“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you…”  Colossians 1:3

Hear that? Feel that? It’s the holiday season ready to pounce on us! In the midst of your Thanksgiving and Christmas preparations, can you spare a moment to send a warm holiday greeting to a soldier far from home? Here’s an easy link for sending an electronic greeting:  http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americasupportsyou/Message.aspx?SectionID=5

Perhaps a heart warming story about one of our military men or women is just what you need to help focus your prayers for those serving from our Woodside Bible Church campuses. You can check out the features at: http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/AmericaSupportsYou/index.aspx

You will find the Warriors Angel Military Ministry table in a new location. Look for us in the stairwell at the north entrance.

The week of November 17, 2008

Please pray for the spiritual well-being and safety of these members of the U.S. Armed Forces:

Peter Fuller
Michael Busa
Darren Green
Matthew Houston
Charles Lia
Kenneth Ostrolencki

A Special Prayer
.
Brett Taylor has deployed to Spain for seven months and Steven Tremper has returned to Iraq.. Please keep both in prayer while they are separated from their families. Alex Knapp, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, continues to face setbacks in his recovery. See his specific prayer needs at his CaringBridges Web site:  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/alexknapp1

CARE Packages Due Next Sunday, Nov. 23

Don’t forget to return your CARE package to the Warriors Angel Military Ministry table by Sunday, Nov. 23. It takes about a week to add the Psalm 91 books and special bandanas to the boxes, complete the customs forms for each box, label and haul them to the post office. We want to make the mailing deadline for APO and FPO addresses. Thanks so much on behalf of our military men and women. Note: The Veterans Day cell phone collection netted 24 phones. Again, thanks!

Adding a Name to the List

Do you know someone serving in the U.S. Armed Forces? It’s easy to add them to the WAMM prayer list and arrange for a Christmas box if they are stationed overseas. Please send the name, rank, branch of service and duty station (APO or FPO if deployed) of your loved one or friend, along with your name and contact information to:

Troy

Kinda Hupman at 248-670-1323 or mesnger4@aol.com or

Warren

Carolyn Kelmer at 586-758-4750 or carolynkelmer@woodsidebible.org

White Lake

Lin Miller at 248-698-1300 or linmiller@woodsidebible.org

Royal Oak

Karon Mathews at 586-917-0118 or khmathews@gmail.com

Scientific evidences from many fields dispute evolutionary timescales but cohere with Biblical chronology. Christians should accept the Biblical testimony at face value and reject contradictory scientific conclusions.

Astrogeophysicist Dr. John Eddy said at a 1978 symposium,

“There is no evidence based solely on solar observations that the Sun is 4.5-5 billion years old. I suspect that the Sun is 4.5 billion years old. However, given some new and unexpected results to the contrary, and some time for frantic recalculation and theoretical readjustment, I suspect that we could live with Bishop Ussher’s value for the age of the Earth and Sun. I don’t think we have much in the way of observational evidence in astronomy to conflict with that.”
(Geotimes, September 1978, p.18)

Dr. Eddy was at the time Solar Astronomer at the High Altitude Observatory at Boulder, Colorado.

Earth is only about 6,000 years old. This is the clear testimony of the Bible. Sound science confirms it.

This is the 45^th in a series of blog posts on the Age of the Earth. This is the concluding post in the series.
Read the prequel:
44. Age of the Earth—Population

©William T. Pelletier - Monday November 17, 2008 A.D.
BibleScienceGuy@WoodsideNews.org

For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
(Exodus 20:11)

Read more of the Bible-Science Guy blog.
See the Table of Contents for the Bible-Science Guy Blog.

