Bible Archives

October 10, 2026October 10, 2026

Jesus Christ Is the Word

Genesis 1:1 declares, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” John 1:1–3 echoes that opening: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.” These passages share not only their opening phrase—“In the beginning”—but also a profound theological link: the Creator is revealed as the Word. In Genesis, God acts; in John, we learn who was acting—the eternal Word, fully divine and co-eternal with the Father. Then John 1:14 unveils the wonderful truth: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus Christ is the Word.

So God created the world “by His Word”—and that Word spoke each day of creation into being: “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light,” and so on. But the Word is far more than speech. John reveals Him as a divine Person—the very essence of God—who entered time and space to become our Savior. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how the founders of many of the world’s major religions compare with Jesus Christ. Confucius, who lived five centuries before Christ, founded not a religion per se, but a moral philosophy—a system of ethics that has shaped Chinese and Southeast Asian cultures. Confucius was a moral teacher, but he was just a man. History records that he didn’t always live up to his own ideals.

The man who became known as the Buddha supposedly attained enlightenment around the fifth century B.C. He drew countless followers across Asia, but he never claimed divinity. In fact, Buddhism is essentially a godless religion.

Hinduism is often traced to Krishna, who may have existed around 3,200 B.C. Hinduism boasts millions of followers, especially in India, which is officially a Hindu nation. Those who teach Christianity there face persecution. Unlike Buddhism, which doesn’t have a god, Hinduism has millions of gods. Hindu followers can choose their gods, fashion idols, and worship them—a practice that echoes Isaiah’s scathing portrait of idolatry (Isaiah 44:9-20).

Islam was founded by Muhammad much later, around 600 years after Christ. Today, it is the world’s fastest-growing religion. Its number of followers is second only to Christianity—and, by some estimates, is projected to equal or surpass Christianity in the coming decades. It has made strong inroads into the United States.

But contrast the religious founders’ teachings. Muhammad commanded violence against “infidels”—anyone outside Islam. Jesus commanded, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:43-48). The Buddha taught that one can escape suffering through self-effort by attaining nirvana, essentially a state of non-being. Hinduism teaches reincarnation. Moral conduct in this life determines one’s next life. Perhaps you might come back as a cow if you are really good, or as an insect if you are not so good. Some Hindus won’t till the soil, fearing they might crush an ancestor reborn as a bug.

Jesus Christ is the Word who came not only to model virtue and teach love. Because He knew we cannot keep God’s commands perfectly, He paid the penalty for our sins to restore our broken relationship with God. Our Creator entered human history—not as a philosopher, prophet, or enlightened teacher—but as the incarnate Word, bearing our guilt, conquering death, and securing eternal life for all who trust in Him.

One common factor among all the religious founders is that they all died. Only one, Jesus Christ, rose from the dead and is alive today. Those who die in Christ do not cease to exist. We will live with Him because of Him.

October 9, 2026October 9, 2026

When a Star Explodes

Last month, in September 2026, astronomers observed an exploding star. When a star explodes, it becomes a supernova. The supernova now being observed is in a spiral galaxy about 45 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Pegasus. The galaxy is known as NGC 7331, and the star in question has been designated SN2026aaiv.

It is important to know how far away this galaxy is, and astronomers can confirm the distance using various measurement methods. Since this exploding star is 45 million light-years away, it means the star exploded 45,000,000 years ago. Astronomers observe several thousand supernovae in distant galaxies every year, but the last one observed in our Milky Way galaxy was in 1604. We mentioned before that in 1987 a supernova occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is only 160,000 light-years away, so it was only 160,000 years ago.

What is the purpose of exploding stars? When a star explodes and becomes a supernova, conditions are right to create heavier elements, without which we could not exist. Without heavier elements such as iron, copper, gold, lead, and uranium, Earth wouldn’t be here, and neither would we. Supernovae also produce oxygen and silicon.

In the long, distant past, God used supernovae to create the elements that made life possible. Suggesting that the universe is only a few thousand years old does not square with the facts. When God established the universe, He started the processes we see happening today. The original hydrogen present soon after the cosmic creation event has gradually formed heavier elements inside stars. When a star explodes and becomes a supernova, it becomes the birthplace of the heaviest elements.

