October 6-7, 539 B.C., according to our present Gregorian Calendar. This tablet also says that Cyrus made his triumphant entry into Babylon 16 days after its fall to his army. Thus his accession year commenced in October, 539 B.C. However, in another cuneiform tablet called "Strassmaier, Cyrus No. 11" Cyrus’ first regnal year is mentioned and was determined to have begun March 17-18, 538 B.C., and to have concluded March 4-5, 537 B.C. It was in this first regnal year of Cyrus that he issued his decree to permit the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. (Ezra 1:1) The decree may have been made in late 538 B.C. or before March 4-5, 537 B.C.
In either case this would have given sufficient time for the large party of 49,897 Jews to organize their expedition and to make their long four-month journey from Babylon to Jerusalem to get there by September 29-30, 537 B.C., the first of the seventh Jewish month, to build their altar to Jehovah as recorded at Ezra 3:1-3. Inasmuch as September 29-30, 537 B.C., officially ends the seventy years of desolation as recorded at 2 Chronicles 36:20, 21, so the beginning of the desolation of the land must have officially begun to be counted after September 21-22, 607 B.C., the first of the seventh Jewish month in 607 B.C., which is the beginning point for the counting of the 2,520 years."
http://onlytruegod.org/jwstrs/537vs539.htm
The time span from the rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948 to the 6 Day War in 1967 is 19 years. The time from the loss of independence in 606 B.C. to the time of the loss of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. was also 19 years. Was the recapture of Jerusalem in 1967 also prophesied? (Short Answer,, Yes!)
http://xwalk.ca/y3nf.html
Restoration Of Israel and Jerusalem In Prophecy (Doing The Math) - Chuck Missler - video
http://www.metacafe.com/w/8598581
Prophecy in the News: Daniel's Seventy Weeks - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wQ7qtLHcI0
The following video illustrates a neat little story of a ‘miracle’ that occurred during the ‘Six Day War’ in 1967;
Miracle In A Minefield - The Rebirth Of Israel & 1967 Six Day War
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4159336/
The precisely fulfilled prophecy of Israel becoming a nation again is of no small importance, since the restoration of Israel clearly signifies the time immediately preceding the return of Christ.
The Signs of Israel's Rebirth: Lesson 1: The Parable of the Fig TreeFall Feasts and the Budding of the Fig Tree with Doug Hamp - video
Concluding Statement: Now it should also be perfectly clear what the parable of the fig tree in the Olivet Discourse means (Matt 24:32-34). As the disciples were walking into the city on Tuesday morning after Palm Sunday, they noticed that the tree which Jesus had cursed the day before had withered and dried up. Later, on Tuesday evening, when the memory of the withered fig tree was still fresh in their minds, Jesus spoke the parable in question. He said that when the church sees the fig tree leafing out again, it will know that "it is . . . at the doors." The Greek for "it is" can also be translated "he is." In prophecy, "door" is often a symbol for the passageway between heaven and earth (Rev. 4:1). What the parable means, therefore, is that when the nation of Israel revives after its coming disintegration and death in A.D. 70, the return of Christ will be imminent.
http://www.themoorings.org/prophecy/Israel/Israel1.html
https://vimeo.com/50687234
Even Sir Isaac Newton, who is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, scientist who has ever lived, was a avid student of Bible prophecy:
Israeli library uploads (Sir Isaac) Newton's theological texts - February 15, 2012Newton’s original manuscripts are here:
Excerpt: He's considered to be one of the greatest scientists of all time.,, However, the curator of Israel's national library's humanities collection said Newton was also a devout Christian who dealt far more in theology than he did in physics,, "He (Sir Isaac Newton) took a great interest in the Jews, and we found no negative expressions toward Jews in his writing," said Levy-Rubin. "He (years before it was remotely feasible) said the Jews would ultimately return to their land."
http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-israeli-library-uploads-newton-theological.html
Newton Manuscripts
http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLI/English/collections/Humanities/Pages/newton.aspx
Sir Isaac Newton's Prediction For The Return Of Christ (A.D. 2060) - Sid Roth video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4041154
Of note, Newton's calculation to 2060 is corrected here to 2013 to reflect the different start time of the 'revived Roman empire' that is now known to greater detail:
Newton’s end times calculation corrected!Of note as to establishing a more correct start date for 'spiritual Rome':
Excerpt: In a manuscript number 7.3g, f. 13v. of the Yahuda collection, Newton was even more specific about the 2060 date.
"So then the time times & half a time are 42 months or 1260 days or three years & an half, reckoning twelve months to a year & 30 days to a month as was done in the Calendar of the primitive year. And the days of short lived Beasts being put for the years of lived [sic for "long lived"] kingdoms, the period of 1260 days, if dated from the complete conquest of the three kings A.C. 800, will end A.C. 2060."
Therefore, correcting Newton’s date, the year 753 B.C. designates the founding of the physical Rome while A.D. 753 establishes the rebirth of spiritual Rome.
Counting 1,260 years forward from A.D. 753, one arrives at the year 2013.
http://www.wnd.com/2008/09/75434/
Donation of PepinThus adjusting 2013 + 2 = 2015,,,, also of note in regards to the Newton prophecy:
Excerpt: When Pepin conquered Ataulf the ex-archate of Ravenna fell into his hands. Pepin gave both the ex-archate and the Republic of Rome to the Pope, and this munificent gift is the famous “Donation” on which rested the whole fabric of the temporal power of the Popes of Rome (A.D. 755).
http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/donation-pepin.html
Adam Clarke's Commentary - from the year 1825Also of note:
Comments on Daniel 7:25
In 1798 the French republican army under General Berthier took possession of the city of Rome, and entirely superseded the whole papal power. This was a deadly wound, though at present it appears to be healed.
If the papal power, as a horn or temporal power, be intended here, which is most likely, (and we know that that power was given in 755 to Pope Stephen II by Pepin, king of France)
counting one thousand two hundred and sixty years from that, we are brought to A.D. 2015, about one hundred and ninety years from the present [A.D. 1825.]"
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs019/1100535186463/archive/1102489424082.html
Karl Krysko - The Signpost YearsMyself due to calculations between the prophetic calender and Gregorian calender http://www.360calendar.com/, I find the reasoning, and math, around Newton's calculation a bit hard to follow, and thus, I, personally, prefer the more straightforward counting of days from the retaking of Jerusalem by the Hebrews in 1967 which is also found in Newton's theological work on prophecy. Here is a bit more on the reasoning behind that specific time frame:
Excerpt: ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY YEARS BEFORE the actual events came to fruition in the Middle East, two dedicated Bible scholars predicted accurately several key years in the then approaching conflict for tenure of the holy Land and Jerusalem, involving a long prophesised regathering of the Jews to their Promised Land, after nearly 2000 years of Diaspora.
