Personal Update, August 2023

The Best 15-Minute Sermon

by Ron Matsen

The Bible: An Extraterrestrial Message

by Chuck Missler

CONTENTS

The Best 15-Minute Sermon

As a small circle of fellow Believers stood on the Mount of Beatitudes in Israel, I witnessed a powerful and moving experience that gave me some new-found clarity

Ron Matsen

6 The Best 15-Minute Sermon by Ron Matsen

As a small circle of fellow Believers stood on the Mount of Beatitudes in Israel, I witnessed a powerful and moving experience that gave me some new-found clarity. They all simply read the Sermon on the Mount together. I saw each person taking their turn to read one verse at a time, and realized Jesus’ sermon was being revealed not only verse-by-verse, but voice-by-voice. This only took 15 minutes. An experience that answered a question that had been troubling me for many decades...

21 The Bible: An Extraterrestrial Message by Chuck Missler

In the 20th century, we witnessed one of the most remarkable discoveries in recorded history: the discovery that the universe is finite.1 The implications of this discovery are indeed staggering. Beginning with Albert Einstein in 1903, twentieth-century physicists have demonstrated that space-time and matter had a finite, simultaneous beginning!...

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the articles and materials presented in this News Journal are those of the authors and/or reference sources, and do not necessarily reflect the views held by Koinonia House. While we may not agree with all the details in each article, our intention is to stimulate discussion among the Koinonia Institute membership as well as our Personal UPDATE subscribers. We encourage you to use discernment:

Acts 17:11

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

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RON MATSEN

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1 See the two-hour briefing package Beyond Time and Space

The Koinonia House mission is to create, develop and distribute materials to stimulate, encourage and facilitate serious study of the Bible as the inerrant Word of God. Koinonia House, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 company. The Koinonia Institute is dedicated to training and equipping the serious Christian for ministry in today’s world.

KHOUSE TV

BioTech: The Sorcerer's New Apprentice

- Do the bright prospects of Biotech justify tampering with mechanisms far from being understood?

- Will the Biotech revolution cast a dark shadow over the first half of the 21st century as nuclear technology did over the last century?

The astonishing advances in the field of microbiology now offer new remedies for many of mankind's most illusive and devastating diseases and even many genetic defects. However, these promises are not without a potential dark side.

Dr. Chuck Missler surveys some of the most promising prospects and reviews the types of ventures emerging. He also reveals some concerns growing among the informed, as well as some of the provocative Biblical implications.

DEAR FRIENDS

Ron Matsen President, Koinonia House

Irecently heard a local pastor here in Idaho that I found very insightful. He gave an example of how the Church should be “equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.” As an ex-wrestling coach, he said, “you cannot teach wrestling from a book, nor by lecture. The only way is to get on the mat and personally show them. They need to experience it firsthand.”

So too with teaching the Body of Christ how to be victorious in their walk in the Lord. Christianity is NOT a spectator sport. As a chosen vessel of God, we are not to see ourselves as merely His trophy, but more importantly as His tool for the glorification of Jesus.

May you continue to grow in the knowledge of the Word of God.

In HIS service, Ron

Matsen, co-laborer in Christ

Ron Matsen President of Koinonia House

COVER ARTICLE

THE BEST 15-MINUTE SERMON

As a small circle of fellow Believers stood on the Mount of Beatitudes in Israel, I witnessed a powerful and moving experience that gave me some new-found clarity. They all simply read the Sermon on the Mount together. I saw each person taking their turn to read one verse at a time, and realized Jesus’ sermon was being revealed not only verse-by-verse, but voice-by-voice. This only took 15 minutes. An experience that answered a question that had been troubling me for many decades.

The Question

I love to teach the Bible. To be honest, when I get started, it’s hard for me to stop. Early on in my public teaching ministry, I would have one of my boys sit in the back of the church just to flash me a reminder of when the 60-minute cassette was coming to its end.

