The House OKs coverage plans short of Obamacare rules;
Desperate typhoon survivors wait at airport;
Two Fla. homes demolished after sinkhole opens up;
DockDogs Championships kick-off in Iowa.

"Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?" (Psa 56:8).

God's compassion and watchcare is tender and motherly. When the Psalmist says, "Thou tellest my wanderings," he is not saying, merely, that God knows about them intellectually and counts them as a matter of fact; he is saying that God is intimately involved in every step of the saint's life. In the context, David refers to his wanderings to escape Saul. When he wrote Psalm 56, David was in Gath among the Philistines, who also were his enemies. By the spirit of prophecy, David was expressing in this Psalm his confidence in God's intimate watchcare through all of his wanderings and troubles. We think of the trials and wanderings of Abraham, of Joseph, of Moses, of the children of Israel in the wilderness, of Job, and of Paul. All of them could say, "God tellest my wanderings." Likewise, God counts the wanderings and knows the tears of every saint. They are even recorded in His book!

(Friday Church News Notes, November 8, 2013, www.wayoflife.org [email protected], 866-295-4143)

Hebrews 6:7
“For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God....”

Many people like to have a nice perfume around the house. They brew a potpourri of mint, citronella, lavender and similar fragrant plants to make home smell more like home. But humans aren't the only creatures that appreciate a nice smell around their house.

During field studies, scientists have found that a small bird called the Corsican Blue Tit also likes to have a pleasant-smelling nest. This was an unexpected discovery, made quite accidentally when one researcher discovered various sprigs of aromatic plants in dozens of nests. When she starts to lay her eggs, the female bird will begin keeping her nest stocked with fresh, fragrant herbs until all the eggs hatch. The birds prefer yarrow, citronella, mint and lavender. When researchers secretly removed these herbs from the nests that they were observing, the parent birds were quick to replace the fragrant sprigs with others.  It also turns out that these herbs also have disinfectant and anti-pest characteristics. They inhibit bacteria and fungi and act as mosquito repellents. Rather than simply beautifying their nests or adding a nice perfume, the birds are also protecting their offspring from diseases and pests. You might wonder, Who taught them to do this?

As the Bible says, herbs are a blessing from God. They are not just a blessing to man, but also to many of God’s creatures.

Notes: Discover, 11/02, p. 13, Josie Glausiusz, “Eau D’Oiseau.”
Photo: South Island Takahē, one of a large number of rails, which also includes the Corsican Blue Tit. Courtesy of Glen Fergus. 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 proposes "fix" for fumbled healthcare roll-out;
James "Whitey" Bulger sentenced to life in prison;
UN estimates 900,000 displaced by Philippines typhoon;
Dinosaur fossils to be auctioned in NYC.

Mass graves in Philippines;
Boeing workers reject contract;
Bomb attack in Oregon;
Tunnel accident in Australia.

"Some school textbooks in Pakistan include lessons teaching students that killing Christians is a goal that must be achieved for them to obtain martyrdom, according to a report prepared by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). The report also included claims that Islamist groups in Pakistan are launching regular attacks against non-Muslim Pakistanis as well as some sects of Muslims such as Shiites and Ahmadi, whom they do not consider to be real Muslims. The report states that official and independent media, government leaders and religious scholars have legitimized hate against religious minorities, with the term 'minority' itself having come to be seen in a pejorative context. 'As a result of such legitimization of hate through school textbooks, government policies, sermons in mosques and religious congregations, there is growing persecution of Pakistani Christians, Hindus, Shias and Ahmadi Muslims,' the report read."

("Killing Christians," Christian Post , Oct. 10, 2013)

Job 38:2-3
“Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.”

When we read biology textbooks or watch television programs about science and discovery we are led to believe that evolution is not a theory but a scientifically established fact. We are told with great confidence how life first arose on the ancient Earth or when each species first evolved and the precise evolutionary relationships between different creatures. And, of course, the impression is given that all of this is established beyond question.