Doctors (Adam) Clarke and Guinness pointed well in advance to the coming years 1902, 1917, 1947-8 and 1967 AD, having based their predictions on the 2,500 year old Biblical book of Daniel.
http://thesignpostyears.blogspot.com/2008/11/signpost-years_09.html
"Prophetic Perspectives, 2008-2015" - Jim BramlettThe most amazing prophecy in the Bible - Daniel's 70 weeks - Chuck Missler - podcast
Excerpt: For years I have been intrigued with Newton's interpretation of Daniel 9:25 and the 62 weeks and 7 weeks (62 X 7 = 434 years, and 7 X 7 = 49 years), counted "from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem." In his commentary on Daniel, a copy of which I have, Newton wrote that the interpretation of those 69 weeks is usually incorrect, violating the Hebrew language. He said the two numbers should not be added together as most scholars do, but the 434 years refer to Messiah's first coming (which he demonstrated), and the 49 years refer to His second coming, after Israel is reestablished, an idea unheard of 300 years ago but happening in our generation The start date for counting has been controversial. Many thought the 49-year-count would be the date of Israel's rebirth on May 14, 1948, but, alas, that did not work out. Other dates were tried unsuccessfully. But what if the count begins on one of the two most historical dates in Jewish history, the date in the miraculous Six-Day War when Israel captured Jerusalem and the Temple Mount: June 7, 1967? Assume the 49-year count (49 Jewish years X 360 days = 17,640 days), does start on June 7, 1967. Using a date-counter Web site at http://www.timeanddate.com/date/duration.html we learn that the 17,640-day count takes us exactly to September 23, 2015. September 23, 2015 is the Day of Atonement! What are the odds against that? Many have believed that the Second Coming will be on the Day of Atonement. If he knew this, old Isaac Newton would be doing cartwheels and back flips right now.
http://www.prophecyforum.com/bramlett/prophetic_perspectives.html
http://www.khouse.org/6640/BP007/
The following scripture, which Jesus Himself spoke, gives significant weight to the idea that we should start our count of 17,640 days from the time Jerusalem came back into the hands of the Hebrews instead of counting the days from when Israel became a nation.
Luke 21:24As well,,
"They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."
Is Modern Israel Fulfilling Prophecy? - Thomas IceThis following videos give 'astronomical' weight to the preceding prediction by Sir Isaac Newton of how the 'days of Daniel' are to be counted and is indeed very sobering:
Excerpt: There are dozens of biblical passages that predict an end-time regathering of Israel back to her land.
http://www.pre-trib.org/data/pdf/Ice-IsModernIsraelFulfill.pdf
Eclipses and the Second Coming - Mark Biltz with J.R. Church - video
https://vimeo.com/49331741
There have been Seven Tetrad Blood Moons in History (On Jewish Holy Days) Since ChristMark Biltz Talks About The Return Of Christ On Sid Roth - Solar & Lunar Eclipses - 2014 - 2015 - video
Excerpt: Four PARTIAL lunar eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover in 32 AD – 33 AD and the "Feast of Tabernacles" in the years before and after the Crucifixion of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ). The world has since witnessed seven "Tetrads" coinciding with events impacting Jewish and Christian culture.
http://www.pray4zion.org/TheComingBloodMoons.html
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4056071
Mark Biltz -- GLC interview. Part 1 of 2 - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXNYItFUt24
2012 - 2015 - Is Jesus Coming Soon? - Lunar Eclipses - Bible Prophecy - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4056087
The Fall Feasts and the Budding of the Fig Tree - Doug Hamp - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izVVeLYKKMc
Many times people will object to trying read the signs of the times by saying;
Matthew 24:36Yet, little do the people making the objection know that the specific phrase 'No one knows about that day or hour' itself gives a clue as to the timing of Christ's return. The following video deals with ‘no man knows the day or the hour’ objection starting at the 6:49 minute mark in the interview:
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Interview with Mark Biltz on Prophecy in The News(Tetrad lunar eclipses): Part 4 of 6 - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PW4XLz_saTo#t=408s
Interview with Mark Biltz: Part 5 of 6 - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYp8i4LxL80
Mark Biltz also has a excellent video series on the prophetic Jewish Feast Days:
Yom Teruah (1 of 8) The Feasts of The Lord - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pYoocaXhSQ
Here is a easy to follow list of prophecy timelines:
How God Tells Time
http://toddo-articles.blogspot.com/2011/08/jesus-return-2015-to-2017.html
A little more background on the 'yet to be fulfilled' prophetic Jewish Feast Days is here:
GOD’S FESTIVALS IN SCRIPTURE AND HISTORY VOLUME II: THE FALL FESTIVALS
http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/books/festivals_2/2.html
Also of interest, it may surprise some to learn that the biblical ‘prophetic’ calender is more accurate than our modern day 'scientific' calender. The Gregorian calender uses a fairly complex system of leap days (and seconds) to keep accuracy with the sun, whereas, on a whole consideration, the prophetic calender uses a simpler system of leap months to keep accuracy to the sun. When these two systems are compared against each other, side by side, the prophetic calender equals the Gregorian in accuracy at first approximation, and on in-depth analysis for extremely long periods of time (even to the limits for how precisely we can measure the Earth’s solar years) the prophetic calender exceeds the Gregorian calender in accuracy. i.e. God’s measure of time exceeds the best efforts of Man to scientifically measure time accurately for the earth.,, But why am I surprised about this? :)
Bible Prophecy Year of 360 DaysTrust in God's Perfect Timing - photo
Excerpt: Is the Biblical 'prophetic' calender more accurate than our modern calender? Surprisingly yes! Excerpt: The first series of articles will show the 360-day (Prophetic) calendar to be at least as simple and as accurate as is our modern (Gregorian) calendar. In the second part of our discussion we will demonstrate how that the 360-day calendar is perfectly exact (as far as our 'scientific' measurements will allow).
