This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast

Articles and Commentary

• The Magi Cometh - (Read)
• Gideons International Celebrates a Century of Ministry - (Read)
• Neanderthal Man and the King of Creation - (Read)

Important News Headlines

Memory Verse of the Week

The Hybrid Age by Tom Horn/Chuck Missler In recent years, astonishing technological developments have pushed the frontiers of humanity toward a far-reaching transformation that promises in the very near future to redefine what it means to be human. As a result, new modes of perception between things visible and invisible are expected to challenge the Church in ways that are unprecedented. The destiny of each individual—as well as the future of their family will depend on the knowledge of this new paradigm and their preparedness to face it head on Purchase Now → This offer will expire in 7 days.

THE MAGI COMETH - (Print)

While Christmas is over for many Americans, one more remembrance of Christ's birth remains. Epiphany celebrates the presentation of Christ to the world, first in his visit from the Magi and, in Eastern Orthodox traditions, his baptism.

In Latin communities across the Americas, children jump out of bed on the morning of January 6 to see what the Wise Men left for them. Epiphany - or Three Kings Day - celebrates the arrival of the wise men who gave the Christ child their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. While millions of children leave cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer, Hispanic children leave grass and water under their beds for the Three Kings' camels.

Bakeries in Hispanic neighborhoods work overtime baking up Roscas de Reyes (King Cakes). Inside these cakes, decorated with fruit and icing, are hidden miniatures of the Baby Jesus. The person who finds the little statue is supposed to take it to church on February 2 and throw a party.

Traditions
Most of what we associate with the "Magi" comes from early church traditions. People have assumed that there were three wise men since they brought three specific gifts. (The Biblical text doesn't number them.) The wise men are called "Magi," from the Latinized form of the Greek word magoi, transliterated from the Persian for a select sect of priests. (Our word "magic" comes from the same root.)

As the years passed, traditions became increasingly embellished. By the 3rd century, they were viewed as kings. By the 6th century they had names: Bithisarea, Melichior, and Gathaspa. Some even associated them with Shem, Ham and Japheth, the three sons of Noah, and thus with Asia, Africa, and Europe.

While the number of magi is in dispute, their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were prophetic of Christ's purposes. Gold speaks of His kingship; frankincense was a spice used in the priestly duties; and myrrh was an embalming ointment signifying His death. In the millennium, He will also receive the gifts of gold and incense, but no myrrh (Isaiah 60:6). His death was once and for all.

Theophany
Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany with another focus; Christ's baptism by John the Baptist. Epiphany, which means "to manifest" or "to show" in Greek, is often also called Theophany by the Eastern Church, because it is Christ's presentation to the world as the Son of God. As John the Baptist said:

"[H]e that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." -John 1:33-34

All these traditions and celebrations point to a very important truth - that the Son of God came to Earth. The Wise Men and the meek of the earth recognized and worshiped Him. May we continue to worship and serve Him every day of this new year, and present to the world the reality of His Life through our own.

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GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATES A CENTURY OF MINISTRY - (Print)

It's a familiar sight that you can depend on. If you are traveling and stop at a hotel or motel, you can find a Gideon's Bible in that drawer next to your bed. For 100 years now, the businessmen of Gideons International have been distributing Bibles in hotels, and through the years have expanded to hospitals, prisons and military bases.   One hundred years, and the ministry continues strong to this day.

Gideons International is a group of businessmen from many Protestant and Evangelical denominations who long to reach the world for Jesus Christ. Those who join the Gideons must affirm certain foundational beliefs - that:

• "The Bible is the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God"  and 
• "The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God."

By making Bibles readily available in major venues like hotels and hospitals, the Gideons offer access to a Bible at least some point in most people's lives.

The Gideons do not make the news very often; its members do not make a big show of their offerings. However, since a few traveling salesmen started leaving Bibles in hotel rooms for the benefit of themselves and others in 1908, the Gideons have distributed almost 1.5 billion scriptures. In 2008, the Gideons handed out nearly 76.9 million scriptures in over 80 languages in 187 countries.

Hotels and hospitals are not the only places people can find a Gideon's Bible. Military bases, prisons, and schools are also major distribution points. The Gideons love to focus on the youth, and colleges account for nearly one-half of all Bibles handed out by the Gideons in the United States. They not only distribute New Testaments at universities and junior colleges, technical colleges and business schools, but also give New Testaments out at grade schools. For the most part, they must stand in public areas outside of school grounds, but they regularly hand out thousands of New Testament books to children 10-years-old and older.

Testimonies come in regularly. According to the Associated Press:

Elliott Osowitt, 59, pastor at Faith Fellowship in Jefferson, N.C., said when he used to work in the tourism industry, the life he led "involved loose living and immorality." His wife eventually kicked him out of the house on Christmas Eve in 1996.

His daughter had also been sent to prison during that time, and Osowitt felt he'd failed as a father and husband. He was going to shoot himself in his motel room that night, but before he did, he saw a Gideon Bible lying on a television, he said…

"It caused me to stop. It caused me to cry. When I read it was Jesus, I had a hard time with it," said Osowitt, who converted from Judaism to Christianity and became a Southern Baptist minister.

"It literally began a process of healing that eventually led to the reconciliation with my entire family. I just thank God for saving me and the Gideons for being so faithful."

