The ultimate invasion of the Middle East by "Gog and Magog" is well known to most Biblically informed observers. The invading forces of Magog - recognized as referring to Russia by most authorities - are wiped out by "hailstones of fire" from the heavens, which also cause an earthquake felt around the world.

Continuing our series on the Dark Night of the Spirit, this period of confusion and darkness has often been described in a variety of emotional ways.

U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced recently that the country's energy problems were having a negative effect upon the U.S. economy. "This nation's last three recessions have all been tied to rising energy prices - and there is strong evidence the latest crisis is already having a negative effect," Abraham said.

The recent controversy between the U.S. and China over the emergency landing of an American surveillance plane on the island of Hainan has highlighted the strained relations between the two giants in recent years.

The interpretation of Scripture is called hermeneutics. Our approach to hermeneutics will always be influenced by our worldview, our own culture, and the presuppositions we bring to the task.

Agape [God's Love] is a new way of loving. It's a way of loving that is totally opposite from the way the world teaches and is probably completely opposite from the way you have been used to, even as a Christian. God's Agape Love is not just for women, nor is it just for married people.

For many, the Gospel according to "the Beloved Physician" is the most readable and complete account of the life of Christ. It gives us many features omitted by Matthew and Mark: 20 miracles, of which six are in no other Gospel; and 23 parables, 18 of which we find nowhere else.

The Second Epistle of John is among the most neglected books of the New Testament. It, like his third epistle, is simply a short personal letter from the Apostle. There is little doubt that the Apostle John was the author, but there are a number of conjectures as to whom it was written: someone called "the Elect Lady."

This month we celebrate Easter. Whoops! Why do we label our most holy holiday with its pagan obfuscation? It is at this time that we celebrate the very Gospel itself: "...how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; that He was buried; and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

In the late 19th century, Charles B. Huleatt, an Egyptologist, acquired three small fragments of papyrus that were unearthed in Upper Egypt and subsequently bequeathed them to his Alma Mater, Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1901.

The announcement of the completion of human genome mapping has brought some interesting - if not amusing and contradictory - responses from the scientific community about what the map tells us. These differences reveal the growing chasm in the scientific community over the subject of origins and the "end of science."

Last month we began a series of articles on the dark night of the spirit - what it is, how it differs from the dark night of the soul and what we must do to get through it.

Have you ever wished you could win a lottery? Or inherit a great fortune? We all have indulged in fantasies of one kind or another. And yet, we have already won an inheritance that is beyond our comprehension! An inheritance that transcends any quantitative measurement.

Once we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, regardless of how many mistakes, failures, or errors we make, God's love for us is unconditional and never-ending. There are no strings attached. He will never leave us.

In our series of articles on the current Biotech Revolution, certainly the most controversial area is that of "cloning," the common vernacular for nuclear transplant techniques. The British Parliament has recently approved laws to allow research using stem cells from human embryos to develop new medical treatments, overruling opposition from those who said it was a step toward human cloning.

The election of Ariel Sharon as prime minister of Israel has left everyone involved in Middle Eastern politics wondering what the future will bring - many fear that his very election will precipitate a war. It is no wonder that people are not sure what to expect;  Sharon himself is a man who projects conflicting images.

Presidential Election 2000 was unique in a number of ways: it was the closest presidential election in America's history; it was more than a month after the election before a winner was determined; and, the outcome rested in the hands of the judiciary rather than just those of the voters - all firsts.

Job was a wealthy person, and an inventory of his holdings is provided at the beginning of the book:

Over the last several months we have been exploring the dark night of the soul, and how God wants us to surrender everything in our lives that is unholy or unrighteous - anything that we put first other than Christ.

This tiny four-chapter romance has been venerated in college classes for its elegance as literature, but it also reveals a craftsmanship of prophetic anticipation unrivaled anywhere in Scripture.