http://www.360calendar.com/
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s320x320/154716_433469916682215_100000576310394_1504581_1340154442_n.jpg
Revelation 6:12"Sackcloth Sun" - picture (per NASA)
I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,
http://www.svalbard2015.no/pictures/highres/NASA_-_Total_Solar_Eclipse.jpg
"Blood Moon" - picture
http://www.sentex.net/~tcc/lunecl_steere_big.gif
On March 20, 2015 is a total solar eclipse, the Jewish religious year begins on March 20, 2015.Two weeks later a total lunar eclipse occurs on Passover, April 4, 2015, and then the civil year beginning with the partial solar eclipse on September 13, 2015 followed two weeks later by the fourth total blood red moon on the Feast of Succoth, September 28, 2015. A total solar eclipse is the most spectacular type of solar eclipse:
A solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon, in which the sun is obscured by the moon. There are several types of solar eclipse:The Solar Eclipse of March 20, 2015 is a 'total 'Sackcloth' eclipse' that will exist on the North Pole:
total, in which the normally visible parts of the sun are totally obscured, causing night-like darkness to fall for several minutes, and the corona — the sun's normally invisible atmosphere — to be seen radiating around the black circle of the moon
annular, in which the moon obscures the centre of the sun, causing a bright ring to be seen around the dark moon hybrid, in which at various points along the eclipse's path either a annular or total eclipse is seen partial, in which a fraction of the sun's surface is obscured by part of the moon
Total eclipses are the most dramatic solar eclipse, a very strange and beautiful spectacle.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Solar_eclipses
On the North Pole the Sun, on March 20, 2015, will become totally eclipsed as it comes into view after 6 months of polar night. This happens only every 400 000 – 500 000 years! http://www.svalbard2015.no/pages/eclipse.htmlPicture of March 20, 2015 total solar eclipse path
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/SE2015Mar20T.png/320px-SE2015Mar20T.png
Animation of March 20, 2015 total solar eclipse path
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SE2015Mar20T.gif
Further notes:
Here is another line of 'mathematical' evidence that lines up with the year 2015 as well (Of note to the 1416 BC start date used for the following calculation; The start date used in the following calculation is not confirmed to the exact year by archaeological record as the preceding calculation is, but none-the-less, the start date does line up very close to what even secular historians agree was the date (1400 BC) for the Israelis crossing the Jordan;
Do 70 Jubilees predict the end of the world in 2015?Calculating Jubilee years; notes:
Excerpt: The 70 “sevens” in Daniel 9:24 are 70 Jubilee cycles. These 70 Jubilee cycles bring us to the end of the world. When the children of Israel entered Canaan, their promised land, the LORD gave them sabbatical cycles and Jubilee cycles. Sabbatical cycles are 7 years long and Jubilee cycles are 49 years long. Each Jubilee cycle consists of 7 sabbatical cycles. The 50th year is called the Jubilee.
Seventy “sevens” = 70 Jubilee cycles
70 x 7 x 7 = 3,430 years
Daniel 9:24
Seventy “sevens” are decreed for your people to put an end to sin and to bring in everlasting righteousness.
The 70 Jubilee cycles point to the time when God’s people will no longer transgress His law. Eternal righteousness will be brought into their lives. Then Jesus will come to take them to heaven. The 70 Jubilees predict Christ’s second coming. The 70 Jubilees began in 1416 BC when God’s children entered Canaan. The 70 Jubilees will end 3,430 years later in 2015 AD when God’s children will enter heavenly Canaan. (Of note: In Bible prophecy 360 days are used for calculating the length of a year:
http://www.360calendar.com/#Part%20One)
http://www.markbeast.com/endworld/jubilees-end-world.htm
Does the 70th Jubilee Arrive on Yom Kippur--September 23, 2015, and Continue to October, 2016?
Excerpt: The Jubilees calendar may have began its 49 year count in 1416 BC when the children of Israel entered Canaan, forty (40) years after the Exodus in 1456 BC. The first Jubilee, 49 years later, would have occurred at 1367-66 BC. Every 49 years another Jubilee would occur. If so, the final (70th) Jubilee could begin on Yom Kippur--the Day of Atonement in 2015, and last until October, 2016. At the age of 12, Jesus was found "in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers," (Luke 2:41-29). It's possible this occurred during the 29th Jubilee in 6 AD, with His ministry starting 21 years later during 27 AD during a Sabbatical year (Shmita). There would be 40 complete Jubilee cycles following Christ’s death up to and included the 70th Jubilee that starts in the autumn of 2015 and ends in the autumn of 2016. Of course, there are many 40’s in the Bible and 40 is a significant number in God's plan of redemption.
http://www.focusontheprophecies.org/cosmic_events.htm
http://www.zimbio.com/Total+Lunar+Eclipse/articles/95/Feasts+and+Years+2014+2015
Also of 'coincidental' interest is that in Ancient Jewish wedding traditions, traditions which have many parallels to Christ coming for his bride, virgins wed on Wednesday. September 23, 2015, which is the Feast Of Atonement, also falls on a Wednesday; (Also of note; Feast of Trumpets, the prophetic day of rapture, falls on September 14th in 2015.)
Setting the Date for a Jewish WeddingAnother piece of very interesting evidence indicating that the return of Christ is very soon is the "Prophecy of the Popes":
Excerpt: In the Talmudic era, virgin brides wed on Wednesday,
http://www.jewishcelebrations.com/wedding/Conservative/SetDate.htm
The Final Pope is Here: Petrus Romanus with Tom Horn and Cris Putnam - video
http://vimeo.com/43137369
Part 2
http://vimeo.com/43565604
TOM HORNS RESPONSE TO THE NEW POPE--HE FULFILLS THE PROPHECYPetrus Romanus Update - March 21, 2013 - video
He absolutely NAILED the prophecy! Jorge Mario Bergoglio is Italian (Roman) and a Jesuit. This is a VERY important aspect of our prediction in our book because we said the name "Petrus Romanus" from the prophecy "implies this pope will reaffirm the authority of the Roman Pontiff over the Church and will emphasize the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Faith and the Roman Catholic Church above all other religions and denominations, and its authority over all Christians and all peoples of the world" (Petrus Romanus pgs 437-438)
Concerning the Jesuits, their order was organized "to stop Protestantism from spreading and to preserve communion with Rome and the successor of Peter..." (wikipedia)
http://beforeitsnews.com/prophecy/2013/03/petrus-romanus-author-tom-horns-response-to-the-new-pope-he-fulfills-the-prophecy-2445444.html
https://vimeo.com/62384284
Prophecy of St Malachy - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YtnZahbINw
This is another interesting prophetic tidbit;
108 year old Orthodox Rabbi Reveals Name of Messiah "JESUS","Yehoshua" or "Yeshua"(Hebrew) (plus Ariel Sharon passing then Messiah comes prophecy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0DTT3u2JZ8
Chuck Smith Addresses Israel, End Times, Esther Scroll Gift to Obama - March 2012Dome of the Rock - Temple Mount - Jerusalem - Epicenter - Joel Rosenberg - video
Excerpt: Affirming that the current threats against Israel are a sign of the end times, he stated, "The Bible tells us that the Lord is going to gather them back into the land and there is going to be an endeavor to destroy them. It is interesting that Iran is one of those nations that will be aligned together with Russia in the attempt to destroy [Israel]. It's interesting how they are all coming together now. "We see the problems that are over there and we realize that it looks like we are right on the border of the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39."