I do understand that we live in a world that daily experiences information overload. Therefore, I have wondered what the attention span of the audience in an average church meeting is. Given the millions of sermons presented each week in church fellowships around the whole world, I can imagine that there is no definitive standard to my initial question. One famous Bible expositor simply explained that a sermon should last:

“As long as it takes to cover the passage adequately! I do not think the length of the sermon is as important as its content. The important thing is to cover the main points so that people are convinced of its truth and comprehend its requirements. If you have nothing worthwhile to say, even twenty minutes will seem like an eternity to your people.”1

I recognize that the brain can only absorb what the seat can endure. But the general population of churches today seem to have a kind of attention deficit syndrome that may not be directly triggered by the comfort of the seat they are in. Thus, there is a perceived requirement for shorter and shorter sermons. At this point, I might argue just as you cannot expect a perfect souffle in 5 minutes, neither can you expect a perfect sermon to be delivered in under 50 minutes. Is it really about the length of the teaching that seems to be turning people off from connecting the message of the teacher with the mission of the hearer?

The Gold Standard

The first expositional Bible study is recorded in the Book of Nehemiah, chapter 8:2,3,8. It lasted half a day.

So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day

1 https://blog.tms.edu/how-long-should-a-sermon-be

of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law… So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

Nehemiah 8:2,3,8

According to Luke’s account, the apostle Paul taught all night in Troas.

Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed.

Acts 20:7-11

Notice that this record shows that Paul “spoke to them and continued his message until midnight” and then after the Eutychus experience, they “talked a long while, even till daybreak.” Now that’s a long Bible study.

In both of these examples, I see that the objective of these teachers was the education of the people. Here I can see the advantage of having one voice feeding the masses. The apostle Paul explained his educational method by stating, “I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”2 Paul then concludes his justification for his teaching style in this matter by declaring, “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”3 2 Acts 20:20-21 3 Acts 20:27

The Pulpit and the Pew

Throughout the last two millennia, the Body of Christ has had many great teachers and preachers. These wonderful oracles have left us a legacy of amazing expositions on the Bible. In one sense, the plethora of these commentaries amounts to the Christian version of the venerated Talmud, which is the primary source of Jewish religious law and understanding. Yet during this same period, we have seen the decline of Biblical literacy among those that occupy the pews in these houses of learning.

One can only suspect that this apparent lack of Spiritual competency among the general population in the Church today is a result of the ever-widening gap between the clergy and the laity (the common Christian). I believe that Jesus addressed this disparity in His letters to the Churches at Ephesus and Pergamos. To the Church at Ephesus He warns, “But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”4 To the Church at Pergamos, he declares, “Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.”5 Here we see that Jesus condemns both the deeds and doctrines of the Nicolaitans.

The name “Nicolaitans” is derived from the Greek word nikolaos, a compound of the words nikos and laos. The word nikos is the Greek word that means to conquer or to subdue. The word laos is the Greek word for the people. This is where we get the word laity. When these two words are compounded into one, they form the name Nicolas, which literally means one who conquers and subdues the people. Some Bible commentators see this as a clear indication that these early churches had already declined into a compartmentalization of the Body of Christ which resulted in the separation of some Believers from the royal priesthood spoken of by the apostle Peter.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

1 Peter 2:9

I know it may seem strange for some of you to consider all Christians as priests. But when you consider the true sense of the word “priest” it simply means “one who stands between God and man.” In this sense, the duty of the priest is to present God to the people and represent the people to God. I think that Jesus gives an example of this sanctified service when He told His disciples,

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

Therefore, I believe all true disciples of Jesus Christ have the right and obligation to fully act in a manner that brings the Light of the Gospel into this dark world. The question then is how do Christians prepare for this priestly duty?

