E.G.W. Prayer Series: More Prayer Needed

Testimonies for the Church vol.9 p.107

"There needs to be among us a great deal more of prayer and much

less of unbelief."

Wherefore also we pray always for you,

that our God would count you worthy of this calling,

2 Thessalonians 1:11

IN the NEWS - Newsboys bombshell

"In an article published by the faith site Patheos on Wednesday, one of the original co-founders of the popular Christian band Newsboys revealed that he has since renounced Christianity and now identifies as an atheist.
“I always felt uncomfortable with the strict rules imposed by Christianity,” George Perdikis, who co-founded the group in 1985, wrote in the guest post. “All I wanted to do was create and play rock and roll … and yet

most of the attention I received was focused on how well I maintained the impossible standards of religion. I wanted my life to be measured by my music, not by my ability to resist temptation.”
He provided a synopsis of his life story and how the became involved with the group that is now one of the largest in the history of contemporary Christian music. Perdikis said that after he was kicked out of a secular high school in 1981, his parents placed him into a Christian school, but he “only lasted six months there.”
It was during this time that he met two youth who had an interest in drumming. And since one of them, Peter Furler, “had a bigger drum kit than the other guy,” Perdikis decided to hang around Furler. The two began to play music together.
“The choice to become a ‘Christian rock band’ was heavily influenced by Peter’s parents, Bill and Rosalie Furler,” he explained. “As fundamentalist Christians, the only acceptable form of music was the kind that worshiped God. Bill and Rosalie were like second parents to me and, for that reason, I never questioned their advice.”
The band later became known as the Newsboys, and after traveling with Whiteheart, went on to record their first album. Perdikis said that he co-wrote songs on the first two albums and toured with the Newsboys until he decided to quit in 1990 because he was more interested in music than spirituality.
“As I carved out a life for myself away from the church, I began my own voyage of inquiry into what I believed. My perceptions started to transform when I became interested in cosmology in 1992,” he outlined. “I learned so much and was blown away by all the amazing scientific discoveries and facts. When my marriage dissolved in 2003, I turned my attention to human psychology.”
It was just years after his divorce that Perdikis didn’t want to have anything to do with God at all.
“By 2007, I renounced Christianity once and for all and declared myself an atheist,” he said.
None of the original members of the Newsboys are currently with the band, but all except Perdikis still profess Christianity." ChristianNewsNetwork

And the light shineth in darkness;

and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:5

Creation Moment 1/23/2015 - 2 kinds of Science

"Creationists are often accused of being unscientific or pseudoscientific, while at the same time those who promote evolution assume the mantle of “real scientist.” But what is science anyway? According to The American Heritage Dictionary, science is “the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena.” Or put more simply, science involves observing things in the real world and trying to explain how they work. The key word here is observation.

You see, creationists do, indeed, believe in real “observational science,” sometimes called “operational science.” We enjoy the benefits of observational science every day. Whether flying in an airplane, having our illness cured by the wonders of modern medicine, or writing this book on a space-age laptop computer, we are benefiting from the technology that applies genuine observational science to real-world needs. These triumphs of science exist in the present and can therefore be the subjects of examination and investigation.

Another type of science is known as “historical science,” sometimes called “origins science.” Historical science is the process of using the methods of science in the present to determine what happened in the past. Since the physical world exists in the present, all the evidence a scientist has available to examine the physical world also exists in the present. The scientist has no method to examine directly the past; thus, he must make assumptions in order to come to conclusions. However, assumptions are unproven, and generally unprovable, beliefs. Assumptions are no more than untestable guesses.

Things that happened in the past are just that, past. They cannot be observed or tested in the present. They cannot be repeated or verified in the present. Then, you ask, how do we know so much about the past?" AIG

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?

declare, if thou hast understanding.

Job 38:4

E.G.W. Prayer Series: Christ

Testimonies for the Church vol.8 p.178

"Yes, Christ has become the medium of prayer between man and God. He has also become the medium of blessing between God and man. He has united divinity with humanity."

And if any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous:
1 John 2:1

Papal Notes - State of the Union "Holiness"?

"Pope Francis made a cameo appearance during President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
While outlining America's rapprochement with Cuba, the President took note of Francis’ diplomatic prowess.

