Daily Devotional – December 25

Biblical Accuracy

The Old Testament has hundreds of specific prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. These prophecies were spoken of hundreds of years prior to his birth. Here are but a few:

No ordinary book would have hundreds of prophecies fulfilled. This is God’s method of validating that the Bible was inspired for our benefit by the One who made time. Therefore He knows the future. The Bible is truly the inspired word of God!

[Jesus Christ] has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations…

~ Romans 16:26 (NKJV )

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – December 4

Biblical Accuracy

Tracing the DNA lineage of all humans back to an original source has revealed that all humans originally came from a single woman and single man.1 This is no surprise to Christians, who were told this thousands of years ago in the first chapters of the Bible. It has just taken modern science 6000 years to catch up with what God has told us in the Bible. But we have also traced the lineage of other creatures. For instance, DNA testing has now revealed that all living goats, are descended from five original female goats and all living sheep are descended from three or four original females. Why multiple pairs and not one original goat or sheep pair? Once again, the Bible provides the answer.

Noah was told to take seven pairs of each type of “clean” animal on board the ark. Some of these animals were subsequently used for sacrifice. All the sheep and goats in the world today have descended from the remaining animals. The DNA test results exactly match what would be expected if the Bible and the worldwide Flood are accurate. God’s word is always true!

Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female…And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

~ Genesis 7:2a & 8:20

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

Daily Devotional – November 13

Biblical Accuracy

Have you considered our genetic code? Genetic scientists can now track genetic mistakes on the human genome. They are finding that each generation is adding genetic mistakes, not getting better. The genetic code is rapidly deteriorating; there is an increasing incident of birth defects. With such rapid deterioration of the human genome, evolutionists can hardly believe that humans exist! That’s because they assume that humans have been around for some 100,000 years (some say millions). Yet, humans do exist and are not extinct. This can only mean that humans have not been around as long as evolutionists assume.

The biblical view that humans have been around for about 6,000 years, with only 200 or so generations since Adam and Eve. This agrees with what we see in science and observations of the rapidly deteriorating the human genome. Human DNA currently contains over 5000 mistakes leading to various genetic diseases. Adam and Eve were created perfect. Their children married brothers and sisters. It was not until the time of Moses that God prohibited the marriage between close relatives. God saw that this was necessary to minimize offspring becoming deformed. Our genetic code is deteriorating - not improving. How old is the Earth and its creatures? When we examine the genetic code, it says we live in a young Earth, just as God tells us in the Bible.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

~ Romans 8:22

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – October 31

Biblical Accuracy

According to biblical chronology, Joseph was sold into slavery and taken to Egypt about 3700 years ago (Genesis 39:1, 2). Joseph was eventually elevated to rule the country under Pharaoh (Gen. 41). Nine years later, Jacob and his family came to Egypt, (Gen. 47:9), and some of his members were appointed to prominent positions in the government (Gen. 47:6). The Israelites were located in the Land of Goshen, and they “grew and multiplied exceedingly” (Gen. 47:27). Some time after Joseph’s death (Gen. 50:26), the Israelites continued to multiply, “and the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7). This alarmed the then reigning pharaoh who conscripted them into slavery. “They set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Ramses” (Ex. 1:11). About 3550 years ago, Moses was born and adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh. Forty years later Moses showed his allegiance to his own people by murdering an Egyptian who was mistreating an Israelite and was obliged to flee (Ex. 2). After forty years in exile, he returned to lead the Israelites out of bondage to the Promised Land. There followed the ten plagues, the destruction of the Egyptian army, (Ex. 14:26), and the death of Pharaoh (Psalm 136:15). This happened about 3450 years ago (1 Kings 6:1).

These events cannot be satisfactorily synchronized with the traditionally held dates of Egyptian history. The 18th dynasty (1550 - 1298 BC) is supposed to have occurred from about 3300 - 3600 years ago. This was the most powerful, most affluent dynasty that ever ruled the land of Egypt. During this dynasty there is no record of mass slavery, no trace of Israelite occupation, and no indication of disasters of the magnitude of the ten recorded plagues/the loss of the powerful Egyptian army/ loss of the pharaoh. The 18th dynasty is also the best recorded dynasty that ever ruled in Egypt. Every king is known and both monuments and papyri provide a clear picture of the history of this dynasty. If there was an Exodus during this dynasty there should be some indication of it, but there isn’t. Either the biblical record is wrong, or there is something wrong with the standard Egyptian timeline. The latter turns out to be the case, but it is so ingrained in Egyptology that it will take decades for that truth to be acknowledged.