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you…”  Colossians 1:3

Troops Become Citizens on Veterans Day in Afghanistan
By Army Spc. Scott Davis to American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan, Nov. 11, 2008 – This Veterans Day was like no other for 77 service members who took the oath of allegiance and officially became U.S. citizens while deployed to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.  Enjoy the rest of the story at:  http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51890

The week of November 10, 2008

Please pray for the spiritual well-being and safety of these members of the U.S. Armed Forces:

Family of Byron Fouty
Family of Joshua Brown
Jordan Flaga
Brandon Wellbaum
Joshua Peterson
Bryan Shank

A Special Prayer

PFC Alex Knapp of Shelby Township has suffered a setback in his recovery from serious injury in March. He has undergone more surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. You can read about him and leave messages at this Caring Bridges Web site:  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/alexknapp1

If you have problems accessing Alex’s Caring Bridges Web site, registering as a visitor can solve the problem:  http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/jrnlEmailNotif.do

Cell Phone Collection Ends Nov. 16

Twice we have emptied the collection bucket for “Cell Phones for Soldiers” and there is still time to donate that unused phone. If possible, provide its charger and manual. Sunday, Nov. 16 is the collection deadline. Ziplock bags are provided so phone and charger can be packaged together.

Remember to Return CARE Packages by Nov. 23

There are a dozen special flat rate, priority mail boxes left to be filled and returned by Sunday, Nov. 23, so stop by the Warriors Angel Military Ministry table in north entrance or the Coffee Cafe to pick one up. Each box comes with directions and a list of items that are popular with troops serving overseas.

Adding a Name to the List

Do you know someone serving in the U.S. Armed Forces? It’s easy to add them to the WAMM prayer list and arrange for a Christmas box if they are stationed overseas. Please send the name, rank, branch of service and duty station (APO or FPO if deployed) of your loved one or friend, along with your name and contact information to:

Troy

Kinda Hupman at 248-670-1323 or mesnger4@aol.com

Warren

Carolyn Kelmer at 586-758-4750 or carolynkelmer@woodsidebible.org

White Lake

Lin Miller at 248-698-1300 or linmiller@woodsidebible.org

Royal Oak

Karon Mathews at 586-917-0118 or khmathews@gmail.com

Nov. 16, 2008 – I just got back from an open house luncheon Sam and Carlene Brenize hosted at their home in Rochester for Akha John and his wife, Nutt. Sam and Carlene were the team leaders for a two-week missions trip about 30 of us from Woodside took to an orphanage in Thailand last February. Akha John and his team in Chiang Rai operate the orphanage with support from Woodside.

Most of the team members were there along with their spouses and children. It was a great time. The thing that struck me most, though, was how I have not seen many of these people for several months (some I had not seen since February) and yet it was as if we had seen each other only yesterday.

You would think we would sit around and reminisce about the great time we had in Thailand – but we actually did very little of that. Instead, we chatted about what has been happening in our lives now – how our families are, what we’ve been doing, what we hope to do, how the Lord is working – things like that.

I did get a chance to talk with Akha John. He said things were going well at the orphanage. Children were coming to know Jesus. Some were to be baptized, soon. Very exciting stuff. He also said he was enjoying his time in the U.S. and hoped to see some snow before he left next week (I believe the forecast says the weather will cooperate in that department).

Please pray for Akha John and Nutt and the important work they are doing in Thailand. Also pray for all of the short-term mission trips scheduled for next year – there are several. And if you have never been on such a trip – I would encourage you to consider going. It will change your life.

The long-awaited Global Impact Celebration weekend is finally here!  Already, I have met with missionaries, mission directors, our own Global Impact Missions team, Mano Daniel and his wife Sheila and Ahka John and his wife Nutt.  These are all servants of God and dedicated to doing His work around the world.  Mano and Ahka John will be sharing with us this weekend of their vision, needs and ministries in India and Thailand.  You will be moved and challenged as you hear what God is doing through these men and their ministries.  Please don’t miss the Short-term Missions Party on Saturday from 6:15 – 8:00 in the Troy Campus lobby.  You will have the opportunity to personally meet these dedicated servants and ask them any questions you may have.  Also, this weekend there is an emphasis on community service, so make sure to go by the display boards in the lobby to see where God can use you.

Please be in prayer for the family of Roger Blanchard who went to be with the Lord last week.  He is the father of Heidi Nichols and Scott Blanchard.  There will be a memorial service on Saturday at 2:00 PM at the Troy Campus.  Roger loved the Lord and wanted his life to count for eternity.