Praise God for the 100 years of service from the Gideons and for their hard, silent work that brings the message of salvation to countless millions.

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NEANDERTHAL MAN AND THE KING OF CREATION - (Print)

As we approach the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12, we also must face the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin.  The 150th anniversary of Darwin's On The Origin of Species also approaches in November.  In recognition of the terrific impact Darwin's theory of evolution has had on the world, we are printing articles that touch on the other side of the story.  In the December 23, 2008 eNews, we defined the word 'evolution'.  This week we'll scrutinize Neanderthal Man and see that even man's efforts to demonstrate humanity's evolution have ended in glory for God.

In 1856, the bones of an ancient human were discovered in a cave in the Neander Valley, east of Dusseldorf, Germany. The bones came to be called the "Neander Thal", (Neander Valley), Man.

During the 20^th century, the public was taught to view the Neanderthals as great hulking fellows, with hairy jutting jaws and drooping lips; the "cave" man, man's less-than-bright evolutionary cousin. Never mind that these ancient fellows owned skulls with brain cases, and therefore brains, larger than our own.

When the great pathologist Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902) considered the Neanderthal bones in 1872, he concluded that the Neanderthal first discovered in 1856 was a middle aged man with bad cases of arthritis and rickets (caused by a vitamin D deficiency due to lack of sunlight). After Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was published, the view that these bones came from an evolutionary ancestor distorted the objectivity of many scientists; the heavy-boned Neanderthal came to be thought of as a half-witted missing link between the apes and modern man.

As progressively more is known about these ancient humans, paleoanthropologists have worked to discern exactly how Neanderthals did fit into human history. Recent studies on mitochondrial DNA have claimed to show that Neanderthals, while closely related to modern humans, were not direct descendants. However, the Lake Mungo 3 skeleton found in Australia, an anatomically modern human, also has different mtDNA than humans today.  While the Neanderthal line of humanity may have died out, the evidence argues that they were very intelligent people.

Discoveries during more recent years have shed more light on the Neanderthals and their lives. Since the original discovery in the Neander Valley, more Neanderthal bones have been discovered across Europe and even in Israel. The Neanderthals possessed the hyoid bone, which is necessary for human speech. They have been found with tools and weapons, cave drawings, evidences of burial, and even a musical instrument. In fact, the finger holes of the Neanderthal flute found in Slovenia in 1995 were spaced according to the diatonic scale – do re me fa so la ti do – which argues that its maker possessed both intelligence and a musical ear. The Neanderthal image is having to be revamped as scientists realize that while they were thicker boned and more physically powerful than we are today, these humans were also intelligent, creative, and spiritually-aware people.

In fact, Dr. Jack Cuozzo, a New Jersey orthodontist who has studied several of the Neanderthal skulls firsthand, argues that based on his experience of studying bone growth, the Neanderthals may have simply lived extremely long lives - perhaps 400-500 years rather than our typical 80.

Ironically, the name Neander is a classical version of Neumann, which means "new man." Even more ironic is the way the "New Man" Valley received its name. In the mid 1600s, a young man named Joachin Neander settled in Dusseldorf, Germany as rector of the Latin school. While suspended from teaching during some disagreements with the Reformed church, he spent a great deal of time walking in the nearby river valley and writing hymns. Apparently, he spent so much time in that pleasant valley near Dusseldorf, it was later named for him. His hymns were published and some, like the following verse, are sung today.

Praise ye the Lord the Almighty, the King of Creation
Oh my soul praise him for he is thy health and salvation
All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near
Join me in glad adoration.

As scientists work to place the Neanderthals in their appropriate place in human history, the very name given these ancient humans brings to mind that other Neander Valley man who praised God as the Almighty – and perhaps the Neanderthal bones, even now, are bringing glory to the same King of Creation.

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Israeli President Tells Europe to Open Its Eyes - January 06, 2009
President Shimon Peres on Tuesday told a European Union delegation that the EU must deliver a clear message to Hamas not to use children as human shields. Many Palestinian children have been killed but very few Israeli children, Peres said. This was because Israel did not turn its children into human shields, he declared. "Your mission is not to win anything but peace," Peres told the EU delegation. The Jerusalem Post

VIDEO: The End of Wall Street - How It Happened - January 06, 2009
Journal reporters explain how easy money led to the collapse of Wall Street's biggest firms. The Wall Street Journal

Mom Sues School District Over 'Back to the Book' Classes - January 06, 2009
While a 1952 US Supreme Court ruling permits 'released time' religious instruction, the ACLU is alleging that since Huntington County's programs are housed in trailers on school property, they violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. WorldNetDaily

1,000 People Pray for Israel in Harlem - January 05, 2009
A church in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem included a special prayer for the people of Israel, the Israeli government and peace in its traditional Sunday prayer. About 1,000 people took part in a special prayer. The bishop, who visited Israel three times this year and was even in Sderot, invited Israel's Consul-General to New York Assi Shariv to attend the 10-minute prayer. YNet News

News Media Shows Slanted Facts About Gaza War - January 02, 2009
The Israelis are not only opening the war zone to convoys of medical supplies, they are opening their own hospitals to Palestinians in need. Interesting, however, that a communication from the Israeli Embassy indicated that many of the Palestinian children treated in Israeli hospitals were victims of Palestinian fired missiles. Koenig's International News

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Acts 17:11 KJV

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

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