http://www.christianpost.com/news/chuck-smith-addresses-israel-end-times-esther-scroll-gift-to-obama-71039/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q39pKiKW9pg
This is also another very interesting video concerning Prophecy, but this prophecy concerns some very sobering prophetic circumstances surrounding the 9-11 World Trade Center terror attack and God’s warning to America to turn back to God:
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn reveals that the same pattern for God's judgment on ancient Israel is being played out in America. - video
http://www.sidroth.org/site/News2?abbr=tv_&page=NewsArticle&id=10494
Though this topic of the soon return of Christ is certainly very interesting, to put it very mildly, I must return to the main topic under discussion. Returning to the main topic of establishing God's deep personal involvement with man, I find that contrary to popular belief of many people in today's church, powerful miracles are not something that only happened in the early Christian church, there are still powerful miracles happening today, such as the blind seeing, the dead being raised, and the deaf hearing:
Dr. Craig Keener, author of "Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts" discusses in this web series some of the accounts of people being raised from the dead and people being healed of sicknesses from around the world. - video playlist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE6sDPPQ7WA&list=PLC900F8EEB62AE426&feature=plcp&context=C43901d1FDvjVQa1PpcFPmClYI6nDQbdabTL_qw7jCisfOqOmxOyU=
Real Life Miracles - Blind See; Dead Raised; Deaf Hear - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4596829
Heidi Baker - Real Life Miracles From God - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4596832
Testing Prayer: Science and Miraculous Healing - Candy Gunther Brown at Boston College - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRfLooh3ZOk
Medical Miracles Really Do HappenScientifically Documented Miracles (10 detailed cases)
Excerpt: No one knows exactly how often such cases occur. Approximately 3,500 medically documented cases of seeming miracles -- based on reports from doctors in America and around the world dating to 1967 -- have appeared in 800 peer-reviewed medical journals and cover all major illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.
http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/article.html?article_id=42254
http://christiancadre.blogspot.com/2009/05/scientifically-documented-miracles.html
Miracles of healing in Anglo-Celtic Northumbria
http://www.bmj.com/content/287/6409/1927.full.pdf
Historical verification, precisely fulfilled prophecies, and powerful miracles, are compelling hard facts in and of themselves; yet there is one more piece of solid physical evidence which bears powerful witness to the Bible’s validity and also sheds an undeniable light on God's deep personal commitment to man; The Shroud of Turin. The Shroud of Turin clearly points out a fact that sets Christianity completely apart from all other religions of the world. The fact is that, as I've heard said by many preachers before, you can go to the graves of all the other founders of all the other major religions of the world and find the remains of a body, yet, as the Shroud of Turin stubbornly testifies despite many attempts to refute the Shroud’s authenticity, if you go to the tomb of Jesus you will not find the remains of a body because Jesus has risen from the dead.
Matthew 28:5-6Burial places of founders of world religions
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burial_places_of_founders_of_world_religions
Here is a very moving movie of the passion of Christ:
The Passion of the CHRIST (FULL MOVIE)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuc2aWJnmQ8
The following video exposes the infamous 'Jesus Tomb' as fraudulent:
The Jesus Tomb Unmasked - video
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=79FBAC16BD4A15DB
The Jesus Tomb Math - William A. Dembski and Robert J. Marks IIThe Shroud of Turin is one of the most scientifically scrutinized artifacts in recorded history. Through a rigid process of elimination, through all materialistic possibilities, it becomes crystal clear; the way in which the photographic negative, and uniquely three dimensional, image of the man on the Shroud of Turin had to be imprinted was 'supernatural' in its process.
Bottom line: when the math is done correctly, probabilities that might be cited in evidence for the Talpiot tomb being the final resting place of the New Testament Jesus are not very impressive and would not even achieve a minimal level of significance as gauged by conventional statistical theory.
http://www.designinference.com/documents/2007.07.Jesus_Tomb_Math.pdf
The Shroud of Turin proves the Resurrection - Lecture video
http://www.freechristianteaching.org/modules/smartsection/category.php?categoryid=6
Condensed notes on The Authenticity of the Shroud of Turin
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15IGs-5nupAmTdE5V-_uPjz25ViXbQKi9-TyhnLpaC9U/edit
The Turin Shroud - Comparing Image And Photographic Negative - interactive webpage
(Of note: The finding of a photographic negative image on the Shroud is still as much a mystery today as when it was first discovered by Secondo Pia in 1898.)
http://www.shroud.com/shrdface.htm
A short film about the first photographic negative taken of the shroud of Turin in 1898 by Secondo Pia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTeKu2-3hRk
Q: Why can't the Shroud just be be a medieval painting?Here are some video interviews, by Russ Breault, with some of the leading figures in shroud of Turin research
A: The image is also extremely faint, fading away completely if you get closer than about six feet, so it would have been like trying to paint an enormous canvas in invisible ink.
http://shroud2000.com/streamingvideos.html
Forensic evidence of the Shroud of Turin – video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5QEsaNiMVc
Detailed Forensic Evidence of The Shroud - videoShroud Of Turin's Unique 3 Dimensionality - video
Excerpt: "it is definitely an anatomically and forensically correct depiction of a victim of a Roman crucifixion."
http://www.shroud-enigma.com/wall_1/autopsy/turin-shroud-forensic-pathology.html
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4041182
Shroud of Turin: Hoax or Proof of Resurrection? (feat. Photographer of Los Alamos, Barrie Schwortz) – video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCyK2BzLy3Y
Here is the main website for the Shroud of Turin (est. 1995 by Barrie Schwortz – photographer for STURP with links to all the peer reviewed papers on the Shroud and etc.. etc..)
http://www.shroud.com/
Shroud Of Turin - Photographic Negative - 3D Hologram - The Lamb - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/5664213/
All attempts to reproduce the Shroud fail:
Experts Question Scientist’s Claim of Reproducing Shroud of Turin - Oct 6, 2009
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=98037#
Part 1 of 13 Rebuttal to Luigi Garlischelli Shroud Forgery - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it7vw7LU13U
PROOF SHROUD OF TURIN CANNOT BE A FAKE - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfDdbxMKZRw
A bit longer video (17 minutes);
Proof that the Shroud of Turin is the Burial Cloth of Jesus Christ! - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRB16BARvz0
What is wrong with the Shadow Shroud Hypothesis? (Refutation of Sunlight thru glass)Challenge To Atheists To Reproduce The Shroud Of Turin - video
Excerpt: What Wilson proposes, a shadow shroud, on a cloth that is 14 feet long and 3 feet wide is simply preposterous.
http://shroudstory.wordpress.com/about/what-is-wrong-with-the-shadow-shroud-hypothesis/
http://www.metacafe.com/w/6581758
The 'too much spice and ointment' objection to the Shroud is dealt with here:
Excerpt: Were more spices and ointment necessary to finalize the embalming process? The historical record is vague on this point. However, we know that the women who prepared the spices felt it was necessary to apply more spices and ointment to the body, either as an additional show of honor and respect or out of necessity in order to finalize the process. See Mk.16:1‑2; Lk.24:1.Many solid lines of evidence pointed to the Shroud’s authenticity back in the 1980’s, yet the carbon dating of 1989 indicated a medieval age.
http://www.bibleresearch.org/observancebook5/b5w79.html
John 20:3-8
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.