But is that what scientists themselves are telling each other behind the closed walls of academia? In 2005, the scientific journal Science celebrated its 125th anniversary. As part of their celebration, they listed 125 questions that science has not answered. One of the questions was, “How and where did life on earth arise?” Apparently, scientists have not established the origin of life as a fact. Another question they said that science has not answered was, “What determines species diversity?” If this question has not been answered by science, how can science describe the history of the various species and their evolutionary relationships?

It would seem that the origin and evolution of life are not scientifically established facts despite how these are portrayed in textbooks and on television. These godless and fraudulent claims made for what is still the theory of evolution should not be allowed to deceive us and our children.

Notes: World, 7/23/05, p. 30, “Unanswered Science Questions.”
Illustration: Darwin’s finches, said to be evidence for evolution. In reality, it is powerful evidence against evolution because finches remain finches.
Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

White House IT Chief grilled on Capitol Hill;
Relief operations pick up in Philippines;
Toronto's mayor admits to buying illegal drugs;
'Anchorman' exhibit opens at Newseum in Washington.

More than 2,000 dead in Philippines;
Hawaii set to approve same-sex marriage;
Egyptian court says state of emergency over;
Smithsonian in 3D becomes available Wednesday.

"An increase in violence against Christians in northern Iraq has increased the flow of Christians leaving the country. The north, generally considered a relatively safe area of the country, had become home for many Christians fleeing from the tumultuous central and southern regions. However, several bombings in the north in recent months have caused panic among the Christian community. ... A group of Christian young people said that policemen told them that they 'should not be in Iraq because it is Muslim territory.' Violence in the south of the country is also escalating. Church leaders in Baghdad say that there are attacks on Christians every two or three days. A spokesperson for Open Doors, a Christian charity which supports Christians under pressure for their faith, said that although many Christians are still choosing to stay, the fear is that if the violence continues, they may decide they have little choice but to leave. 'It remains urgent to pray for the future of Christianity in this country,' he said. 'If the present trend continues, there might be no Christian left in the whole of Iraq by 2020.'"

("Northern Iraq No Longer Safe," Religion Today, Oct. 22, 2013)

Proverbs 17:22
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

Laughing is good for you even if it does begin with the release of adrenaline and other stress hormones.

Whether you are tickled or reacting to a good joke, at least seven different centers in the brain react in various ways. Your response begins with the release of stress hormones. Your normal breathing rhythm gets interrupted, and various neurotransmitters, including dopamine, are released. And, yes, your brain also interprets the tickle so that you cannot tickle yourself since your brain knows when your own fingers are involved. Scientists also believe that as you begin laughing, your saliva glands begin to secrete extra immune compounds. Antibodies and virus-killing T-cells are also released in larger doses. Your heartbeats also increase, and your blood pressure goes up to support the muscle spasms that result from your laugh. Those muscle spasms are actually a good aerobic exercise. In fact, one minute of a good laugh is said to be as good as ten minutes of exercise on a rowing machine!

Besides promoting social bonds, laughing is indeed good for you in many ways. Tickling is a common way that parents bond with their young children. And wholesome humor can cheer the heart and raise the spirits. Moreover, while laughing appears to have no evolutionary advantage, it is easily explained as a gift of God to raise our spirits.

Notes: Discover, 4/03, pp. 62-69, Steve Johnson, “Laughter.”
Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

Death toll in Philippines typhoon almost 1,800;
U.S. Airways and American Airlines cleared to merge;
Heart health guidelines urge use of statin drugs;
New World Trade Center tower to be nation's tallest.

Unclean ethanol;
Thousands try to evacuate Philippines damage;
Tsarnaev case in court;
East coast snow.

"A young woman whose mother chose adoption over abortion after being sexually assaulted has won the title of homecoming queen at her university. Now 22 years old, Mary Ann Dutton has garnered the 100th Miss Homecoming Queen title at Auburn University on a platform dedicated to adoption advocacy. Dutton's biological mother made the decision to have her baby adopted instead of terminating her pregnancy after her husband gave her the ultimatum of abortion or divorce. Dutton's campaign was centered on her own remarkable story and a message of hope to women in a similar situation to her own birth mother. 'Because that resource was available to my mother, she decided to give birth to me,' Dutton said in a campaign video. 'And now here I am talking to you guys 22 years later.' Dutton was adopted through the Christian adoption agency Lifeline Children's Services in Birmingham, Alabama. During her campaign, which had the slogan 'Light UP Life,' Dutton raised money for the agency. She says that her goal is to let women know that there is help for women in crisis situations."