As His Holiness, Pope Francis, has said, diplomacy is the work of “small steps.” These small steps have added up to new hope for the future in Cuba." HP

As for his so-called "holiness" -  ...and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2 Thessalonians 2:3,4

Toward the Most Holy Place

HE is in the Most Holy Place now...if you wish to pray to HIM

To you, Lord, I call;

you are my Rock,

do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you remain silent,

I will be like those who go down to the pit.

Hear my cry for mercy

as I call to you for help,

as I lift up my hands

toward your Most Holy Place.

Psalm 29:1,2 NIV

Creation Moment 1/22/2015 - ETNOs

""Planet X" might actually exist — and so might "Planet Y."
At least two planets larger than Earth likely lurk in the dark depths of space far beyond Pluto, just waiting to be discovered, a new analysis of the orbits of "extreme trans-Neptunian objects" (ETNOs) suggests.

Researchers studied 13 ETNOs — frigid bodies such as the dwarf planet Sedna that cruise around the sun at great distances in elliptical paths. [Meet Our Solar System's Dwarf Planets]

Theory predicts a certain set of details for ETNO orbits, study team members said. For example, they should have a semi-major axis, or average distance from the sun, of about 150 astronomical units (AU). (1 AU is the distance from Earth to the sun — roughly 93 million miles). These orbits should also have an inclination, relative to the plane of the solar system, of almost 0 degrees, among other characteristics.

But the actual orbits of the 13 ETNOs are quite different, with semi-major axes ranging from 150 to 525 AU and average inclinations of about 20 degrees.
"This excess of objects with unexpected orbital parameters makes us believe that some invisible forces are altering the distribution of the orbital elements of the ETNOs, and we consider that the most probable explanation is that other unknown planets exist beyond Neptune and Pluto," lead author Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, of the Complutense University of Madrid, said in a statement." FOX

COMMENTARY:

1) They don't even know all the planets in our own solar system yet....

2) Actual orbits of ETNOs are different than theories predict

By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God's command,
Hebrews 11:3 NET

2 Results of Sin

1) Sin separates us from God (As Adam's sin did)

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,

Isaiah 59:2

2) Sin separates us from our fellow man (As Cain's sin did)

And the LORD set a mark upon Cain,

Genesis 4:15

Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned,

come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering,

a kid of the goats, a male without blemish:

And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat,

and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD:

it is a sin offering.

Leviticus 4:23,24

E.G.W.Prayer Series: Faith

Testimonies for the Church vol.7 p.274

"Pray in faith. And be sure to bring your lives into harmony with your petitions, that you may receive the blessings for which you pray. Let not your faith weaken, for the blessings received are proportionate to the faith exercised. "According to your faith be it unto you." "All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Matthew 9:29; 21:22.

Pray,

believe,

rejoice. 

 Take Him at His word.
Not one sincere supplication is lost.

The channel is open;

the stream is flowing."

Creation Moment 1/21/2015 - Science as a Delphic Oracle

"Science as a Delphic oracle exists only in the popular imagination

and the silent assumptions of certain scientists. At any given time there are only searchers who agree or disagree. The March of Science is not an orderly army on parade, but rather a land rush for the free spaces ahead. This means a degree of anarchy. Besides, fogeyism, faddism, love of stability, self-seeking, personal likes and dislikes, and all other infirmities of mind, play as decisive a part in science as in any other cultural enterprise."               
 Jacques Barzun, historian, in Darwin, Marx, Wagner

Professing themselves to be wise,

they became fools,

Romans 1:22

The Prayers You Offer

"And do not regard iniquity in your heart.
If you do, the Lord will not hear you.
Keep that before you always.
  Then trust in God.
    Depend only on Him.
      Wait on Him.
        Believe on Him.
          Expect great things from Him.
            Faint not if the blessing tarries.
And above all, rely only on the merits of our adorable Lord and Saviour, so that according to them and to nothing of your own, the prayers you offer and the work you do be accepted."
George Mueller

Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication,

O LORD my God,

to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer,

which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:

1 Kings 8:28

E.G.W. Prayer Series: Public Prayer

Testimonies for the Church vol.6 p.382

"Let those who pray and those who speak pronounce their words properly and speak in clear, distinct, even tones. Prayer, if properly offered, is a power for good. It is one of the means used by the Lord to communicate to the people the precious treasures of truth. But prayer is not what it should be, because of the defective voices of those who utter it. Satan rejoices when the prayers offered to God are almost inaudible. Let God's people learn how to speak and pray in a way that will properly represent the great truths they possess. Let the testimonies borne and the prayers offered be clear and distinct. Thus God will be glorified."