The Preparation and Purpose

The apostle Paul gave the basis and objective for authority and instruction within the Church. To the Ephesians, he writes,

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, Ephesians 4:11,12

These officers in the Church are to equip the Saints, meaning ALL Believers, “for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” They provide the foundational structure for this great calling of God upon every Follower of Jesus. The result of this preparatory work is education, enablement, and edification. Paul concludes,

till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery

of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:13-16

As we can see from this passage of Scripture, the whole Body of Christ needs to be engaged in the “work of the ministry.” We accomplish this by being “joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

The Voice-by-Voice Experience

During our tours to Israel, I tell the people that I want them to have an encounter where education meets experience. The results should be a new-found excitement for Bible study. Most of our tour members arrive in Israel with the expectation that they will see wonderful sites and hear insightful commentaries. We certainly have an amazing itinerary and come prepared to share our perspectives on the various Biblical sites. But I want them to witness something greater than just sites and speeches. I want them to have a life-changing experience in the Land of the Bible.

During our few days in the Galilee region, we visit many sites familiar to most of our tourists. But when we reach the summit of the traditional Mount of Beatitudes in the northwestern area of the Galilee, rather than turning into the Byzantine compound at the top, we divert alongside the fences and disembark from the bus. As we overlook the natural amphitheater-like valley before us, I gather the people into a circle, ask for volunteers, and prepare them for their mission.

These brave few are assigned the task of reading the whole Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters five through seven. I explain that this is the longest recorded sermon of Jesus during His earthly teaching ministry. With each reading one verse at a time in turn, these travelers undertook an adventure that would set them on a course of discovery which would ultimately link education with experience.

Every time we do this on our tour, I honestly believe that something special happens. As the people read, there is a real sense of unity and community that suddenly emerges. It is noticed by both the readers and the listeners. I witness an orchestration by the Holy Spirit that brought together an understanding of this teaching of Jesus that didn’t need any

explanation. It is a complete package that flows with each familiar verse sequentially nestled in perfect context. It is like the Holy Spirit was using the voices of these volunteers to speak the Word of God to the People of God to understand the Will of God. It is truly a powerful experience. This experience is what I have been looking for my whole life.

The Practice of Prophesying

There has been a lot said lately about the gift and work of prophecy in the Church today. For many, it is a mystical experience that is carried out by very specially anointed people. A careful study of the Scriptures reveals that there are two manifestations of this type of utterance: foretelling (declaring the future) and forth-telling (declaring the Word of God). Given this second definition, I understand that every time I read aloud the Scriptures in a public place, I am, in a sense, prophesying before those that are hearing the Word of God.

When the apostle Paul was correcting the charismatic Church in Corinth, he addressed public prophecy in this manner. “For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.”6 I seriously doubt that the Corinthian Church had many people vying to predict the future (foretelling). Rather, I think Paul was addressing the issue of the people wanting to speak the Word of the Lord (forth-telling) in a disorderly manner.

The Home Group Advantage

If I can take the experience we had in Israel and tie it to the teaching of Paul where he says, “For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged,” then I can see an exciting exercise for every small group gathering of Christians. We could witness the

fulfillment of seeing the Body of Christ “joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

Here is where you can personally experience what Jesus promised to every Believer.

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

1 John 16:12-14

Jesus offers us the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth. By this we gain access into the thoughts and intentions of the Author of the Bible. If we feel that we lack the necessary wisdom to apply the knowledge we are being given, the apostle James reminds us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”7

In this type of fellowship, the idea is simple. You begin with prayer. You choose a book of the Bible. Then each person takes their turn to read one verse at a time. This is an occasion to allow the text alone to reveal the context and, thereby, its primary meaning. Then You encourage a discussion among the readers on what verse or verses spoke to them personally.

In preparation for this type of fellowship, I recommend that each participant read the upcoming book at least once a day during the preceding week. This allows each person to be familiar with the text, and it allows the Holy Spirit to prepare their hearts and minds for the shared experience of discovery from the Word of God.