(Christian News Network, Oct. 24, 2013)

Job 21:22
“Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.”

According to modern thinking, intelligence is a product of several factors. Of course, the most important requirement is that the creature must be high on the evolutionary tree. Intelligence is also related to life span, the longer the better, and the fact that they are social creatures.

However, don’t tell this to a group of creatures who are considered very low on the evolutionary tree because they have very short life spans and are usually solitary. Various studies are showing that octopuses, cousin to the lowly clam, are among the most intelligent creatures on earth. Researchers have found that octopuses not only learn how to solve problems like mazes, but remember what they learn. They report that at one marine lab, some octopuses would sneak out of their tanks at night to eat fish in other tanks. But more indicative of intelligence is the fact that octopuses show personality. Different individuals may, for example, react to an unfamiliar item with curiosity, fear or even by attacking it. Another indication of intelligence is play. Octopuses will play with floating objects in their tanks in much the same way as a child will play with floating toys in the tub.

None of the traditional evolutionary explanations for intelligence apply to the octopus. Actually, none of those explanations apply to any creature since all received their intelligence from our Creator.

Notes: Discover, 10/03, pp. 46-51, Eric Scigliano, “Through the Eye of an Octopus.”
Photo: Courtesy of Albert Kok. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic license.
Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

Death toll could rise to the thousands in the Philippines;
President Obama pays tribute to veterans;
No deal in Iran nuclear talks;
Atlanta Braves leaving Turner Field.

Kerry says Iran turned down deal;
10k could be dead in Philippines;
European satellite falls to earth;
Soyuz capsule with Olympic flame back on earth.

A new book entitled Saffron Cross describes the marriage of a Baptist female minister to a Hindu monk. The author, J. Dana Trent, grew up in Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, NC, and was ordained in a Southern Baptist congregation. In 2010 she married Fred Eaker, an American convert to Hinduism from Christianity, and they spent their honeymoon in India. Trent was educated at the Baptist House of Studies, which is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Her case is a warning about the very dangerous spiritual waters of "evangelicalism" in general and of the Southern Baptist Convention in particular. Once you enter those waters, you can end up anywhere within the end-time one-world "church." Trent says, "Christianity is absolutely the path for some, but not for everyone" ("New Book details Baptist/Hindu marriage," ABP News, Oct. 28, 2013). If this is true, Peter was obviously confused for making the following statement about Jesus Christ: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Of course, liberals have a way of "interpreting" such passages to salve their guilty consciences, but it won't stand. Jesus said the Scripture "cannot be broken" (John 10:35).


(Friday Church News Notes, November 8, 2013, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143)

Psalm 104:14
“He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth....”

The dodder is a very unusual plant and is known as one of the ten worst weeds found in the United States. A newly sprouted dodder seed does not bother to grow roots. Rather, it sprouts a tendril that grows out, looking for other plants. It has, at most, a week to find a plant from which to steal water and nutrients.

The dodder is a parasite and while it does not kill its victims, it will take enough water and nutrition to stunt their growth. The dodder actually costs California tomato growers $4,000,000 a year in losses. Researchers found that the species of dodder that causes most trouble to tomato plants actually “sniffs out” its victims. Scientists knew that plants emit pheromones or scents unique to each species. The researchers gave a sprouting dodder seed a choice of targets to grow toward, including a tomato plant. When the dodder seed sprouted, it immediately sent a tendril out to the tomato. In a more rigorous test, researchers connected possible targets in separate enclosures to the sprouting dodder with curved tubes. The dodder still found the tomato plant.

The dodder has no nervous system, and scientists marvel at what it can do. Rather, they should be marveling at what our Creator can do in providing for the needs of all living things.

Notes: Science News, 9/30/06, p. 214, S. Milius, “Scent Stalking.”
Photo: Courtesy of Michael Becker. 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

Philippines death toll climbs after typhoon;
Pope Francis leads prayer for typhoon victims;
Two dead and at least 22 injured in house party shooting;
Venezuelan flamenco dancer is Miss Universe 2013.