The Shroud Of Turin Documentary (Burial Cloth Of Christ?) - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHUGi6pLN8k
In spite of many other, more reliable, lines of evidence establishing the Shroud as authentic, many people unquestionably accepted the carbon dating as valid and presumed the Shroud to be a medieval fake.
THE SHROUD AS AN ANCIENT TEXTILE - Evidence of Authenticity
http://www.newgeology.us/presentation24.html
The Shroud of Turin's Earlier History: Part One: To Edessa
https://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2013/03/14/The-Shroud-of-Turins-Earlier-History-Part-One-To-Edessa.aspx#Article
Shroud Of Turin - Sewn From Two Pieces - 2000 Years Old (Matches Masada Cloth) - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4109101
Dealing with the "strips of linen" objection:
http://creationevolutiondesign.blogspot.com/2007/05/bogus-shroud-of-turin-1.html
The Sudarium of Oviedo
http://www.shroud.com/guscin.htm
Botanical Evidence Indicates "Shroud Of Turin" Originated In Jerusalem Area Before 8th Century
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/08/990803073154.htm
Jesus and the Shroud of Turin (1999) - film (with botanical, pollen, evidence and Sudarium face clothe)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BxmbIGQBX4&list=TLiNFfeCC-tlrozUQ_7daWXibc5X_m11ri
Russ Breault - Shroud Video Library
http://www.shrouduniversity.com/libraryvideo.php
Here is a interesting video interview with Bruno Barberis, director of the International Center of Sindonology in Turin, Italy, who states that the Shroud is the 'actual burial cloth of Jesus';
Expert: Shroud 'actual burial cloth of Jesus' - interview with video
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=151025
List of Evidences of the Turin Shroud - 2010
http://www.acheiropoietos.info/proceedings/FantiListWeb.pdf
In a fairly recent breakthrough, the carbon dating question has been thoroughly addressed and refuted by Joseph G. Marino and M. Sue Benford in 2000. Their research, with textile experts, showing the carbon testing was done with a piece of the Shroud which was subject to expert medieval reweaving in the 1500’s had much historical, and photographic, evidence behind it. Their historical, and photographic, evidence was then scientifically confirmed by chemical analysis in 2005 by Raymond Rogers. Thus, the fact that a false age was shown by the 1989 carbon testing has been accepted across the board as far as the scientific evidence itself is concerned.
New Evidence Overturns Shroud Of Turin Carbon Dating - Joseph G. Marino and M. Sue Benford - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4222339
Here is a little better quality video of the preceding video clip:
Shroud of Turin - Carbon 14 test proves false (with Raymond Rogers, lead chemist from the STURP project) - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxDdx6vxthE
Discovery Channel - Unwrapping The Shroud of Turin New Evidence - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWyiZtagxX8
The following is the main peer reviewed paper which has refuted the 1989 Carbon Dating:
Why The Carbon 14 Samples Are Invalid, Raymond RogersRogers passed away shortly after publishing this paper, but his work was ultimately verified by the Los Alamos National Laboratory:
per: Thermochimica Acta (Volume 425 pages 189-194, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of California)
Excerpt: Preliminary estimates of the kinetics constants for the loss of vanillin from lignin indicate a much older age for the cloth than the radiocarbon analyses. The radiocarbon sampling area is uniquely coated with a yellow–brown plant gum containing dye lakes. Pyrolysis-mass-spectrometry results from the sample area coupled with microscopic and microchemical observations prove that the radiocarbon sample was not part of the original cloth of the Shroud of Turin. The radiocarbon date was thus not valid for determining the true age of the shroud. The fact that vanillin can not be detected in the lignin on shroud fibers, Dead Sea scrolls linen, and other very old linens indicates that the shroud is quite old. A determination of the kinetics of vanillin loss suggests that the shroud is between 1300- and 3000-years old. Even allowing for errors in the measurements and assumptions about storage conditions, the cloth is unlikely to be as young as 840 years.
http://www.ntskeptics.org/issues/shroud/shroudold.htm
Carbon Dating Of The Turin Shroud Completely Overturned by Scientific Peer ReviewThis following is the Los Alamos National Laboratory report and video which completely confirms the Rogers' paper:
Excerpt: Rogers also asked John Brown, a materials forensic expert from Georgia Tech to confirm his finding using different methods. Brown did so. He also concluded that the shroud had been mended with newer material. Since then, a team of nine scientists at Los Alamos has also confirmed Rogers work, also with different methods and procedures. Much of this new information has been recently published in Chemistry Today.
http://shroudofturin.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/the-custodians-of-time/
“Analytical Results on Thread Samples Taken from the Raes Sampling Area (Corner) of the Shroud Cloth” (Aug 2008)Shroud Of Turin Carbon Dating Overturned - Robert Villarreal - Press Release video
Excerpt: The age-dating process failed to recognize one of the first rules of analytical chemistry that any sample taken for characterization of an area or population must necessarily be representative of the whole. The part must be representative of the whole. Our analyses of the three thread samples taken from the Raes and C-14 sampling corner showed that this was not the case....... LANL’s work confirms the research published in Thermochimica Acta (Jan. 2005) by the late Raymond Rogers, a chemist who had studied actual C-14 samples and concluded the sample was not part of the original cloth possibly due to the area having been repaired. - Robert Villarreal - Los Alamos National Laboratory
http://www.ohioshroudconference.com/
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4041193
Turin Shroud 'is not a medieval forgery' - 28 Mar 2013Here is a fairly good 'unbiased' article on the 'laser' test which undermined the credibility of the carbon dating from a completely different angle;
Excerpt: Experiments conducted by scientists at the University of Padua in northern Italy have dated the shroud to ancient times, a few centuries before and after the life of Christ.,,,
The analysis is published in a new book, "Il Mistero della Sindone" or The Mystery of the Shroud, by Giulio Fanti, a professor of mechanical and thermal measurement at Padua University,,,
Scientists, including Prof Fanti, used infra-red light and spectroscopy – the measurement of radiation intensity through wavelengths – to analyse fibres from the shroud,,,
The tests dated the age of the shroud to between 300 BC and 400AD.,,,
Scientists have never been able to explain how the image of a man's body, complete with nail wounds to his wrists and feet, pinpricks from thorns around his forehead and a spear wound to his chest, could have formed on the cloth. Mr Fanti said the imprint was caused by a blast of “exceptional radiation”, although he stopped short of describing it as a miracle.
