EVIDENCE FOR NOAHS ARK AND THE FLOOD IN 2006

Almost every civilization has a flood story. A family is saved and God destroys the earth with a flood. The family saves all of every kind of animal and enters the ark before the flood.
Even the babylonian era had a flood story before Moses wrote the penetuch.
The archeological evidence in the sediment has always supported a possible event as catastrophic as the flood and scientists of both sides of the fence believers or nonbelievers in the absolute facts of scripture cant dismiss the events of the flood.
Then came the expedition of the black sea by Robert Ballard. Robert Ballard is most widely known as the man who discovered the Titanic remains. He devotes his life to sea and ocean exhibitions and in 1999 and 2000 set off the try to prove or disprove the ecsistence of Noahs ark. What they found was asstounding.

Going off of a theory that the ocean floor had been lower before the flood in the area where Noah was said to have lived was the exploration. Ballard had heard of the theory that the ocean was significantly lower during Noahs era and that a flood would put the ocean levels much higher than before.
During the search they found an ocean floor in the black sea nearly 500 feet lower than today. Artifacts on this floor of the ocean were examined and radio-carbon dating was performed. Then the answer. The material was dated around the 5500 bc to 7000 bc era which is exactly the time of the Noahs flood account and the creation of the things on the earth.

Amazingly even today discoverys are being made over and over that prove the word of God. It seems even our own planet is trying to tell us something. Even the rocks are crying out to us there is a God and he is our God.

WHY JESUS SAID TO FORGIVE 70 X 7

MATTHEW 18:21-35 21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Peter asks Jesus how many times to forgive his brother and Jesus strangely says not 7 times but 70 X 7.
Its easy to just read on and not take a moment of pause to examine why Jesus said this but when you do you get a valuable lesson.
Jesus all over the gospels quoted from the old testament to acknowledge its fulfillment or to give us understanding on something he said. He does the same here.
Peter here is getting a lesson from Christ.
First, Jesus is saying that forgiveness should be merciful. By continuing to forgive shows mercy and a love from God. This is the way Christ forgives us as well. Hes teaching Peter this principle of mercy.
Second, hes letting Peter know there is a time when forgiveness is not given.
There is only one other place the word talks about 70 X 7 and that is the prophecy of Daniel.
In Daniels prophecy the jews are given a time line for when there old covenant would end and a new covenant would be put into place. Jesus is the implementer of the new covenant. While Jesus was speaking to Peter they were in the final week of that covenant. The final week began when Jesus was anointed at the baptism and his ministry began. Daniel 9:27 says and he will confirm the covenant with many for one week. Confirm meant that he would complete or fulfill the previous promise of the new covenant. When the angel stated it was to many, he was talking about all who would believe in Jesus. The word many is used in the old testament to describe the group that believes in Christ. This is the many who the covenant is being confirmed to. In the middle of the last 7 years Jesus would die on the cross and end the sacrifices and oblations in Gods eyes. They were of no value or use ever again.
For the next half of the week or 7 years the Apostles would only share the gospel to the jews. Remember the Jews are who the promised new covenant was made to; Daniels people.
At the end of the 490 year prophecy the gospel was then sent to the samaritans and gentiles which confirmed the covenant was now put into place. Remember the main theme of the new covenant promised to Israel was that the world, jews and gentiles, would be a part of and flock to the Messiah. The Spirit of God would govern the people in this new covenant and they would be Gods people and he would be their God.
Now lets go back and examine the scriptures that Jesus is speaking to Peter.
Peter said how many times to forgive my brother. Peters brother was a jew and this was Jesus' point to Peter. It was two-fold. To be merciful to his brother by continuously forgiving and that his people also had this same mercy bestowed to them by God giving them 490 more years. God had been merciful to the jews.
Then he speaks of a parable. This is the explaination that backs up what is being told to Peter that it is not always forgiveness when we sin. There is a stopping point and a time for Gods judgement. Here is the lesson in the parable.
First, the king (representing Jesus) forgives the man with all the debt because he was poor and could never repay back the debt. This is a lesson to us of how God has forgiven us who could never pay back or erase our sin to him. When the man worships the king, the king pardons him. Jesus does the same for us.
Second, the man then goes and asks for money from someone who owes him. Its a small amount but the man is not merciful to the debtor when he pleads with him and punishes him. Then the king returns and punishes him for not forgiving the man who owed him. Because of his unwillingness to be merciful he was not granted mercy. Jesus is warning us here that we should forgive those who asks for forgiveness or else we will be accountable for our own sin.

Because they didnt accept the new covenant being given to them by Christ, the jews as a nation were now under this same judgement. Those who do not accept Jesus as the anointed one and mediator of the new covenant will one day stand before him in judgement and be judged for their own works and debts to God in which no man can escape or stand against. This is Gods warning and teaching to Peter here. Hes acknowledging how to be a merciful forgiver and that he is the mediator of the new covenant.