For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold,....
and upon it he stood,

and kneeled down upon his knees 
before all the congregation of Israel,

and spread forth his hands toward heaven,

And said,

O LORD God of Israel,

there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth;

which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants,

that walk before thee with all their hearts:

2 Chronicles 6:13,14

Book Review: A Study of the Twelve Apostles

(short) Book Review: A book that may be of some interest....

(Review by  Amazon.com)

A Study of the Twelve Apostles

by Dr. Glenn Cummings

Tate Publishing 156 pages 2009

"This book will give the reader a better understanding and appreciation for the twelve apostles. It is biblically based and includes many scriptural references. We learn from this study that God uses ordinary, average men to accomplish great things for Him. These disciples had their faults and failures, their strengths and weaknesses, their victories and defeats just like we do. They were special men chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ."

And he called unto him the twelve,

and began to send them forth by two and two;

Mark 6:7

Creation Moment 1/20/2015 - That's Quarky

"The Anthropic Principle refuses to go away.  The mass of the light quark adds to finely tuned factors that make the universe life-supporting.

Quarks are the building blocks of matter in the universe

From Germany comes another fine-tuned parameter of physics.  “German scholar Ulf-G Meißner, chair in theoretical nuclear physics at the Helmholtz Institute, University of Bonn, adds to a series of discoveries that support this Anthropic Principle,” an article on EurekAlert begins with the headline, “New evidence for anthropic theory that fundamental physics constants underlie life-enabling universe.”  This one is particularly quarky:

In one series of experiments involving intricate computer simulations on JUQUUEN at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Professor Meißner and his colleagues altered the values of light quark masses from those found in Nature to determine how great a variation would prevent the formation of carbon or oxygen inside massive stars. “Variations in the light quark masses of up to 2–3 percent are unlikely to be catastrophic to the formation of life-essential carbon and oxygen,” he concludes…

And earlier, during the Big Bang’s generation of the nuclei of first two elements in the Periodic Table, he notes, “From the observed element abundances and the fact that the free neutron decays in about 882 seconds and the surviving neutrons are mostly captured in 4He, one finds a stringent bound on the light quark mass variations … under the reasonable assumption that the masses of all quarks and leptons appearing in neutron β-decay scale with the Higgs vacuum expectation value.”

“Thus,” Professor Meißner states, “the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis sets indeed very tight limits on the variations of the light quark mass.”

“Such extreme fine-tuning supports the anthropic view of our Universe,” he adds.

It’s not clear from the quote above where the catastrophic limit is, or if “unlikely” was misprint for “likely,” given the context, because the very next statement speaks of a “stringent bound on the light quark mass variations.”  There might be more clarification in Meißner’s paper in Science Bulletin.
The press release assumes a big bang and that all carbon was synthesized inside large stars, but it would seem the tight limits calculated by Meißner  apply to any theory of origins.  The mass of building blocks such as quarks affect the behavior of higher particles and to human beings, planets, and stars.



The press release does not limit the anthropic principle to these findings. The Anthropic Principle was enunciated decades ago. It is not a minority view:

The theory that an Anthropic Principle guided the physics and evolution of the universe was initially proposed by Brandon Carter while he was a post-doctoral researcher in astrophysics at the University of Cambridge; this theory was later debated by Cambridge scholar Stephen Hawking and a widening web of physicists around the world.

What, exactly, is the Anthropic Principle?

Brandon Carter initially posited the theory: “The universe (and hence the fundamental parameters on which it depends) must be such as to admit the creation of observers within it at some stage.”

There are many examples of fine-tuning. Hawking gives one:

Stephen Hawking, expert on the Big Bang and cosmic inflation, extended the dialogue on the Anthropic Principle in a series of papers and books. In “A Brief History of Time,” he outlines an array of astrophysics phenomena and constants that seem to support the AP theory, and asks: “Why did the universe start out with so nearly the critical rate of expansion that separates models that recollapse from those that go on expanding forever, that even now, ten thousand million years later, it is still expanding at nearly the critical rate?”

“If the rate of expansion one second after the Big Bang had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million million,” he explains, “the universe would have recollapsed before it ever reached its present size.”

One philosophical way out of the evidence for design is to imagine a multiverse where uncountable universes have constants that take on all possible values." CEH

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.