He said his tests backed up earlier results which claimed to have found on the shroud traces of dust and pollen which could only have come from the Holy Land.,,,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9958678/Turin-Shroud-is-not-a-medieval-forgery.html
Scientific tests of Shroud point to supernatural - December 2011Now that the flawed carbon dating is finally brought into line, all major lines of evidence now converge and establish the Shroud as authentic. This rigidly tested, and scrutinized, artifact establishes the uniqueness of the Shroud among all ancient artifacts of man found on earth. I know of no other ancient artifact, from any other culture, which has withstood such intense scrutiny and still remained standing in its claim of divine origin. It is apparent God thought this event so important for us to remember that He took a “photograph” of the resurrection of Jesus Christ using the Shroud itself as a medium. After years of painstaking research, searching through every materialistic possibility, scientists still cannot tell us exactly how the image of the man on the Shroud was imprinted.
Excerpt: The Italian scientists found they could achieve a Shroud-like coloration of linen yarns in a narrow range of irradiation parameters, using ultraviolent lasers that were completely unknown in the Middle Ages.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=380633
How Did The Image Form On The Shroud? - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4045581
"The shroud image is made from tiny fibres that are (each) 1/10th of a human hair. The picture elements are actually randomly distributed like the dots in your newspaper, photograph or magazine photograph. To do this you would need an incredibly accurate atomic laser. This technology does NOT exist (even to this day)."This following video, which I've listed previously, and article give fairly deep insight into what the image formation on the Shroud signifies for us:
Kevin Moran - Optical Engineer
Scientific hypotheses on the origin of the body image of the Shroud - 2010
Excerpt: for example, if we consider the density of radiation that we used to color a single square centimeter of linen, to reproduce the entire image of the Shroud with a single flash of light would require fourteen thousand lasers firing simultaneously each on a different area of linen. In other words, it would take a laser light source the size of an entire building.
http://www.30giorni.it/articoli_id_22597_l3.htm
"the closest science can come to explaining how the image of the Man in the Shroud got there is by comparing the situation to a controlled burst of high-intensity radiation similar to the Hiroshima bomb explosion which "printed" images of incinerated people on building walls."
Frank Tribbe - Leading Scholar And Author On Shroud Research
The Center Of The Universe Is Life! - General Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Entropy and The Shroud Of Turin - video
http://www.metacafe.com/w/5070355
General Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Entropy, and The Shroud Of Turin - updated video
http://vimeo.com/34084462
Centrality of Each Individual Observer In The Universe and Christ’s Credible Reconciliation Of General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17SDgYPHPcrl1XX39EXhaQzk7M0zmANKdYIetpZ-WB5Y/edit?hl=en_US
THE EVENT HORIZON (Space-Time Singularity) OF THE SHROUD OF TURIN. - Isabel Piczek - Particle PhysicistIn the following video, new findings link the 'event horizon' of the Resurrection (as recorded on the Shroud of Turin) and the 'event horizon' of the Dawn of Creation (Big Bang);
Excerpt: We have stated before that the images on the Shroud firmly indicate the total absence of Gravity. Yet they also firmly indicate the presence of the Event Horizon. These two seemingly contradict each other and they necessitate the past presence of something more powerful than Gravity that had the capacity to solve the above paradox.
http://shroud3d.com/findings/isabel-piczek-image-formation
Particle Radiation from the Body - M. Antonacci, A. C. Lind - July 2012
Excerpt: The Shroud’s frontal and dorsal body images are encoded with the same amount of intensity, independent of any pressure or weight from the body. The bottom part of the cloth (containing the dorsal image) would have born all the weight of the man’s supine body, yet the dorsal image is not encoded with a greater amount of intensity than the frontal image. Radiation coming from the body would not only explain this feature, but also the left/right and light/dark reversals found on the cloth’s frontal and dorsal body images.
http://www.academicjournals.org/sre/PDF/pdf2012/30JulSpeIss/Antonacci.pdf
A Particle Physicist Looks at the Turin Shroud - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbl4EmoH_jg
A Quantum Hologram of Christ’s Resurrection?
http://www.khouse.org/articles/2008/847
Turin Shroud Enters 3D Age - Front and Back 3-D images - articles and videos
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1gDY4CJkoFedewMG94gdUk1Z1jexestdy5fh87RwWAfg
This following recent video revealed a very surprising holographic image that was found on the Shroud:
Turin Shroud Hologram Reveals The Words 'The Lamb' - short video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4041205
Solid Oval Object Under The Beard
http://shroud3d.com/findings/solid-oval-object-under-the-beard
This following site has other surprising findings that were found by the holographic method:
Shroud in 3-D - FINDINGS IN THE THREE DIMENSIONAL MATERIALS
http://shroud3d.com/findings/findings-in-the-three-dimensional-materials
Even with the advantage of all our advanced space-age technology at their fingertips, all scientists can guess is that it was some type of electro-magnetic radiation (light) which is not natural to this world.
Shroud Of Turin Is Authentic, Italian Study Suggests - December 2011Press release Video on preceding paper:
Excerpt: Last year scientists were able to replicate marks on the cloth using highly advanced ultraviolet techniques that weren’t available 2,000 years ago — nor during the medieval times, for that matter.,,, Since the shroud and “all its facets” still cannot be replicated using today’s top-notch technology, researchers suggest it is impossible that the original image could have been created in either period.
http://www.thegopnet.com/shroud-of-turin-is-authentic-italian-study-suggests-87037
Scientists say Turin Shroud is supernatural - December 2011
Excerpt: After years of work trying to replicate the colouring on the shroud, a similar image has been created by the scientists.
However, they only managed the effect by scorching equivalent linen material with high-intensity ultra violet lasers, undermining the arguments of other research, they say, which claims the Turin Shroud is a medieval hoax.
Such technology, say researchers from the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (Enea), was far beyond the capability of medieval forgers, whom most experts have credited with making the famous relic.
"The results show that a short and intense burst of UV directional radiation can colour a linen cloth so as to reproduce many of the peculiar characteristics of the body image on the Shroud of Turin," they said.