I would also suggest that you avoid sermonizing from the text or mentioning the commentary of a favorite teacher. This is when you just allow the simple reading of the Bible to be enough. The table below gives a suggested list of books to read together as a small fellowship.

If you read these 33 Books of the Bible, you will cover half of the books of the Bible. After completing this list, see what portions of the larger books you can take on in your journey through the entire Bible.

At this point, I need to add a word of caution. This exercise should be an intimate fellowship of Believers gathering for the edification of everyone attending. I also hope to make it clear that I am not advocating that

your group become so intimate that its members stop attending larger church meetings. After all, in these troubling times, we all need as many contacts with the greater Body of Christ as we can comfortably get.

The Best Sermons Project

To listen to an example of one of these reading sessions we had in Israel, please follow the QR Code shown or click the Link below to listen to the “Best 15-Minute Sermon” as read by the B.A.S.E/K-House Tourists. It will give you a sense of just how simple yet powerful this experience can be.

Now it’s your turn. We would also like to record and publish more examples of these readings of Scripture. If you would like to participate in this exciting venture, please contact us at BestSermons@khouse.org.

https://soundcloud.com/koinoniahouse/day-02-2-mt-of-beatitudes-the?in=koinoniahouse/sets/israeltour-april-2023

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• The Great Commission

• The Gospel

• The Love of God

• Discovering God

• Human Nature

• Death of Discernment

• Leadership for the End Times

• Defending the Bible

Chuck Missler Founder, Koinonia House

THE BIBLE: AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL MESSAGE

In the 20th century, we witnessed one of the most remarkable discoveries in recorded history: the discovery that the universe is finite.1 The implications of this discovery are indeed staggering. Beginning with Albert Einstein in 1903, twentieth-century physicists have demonstrated that space-time and matter had a finite, simultaneous beginning! Prior to this discovery, atheistic scientists and philosophers rested comfortably on the notion that the universe was eternal. Consequently, a universe without a beginning needed no cause-it just was. However, a universe that has a beginning either created itself (a logical and scientific absurdity) or was caused to exist by a Being who preceded it. By definition, that means a transcendent Creator-One who exists outside time and space!

A Supernatural Message

A transcendent Creator presents some interesting possibilities. Because a transcendent Creator possesses the sufficient means to act in our spacetime domain, He also has the capability to get a message to us. The Bible claims to be that message.

The Bible authenticates that its text is an extraterrestrial, supernatural message system from a transcendent Creator in several ways.

Scientific Accuracy

Because the Bible declares that God is omniscient (all-knowing), He possesses a perfect understanding of the physical universe. Consequently, we would expect any book claiming to be the word of God to be 100% accurate when speaking on scientific issues. Indeed, the Bible is without error or contradiction when it speaks on scientific issues.

1 See the two-hour briefing package The Creator Beyond Time & Space

Scientific Foreknowledge

Throughout the Bible’s text, there are highly specific and accurate statements regarding the laws of physics, the nature of our solar system, the planet Earth, and its life forms that were penned centuries before this scientific knowledge was discovered by the scientific community. This phenomenon, called scientific foreknowledge, is present throughout the text of the Bible and is a powerful hint of supernatural authorship.

Design of the Text

Throughout the Bible, we find the “fingerprints” of a supernatural message system. Numerous design features in the Biblical text defy coincidence and demonstrate that the Bible, which consists of sixty-six books penned by forty authors over thousands of years, is an integrated message system.

Predictive Prophecy

Finally, because the Creator revealed in the Bible exists outside our space-time domain, He is able to “see,” in effect, the beginning and the end of our time domain simultaneously.

Consequently, the Bible authenticates that its message is of extradimensional origin through predictive prophecy; i.e., by writing history in advance! No other “holy book” on planet Earth authenticates its message in these four ways.