Here is Egyptian archeologists have found. During the 12th Dynasty (assumed to be 3960 - 3991 years ago), the Old Egyptian Kingdom shows evidence that the land of Goshen was filled with large numbers of people from the land of Canaan (i.e. Israelites). One of the pharaohs (Sesostris I) is known to have had a vizier (first in command after him) whose powers were similar to those granted to Joseph. Moses would have been born under another ruler (Amenemhet III) whose daughter had no children and would have adopted Moses. Moses confronted yet another pharaoh (Neferhotep I) 80 years later. This ruler’s body was never found and the land of Egypt descended into utter desolation as the Old Kingdom ended. It was not until the rise of the 18th Dynasty that the New Kingdom began, many generations after the time of Moses and the Exodus. If the dates for the 18th Dynasty are merely shifted 300 years forward, the Biblical and Egyptian Chronologies line up perfectly.

Shortly after the Rosetta stone was translated in the late 1800s, several thousand years were lopped off the “standard Egyptian chronology”. The same is likely to happen again as approximately 300 years are lopped off the current “standard Egyptian chronology” and experts eventually realize the Bible’s timeline and history for the nation of Egypt is absolutely accurate.

Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.

~ Genesis 47:1

And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may know what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

~ Romans 12:2

“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of All Mighty God, to obey his will, and to be grateful for His benefits.” – George Washington (1732-1799), 1st President of the United States

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – October 24

Biblical Accuracy

Was the Flood mentioned in Scripture local or worldwide? Let’s take a look:

1. The most common Hebrew word for the description of the Flood is the Hebrew word for “all or every”. Here are a few examples (emphasis added):

• “ALL flesh had become corrupted upon the earth” (Gen. 6:12) • “the end of ALL flesh is before me” (Gen. 6:13)
• “ I will bring a flood upon the earth to destroy ALL flesh (that has the breath of life under heaven) …EVERYTHING that is upon the earth shall die” (Gen. 6:17) • “EVERY living thing of ALL flesh (shall come two by two onto the ark)…” (Gen. 6:19)
• “EVERY living substance I have made I will destroy off of the FACE OF THE EARTH” (Gen. 7:4)
• “ALL the fountains of the great deep broke open” (Gen. 7:11) • “EVERY beast…ALL the cattle…EVERY creeping thing…EVERY bird of EVERY kind (wherein is the breath of life)…two by two went onto the ark” (Gen. 7:14,15)
• “the waters prevailed exceedingly and ALL the high hills, UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN, were covered” (Gen. 7:19)
• “15 cubits (about 24 feet) ABOVE THE HIGH MOUNTAINS the water prevailed” (Gen. 7:20)
• ALL flesh dies…ALL whose nostrils were the breath of life…ALL that was in the dry land…” (Gen. 7:21,22)

2. The ark was large enough to hold two (in some cases seven) of every known kind of land animal that had the breath of life in its nostrils. Without getting into all the math, the 16,000-plus animals would have occupied much less than half the space in the Ark.
3. Noah stayed on the ark for almost 5 months AFTER it had landed. This allowed the land to dry and plants to root so that the released animals had the best chance of survival in order to repopulate the Earth.
4. God promised that, “all flesh would never again be cut off by the waters of a flood; neither shall there be any more a flood to destroy the earth” (Genesis 9:11). Yet, there have been thousands of floods destroying large areas of the Earth. Either God is a liar, or the Flood of Noah was global.

The primary reason for misinterpreting Genesis 6-9 as “a local flood” is an attempt to gain credibility with modern geological thought (which needs huge time periods within the Earth’s rock layers to explain life without God). It is long overdue that Christian colleges, theologians, and pastors see the damage done by the distortion and disregard of God’s Word in this area. God’s words are always true.

Thou coveredst [the Earth] with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

~ Psalm 104:6, 9

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – October 15

Biblical Accuracy

Babylon was both an empire and one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. The Bible proclaims more than 100 prophecies concerning this city. One prophecy states that she will never be rebuilt. Today, Babylon is still in ruins, a mound of rubble haunted by jackals, vipers and scorpions. But let’s consider two specific prophecies about Babylon that are seemingly contradictory. Jeremiah 51:42 states, “The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof” while Jeremiah 51:43 states that Babylon will become, “a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness.” How could Babylon be both covered with water and be a dry desolate desert?

In 1811, an archeologist named Claudius James Rich wrote a book titled Narrative of a Journey to the Site of Babylon, in which he made the following observation, “For the space of two months throughout the year the ruins of Babylon are inundated by the annual overflowing of the Euphrates so as to render many parts inaccessible by converting the valleys into morasses.” After the water subsides, the site becomes a dry, parched desert. Both prophecies are true! Babylon is both covered with waves and a dry desolate ruin that has never been rebuilt. God gave us more than 2,000 prophecies in order that we may believe His promises. His one great future promise is “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16b), and “he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36b). God’s word is true, and it will come to pass.