The question we must consider is whether God is playing a trick on us. If the universe is only a few thousand years old, why are we seeing a star millions of light-years away become a supernova? If it didn’t happen 45,000,000 years ago, is God trying to fool us into thinking we are seeing something that never happened? Are we really observing the past when we look deep into space? If astronomers look at the Sun, they are seeing what it was like 8 minutes ago, because that’s how long it takes sunlight to reach us. Compute that out to a star billions of miles away.

If the supernovae we observe aren’t real, then God is trying to fool us by making us think they happened millions of years ago when they happened only a few thousand years ago, or never happened at all. I don’t believe that our creator God is deceptive. He keeps His promises, and you can’t keep promises if you deceive people. (See Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18. )There’s plenty of evidence that G o d exists, and when a star explodes, we see evidence that the universe is billions of years old.

Reference: space.com

September 28, 2026September 27, 2026

Rock Hyraxes Are Wise

These mammals are mentioned four times in the Bible and are widespread throughout central and southern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Although rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) look like a larger guinea pig, they are not rodents. Surprisingly, it is more closely related to elephants.

Rock hyraxes average 20 inches (50 cm) long and weigh around 8.8 pounds (4 kg). They resemble rabbits, with short, rounded ears and no tail. They have four toes on each front foot and three on each back foot. Their toes have long, claw-like nails used for grooming and scratching. The bottoms of their feet have a rubbery texture that helps them climb steep rock surfaces and trees. Their sandy, tan color helps them blend into their desert environment.

Although rock hyraxes do not burrow, they inhabit abandoned aardvark and meerkat burrows. They live in colonies of about fifty in the natural crevices of boulders. The colony maintains a high level of hygiene, designating areas of the shelter as “latrines” for waste disposal. They are very active during the daytime, communicating with family members using many vocalizations.

Rock hyraxes forage for food as a group, using a sentry strategy. Members of the foraging party eat in a circle facing away from the group, giving them a clear view of their surroundings for any threats or predators. They play an ecosystem role as a food source for many predators and as seed dispersers. The rock hyrax could not perform its role as a seed disperser without its three-chambered stomach, which contains symbiotic bacteria that break down plant matter.

The Bible mentions rock hyraxes four times (translated as “coneys” in the King James Version). Leviticus and Deuteronomy list them as unclean animals that should not be eaten. Psalms 104:18 and Proverbs 30:26 say that they make their homes in the rocky cliffs. They find protection there, and for that, Proverbs 30:24 commends them for being wise.

September 16, 2026September 16, 2026

The Biblical Flood Story

We received a question about kangaroos on Noah’s ark. I want to share my response here because others probably have similar questions about the biblical flood story.

I think there were no kangaroos on the ark. Let me explain. The biblical evidence indicates that the flood was universal, covering the populated Earth, but not global, covering the entire globe. “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5). For that reason, God decided to send a flood to destroy the evil people, but He spared Noah and his family.

God would have had no reason to flood Australia, the North and South Poles, or the top of Mount Everest, because no people lived there. You can read the biblical flood story in Genesis chapters 6-8. After the flood, Genesis 9 tells us that God made a covenant with Noah and promised, “never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth” (verse 11). Noah’s obligation in this covenant is summarized in Genesis 9:7: “As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

Noah’s descendants failed to carry out their obligation in the covenant. Genesis 11 shows that they went only to the plain of Babylon (Shinar) and devised a plan to glorify themselves instead of obeying God’s instructions. “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4).

Because of their defiance, God was forced to find a solution while keeping His promise to never again destroy the human population with a flood. Instead, God confounded them with different languages, ending their plans and causing them to follow His instructions by scattering them “over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:9).

When you examine the biblical flood story, you can see that God had no reason to flood the entire globe, since humans were limited to a relatively small geographical area. Then why does God say in Genesis 6:17, “I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.” He does not mean every creature literally, because He commanded Noah, “You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you” (Genesis 6:19). He also did not refer to every fish and sea creature. He told Noah to take seven (or seven pairs) of every kind of clean animal (Genesis 7:2) so they could be used as sacrifices to God after the flood, as we see in Genesis 8:20.

