Man Builds Noah's Ark (exact scale given in Bible)

Working Replica of Noah's Ark Opened In SCHAGEN, Netherlands . The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was opened the first crowd of curious townsfolk to behold the wonder.Of course,it's only a replica of the biblical Ark , built by Dutch Creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.The ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-storyhouse. Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold. A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar andpine. Biblical Scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been. Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help from his son Roy.Construction began in May 2005. On the uncovered top deck - not quite ready in time for the opening - will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats, and one camel.Visitors on the first day were stunned. "It's past comprehension", said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw the ark looming over the local landscape. "I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big". There is enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater where kids can watch a video that tells the story of Noah and his ark. Huibers, a Christian man, said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands, where church going has fallendramatically in the past 50 years. Now that I am old and gray...give me the time to tell this new generation (and their children too) about all your mighty miracles. Psalm 71:18

NASA PROVES THE BIBLE IS TRUE

For all you scientists out there and for all the students who have had a hard time convincing these people regarding the truth of the Bible - here's something that illustrates God's awesome creation and shows He is still in control.

Did you know that NASA's space programmes are busy proving that was has been called 'myth' in the Bible is true? Mr. Harold Hill, President of the Curtis engine Company in Baltimore, and a consultant in the space programmes, relates the following incident: "One of the most amazing things that God has for us today happened recently to our astronauts and space scientists at Green Belt, Maryland. They were checking out the positions of the sun, moon and planets out in space where they would be 100, and 1000 years from now. We have to know this as we do not want a satellite to collide with any of these in its orbits. We have to lay out the orbits in terms of the life of the satellite and where the planets will be so the whole project will not bog down.

Computer measurements and data were run back and forth over the centuries when suddenly it came to a halt, displaying a red signal, which meant that either there was something wrong with the information fed into it, or with the results as compared to the standards. They called in the service department to check it out, and the technicians asked what was wrong. The scientists had discovered that somewhere in space in elapsed time a day was missing. Nobody seemed able to come up with a solution to the problem.

Finally one of the team, a Christian, said: "You know, when I was still in Sunday school, they spoke about the sun standing still." While his colleagues didn't believe him, they did not have an answer either, so they said: "Show us." He got a Bible and opened it at the book of Joshua where they found a pretty ridiculous statement for any one with 'common sense'. There they read about the Lord saying to Joshua: "Fear them not, I have delivered them into thy hand; there shall not be a man of them stand before thee." (Joshua 10:8). Joshua was concerned because the enemy had surrounded him, and if darkness fell, they would overpower him. So Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun stand still! That's right - "And the sun stood still and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is this not written in the book of Ja'-sher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and hastened not to go down about a whole day." (Joshua 10:13).

The astronauts and scientists said: "There is the missing day!" They checked the computers going back into the time it was written and found it, but it was not close enough. The elapsed time that was missing back in Joshua's day was 23 hours and 20 minutes - not a whole day. They read the Bible again and there it was: "about (approximately) a day." These little words in the Bible were important, but they were still in trouble, because another 40 minutes were still unaccounted for, and this could mean trouble 1000 years from now. Forty minutes had to be found because it can be multiplied many times over in orbits. As the Christian employee thought about it, he remembered somewhere in the Bible which said the sun went backwards.

The scientists told him he was out of his mind, but once again they opened the Book and read these words in 2 Kings. Hezekiah, on his deathbed, was visited by the prophet, Isaiah, who told him he was not going to die. Hezekiah asked for some sign as proof. Isaiah said: "Shall the sun go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?" And Hezekiah answered: "It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; nay, but let the shadow return backwards ten degrees." And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz." (2 Kings 20:9 -11). Ten degrees is exactly 40 minutes! Twenty-three hours and twenty minutes in Joshua, plus 40 minutes in 2 Kings accounted for the missing day in the universe!