The Skeptics’ Bias

One hundred fifty years ago, most people in the Western world believed that the Bible was indeed the word of God. However, in the last 150 years, liberal theologians, secularists, and the media have convinced many that the Bible is unreliable.

Skeptics generally believe one or more of the following about the Bible:

1) The Bible’s text has been severely corrupted over time by copying errors and deliberate changes.

2) The Bible is a scientifically inaccurate book filled with erroneous concepts such as a flat earth and a geocentric universe.

3) Many believe that Bible prophecy is no more than history; i.e., they believe that the Bible’s prophecies were written after the fact.

4) Finally, many believe that the evidences of design are no more than a carefully designed hoax or simply the result of chance.

Ironically, astonishing evidence has gradually accumulated in the fields of archaeology, astronomy, physics, and biology, which confirm the scientific and historical accuracy of the Bible, the supernatural origin of its text, and the fact that it has been preserved virtually unchanged for over two thousand years.

The Basics

When was the Bible written and by Whom?

Old Testament:

• Book of Job

• The Law

~ 2,000 B.C.2

~ 1,500 B.C.

• Psalms ~ 1,000 B.C.

• The prophets ~ 800-450 B.C.

New Testament:

• Synoptic Gospels A.D. 50-65

• Gospel of John/Revelation A.D. 80-100

• Epistles A.D. 50-90

Authored

by The Holy Spirit

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

2 Timothy 3:16

for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:21

Aristotle’s Dictum

Because of the supernatural nature of the Bible, skeptics often assume the Bible’s stories are either embellished or wholesale fraud. To fairly examine the Bible, we need to apply the same tests to the Bible’s text that we would to any other ancient document. One of these principles, according to Aristotle, is to give the benefit of doubt to the document itself. Biblical scholar John Warwick Montgomery puts the principle this way:

One must listen to the claims of the document under analysis, and not assume fraud or error unless the author disqualified himself by contradictions or known factual inaccuracies.3

The Manuscripts

The manuscript evidence for the antiquity and integrity of the Bible is overwhelming. There are thousands of manuscripts extant with a variation of less than .5%.

Some of the major manuscript finds of the Old Testament are as follows: Old Testament

• 1776: Benjamin Kennicott listed a total of 615 extant Hebrew manuscripts.

• By 1890 there were a total of 731 manuscripts of the Old Testament published worldwide. The oldest of these were from about the 9th century.

• In 1890 the Cairo Geniza manuscripts were found in the attic of a synagogue in Cairo, Egypt. Over 10,000 Biblical texts were discovered which were dated between the 10th and 12th centuries.

The Dead Sea Scrolls

Discovered in March 1947 by an Arab shepherd boy who was pursuing a lost goat. Generally regarded as the greatest manuscript discovery in history.

• Thousands of manuscripts were found in eleven caves.

• Portions of every book of the Old Testament were discovered except the book of Esther.

• They were written by a devout sect of Jews, the Essenes, between the 3rd Century B.C. and the First Century.

The Dead Sea Scrolls

• The gap between the last prophet Malachi and extant manuscripts was narrowed from about 1400 years to as little as 150 years.

• Demonstrated the reliability of the text. Regarding the reliability of the Old Testament as transmitted through time, Geza Vermes stated:

‘The umran Biblical documents cover the whole Hebrew Bible with the exception of the book of Esther, and are about one thousand years older than the most ancient codices previously extant. With this newly discovered material at their disposal, experts concerned with the study of the text and transmission of the scriptures are now able to achieve far greater accuracy in their deductions and can trace the process by which the text of the Bible obtained its final shape. Moreover, they are in a position to prove that it has remained virtually unchanged for the last two thousand years.” 4

Regarding the dating of the New Testament autographs (the original texts), the eminent archaeologist Wm. F. Albright stated:

We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about A.D. 80.5

The Early Church Fathers

Even without the very ancient manuscripts at our disposal, the reliability and antiquity of the New Testament can be demonstrated by the writings of the early Church fathers.