There would not have been enough water on Earth to cover the entire globe above the height of Mount Everest. There was no need to flood areas where n o humans lived or to kill all the animals on the planet. Then why do cultures around the world have flood legends? Every person on Earth is descended from the family that survived the flood, so the story has been passed down in every culture, with modifications. The biblical flood story is the accurate account of the event that changed the entire world. In His mercy, after the flood, God gave humanity another chance while keeping His promise. He scattered the people around the globe by confounding their languages, preventing a corrupt one-world government.

Even today, God in His mercy offers each person on Earth a second chance through the sacrifice of God’s only Son. (See John 3:16-17.) Be wise and don’t pass up the grace God offers.

September 14, 2026September 13, 2026

Jesus Was Not Forecasting the Weather

In Matthew 16:2, Jesus quoted a weather slogan that shepherds and sailors used. You have probably heard it as “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.” In the culture Jesus addressed, you might substitute “shepherds” for “sailors.” Although this proverb contains some truth, Jesus was not forecasting the weather.

Science explains that ancient slogan. A red sky appears when dust and small particles are trapped in a high-pressure area and scatter blue light, making red predominant. As the Sun sets in the west and, in the mid-latitudes, the prevailing winds are from the west, that indicates a high-pressure zone is on the way, bringing fair weather. A red sky as the Sun rises in the east indicates that the high pressure has moved on and a wet or windy low-pressure system may be approaching. But, as I said, Jesus was not forecasting the weather.

Jesus had just fed over 4,000 people by the Sea of Galilee with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish (see Matthew 15:29-38). Then He got into a boat and went across to Magadan on the other side of the lake. There, His adversaries, the Pharisees and Sadducees, tested Him by asking for a sign to prove that He was really from God. Jesus responded by quoting that weather proverb. Then He called them a “wicked and adulterous generation.” He told them that He would give them no sign except for “the sign of Jonah.” What is the sign of Jonah?

The point Jesus was making was that there would be a very special sign, a miracle, to show that He was from God. Jesus had performed many miracles, including the recent feeding of more than 4,000 people with a tiny amount of food. No sign was going to convince the Pharisees of His divine nature. The special sign to come would be the only miracle Jesus ever predicted in advance. Jesus was not forecasting the weather or trying to impress the Pharisees. Without further explanation, Jesus left the questioners and walked away.

But what is the sign of Jonah? Go back a few chapters to Matthew 12:38-40. Jesus had just restored a man who was blind and mute, but the Pharisees accused Him of doing this by the power of the devil. Unsatisfied with the miracle Jesus had just performed, they challenged Him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” Jesus replied that He would give them no sign “except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then He explained what that sign is. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Jesus was predicting His resurrection from the grave. This was much more important than the daily weather. In both instances described in Matthew 12 and 16, Jesus had just performed a miracle when the Pharisees asked for a sign from heaven. Jesus knew they wouldn’t pay attention to any miracle He could show them. Only one miracle would impact Jesus’ disciples, making them fearless messengers who risked their lives to take the message of the resurrection to the world. There would be nothing the Pharisees and Sadducees could do to stop it. Neither can today’s enemies of Jesus Christ stop the message of the resurrection. Jesus was not forecasting the weather, but predicting something that would change the world.

Reference: metoffice.gov.uk

September 9, 2026September 8, 2026

How the World Ought to Be

In his book Unanswered, Jeremiah Johnston wrote that the number-one reason people walk away from faith in God is experiencing an unexpected personal tragedy. He described interviewing atheists who had once been believers. They told him that the reason they doubt the existence of God is “the world is not as it ought to be.” That raises the question of how the world ought to be and how we can know.

As Johnston wrote, stating that the world is not as it ought to be “infers a standard of objective worldwide virtue and goodness.” Where does that standard come from? From an atheist viewpoint, where could it come from? If the world is a cosmic accident that just happened and we are an evolving collection of molecules we call life, what is the criterion for deciding how the world ought to be? Who gives us the right to make that judgment?

Why should we expect anything good in this world? How can we define good, and how can we know the difference between good and evil? Skeptics can’t accept the idea of a God who cares when there is so much evil in the world. The question is: how can there be evil unless there is good, and how can there be good without God? What is the atheist using to define evil—or good?

Going beyond the existence of good and evil, why is there love? What is the source of love? Nobody can truthfully say that there is no such thing as love. The Bible tells us that God IS Love. (See 1John 4:8 and 16.) Love comes from God, in whose image we are made. God is also good, and without goodness, how can we define evil?