Zechariah 8:3,7-8 WE WILL DWELL IN JERUSALEM WITH THE LORD

I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.
Behold I will save my people from the east and from the west;
And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. Zechariah 8:3,7-8

The promise is this. We will dwell in Jerusalem one day with him and he will be our God.
When is he talking of the fulfillment of this? Paul acknowledged this was the church, the body of Christ to the Corinthians. Jesus said his people were from the east and west and they would sit with him and Isaac and Jacob at the table in the kingdom.
This as we are told is present in the Spirit and future in Gods kingdom after our physical death.

The apostles saw the Jerusalem of God in heaven where Jesus now reigns. We are part of a heavenly Jerusalem , the city of the living God the writer of Hebrews proclaimed.
Paul said we are part of the free Jerusalem from above. The Jerusalem in the earth is full of sin and was laid desolate after rejecting the new covenant when Christ came. Jesus told us this as he wept over the city and foretold their impending coming doom due to it.
In Gods eyes we are now part of the heavenly Jerusalem and one day we all will be gathered to it in a new body and will come down in it to the new earth created for all the saints to dwell with Jesus forever (Revelations 21).

The Jerusalem from above is the city of truth because its holy and without sin. Its Gods home and our future home as well. Praise God today for the promise of our new home in which to him, we already belong.

Zechariah 6:12-13 THE BRANCH BUILDS THE TEMPLE

Behold, the man whos name is the BRANCH; he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord; Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the council of peace shall be between them both. Zechariah 6:12-13

The Branch builds his own temple and reigns in it as priest. Does it get any clearer than this. Isnt it amazing how prophecys are so clear. Only God could have told a man this revelation.
Jesus would come, the branch of God. He chooses us. We are his temple. As he chooses his followers his temple is built. He choses the pieces and builds his perfect temple. He makes no mistakes. Just as we pick out the pieces of stone or brick to build our homes as we see fit so does he.

He is the glory of it. Yes he is. The Spirit of God that makes us whole is the good part. He gets all the credit and all the glory for what is being done. He does all the work in us, through us, and for us. He is the builder and the materials that makes the temple glorious.

He rules on his throne and reigns in his temple. One of the main points we should not ever forget as part of his temple is that he is the one that reigns in it. He is the head of this church. He is the ruler that carrys out the building of his temple. He is the King of it.

He is the priest of the throne. Only a pure priest can sit in the temple on the throne and he fulfills this role. He lived a sinless life and died as the sacrifice for our iniquitys and earned the right to reign for us. He is forever our priest.
Its his temple and his throne. AMEN. Praise God today that you are part of his temple by his grace.

Zechariah 4:6 IT IS DONE BY HIS SPIRIT

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah 4:6

It is Gods Spirit that births a man into a new life. One immortal. It is Gods way of accomplishing his tasks. It is the power he uses to get his purposes done. It is himself. The Spirit of God is the greatest thing you will ever come in the presence of. By him only can you acknowledge the true God and fellowship with him. By him alone can you walk as God in his ways. Only by you letting his Spirit do it for you can we be who God wants us to be. Immitators of him. His likeness.
His Spirit in us produces the only beautiful reflection that can be produced; his own.
Praise God today for his Spirit that saved you, supplys you, and will guide you home.
Through the Spirit David acknowledged this, "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."
The Spirit of God is the souls satisfier and only his Spirit. He made it this way.

Zechariah 3:8-10 A BRANCH BRINGS FORGIVENESS

For behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua, upon one stone shall be seven eyes;
behold I will engrave the engraving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the
iniquity of that land in one day.
In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree. Zechariah 3:8-10

Jeremiah 31:33-34 speaks of this as the new covenant to Israel. Everyone who is under the vine, who is in Christ the true vine, is your neighbor.
Jesus is the branch who in one day on Calvarys hill took away all iniquity. It was not just covered anymore like the lambs blood, but forever taken away by God. He engraved it into himself. He bore our iniquity. He was the branch of God who provided the vine of security for us.
Praise God today that we are protected by the vine that flows in us.

Zechariah 2:10-11 A PROMISED MESSIAH

For lo I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord.
And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day and shall be my people;
and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent
me unto thee. Zechariah 2:10-11

For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Corinthians 6:16

Zechariah gave many warnings to the Israelites about their fathers failing God but gave them a promise to look forward to. That he would dwell amongst his people. Even though they have always failed him and been the fruitless vine, he would visit and dwell with and in his people.
He also gives us hope here as gentiles. The nations would come to the Lord. Wow! Could you imagine being a jew hearing this prophecy that God would come and be the God for all people.
Then it happened. He came. At pentecost God poured out his Spirit to dwell in and with man and that anyone who will can come to him. The prophecy of Zechariah was fulfilled.
Paul, after the Spirit came, was responsible to explain this to us and to the Corinthians by proclaiming to them, "You are the temple of God". Did you here those words. We are his dwelling place. Let that sink into your thoughts today. Meditate on this and realize you are a treasure to God. His temple.