By the third century the Church fathers had cited the New Testament so extensively that nearly the entire text of the New Testament could be reconstructed with these citations.6 Sir David Dalrymple stated that if every ancient manuscript of the New Testament from the 2nd and 3rd centuries were lost, he could reconstruct “the entire New Testament in the writings of the church fathers except eleven verses.”

J. Harold Greenlee stated that the early Church father’s citations “are so extensive that the New Testament could virtually be reconstructed from them without the use of New Testament manuscripts.”7

Purity of the New Testament Text

Because of the large number of NT manuscripts available for study, experts have been able to catalog the minor differences and have concluded that the New Testament has been preserved with unparalleled purity.

7 Greenlee, J. Harold, Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism, Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964.

5 Albright, William, F., Recent Discoveries in Bible Lands, Funk & Wagnalls, New York NY, 1955. 6 Geisler and Nix, p. 430.

According to New Testament scholar Benjamin Warfield, “The facts show that the great majority of the New Testament has been transmitted to us with no or next to no variation. ”8

Norman Geisler, a world-renowned Bible scholar, echoed this when he stated: “Only 400 words of the NT are in doubt, whereas 764 lines of the Iliad are questioned. This five percent textual corruption (in the Iliad) compares with one-half of one percent of similar emendations in the New Testament.”

Science and the Bible

For centuries skeptics have claimed that the Bible is inaccurate when it speaks of scientific phenomena. However, not only is the Bible 100% accurate regarding scientific phenomena, but it also anticipates dozens of recent scientific facts thousands of years before their modern discovery.9

A partial list follows:

Twentieth Century Cosmology

Time, Space, and Matter Finite

Genesis 1:1, 1 Timothy 1:9, Titus 1:2

Expanding Universe

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain...

Psalm 104:1-2; cf. Isaiah 40:22; 42:5; 45:12

Stars Cannot Be Numbered

As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

Jeremiah 3:22

8 Warfield, Benjamin, An Introduction to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament, p. 13-14.

9 For a detailed look at the scientific accuracy of the Bible, see The Biblical Basis for Modern Science, Henry Morris, Master Books, El Cajon CA.

Sphericity of the Earth

It is he that sitteth above the circle [literally a sphere, ‘khug’ in Hebrew] of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in...

Isaiah 40:22

In another remarkable verse, Job, the author of the oldest book in the Bible, seems to understand that the Earth is a sphere:

He has inscribed a circle [khug] on the surface of the waters, At the boundary of light and darkness.

Job 26:10 NASB

Over 1,700 years after Job penned these words, the Greek mathematician Eratosthenes (3rd cent B.C.) proved that the Earth was indeed a sphere.

Elephants, Atlas, Turtles or Job

The ancients were fascinated with the question of Earth’s resting place. Some believed that it rested on elephants or on the backs of turtles. The Greeks believed that Atlas was the pillar upon which it rested. However, Job, who had “inside information,” and knew better. “He stretches out the north over empty space, And hangs the earth on nothing.”10

Twentieth Century Physics

Atomic Structure

Hebrews 11:3

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

1st Law of Thermodynamics

Genesis 2:2-3, Hebrews 4:3-4, Nehemiah 9:6.

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Psalm 103, Isaiah 51:6, Matthew 24:35.

Oceanography

Oceanic Currents

The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

Psalm 8:8; cf. Isaiah 43:16

The fact that there are predictable oceanic currents or paths in the seas was not discovered until the 1840s by Matthew Fontaine Maury, yet it was anticipated nearly 3,000 years earlier by the psalmist.

Ocean Floor Mountains

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

Jonah 2:5-6

The Water Cycle

The Earth’s water cycle, elucidated 300 years ago by Pierre Perrault and Edme Marriotte, demonstrated that oceanic evaporation was the source of rain clouds and river waters.11 This fact, and other aspects of global weather, was anticipated nearly 3,000 years earlier in the Bible.

