![]() Many commanders in the Department of Defense are violating the religious rights of service members, forcing them to be quiet about their moral opposition to homosexuality and gay marriage, for instance, and, in effect, imposing a Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy on Christians, said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William "Jerry" Boykin, the former commander of the U.S. Special Forces Command. In an interview with CNSNews.com, Gen. Boykin said, "... it's a real turnabout where you, at one time, had to come out of the closet to admit you're homosexual, and now you have to come out of the closet to admit that you're a Christian. There was a meeting in San Antonio yesterday [Sept. 17] where 80 members from Lackland Air Force base came and talked about the persecution they are under at Lackland Air Force Base," said the general. "That's significant. And now, you're an open Christian at your own peril in many places, under many of the commanders in the military today and that's a major change, a major paradigm shift in our society. ... They're trying to force Christians underground so that our faith and our values do not impact the public sector. So that's what you're seeing unfold today," said Boykin, who was one of the original members of Delta Force. ... A September 2013 report from the Family Research Council, A Clear and Present Danger: The Threat to Religious Liberty in the Military, details numerous cases of religious persecution in the U.S. military that have occurred over the last few years. Some of the cases involve banning Bibles; ordering soldiers to keep their Bibles out of sight; punishment for expressing opposition to a gay "marriage" at the Cadet Chapel at West Point; and prosecuting a sergeant who refused to punish an instructor who expressed moral opposition to same-sex 'marriage." ( CNSNews, Sept. 20, 2013) ![]() Job 38:3b “…for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.” Modern medicine has increasingly returned to study how nature accomplishes medical miracles to bring the benefits of what they learn to mankind. Man has dreamed for thousands of years of being able to restore a severed spinal cord. Once the nerves running inside our backbones are severed, we permanently lose the use of our limbs below the point of damage. Medical researchers have learned that the black ghost knifefish, native to South America, is actually able to re-grow its backbone if it is severed. The black ghost knifefish can even re-grow the spinal cord within the backbone and the supporting muscle structure! What’s more, scientists have identified the layer of cells responsible for this re-growth. And the best news is that human beings also have the same layer of cells. Unfortunately, the layer becomes dormant by the time we reach adulthood. Researchers are currently trying to learn how that layer of cells, with its wonderful abilities, might be stimulated back into action if needed to repair a severed spinal cord. This shows us that when we Christians talk about the clear evidence of God’s intelligence in the universe, we are not engaging in wishful thinking. Even our best medical researchers recognize the intelligence with which the creation is made and desire to learn from that intelligence! Notes: Regrowth of Spinal Cord Studied. Feb. 19, 1989. Photo: Courtesy of Derek Ramsey. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license. Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com Obama blasts GOP over government shutdown; Federal workers, national landmarks affected; UN inspectors arrive in Syria; 12 toys nominated for Toy Hall of Fame. Government partial shutdown; Health care rollout; South Korean missile displayed; Fatal rock slide in Colorado. ![]() A video apparently made by Islamic rebels in Syria shows a large collection of confiscated Bibles and biblical materials, such as the Book of John, that it describes as "more dangerous than chemical weapons." The video appeared yesterday, just as reports from Syria said Islamic rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad's army were "liberating" villages and forcing Christians there to convert to Islam or die. Christians reportedly were being abducted and executed, although there were conflicting reports. The new video of the confiscated Bibles was posted by Eretz Zen, who describes himself as a secular Syrian who opposes "having my country turned into a Taliban-like state." The video shows stacks of Arabic language Bibles and other books. A sign is posted with the warning: "O nation of Muhammad, wake up; for there are things even more dangerous than chemical weapons. Beware the Christianization campaigns." According to the Eretz Zen site, the footage was taken Sept. 3 in the Syrian town of Jarablus on the Turkish border. ... The London Daily Mail reported Christians in the village of Maaloula claimed Syrian rebels ordered them to convert to Islam on pain of death. The report said opposition forces, including some linked to al-Qaida, gained control of the area. One Maaloula resident, according to the Daily Mail, said the rebels shouted "Allahu Akbar," or "Allah is supreme," when they attacked the Christian homes and churches shortly after moving into the area. One Christian said that he saw the militants grabbing five villagers and threatening them and saying, "Either you convert to Islam, or you will be beheaded." (WorldNetDaily , Sept. 10, 2013) ![]() Psalm 40:5a “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done...” Most people are aware that it is only the female mosquito that feeds on blood. The male feeds on plant juices. It is also easy to see the difference between males and females in most species. The male has a distinctive pair of antennae. While the female mosquito’s antennae are difficult to see, the male’s looks like a pair of branched feathers coming out of its head. And if it weren’t for a very special feature, these large, feathery antennae would make it difficult for him to fly. Each antenna is planted in a socket, next to which there is a pad made out of special protein. This pad is actually a water-powered engine. When flying, the mosquito’s antennae are flattened against its head. But when he lands, he raises the antennae so that he can hear. To raise the antennae, a small amount of water from his system is pumped into the pad which increases its size by 25 percent and causes the pad to unfold, raising the antennae. Nature is full of so many wonders that it would be easy for us to get lost in them. But every one of these wonders is designed by God to lead us to desire to learn more about Him – especially to learn from His Word that He wants a relationship with you through His Son, Jesus Christ. Notes: Steven Vogel. “Life’s Devices: The Physical World of Animals and Plants.” Princeton University Press, 1988, p. 255. Photo: Courtesy of Alvesgaspar. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com |
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