Hebrews 11:3

E.G.W. Prayer Series: Sympathizing Friend

Testimonies for the Church vol.5 p.200,201

"We may bring our little cares and perplexities as well as our greater troubles. Whatever arises to disturb or distress us, we should take it to the Lord in prayer.
Satan will have little opportunity to intrude his temptations. It is his studied effort to keep us away from our best and most sympathizing Friend."

Henceforth I call you not servants;

for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:

but I have called you friends;

John 15:15

The Apostles Series: The Sword of the Spirit

"On the Day of Pentecost the Infinite One revealed Himself in power to the church. By His Holy Spirit He descended from the heights of heaven as a rushing, mighty wind, to the room in which the disciples were assembled. It was as if for ages this influence had been held in restraint, and now heaven rejoiced in being able to pour upon the church the riches of the Spirit's power.

And, under the influence of the Spirit,

words of penitence and confession were mingled with songs of praise for sins forgiven.

Words of thanksgiving and of prophecy were heard.

All heaven bent low to behold and to adore the wisdom of matchless, incomprehensible Love.

Lost in wonder, the apostles and disciples exclaimed: "Herein is love." 1 John 4:10.
They grasped the imparted gift. And what followed? Thousands were converted in a day. The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief.
By the grace of Christ the apostles were made what they were. It was sincere devotion and humble, earnest prayer that brought them into close communion with Him. They sat together with Him in heavenly places. They realized the greatness of their debt to Him. By ear nest, persevering prayer they obtained the endowment of the Holy Spirit, and then they went forth, weighted with the burden of saving souls, filled with zeal to extend the triumphs of the cross. And under their labors many souls were brought from darkness to light, and many churches were raised up.
Shall we be less earnest than were the apostles?"
Testimonies for the Church vol.7 p.31,32 E.G.W.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, t

hey were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,

and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,

and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,

and began to speak with other tongues,

as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now when this was noised abroad,

the multitude came together,

and were confounded,

because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Acts 2:1-4,6

Creation Moment 1/19/2015 - Metaphor

"The trouble with metaphors is that they don’t just mirror scientific beliefs, they also shape them. Our imagery is never just surface paint, it expresses, advertises and strengthens our preferred interpretations. It also usually carries unconscious bias from the age we live in – and this can be tricky to ditch no matter how faulty.... Evolution has been the most glaring example of the thoughtless use of metaphor over the past 30 years...." — Mary Midgley, “The selfish metaphor,” New Scientist, 1/31/2011

I have seen the foolish taking root:

Job 5:3

E.G.W. Prayer Series: The Redeemers Prayers

Testimonies for the Church vol.4 p.529,530

"Who can estimate the result of the prayers of the world's Redeemer?

When Christ shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied, then will be seen and realized the value of His earnest prayers while His divinity was veiled with humanity.
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word." Yes; that prayer of Christ embraces even us." John 17:20

The Apostles Series: James the Less

May have been called "the Less" due to his height


His mother was at the crucifixion - There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

Matthew 15:40

Some traditions claim he was crucified while preaching in Egypt during a roundup of Christians

The Question posed by Oswald Chambers

"How are we going to get a life that has
               no lust,
               no self-interest,
               and is not sensitive to the ridicule of others?

Oswald Chambers

How will we have the type of love that “is kind . . . is not provoked, and thinks no evil”? 
(1 Corinthians 13:4-5)."
Oswald Chambers

Footsteps of Paul: Jailed

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer,

a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us,

which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying,

These men are the servants of the most high God,

which shew unto us the way of salvation.

And this did she many days.

But Paul, being grieved,

turned and said to the spirit,

I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.

And he came out the same hour.

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone,

they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

And brought them to the magistrates, saying,

These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

And the multitude rose up together against them:

and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them,

they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Who, having received such a charge,

thrust them into the inner prison,

and made their feet fast in the stocks.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed,

and sang praises unto God:

and the prisoners heard them.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake,

so that the foundations of the prison were shaken:

and immediately all the doors were opened,

and every one's bands were loosed.

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep,

and seeing the prison doors open,

he drew out his sword,

and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm:

for we are all here.

Then he called for a light, and sprang in,

and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes;

and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

And when he had brought them into his house,

he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying,

Let those men go.

And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul,

The magistrates have sent to let you go:

now therefore depart, and go in peace.

But Paul said unto them,

They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans,

and have cast us into prison;

and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily;

but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates:

and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

And they came and besought them, and brought them out,

and desired them to depart out of the city.