Would you also be praying for Carolyn’s family as her mother has been transferred into hospice care?  Her sister, Julie Enemark, one of our missionaries is coming home from Paraguay to be with the family.  Irene Erb is 78 years old and devoted to the Lord and her family.  We are praying for God’s gracious provision of a peaceful Home-going.

As a pastoral team we want to provide prayer support and help for our church family.  If you or someone you know is unemployed, between jobs or in a job with a very uncertain future, would you email us and let us know.  We would like to pray for you and perhaps even network with others who may have jobs available.  These are uncertain days and we want to do everything possible to support our church family.

Population experts say earth’s population in 1800 was one billion. Today it is 6.5 billion. Thus the average population doubling time over the last 200 years was about 75 years. Let’s be extremely conservative and say it takes 150 years for the population to double.

Then in 6,000 years there would be 40 doublings. Two people (Adam and Eve) would grow to 1.1 trillion, far greater than today’s population. But about 4,500 years ago Noah’s Flood drowned almost everyone. Noah’s 3 sons and their wives repopulated the earth. In 4500 years there would be 30 doublings, so those 6 people would grow to 6.4 billion.

Evolutionists claim the human species started 3 million years ago. For simplicity suppose it was only 150,000 years ago (far less than evolutionists claim). In that time there would be 1,000 doublings so 2 people would grow to more than 10 to the 301st power. This is a staggering number! It’s many trillions of times the number of atoms in the universe (whether scientists know this number is another topic).

Moreover, where are all those skeletons? Buried bones should last well over 200,000 years, so earth should be inundated with bones. Yet only a few thousand human fossil skeletons have been found.

Today’s population is easily reachable from Noah’s sons in 4,500 years. To think that humanity has been here even 150,000 years is simply ludicrous based on simple population arithmetic. Earth and humanity cannot be as old as evolutionists claim. There are not enough people for evolution to be true.

This is the 44^th in a series of blog posts on the Age of the Earth.
Read the prequel:
43. Age of the Earth—Earth’s Magnetic Field
Read the sequel:
45. Age of the Earth—How Old? - next week

©William T. Pelletier - Thursday November 13, 2008 A.D.
BibleScienceGuy@WoodsideNews.org

For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
(Exodus 20:11)

Read more of the Bible-Science Guy blog.
See the Table of Contents for the Bible-Science Guy Blog.

German mathematician Karl Gauss first measured earth’s magnetic field in 1835. Repeated measurements since show the field is decaying with a half-life of about 1400 years.

No evolutionary theory exists to explain both the present rapid decay of the field and how it could have existed for billions of years.

A sound creationist theory exists that accounts for all the observed phenomena. This model explains the source of the magnetic field as freely circulating electrical currents in the core of the earth.

Twenty thousand years ago, the magnetic field would have been so strong that the current necessary to generate it would have produced enough heat to melt the earth. Ten thousand years ago, the strength of the earth’s magnetic field would have been comparable to that of a magnetic star—a highly unlikely scenario. This places an upper limit of 10,000 years on the age of the earth.

The process clock assumptions seem quite reasonable for the magnetic field clock. What could affect the huge electrical currents circulating deep in the core of the earth that generate the magnetic field? This process is certainly as isolated from outside influence or contamination as any process known to man. Moreover, since the half-life is a function of the electrical resistance of earth’s core, it should remain constant. Finally, the limit placed on the initial size of the magnetic field seems unarguable. Earth’s magnetic field provides compelling scientific evidence for an earth well under 10,000 years old.

A major benefit of earth’s magnetic field is that it protects against damaging cosmic radiation by deflecting harmful rays. Prior to Noah’s Flood the magnetic field would have been over 10 times stronger than today. This no doubt significantly contributed to the Genesis patriarchs’ longevity.