• Jet Stream Ecclesiastes 1:6-7

• Evaporation Job 26:8, Eccl 1:6-7, Amo 9:6

• Source of River Water Ecclesiastes 1:6-7

• Fresh-Water Springs in the Sea Job 38:16 11 See The Creator Beyond Time & Space, Mark Eastman & Chuck Missler.

Dinosaurs

In modern times, dinosaurs were discovered by an English physician named Gideon Mantell in 1820. However, 4,000 years ago, Job describes anatomic features of ancient creatures which do not fit any contemporary animals. However, they do seem to fit what we know about some species of dinosaurs! Check it out in Job 40-41, Psalm 74:14; 104:26; Isaiah 27:1.

Nuclear Physics

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Conclusion

The Bible is unique in many ways:

• The manuscripts are very ancient and have been preserved with unparalleled purity.

• It evidences a supernatural origin in its anticipation of contemporary scientific knowledge.

• The Bible proclaims a message of salvation which is based on faith and not good works.

• It is the only “holy book” that authenticates its message is from an extraterrestrial source.

This article has been excerpted from Chuck Missler and Mark Eastman’s The Bible: An Extraterrestrial Message, available on DVD, Video/Audio Download.

2 Peter 3:10

NEW RELEASE

The Bible: An Extraterrestrial Message

By Chuck Missler & Mark

AVAILABLE from our online store: store.khouse.org

Now Available on DVD and Video Download!

In the 20th century we have witnessed one of the most remarkable discoveries in recorded history: the discovery that the universe is finite. The implications of this discovery are indeed staggering.

Prior to this discovery, atheistic scientists and philosophers rested comfortably on the notion that the universe was eternal. Consequently, a universe without a beginning needed no cause - it just was.

However, a universe that has a beginning either created itself (a logical and scientific absurdity) or it was caused to exist by a Being who preceded it.

By definition, that means a transcendent CreatorOne who exists outside time and space!

Runtime: Approx. 2 hours

Revelation Group Study Package

US$49.95 (free shipping within the USA)

Chuck Missler deeply believed that the Church in the end times would need to be “self-feeders.” In his teaching series on the Once and Future Church, Chuck emphasized the fact that the best place to practically learn the Bible is within a small group of believers who are all dedicated to taking the Bible seriously. To help facilitate this vision, Koinonia House has prepared another complete study group tool kit! Just add a group of people excited to explore the book of Revelation, and you have all you need to start your group NOW!

The Revelation Group Study Package materials are all contained on a handsomely presented USB drive that is housed in an engraved wooden presentation box which includes:

• Revelation Remastered HD MP4 video files (24 High Definition Videos)

• Revelation MP3 audio files (All 24 audio files)

• Revelation Handbook - PDF (Supplemental Notes by Chuck Missler)

• Revelation Group Leader’s Guide – PDF (“How to lead a group” instructions, Session Questions Answer Key, Group Discussion Questions)

• Revelation Student Study Guide – PDF (Session Questions, Discussion Topics and areas for Personal Notes)

• Chuck's Remastered Power Point files

REMASTERED

Remastered 2023!

Isaiah was the most comprehensive of all prophets: his writing spans the entirety of history, from the creation of the world to the creation of “a new heavens and new earth.” No other prophet matches his majestic eloquence on the glory of God and the redemptive work and sufferings of the Coming Messiah, all the while making us clearly aware of God’s abounding Grace.

This study contains 24 hours of verse by verse teachings.

A Koinonia House Connection Event

It took thirty years of investigation, researching the Biblical narrative. Now, Ron Matsen can reveal the evidence; the Israelites did journey to the Mountain of God and their very likely route may be surprising!

Come see for yourself: photos, videos, and analysis. Touch the blackened rock from this mountain, then YOU be the judge.