INTRODUCTION

MINUTES BEFORE THE MILITARY ATTACK

THE LAST DAYS BEFORE THE RELEASE

SAYING GOODBYE TO CALLIE

CELEBRATING CALLIE'S RELEASE

MADIBA AND THE STRYDOM FAMILY

It has been three weeks since we were violently ripped away from our paradise holiday to the unforgiving jungles of the Southern Philippines and the conditions have deteriorated beyond our worst fears. During these weeks we were subject to little food and water, very few hours of sleep, continuous propaganda and the constant fear of loosing our lives. We have experienced the lows of feeling forgotten by the world and God and the highs when we got a plate of rice (which we had to share between the 21 of us) or seeing a reporter who could be the bearer of good news. We also came face to face with death when the two supposed “rescue attacks” by Philippine military made us running for our lives.

The sound of bullets screaming past our running bodies, cutting through the jungle foliage in front of us and the harrowing experience of trying to escape the incoming mortars, left deep emotional scars and fears. But it was also an experience that altered the way we thought and that brought many new realisations. In these moments we could only hold on to God for strength and courage and guidance. In these moments we realised that a human life is worth nothing to another, that life is cheap, that life can be over in an instant, that we are all destined to die one day and that no one of us had the power to change this. We also realised that there is a God who cares, who hears and who is in charge.

During the last attack, hostages and rebels alike became the hunted. We all had to face death. Whilst flattening myself into the jungle mud to get away from the incoming mortars, I looked up into the eyes of the 18year old rebel who was lying face to face with me. All I could see was a great fear. In that moment I realised that we were all human, that we all feared death. But for me there was grace. I closed my eyes and shared my terrifying fear with God, told Him that I did not want to die, that I still wanted a baby. But also realising that I cannot escape death, I placed my life and destiny in His hands. I was filled with a great peace. The peace of knowing that I do not fear death anymore and the expectation of knowing that I will be with Him soon. I opened my eyes and once again looked into the eyes of the young rebel, stretched wide open with terror and I felt a deep sorrow. How sad it must be to fight for a cause and belief and then not to have any certainty when your time is there….

These attacks were only the beginning of a race between life and death. The Philippine military pursued us like you would hunt down wild animals. They would track us during day time, when we would be hiding out in trenches and battered huts. We would use the cover of night to get away from them as far as possible. The ten to twelve hours hikes up steep hills, down muddy slopes and through dark rivers, left us emotionally and physically exhausted.

This finally stopped a few days ago, when we ended up in rebel camp, high up in a mountain, which location made it impossible for the military to get close to us without losing many men. We are now desperate, it has been nearly a week since we had our last bath in a river. The food is scares and the only source of water is a dripping rock, where you have to stand for hours to collect the water drops on a leaf…

A few days ago the two of us started a prayer group. It is only Aida and Marie who have joined. It is amazing on how similar our prayer requests were. “Please God, set us free”. “God, please help with our release”. “Please God, I want to go home”. Getting more and more urgent by the day. Until Callie stopped us one day, “We are praying for the wrong things. We should stop praying for ourselves and start praying for the poor children in Basilan. They need our prayers much more. They saw their friends being killed, at least we are all still alive”. The reporters who got to our camp in the first week told us about these kids (between the ages of 10 and 14) who were kidnapped the Abu Sayyaf. During an unsuccessful “rescue” operation by the Philippine military, some of the children were killed. We also heard rumours that their teachers were beheaded. Callie was right, they needed our prayers much more than we needed it….

So for the last two days, we have been praying for them. We have set our own needs, our own fears and our own requests aside to pray for their protection, for their safekeeping, for God to step in and secure their freedom. We have suddenly found a mission, a goal and in doing that we have forgotten about our own pain and suffering. We have realised that the challenges we had to face, was not half as bad as what they had to face. We realised that in trusting their fate to God, who are also handing ours over to Him. If He could do a miracle for them, then He would surely not forget us and that He would make things better for us!

It happened today. Just after noon a French reporter, with the help of some rebels, managed to get to our camp. She told us that the Abu Sayyaf will be starting with the release of some of the Basilan hostages. We all silently shouted of joy. Our prayers where heard!

Her next sentence made us realise that not only our prayers where heard, but also our unspoken wishes – the military has been instructed to back away from us and the negotiations for our freedom was about to start…