And in case there was any doubt about the preternatural degree of energy needed to make such distinct marks, the Enea report spells it out: "This degree of power cannot be reproduced by any normal UV source built to date."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-say-turin-shroud-is-supernatural-6279512.html
Scientists Claim 'Shroud of Turin' Could Not Have Been Faked - video
http://www.5min.com/Video/Scientists-Claim-Shroud-of-Turin-Could-Not-Have-Been-Faked-517232561
Also of note as to providing a viable 'mechanism' for the apparent 'burst of light' emanating from the body of Christ:
Cellular Communication through LightCoast to Coast - Vicki's Near Death Experience (Blind From Birth) part 1 of 3
Excerpt: Information transfer is a life principle. On a cellular level we generally assume that molecules are carriers of information, yet there is evidence for non-molecular information transfer due to endogenous coherent light. This light is ultra-weak, is emitted by many organisms, including humans and is conventionally described as biophoton emission.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005086
Biophotons - The Light In Our Cells - Marco Bischof - March 2005
Excerpt page 2: The Coherence of Biophotons: ,,, Biophotons consist of light with a high degree of order, in other words, biological laser light. Such light is very quiet and shows an extremely stable intensity, without the fluctuations normally observed in light. Because of their stable field strength, its waves can superimpose, and by virtue of this, interference effects become possible that do not occur in ordinary light. Because of the high degree of order, the biological laser light is able to generate and keep order and to transmit information in the organism.
http://www.international-light-association.eu/PDF/Biophotons.pdf
Are humans really beings of light?
Excerpt: "We now know, today, that man is essentially a being of light.",,, "There are about 100,000 chemical reactions happening in every cell each second. The chemical reaction can only happen if the molecule which is reacting is excited by a photon... Once the photon has excited a reaction it returns to the field and is available for more reactions... We are swimming in an ocean of light."
http://viewzone2.com/dna.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e65KhcCS5-Y
Quote from preceding video: 'I was in a body and the only way that I can describe it was a body of energy, or of light. And this body had a form. It had a head. It had arms and it had legs. And it was like it was made out of light. And 'it' was everything that was me. All of my memories, my consciousness, everything.' -Kevin Moran, a scientist working on the mysterious '3D' nature of the Shroud image, states the 'supernatural' explanation this way:
Vicky Noratuk
"It is not a continuum or spherical-front radiation that made the image, as visible or UV light. It is not the X-ray radiation that obeys the one over R squared law that we are so accustomed to in medicine. It is more unique. It is suggested that the image was formed when a high-energy particle struck the fiber and released radiation within the fiber at a speed greater that the local speed of light. Since the fiber acts as a light pipe, this energy moved out through the fiber until it encountered an optical discontinuity, then it slowed to the local speed of light and dispersed. The fact that the pixels don’t fluoresce suggests that the conversion to their now brittle dehydrated state occurred instantly and completely so no partial products remain to be activated by the ultraviolet light. This suggests a quantum event where a finite amount of energy transferred abruptly. The fact that there are images front and back suggests the radiating particles were released along the gravity vector. The radiation pressure may also help explain why the blood was "lifted cleanly" from the body as it transformed to a resurrected state."If scientists want to find the source for the supernatural light which made the "3D - photographic negative" image on the Shroud I suggest they look to the thousands of documented Near-Death Experiences (NDE's) in Judeo-Christian cultures. It is in their testimonies that you will find mention of an indescribably bright 'Light' or 'Being of Light' who is always described as being of a much brighter intensity of light than the people had ever seen before.
http://www.shroudstory.com/natural.htm
The absorbed energy in the Shroud body image formation appears as contributed by discrete values - Giovanni Fazio, Giuseppe Mandaglio - 2008
Excerpt: This result means that the optical density distribution,, can not be attributed at the absorbed energy described in the framework of the classical physics model. It is, in fact, necessary to hypothesize a absorption by discrete values of the energy where the 'quantum' is equal to the one necessary to yellow one fibril.
http://cab.unime.it/journals/index.php/AAPP/article/view/C1A0802004/271
Ask the Experts: What Is a Near-Death Experience (NDE)? - article with videoAll people who have been in the presence of 'The Being of Light', while having a deep NDE, have no doubt whatsoever that the 'The Being of Light' they were in the presence of is none other than 'The Lord God Almighty' of heaven and earth.
Excerpt: "Very often as they're moving through the tunnel, there's a very bright mystical light ... not like a light we're used to in our earthly lives. People call this mystical light, brilliant like a million times a million suns..."
- Jeffery Long M.D. - has studied NDE's extensively
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/beyondbelief/experts-death-experience/story?id=14221154#.T_gydvW8jbI
"Suddenly, I was enveloped in this brilliant golden light. The light was more brilliant that the light emanating from the sun, many times more powerful and radiant than the sun itself. Yet, I was not blinded by it nor burned by it. Instead, the light was a source of energy that embraced my being."
Ned Dougherty's - Fast Lane To Heaven - Quoted from "To Heaven and Back" pg. 71 - Mary C. Neal MD
In The Presence Of Almighty God - The NDE of Mickey Robinson - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4045544
The Day I Died - Part 4 of 6 - The NDE of Pam Reynolds - video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4045560
"I think death is an illusion. I think death is a really nasty, bad lie. I don’t see any truth in the word death at all" –Near Death Experience – The Tunnel, The Light, The Life Review – video
Pam Reynolds Lowery (1956 – May 22, 2010)
http://christopherlovejoy.com/2011/03/20/who-you-really-are/
Heaven Is Real: A Doctor’s Experience With the Afterlife - Dr. Eben Alexander - Oct 8, 2012
Excerpt: One of the few places I didn’t have trouble getting my story across was a place I’d seen fairly little of before my experience: church. The first time I entered a church after my coma, I saw everything with fresh eyes. The colors of the stained-glass windows recalled the luminous beauty of the landscapes I’d seen in the world above. The deep bass notes of the organ reminded me of how thoughts and emotions in that world are like waves that move through you. And, most important, a painting of Jesus breaking bread with his disciples evoked the message that lay at the very heart of my journey: that we are loved and accepted unconditionally by a God even more grand and unfathomably glorious than the one I’d learned of as a child in Sunday school.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/10/07/proof-of-heaven-a-doctor-s-experience-with-the-afterlife.html
The Easter Question - Eben Alexander, M.D. - March 2013
Excerpt: More than ever since my near death experience, I consider myself a Christian -,,,
Now, I can tell you that if someone had asked me, in the days before my NDE, what I thought of this (Easter) story, I would have said that it was lovely. But it remained just that -- a story. To say that the physical body of a man who had been brutally tortured and killed could simply get up and return to the world a few days later is to contradict every fact we know about the universe. It wasn't simply an unscientific idea. It was a downright anti-scientific one.