And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia:

and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Acts 16:16-40

"As the messengers of the cross went about their work of teaching, a woman possessed of a spirit of divination followed them, crying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days." This woman was a special agent of Satan and had brought to her masters much gain by soothsaying. Her influence had helped to strengthen idolatry. Satan knew that his kingdom was being invaded, and he resorted to this means of opposing the work of God, hoping to mingle his sophistry with the truths taught by those who were proclaiming the gospel message. The words of recommendation uttered by this woman were an injury to the cause of truth, distracting the minds of the people from the teachings of the apostles and bringing disrepute upon the gospel, and by them many were led to believe that the men who spoke with the Spirit and power of God were actuated by the same spirit as this emissary of Satan."
Acts of the Apostles p.212 E.G.W.

Creation Moment 1/18/2015 - Something Fishy

"Lateral line:  Many people may not know this, but fish have a “sixth sense.”  Another PhysOrg article describes the “lateral line” in fish, a line of sensors along each flank that detects water flow patterns, allowing them to quickly respond to changes in their environment.  “It is well known that fish respond to changes in their fluid environment,” the article explains.

“These include avoiding obstacles,

reducing swimming effort by slaloming between vortices,

or whirlpools,

and tracking changes in water flow left by prey—even without the aid of vision.” 

Geggel says of the fossil fish that it appears to have had this sixth sense: “The incredibly detailed scans show that the fish has sensory line canals on its skull,” she writes.  “Bony fish use these canals, located on the outside of the body, to sense changes in pressure around them and avoid predators.” This means this network of sensors and brain responders were already present in the ancestor, 415 million years ago in evolutionary time.

None of this matters in the evolutionary story, because they have a bigger problem: vertebrate fish exploded onto the scene in the Cambrian, along with almost all the other animal phyla 

 Explain that, Darwin!  (He couldn’t; the Cambrian explosion was one of the biggest objections against his theory, he lamented—and it still is.)" CEH
And God said,
Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life,
Genesis 1:20

Christ's Concern

Beloved,

I wish above all things

that * thou mayest prosper (personal well being)

and * be in health, (physical well being)

even as * thy soul prospereth. (spiritual well being)

3 John 1:2

The Apostles Series: Peter

He was a fisherman & brother of Andrew - And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two

But when he saw the wind boisterous, 

he was afraid; and beginning to sink, 

he cried, saying, Lord, save me. Matthew 14:30

brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Matthew 4:18

He was surnamed by Christ - And Simon he surnamed Peter;
Mark 3:16

He was married - Don’t we have the right to bring a Christian wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does?
1 Corinthians 9:5

He wrote some of the New Testament - Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1 Peter 1:1

LESSON from Peter:

Spiritual boasting leads one astray -

But Peter said unto him,

Although all shall be offended,

yet will not I.

Mark 14:29

Began to follow from afar - Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.

Luke 22:54

Warmed himself at the ENEMIES Fire - And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

Mark 14:54

Finally DENIED Christ - But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

Mark 14:71

SEE THE PROGRESSION?

Say with Peter -

And Simon Peter answered and said, 
Thou art the Christ,

the Son of the living God. 
Matthew 16:16

Peter is thought to have been crucified upside down in Rome

E.G.W. Prayer Series: Secret Prayer

Testimonies for the Church vol.2 p.189,190

"It is impossible for the soul to flourish while prayer is not a special exercise of the mind. Family or public prayer alone is not sufficient. Secret prayer is very important; in solitude the soul is laid bare to the inspecting eye of God, and every motive is scrutinized.

Secret prayer!

How precious!

The soul communing with God!

Secret prayer is to be heard only by the prayer-hearing God.

No curious ear is to receive the burden of such petitions."

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

Creation Moment 1/17/2015 - Mystery of Memory

"Your brain is a memory powerhouse, constantly recording experiences in long-term memory. Those memories help you find your way through the world: Who works the counter each morning at your favorite coffee shop? How do you turn on the headlights of your car? What color is your best friend's house?
An experiment conducted by researchers from Princeton University and the University of Texas-Austin shows that the human brain uses memories to make predictions about what it expects to find in familiar contexts. When those subconscious predictions are shown to be wrong, the related memories are weakened and are more likely to be forgotten. And the greater the error, the more likely you are to forget the memory.

