New Chinese Translation. We now have an updated and modernized Mandarin Chinese translation of our International Video Series. If you are not familiar with our International Program, contact us, and we will explain it to you. Those of you who already have our Chinese translation may want to contact us about getting a copy of this updated version (translated by Jim Bell and his Chinese coworkers).

Special Price on Grand Canyon Book. Nils and Sherry Jansma have gone with us on several of our float trips down the Grand Canyon. Several years ago Sherry wrote a novel titled Journey Through a Jewel, which was a story about a skeptic's journey to faith while on the canyon trip and a romantic attachment as well. The publisher demanded typically high prices for the book, and we have offered it through our program for $11.00 which was our cost--it has been $16.95 in bookstores. The Jansmas have now gotten permission to sell the book at their own price, and we will sell it through our program at our new cost which will be $6.50, ppd. Like all of our materials, this book can be borrowed, but it is now available at this price from us.

Materials for the Visually Impaired. We would like to remind our readers that this journal is available free of charge to the blind on cassette. We also have copies of many of our books and booklets on cassette or CDs for those who are visually impaired. To be placed on our mailing list and/or to receive other materials, just send us your mailing address and tell us what you want. There is no cost for this service.

Comet Hit. In July, a space vehicle was slammed into a comet for the purpose of learning more about what comets are and what they may tell us about the creation. It is amazing that engineers can produce a collision like this, and data is trickling in from the hit and the analysis of the debris from the collision. Since comets come from outside the solar system in what is called the ort cloud, they are believed to contain a sample of the original material of what the solar system is composed. Data over the years added to our new data tells us that this material is rich in water, carbon, and other materials needed to make life. It appears that the collecting of materials to make the solar system was consciously done with an eye to having the right stuff to make life out of. Having the right material does not exclude the builder from having to use wisdom and design to shape it into the desired final product, but our understandings of the solar system and its design and structure are changing, and with it our appreciation of how much was involved in the preparation of our planet and of life on it.

Special Thanks to Lyle Lindholm. I have a lot of heroes who have done things to shape my life and make my ministry possible. One of those heroes is a man who lives in Nebraska who many years ago came to me and offered to set up a Does God Exist? site on the web. The doesgodexist.org site was prepared and maintained by Lyle Lindholm without pay, and he put up with our ineptitude in getting materials to him to put on the site, did trouble shooting on the site, and has solved the problems that the site has generated with great patience and talent. We are hopeful that we have become well enough educated in technology to do this ourselves, and hope to relieve Lyle of some of the hard work and tedious maintenance that he has given us through the years. Thank you, Lyle, for being such a great worker for the Lord and for using your talent selflessly and generously. You are one of our heroes, and what you have done has brought immense fruit for the Lord.

Jeremy Jinkerson Wins Does God Exist? Scholarship. Every six months the Does God Exist? program offers a $1,000 scholarship to an institution of higher learning for any young person who wishes to compete for it. The money for the scholarship does not come from donations, but is part of the estates of Edith Lawson (Phyllis Clayton's mother) and Constance Parsons (John Clayton's aunt.) Participants must be high school graduates and must write an essay on an assigned topic. The money is used to pay expenses for attendance at a reputable institution of higher learning. The June winner of our scholarship for 2005 was Jeremy Jinkerson, of Starke, Mississippi. Jeremy will be attending Freed-Hardeman College in Henderson, Tennessee, in September 2005. We offer him our congratulations and hope that we will have more participants in the months ahead. To participate just e-mail us (jncdge@aol.com) your address or send us a letter for an information sheet about the program.

Feathered Dinosaur Parade Continues. New discoveries of dinosaurs in China continue to make the news and are in about every popular science magazine on the newsstands. Some have imprints of what appear to be feathers. It is not possible to tell whether these are true feathers, feathery hair, or some kind of insulation not seen in modern living things, but it is interesting how much of this data is being gathered. What needs to be noted is that while this is a matter of considerable scientific interest, it has no application to the biblical account. The Bible tells us that there are "four kinds of flesh" (1 Corinthians 15:39, Genesis 1:20-26, Genesis 6, etc.). Those four kinds are fish, birds, beasts and man. Fish would include animals with scales and are cold blooded. Birds would include anything from a penguin to an eagle. Whether these dinosaurs were related to the reptiles or the birds is not a biblical issue, but it is fascinating to see how many different forms have existed in the past, and how beautifully designed they are for the world in which they lived--which was far different than ours.

Claims of Earth-Like Planets Exaggerated. The media continues to spew out material making claims about extra solar planets that are major exaggerations. There have been over 100 planets discovered orbiting other stars. The very nature of the observations means that seeing a truly "earth-like planet" is a virtual impossibility with our present technology and the distances involved. The smallest planet seen at this time of writing is roughly 12 times the size of the Earth, and virtually all of these planets have extremely elliptical orbits, swinging very close to their parent star and then going far away. When one is found that has an orbit that is not extremely elliptical or which seems to be smaller in size it is called "earth-like," but that is not the case. The diversity of these planets tells us even more about how unique our planet earth is, and while we expect to find more and more planets as our instruments get better, the greatest lesson will be that our planet home is special and needs to be cared for and appreciated as not a product of blind chance.

Back to Contents Does God Exist?, NovDec05.