But it is an idea that I now believe. Not in a lip-service way. Not in a dress-up-it's-Easter kind of way. I believe it with all my heart, and all my soul.,,
We are, really and truly, made in God's image. But most of the time we are sadly unaware of this fact. We are unconscious both of our intimate kinship with God, and of His constant presence with us. On the level of our everyday consciousness, this is a world of separation -- one where people and objects move about, occasionally interacting with each other, but where essentially we are always alone.
But this cold dead world of separate objects is an illusion. It's not the world we actually live in.,,,
,,He (God) is right here with each of us right now, seeing what we see, suffering what we suffer... and hoping desperately that we will keep our hope and faith in Him. Because that hope and faith will be triumphant.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eben-alexander-md/the-easter-question_b_2979741.html
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4200200/
“The Light was brighter than hundreds of suns, but it did not hurt my eyes. I had never seen anything as luminous or as golden as this Light, and I immediately understood it was entirely composed of love, all directed at me. This wonderful, vibrant love was very personal, as you might describe secular love, but also sacred.Toby Mac (In The Light)
Though I had never seen God, I recognized this light as the Light of God. But even the word God seemed too small to describe the magnificence of that presence. I was with my Creator, in holy communication with that presence. The Light was directed at me and through me; it surrounded me and pierced me. It existed just for me.” – testimony taken from Kimberly Clark Sharp’s Near Death Experience
http://www.near-death.com/sharp.html
1 John 1:5-7
"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
Acts 26:13-15
at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_MpGRQRrP0
Moreover, the overwhelming love expressed in Near Death Experiences fits what would be expected from a Christian perspective:
"The only human emotion I could feel was pure, unrelenting, unconditional love. Take the unconditional love a mother has for a child and amplify it a thousand fold, then multiply exponentially. The result of your equation would be as a grain of sand is to all the beaches in the world. So, too, is the comparison between the love we experience on earth to what I felt during my experience. This love is so strong, that words like "love" make the description seem obscene. It was the most powerful and compelling feeling. But, it was so much more. I felt the presence of angels. I felt the presence of joyous souls, and they described to me a hundred lifetimes worth of knowledge about our divinity. Simultaneous to the deliverance of this knowledge, I knew I was in the presence of God. I never wanted to leave, never."I Want to know what love is – Foreigner – music
Judeo-Christian Near Death Experience Testimony
http://iands.org/experiences/nde-accounts/736-never-wanted-to-leave-the-presence.html
"Learn this lesson: Sex is not love. Sex feels close and intimate, and it can feel loving, but it is not love."
per Denver Post
Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Luke 22:69
But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loWXMtjUZWM
It should be noted: All foreign, non-Judeo-Christian culture, NDE studies I have looked at have a extreme rarity of encounters with 'The Being Of Light' and tend to be very unpleasant NDE's save for the few pleasant children's NDEs of those cultures that I've seen (It seems there is indeed an 'age of accountability'). The following study was shocking for what was found in some non-Judeo-Christian NDE's:
Near-Death Experiences in Thailand - Todd Murphy:Near Death Experience Thailand Asia - video
Excerpt:The Light seems to be absent in Thai NDEs. So is the profound positive affect found in so many Western NDEs. The most common affect in our collection is negative. Unlike the negative affect in so many Western NDEs (cf. Greyson & Bush, 1992), that found in Thai NDEs (in all but case #11) has two recognizable causes. The first is fear of 'going'. The second is horror and fear of hell. It is worth noting that although half of our collection include seeing hell (cases 2,6,7,9,10) and being forced to witness horrific tortures, not one includes the NDEer having been subjected to these torments themselves.
http://www.shaktitechnology.com/thaindes.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8M5J3zWG5g
Mesiah from I Survived Beyond and Back part 2 - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FehcSO5YNUI
It should also be noted that there are hellish NDE's reported within Judeo-Christian cultures:
video - Howard Storm continues to share his gripping story of his own near death experience. Today, he picks up just as Jesus was rescuing him from the horrors of Hell and carrying him into the glories of Heaven.
http://www.daystar.com/ondemand/joni-heaven-howard-storm-j924/#.UKvFrYYsE31
"I knew for certain there was no such thing as life after death. Only simple minded people believed in that sort of thing. I didn't believe in God, Heaven, or Hell, or any other fairy tales. I drifted into darkness.Bill Wiese - 23 Minutes In Hell - 2010 video
Drifting asleep into anihilation.,,(Chapter 2 - The Descent),, I was standing up. I opened my eyes to see why I was standing up. I was between two hospital beds in the hospital room.,,, Everything that was me, my consciousness and my physical being, was standing next to the bed. No, it wasn't me lying in the bed. It was just a thing that didn't have any importance to me. It might as well have been a slab of meat in the supermarket",,,
Howard Storm - former hard-core atheist - Excerpt from his book, 'My Descent Into Death' (Page 12-14) http://books.google.com/books?id=kd4gxtQAeq8C&pg=PA12#v=onepage&q&f=false
http://vimeo.com/16155839
Entire Video:
http://www.vimeo.com/16641462
Why Hell is so Horrible - Bill Wiese - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hd_so3wPw8
Another very interesting point about the Shroud is, since the Shroud had to be extremely close to the body when the image was made, I mean ‘extremely close’ as to mean in an order of a few inches as opposed to a few, or several, feet as was once suggested by the camera obscura method proposed to be used by DaVinci, and also considering the lack of any distinctive shadow patterns on the image, it is apparent the only place this supernatural light could have possibly come from, that made the image on the Shroud, was directly from the body itself ! Yes, you read that last sentence right:
THE SOURCE OF LIGHT WAS THE BODY ITSELF !!!
God's crowning achievement for this universe was not when He created this universe. God’s crowning achievement for this universe was when He Himself inhabited the human body He had purposely created the whole universe for, to sanctify human beings unto Himself through the death and resurrection of his “Son” Jesus Christ. This is truly something which should fill anyone who reads this with awe. The wonder of it all is something I can scarcely begin to understand much less write about. Thus, I will finish this article with a scripture.
Hebrews 2:14-15-----------------------------------------------------------
"Since we, God's children, are human beings - made of flesh and blood - He became flesh and blood too by being born in human form; for only as a human being could He die and in dying break the power of the devil who had the power of death. Only in that way could He deliver those who through fear of death have been living all their lives as slaves to constant dread."
He's Alive - Dolly Parton - 1989 CMA - music video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbRPWUHM80M
Predictions of Materialism compared to Predictions of Theism within the scientific method:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dc8z67wz_5fwz42dg9
Of related interest on the 'spiritual' aspect of man:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dc8z67wz_4d8hc876j
What is Truth? - Intelligent Design References - Shroud References - and Potporri
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dc8z67wz_3g3vnsmcn