This is the 43^rd in a series of blog posts on the Age of the Earth.
Read the prequel:
42. Age of the Earth—DNA
Read the sequel:
44. Age of the Earth—Population - next week

©William T. Pelletier - Thursday November 6, 2008 A.D.
BibleScienceGuy@WoodsideNews.org

For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
(Exodus 20:11)

Read more of the Bible-Science Guy blog.
See the Table of Contents for the Bible-Science Guy Blog.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

Michigan statistics show that 60% of the population is overweight. Several lifestyle factors contribute to this, but many of us are simply eating too much. One problem is that over the past few decades marketed portion sizes have increased. A report from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that many popular foods and beverages are now manufactured in sizes up to five times larger than when introduced. Portions for many foods now exceed federal recommended standards by as much as eight times.

Many people no longer know what a normal portion looks like. To regain perspective we must learn portion sizing. Some find measuring cups, spoons, and a food scale invaluable tools. Once you measure and weigh foods a few times you will recover a sense of normal portion sizes. For others who wish to simplify a helpful resource is http://www.theportionplate.com/. Here it is suggested that a luncheon-sized plate is used for meals that simply divides portions among the food groups. Half of the plate is for fruits and vegetables, 1/4 for meats, 1/4 for whole grains, while of course fats, oils and sweets are to be used sparingly. It also uses everyday objects to help us visually estimate portion sizes, such as a deck of cards to represent a serving of meat, or a baseball for a cup of vegetables. Portion control isn’t rocket science and is easily taught to children.

Also try these helpful tips:

When eating out remember that restaurant portions are usually double. Ask for a carry-out container to divide your food immediately when it comes to the table. Take half of it home for tomorrow’s lunch.

For dinners at home always portion servings onto plates at the stove and remember to marginalize the meat and highlight the vegetables. Keep leftovers out of sight.

When snacking, take a small portion then put the container away.

Right-sizing your portions will mean huge benefits to your health and your waistline.

What are you afraid of? Fear is a powerful motivator. Depending on what you do with your fear, it can either motivate you to change, challenge you to faith, or produce anxiety which will drive you crazy.

Fear can distort reality, especially when we focus on only part of the whole. One Bible story which illustrates this is found in II Kings 6:11-19. Elisha and his servant were trapped in a city by an army intent on destroying God’s prophet and his influence in the land. Elisha’s servant woke in a panic. Elisha then prayed for his eyes to be opened to the big picture of God’s army of horses and chariots of fire surrounding them. God reveals Himself as Jehovah-Sabbaoth, “The Lord of Hosts.”

As Christians, God wants us to open our eyes to the truth that we are surrounded with angels whom are at God’s command. They obey God and are His soldiers in the battle of the unseen world. Psalm 91:11 tells us that  “he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways….”

A remedy for fear is to pray, “Oh Lord, open my eyes.”  Ask God for a bigger picture so we can see the Lord God of Hosts making provision for safety and security in our lives. God’s purposes will stand.

Keep it simple,

Dorene

There are lots of great examples of outstanding leadership in the Bible. And then there are some examples of leaders who did some things we should avoid doing. Adam is a good example of the latter.

Obviously, Adam did a lot of thing wrong, and he got in a lot of trouble for it (although if we are honest with ourselves – we would have done the same thing). But one thing I’ve always noticed is how – when confronted about his errors – he blamed others and he blamed God.

When asked if he had eaten the forbidden fruit, Adam replied, “The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12)

Yes, Adam was blaming Eve but, more importantly, he is blaming God. “The woman you put here with me…” God put the woman there so Adam is stating that it’s really all God’s fault.

Now, I’m not going to get into the dynamics of what happened and why – you can read that for yourself in Genesis 3. But I do want to note the fact that when times get tough, some people tend to blame others or blame God – just like Adam. It may be about something they have done, as in the case of Adam, or things completely outside of their control – doesn’t matter – they blame God.

I find it much healthier to take a different approach. If you have done something wrong, go to God – admit your mistakes and ask His forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, He is faith and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. That doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences to your actions, but getting God’s forgiveness is a good place to start in dealing with the consequences.

I’ve also found that it does little good to blame God for those things that I can’t control. The Bible teaches that all things – even the difficult things – work for our good (Romans 8:28) Throughout the Bible, we see where God is with us, and He will take care of us.

Better to rest in that than blame others or blame God.