"This has the benefit ultimately of reducing or eliminating noisy or inaccurate memories and prioritizing those things that are more reliable and that are more accurate in terms of the current state of the world," said Nicholas Turk-Browne,...
The researchers say the findings fit a model for how the brain handles memories called the nonmonotonic plasticity hypothesis. The model claims that strong activation of a memory—such as when a remembered object or event is encountered again—will strengthen the memory.
But moderate activation of a memory—such as the activation that occurs when your brain makes an unconfirmed prediction using the memory—can degrade the memory.
"I think it's an incredibly compelling story that this automatic prediction mechanism is constantly operating under the radar of our conscious experience, optimizing what elements of a memory we should remember based on how likely they are to occur in our environment," said Barense, who studies how memory functions are organized in the brain." MedicalXpress
I will praise You

because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14 HSCB

The Apostles Series: Thomas

"Doubting Thomas" was pessimistic - Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

John 11:16

Pre-Q&A with Christ:

THOMAS (the questioner)- Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

John 14:5

CHRIST - (the ANSWER)- Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 14:6

The THOMAS affair

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus,
 was not with them when Jesus came.

The other disciples therefore said unto him, 
We have seen the Lord.

But he said unto them,

Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails,

and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side,

I will not believe.

And after eight days again his disciples were within,

and Thomas with them: then came Jesus,

the doors being shut, and stood in the midst,

and said, Peace be unto you.

Then saith he to Thomas,

Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands;

and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side:

and be not faithless, but believing.

John 20:24-27

Let us one day bow down in the dust at HIS feet & say with Thomas - And Thomas answered and said unto him,

My Lord and my God.

John 20:28

Thomas would die by being speared by a Hindu priest in India where Thomas had built up a church. This apparently happened upon a return from China.

E.G.W. Prayer Series: Pray in hour of Temptation

Testimonies for the Church vol.3 p.364

"If you feel in no danger, and if you offer no prayer for help and strength to resist temptations, you will be sure to go astray; your neglect of duty will be marked in the book of God in heaven, and you will be found wanting in the trying day."

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful,

who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;

but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,

that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

SDA Issues - Growth Problem?

An article about Adventism in Christianity Today--

"The Season of Adventists: Can Ben Carson's Church Stay Separatist Amid Booming Growth?

Ellen G. White’s denomination gains one million new followers each year. Some want to be more evangelical.

One of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s most famous sons, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, is seeking evangelical support for a likely 2016 presidential bid. But the global leader of his church

worries that the thriving denomination is becoming too mainstream.

In 2014, for the 10th year in a row, more than 1 million people became Adventists, hitting a record 18.1 million members. Adventism is now the fifth-largest Christian communion worldwide, after Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, and the Assemblies of God.

But even as Adventist schools and hospitals spread, president Ted N. C. Wilson is concerned about assimilation.

“Don’t be tempted by the Devil to blend in with the crowd or be ‘politically correct,’ ” Wilson said during his annual sermon in October. “Don’t proclaim a ‘generic’ Christianity or a ‘cheap-grace Christ,’ which does not point to the distinctive biblical truths to be declared worldwide” by Adventists (who regard themselves as God’s faithful remnant).

Wilson listed ways that Satan is attacking Adventism,

including attempts to make it easier to join;

advancing Pentecostal worship styles;

and people moving “independently” from the main church.

Many of those warnings seemed aimed at the global church’s North American Division (NAD). (Though only about 1 million Adventists live in North America, they send out nearly half of the church’s missionaries and operate 13 of its colleges.) Many NAD members are seeking more dialogue with mainstream evangelicals. The NAD has also overwhelmingly approved women’s ordination, despite a global denominational ban.

Some Adventists worry ..."

And that because of false brethren unawares brought in,

Galatians 2:4

Craetion Moment 1/16/2015 - Oil points to recent Creation

"....news headlines centered on the dramatic increase in oil production from shale basins in the United States. Discussions highlighted a few mysteries underlying these vast storehouses of shale and the oil and other organic molecules they harbor.

First, how did so many organisms get trapped in sediments before decaying?

Second, why did all the oil not already rise to the surface and get consumed by oil-eating bacteria if it is truly millions of years old?

Oil Shale

After a team of researchers described details of their system that makes oil in only one hour, it appears that oil does not form slow enough—or decay slow enough—to fit a millions-of-years' timeline.

If the observable rates of oil formation and degradation are any indication, then these processes typically happen relatively fast. Biblical creation provides a context to solve such mysteries: World-covering water buried the organics quickly only thousands of years ago in Noah's Flood." CR

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,

being understood by the things that are made,

even his eternal power and Godhead;

so that they are without excuse:

Romans 1:20