Yes, the world is not what it ought to be, but we cannot deny God’s existence because of that fact. Evil is obvious because good exists. Good and love exist because God exists. When someone asks why God allows evil, remember that evil exists because humans allow it. It is humans who have brought evil into the world, and it is up to the followers of Jesus to combat that evil with love.

We must begin by accepting God’s love, demonstrated by the sacrifice of His Son. When we become followers of Jesus Christ, we can share God’s love with others. Love and goodness, which come from God, can overcome the problem of evil. Those who deny the existence of God have no basis to know how the world ought to be.

September 4, 2026September 2, 2026

Questions of Faith and Charles Darwin

The late priest, professor, and author, Dr. Stanley Yaqui, told about a 17-year-old German student who wrote to Charles Darwin with questions of faith. He was confused and filled with doubt after the death of a friend

The young student was W. Mengden, and his letter to Darwin said, “I make bold to ask you whether strong belief in your theory is compatible with belief in God?” Darwin replied that his theory was compatible with belief. Mengden was not satisfied with that answer, so he pressed the question further in a second letter. Again, not satisfied with Darwin’s reply, he wrote again, “I therefore come to you for the third time, asking and begging, so that your kind reply may provide a directive that tells me what I should believe… I know not where apart from you, I can get hold get hold of the truth… Please tell me, can one believe in Christ as described in the Bible?”

Thinking about his best friend’s recent death, Mengden further asked, “If you, however, are kind enough to be generous with your answer, would you please tell me what one should think about life after death and whether one should expect to meet others in afterlife?”

Because Darwin’s health was failing, his son Frances pinned the reply on his father’s behalf. He wrote, “I am much engaged, an old man, and out of health, and I cannot spare time to answer your questions fully, — nor indeed can they be answered. Science has nothing to do with Christ, except insofar as the habit of scientific research makes a man cautious in admitting evidence. For myself, I do not believe that there ever has been any revelation. As for future life, every man must judge for himself between conflicting vague probabilities.”

As I read that correspondence from a young man seeking answers to some of life’s most important questions of faith, I can only think that Charles Darwin, a man who had given up his faith, would not be a good source for answers. All Darwin could say is that there are “conflicting vague probabilities.”

If you have questions of faith concerning the existence of God, the afterlife, and whether you can believe in Christ and the Bible, seek out the wisdom of a Christian who has a strong faith. And if you’re a Christian who can’t answer those questions, perhaps you need to study the scriptures and materials available from this ministry, along with information you can find on our websites. Christians should never fear questions, and we should never leave them unanswered.

For more information to answer these questions, see doesgodexist.org, doesgodexist.tv, and search the archives of this website, doesgodexist.today, or email jncdge@aol.com.

September 3, 2026September 2, 2026

Giants and the Laws of Physics

A recent animated movie depicting David and Goliath showed Goliath as enormous. How tall was Goliath? The Bible says Goliath was “six cubits and a span,” which is about nine feet nine inches (3 meters). That is a large man but within the realm of possibility. The tallest man in modern recorded medical history was Robert Wadlow, who, in 1940, was slightly under nine feet tall. The children’s story of Jack and the Beanstalk depicts a giant of enormous proportions. In Homer’s “Odyssey,” Odysseus meets the one-eyed giant Cyclops, who can pick up a person in one hand. Are these legendary giants depicted in movies and storybooks possible in real life? Let’s consider giants and the laws of physics.

In 1638, Galileo Galilei wrote a document arguing that the way giants were depicted in folklore would not be possible. A human’s bone structure supports that person’s weight and is geometrically designed for optimal function. If you scaled up a human while keeping the same proportions, the bones would be stronger. If you increased both cross-sectional bone dimensions by 10 times, the strength would increase by 10 times 10, so the bone would be 100 times stronger.

At the same time, however, the body’s volume would increase by 10 times. The increased mass would be 10 times 10 times 10. Bone strength scales with the square, while volume scales with the cube. In other words, the weight of the body would be 1000 times greater. You now have bones that are 100 times as strong, but they must support a body mass that’s 1000 times greater. The fact that the bone structure could not support the weight is the problem of giants and the laws of physics. Increasing the size of the human body would require a much larger increase in the bone structure. That is why the leg bones of elephants are proportionally much thicker than the leg bones of dogs and cats.