You don't hear much about Promise Keepers today, but it continues to host conferences and to promote ecumenical unity toward the building of the one-world "church." PK hosted six events in 2013. The one in Daytona Beach, Florida, last month drew 3,000 men and boys and featured "a rocking worship concert," which has always been a hallmark of PK events. Promise Keepers was founded in 1990 by Bill McCartney, a college football coach, and it grew rapidly in the early 1990s, hosting massive events, such as the Clergy Conference for Men in 1996 that drew over 39,000 "clergy" to the Atlanta Georgia Dome. Ecumenism has been a major objective since its inception. At the Atlanta conference McCartney said, "It is exciting to see the denominational barriers come down as we have Protestants and Roman Catholics here together. The purpose of this meeting is to have the unity of the church." Catholic priests have spoken at PK events, and PK has hosted events at Catholic universities. In 1997, a Roman Catholic named Mike Timmis was appointed a member of the PK board of directors. In an interview with attorney Michael Thomas, Timmis said that he was dedicated himself to bringing Catholics and evangelicals together, but he does not compromise his Catholic beliefs in order to do that. Timmis was one of the speakers at the Promise Keepers Stand in the Gap rally in Washington, D.C. in 1997. His message was entitled "Sectarianism as a Sin," stressing that while "we cannot agree on dogma, but must agree in Christ" ("Promise Keepers Catholic Director," Dec. 18, 1997, Way of Life Literature). Whatever good Promise Keepers has done to encourage men be morally pure and to be the spiritual leaders of their homes has been corrupted by its flagrant rebellion to God's commands to obey and to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints and to mark and avoid those who teach error. PK employs all of the devil's tools toward ecumenical unity, including Christian rock, charismaticism, the philosophy of "unity in diversity" and "non-essentials," and Christian psychology. It was in the early 1990s that I observed the beginning of the collapse of biblical separatism among independent Baptists when some independent Baptists supported Promise Keepers and criticized me for warning about this compromise. See The Collapse of Separatism, a free eBook available from www.wayoflife.org.

(Friday Church News Notes, November 8, 2013, www.wayoflife.org [email protected], 866-295-4143)

Death toll climbs after Philippines typhoon;
Optimism fades in Iran nuclear talks;
Utah doctor convicted of killing his wife;
Cosmonauts carry Olympic torch in space.

An atheist in Wisconsin has purchased advertising space on a billboard to proclaim the atheistic gospel as a legacy for his grandchildren. Wayne Hensler's billboard reads, "Enjoy life now; there is no afterlife." Hensler is a member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), whose co-president Dan Barker claims that "religion misdirects human energies from this world--our only life--to some unprovable, highly improbable imaginary afterlife" ("Atheist Aims to Leave 'Legacy,'" Christian News Network, Nov. 1, 2013). In reality, religions are not created equal and to lump them all together is sloppy thinking, to say the least. The "religion" of New Testament Christianity teaches "that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works" (Titus 3:8). And no one can calculate the good that has been done in this troubled world by Bible-believing Christians--the clinics and hospitals that have been built, the wells that have been dug, the slaves that have been liberated, the hungry that have been fed, the widows, orphans, elderly, abused, addicts, and drunks that have been helped, the evil lives that have been transformed, the child prostitution and cannibalism that has been stopped. The atheist gospel is a pathetic thing: eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die. Contrast this with the gospel of Jesus Christ: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Mr. Hensler, who is in his 80s, will be probably free from religion soon.

(Friday Church News Notes, November 8, 2013, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143)

It was several years ago on this date that my cousin, his son and I were in a head on collision. The other driver was killed instantly. According to the cops and everyone who saw the accident, we should have been killed also. If it had not been for the grace of God and the fact that we were wearing our seat belts, I do not believe we would be here today. I found this video yesterday and could not help but remember and weep. Please wear your seat belts every time you get into a car.

Kerry tempers reports of optimism on Iran nuclear talks;
Record-breaking typhoon strikes the Philippines;
U.S. adds 204,000 jobs in October;
Embattled Toronto mayor may enter rehab.