Thy word is true from the beginning:

~ Psalm 119:160

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – September 30

Biblical Accuracy

There are more than 100 specific prophecies concerning Babylon. Three thousand years ago, ancient Babylon had magnificent hanging gardens with outer walls rising 200 feet tall and 187 feet thick, with regularly spaced towers 300 feet high defending the city! These walls enclosed an area of 196 square miles. By comparison, the Great Wall of China is much longer, but it is not nearly as tall or strong. The ancient historian Herodotus wrote that the fields around Babylon were so fertile he hesitated to write about them lest people think him insane. In Jeremiah 51:58, 62, God made a specific prediction concerning this massive fortress of the ancient world, “The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken…It shall be desolate forever.”

Today, Babylon is a trackless wasteland containing huge mounds of rubble. Nothing grows there. Not even a blade of grass survives in this barren desert. Babylon lies in total ruin. The area can best be described as “totally desolate.” Over 2300 years ago, the mighty Alexander the Great decided he would rebuild Babylon. He determined that this would be a great spot for the capital of his mighty empire. He issued supplies to his soldiers to rebuild Babylon, but immediately after declaring his decision to rebuild Babylon, Alexander the Great was struck dead. A coincidence? God stated that Babylon would never be rebuilt, and what God declares, happens!

...thy word is truth.

~ John 17:17b

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

~ Colossians 1:16-17

“[Evolution] is not only deceptive, but it threatens to be mischievous in a high degree…In all its bearing upon scriptural truth, the evolutionary theory is in direct opposition to it. If God’s Word is true, evolution is a lie. I will not mince the matter, this is not the time for soft speaking.” - Charles Spurgeon, 19th Century evangelist and pastor, from his sermon, ‘Hideous Discovery’, July 25, 1886.

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – September 12

Biblical Accuracy

Under a thick ice sheet in Greenland, scientists discovered a new “Grand Canyon.” Using airborne radar to see through the two mile thick ice sheets, scientists discovered a huge canyon, similar to the Grand Canyon, that is located in Arizona. This hidden Greenland canyon is about half as deep (2,600 feet deep) but twice as long (almost 600 miles) as the Grand Canyon.

Greenland’s canyon begins in the middle of the country and continues northward to the sea; it is the world’s longest canyon. Scientists were surprised to find the canyon with “the distinctive V-shaped walls” because this means it must be a river valley and not a U-shaped glacier carved valley. The valley must have been carved prior to Greenland being covered with ice. If we put on our biblical glasses, we will understand exactly how this valley was formed. During the closing stages of the global Flood, the fast-moving, sediment-filled, high-energy runoff waters carved canyons at many locations around the world. This happened as the yearlong Flood waters drained off the continents, about 4400 years ago, carving out canyons in the newly-formed land masses. Later, tiny rivers flowed at the bottom of these huge canyons, or in the case of Greenland, a huge canyon to be later covered by miles of ice.

Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

~ 2 Peter 3:6

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – August 11

Biblical Accuracy

Dr. Duane Gish, author of Dinosaurs by Design, documents a few of more than 270 stories from various cultures around the world that talk about a devastating worldwide flood. Here are just a few examples:

• Hawaii – Long after the death of the first man, Kuniuhonna, the world became a wicked, terrible place to live. There was one good man left; his name was Nu-u. He made a great canoe with a house on it and filled it with animals. The waters came up over all the Earth and killed all the people. Only Nu-u and his family were saved.
• China – Fuhi is considered the “father of their civilization,” Fuhi, his wife, three sons, and three daughters escaped a great flood. He and his family were the only people left alive on Earth. After the great flood, they repopulated the Earth.
• Babylonia – Ancient documents list 10 great kings that lived before a great flood came to destroy the Earth. One man survived this flood, and all people on Earth descended from this one man.
• Toltec – The Toltec Indians of Mexico tell of a “first world” that lasted for 1716 years before a great flood covered even the highest mountains. A few men escaped this flood in a “closed chest.” Following the flood, the men built a great tower to provide safety. Their languages, however, were confused and they wandered to other parts of the world.
• Genesis- God sent a worldwide Flood to judge the sinfulness of man. One righteous family of eight was saved by building a boat and bringing animals on board. At the end of the Flood, the boat rested on top of a high mountain. They came down from the mountain and repopulated the world.

All of the 270 cultural stories have similarities to the Genesis Flood account described in the Bible because they all came from the same original source – people’s knowledge of this real event. The stories just became distorted over time.

And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

~ Genesis 8:18-19

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – July 18

Biblical Accuracy

Did you realize that North American alligator almost went extinct in the 1960s? In response to this situation, alligators were put on the endangered species list in 1967. But this alone did not help in saving them as their numbers continued to decrease. Then an interesting plan was set in place – alligator farms! Alligator farmers started going out into the wild to collect alligator eggs. They raised these gators in captivity for two years and promised to return 20% of the adults back into the wild. The remaining 80% were sold for hides and meat. The result, alligator meat and hides became less expensive – making poaching unprofitable.

The alligator population has increased to such an extent, today that today they are off the endangered species list. God has called us to manage and care for His Earth, and He created mankind in His image – with the creativity to do just that. Who would have thought of saving alligators through farming?

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

~ Genesis 1:28

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.