Sometimes movies depict flies or other insects becoming huge because of some science-fiction apparatus. But if a fly became larger than a human, keeping the leg thickness in proportion, the legs would not be able to support the creature. A fly increased to only ten times its normal size would weigh 1000 times as much and be unable to fly. If a water bug that walks on the surface were increased 10 times in size, it would sink because surface tension would not support 1000 times the weight. Again, giants and the laws of physics are not compatible.

On the other hand, what would happen if humans were scaled down, as shown in science fiction movies? If scaled down by a factor of 10, the miniature humans would have bones that are 100 times weaker, but they would weigh 1000 times less. They could potentially carry a much larger load relative to their size. That explains how ants can carry loads several times their weight.

The bottom line is that humans are designed to do what we need to do, and ants are designed to do what they need to do. Science fiction movies about enlarging insects or shrinking humans are purely fiction. Goliath was a giant by human standards, but he was not as large as depicted in the recent animated movie. Regardless of his size, David did not defeat Goliath by his own strength. He clearly said it was by the power of God. (See 1 Samuel 17:45.) David was victorious because he trusted the same God who designed humans and ants – and the laws of physics.

Reference: mit.edu

August 20, 2026August 17, 2026

Sardis: Dead Faith or Victorious Faith

In chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation, Jesus addresses seven churches in Asia Minor, today’s Turkey. Archaeology in modern Turkey has uncovered artifacts in the ruins of those ancient cities, including Sardis.

Sardis was one of the seven cities Jesus addressed, and archaeologists recently uncovered a statue of a young man with well-preserved details. The statue is more than seven feet tall and dates to the fifth century B.C. Because it was buried face down, the face’s details were preserved. Although the statue was carved 2,500 years ago, during the Roman period it was used as part of street paving, with its back and the back of its head serving as paving stones. Details of the clothing are visible, and he appears to be holding a fruit in his hand.

Sardis was once the capital of the Lydian Kingdom and later became an important city in the Persian Empire. In the first century, when Revelation was written, it was part of the Roman Empire known as Asia Minor. Sardis was home to a Christian church that Jesus addressed in Revelation 3:1-6.

Jesus told the church in Sardis that they had a reputation for being alive, but they were dead. He said, “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die.” He calls for them to obey and repent. Jesus reminded them that they did not know when He would come, but it was certain and would be like a thief taking them by surprise.

What would Jesus say to the Church today? He told the church in Sardis that a few people had not “soiled their clothes,” and they would walk with Him dressed in white. To those who overcome the world (are victorious in their faith), Jesus said He “will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and His angels.”

Today, when our faith in God is tested by things of the world, Jesus encourages us to have a victorious faith. No matter how bad things may seem, God is still in control.

Reference: foxnews.com

August 5, 2026August 4, 2026

The Courage to Help Someone in Need

Americans are a culture of cowards. We should have the courage to help someone in need. What do we feel when we see a homeless person, or someone on a street corner holding a cardboard sign that says, “Need Food”? Of course, some people make a business of begging and have no real need, but we cannot let that fact keep us from doing what Jesus called His followers to do.

Matthew 9:35-36 tells us: “Jesus went through all the towns and villages …healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” What is your reaction to needs? In Michael Clemen’s book Why Aren’t Christians More Like Jesus, he points out that real Christianity is doing what Jesus would do. James 2:14-26 points out that faith without compassion is useless (verse 20). Our faith must have feet. Going to a building where you sit in a pew once a week is not what being a Christian is about. Clemens calls that “Churchianity.”

Every person we read about in the Bible who was converted to Christ had the courage to help someone in need. In Acts 9, Dorcas was making garments for the needy. In Acts 16, Lydia opened her home for people who needed lodging, including Paul. Throughout the book of Acts, Barnabas was an encourager. Today, the opportunities for service include caring for people who can’t care for themselves, helping care for children, or getting groceries or medicine for a shut-in. If you have the skills, it might be maintaining or repairing a vehicle for someone who can’t afford it. It could even be visiting or using your phone to encourage someone who needs a friend.

A living, dynamic faith is a faith of action. Read James 2:14-26 and be like Christ. Jesus was not a wimp, and neither can His followers be.