Branson, Missouri

Saturday, August 12, 2023

At Hilton Convention Center Hotel, 200 E. Main Street, Branson, MO 65616

Sunday, August 13, 2023

At The Tabernacle In Branson

1333 Bee Creek Road, Branson, MO 65616

Sponsored by Koinonia House

Admission is FREE. Space is Limited, Registration Required. Book online at: www.KHouse.org/events

Book online at: www.KHouse.org/events

Watch a YouTube Video: youtu.be/dH5JFv20BGA

Presented by Ron Matsen, President of Koinonia House

Order Forms

All prices in U.S. dollars. See also our online store: https://store.khouse.org For Australia and New Zealand, go to: https://khouse.org.nz

NOTE: Mixed Format Collection includes all available Old Testament Commentary DVDs, PLUS the remaining Audio Only Old Testament Commentaries on MP3 CD-Rom in a single collection!

All prices in U.S. dollars, correct at time of printing and may be subject to change.

See also our online store: https://store.khouse.org

The Cornuke Book Bundle - The Search of the Lost Shipwreck of Paul (hardback), Golgotha (paperback), Temple (paperback), and Search for the Ark of the Covenant (paperback).

The Chuck Missler Big Book Bundle: Enjoy 3 of Chuck Missler’s big books in one bundle: I, Jesus; Alien Encounters; and Cosmic Codes!

Chuck Missler Small Book Collection (Paperbacks Included: Angels Volume I, Angels Volume II, Behold a Black Horse, Behold a Livid Horse, Behold a White Horse, Behold a Red Horse, Beyond Coincidence, Beyond Newton, Beyond Perception, Beyond Time & Space, Daniel’s 70 Week’s, Footprints of the Messiah, Hidden Treasures in the Biblical Text, How We Got Our Bible, Israel and the Church, The 7th Day, The Christmas Story, The Feasts of Israel, The Fulcrum of the Entire Universe, The Origin of Evil, The Rapture, The Romance of Redemption, The Spiritual Gifts, The Trinity, How to Study the Bible.)

Daniel: Group Workbook Pack - DVD + 6 Workbooks and Leader's Guide * NEW *

The Four Horsemen Paperback Bundle (White, Red, Black and Livid Horse)

The Good News

(The Love of God, The Gospel and The Great Commission on DVD by Ron Matsen)

Hidden Treasures - Chuck Missler - 10 Pack (paperback)

The Last Religion

- DVD - The Last Religion 1 & 2

- DVD - Timothy, Titus & Philemon, I & II

Realm

Expectations of the Antichrist, The Origin of Evil, Heaven and Hell and the Angels

the Coming Storm

Weathering the Coming Storm, Leadership for the End Times, Church in the End

Mary, Since He Wrote About Me)

All prices in U.S. dollars, correct at time of printing and may be subject to change.

See also our online store: https://store.khouse.org

- Includes: Search for the Ark of the Covenant, Mountain of Fire, Search for Noah's Ark, Search

All prices in U.S. dollars. See also our online store: https://store.khouse.org For Australia and New Zealand, go to: https://khouse.org.nz

K-HOUSE STATEMENT OF FAITH

The Bible is the very Word of God, is inerrant in its original autographs, and is fully and totally and uniquely reliable as the primary guide to all actions and commitments; That Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, became man to fulfill a destiny on our behalf, was crucified, buried, and bodily resurrected, is presently seated on His Father’s Throne, and will soon return to establish His Kingdom on the Planet Earth. That, in the meantime, the Holy Spirit is uniquely active in pursuing His mission in calling, equipping, and empowering believers, and is essential for any and all of the pursuits to be fruitful and effective.

KOINONIA…

…is a New Testament word which is most often translated to mean “communication,” “fellowship,” or “communion.” Koinonia House, or K-House as we are affectionately called, is dedicated to the development and distribution of materials for encouraging and facilitating serious study of the Bible as the inerrant Word of God. We are a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization.