Gopher Wood

Gen 6:14  Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 

What is Gopher wood? According the the Concordance, it is Cypress wood. A boat must be water resistant and free from rot, does Cypress wood meet the criteria?  I went to a wood data base; wood-database .com for the answers. I chose the Mediterranean Cypress as the probable species. Here are the data for this wood.

Rot Resistance: Rated as durable; mixed resistance to insect attack.

Common Uses: Utility lumber, fence posts, musical instruments (flamenco guitars), furniture, boatbuilding, and turned objects.

Workability: Overall easy to work with hand and machine tools, though areas around knots can be problematic. Reportedly difficult to steam bend. Glues, stains, and finishes well.

If the Ark were as a box then the wood would work, but if it was to be bent, it would not be a good choice.  In college woodworking class I had a project to make; a window seat. The original was to be of mahogany, but I chose to use Black Walnut. The wood required bending, so it was placed in a wood steamer, looking like a large water heater with a door.  I tried to bend the wood into the shape needed for the project, but it repeatedly would break.  So because the Mediterranean Cyprus could not be steam bent, it may still have been in some curved form, as often depicted. What does the Bible say about it's shape?

Gen 6:15  And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 

Gen 6:16  A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 

Sounds like it was in the shape of a box.

Comments: Mediterranean Cypress is a long-lived tree, with a lifespan over 1,000 years; one specimen in Iran is estimated to be roughly 4,000 years old.

The wood was caulked with tar.  I could imagine that someday this ark may finally be found because of the durability of its structure.

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The Gospel

The word gospel in the Bible is from two similar Greek words in which we get the term "evangelist." An evangelist is a person who preaches the good news. The gospel is the good news, the glad tidings. Jesus spoke the gospel of the kingdom. He will return to earth to establish his kingdom. The people in the kingdom will have their sins forgiven because of the good news that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that he is risen and at the right hand of God the Father. Basically the gospel is in two parts. The gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mat 9:35  And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

Mar 1:15  and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 

Mar 10:29  Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 
Mar 10:30  who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 

Mar 10:31  But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” 

Jesus himself is the good news for all people who will receive him.  His coming is the gospel, the good news that by repenting, turning from our wicked ways and by coming to him our sins are forgiven. The events of his life are the gospel, our good news. Paul explains the gospel:

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 
Rom 1:17  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 

1Co 15:1  Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 
1Co 15:2  and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 
1Co 15:3  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 
1Co 15:4  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 
1Co 15:5  and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 
1Co 15:6  Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 
1Co 15:7  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 
1Co 15:8  Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 

No fake news here. Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom and then we are to preach that he accomplished the way for us, through his sinless life and death, burial and resurrection. Through him we receive entrance to his kingdom and eternal life.

Eaglewings Ministries

The Way of Life

At the beginning of our online ministry there were not many Bible study materials. Now there are an abundance of reference sources for the Bible. There are many ministries available online and recently we who gather in our Chat Room are sharing daily devotions from various ministries. There are many places to drink the water of God's word. His word is true and it is living. Over and over I read in the devotions that we are to hear from God and to do what he says. In a born again believer is the Holy Spirit who guides us in all truth.

John 3:1  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 
John 3:2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 
John 3:3  Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 
John 3:4  Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 
John 3:5  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 
John 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 
John 3:7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 
John 3:8  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 

Jesus explained that there is a natural man, born of water and then there is a spiritual man, born of the Spirit of God. He continues to explain the way to receive the spirit; it is by receiving Jesus as our savior from our sins. Whosoever believes in him, their sins are forgiven and they become children of God forever. 

John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 
John 3:17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 
John 3:18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 
John 3:19  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 
John 3:20  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 
John 3:21  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” 

Dear reader, do not fear to come to God. He has offered his only begotten son to pay the price for your sins. Receive Jesus as your savior and ask for the Holy Spirit to fill your heart, making it new. Then you will walk in the light of God's presence and truth. You have everything to gain and he will never leave you nor forsake you. Pray now to allow Jesus to save you. Confess your sins, he will forgive them and you will enter into  God's kingdom forever. Life is hard alone, with Jesus we are never alone. There now, I have shared what is on my heart.

Eaglewings Ministries

Urgency

Exo 13:21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

My desire was to be in a business doing something that I enjoyed doing.  I had decided that photography was something that I very much enjoyed. It was a way of stopping time, to capture a view of life and to look at the beauty through my eyes and to share it with others.  In time I had a desire to purchase a building for a photo studio.  I went to my pastor and asked him his opinion of purchasing a building in an old section of a nearby town. He said, " what have you to gain and what have you to lose?" I would go forward by faith; it was 1981. It was a terrible time to buy for the interest rates were 18%.  The Lord did bless us and we eventually paid off the balance of what we owed. A reputation was built from doing something I enjoyed. Once the building was purchased I shifted attention to the AOL chats. I witnessed in the chats and because this was the beginning of people getting online, I talked to thousands in the chat rooms. Hundreds gave their hearts to Jesus, some with great miracles. I was dedicated to witnessing online.

Things changed. My beloved wife Faye began having health problems and the business closed in 2013.  Faye went to Jesus in 2017. The chat rooms stopped when AOL was sold. The roof of the business leaked and things remained static until the roof was finally fixed. Now there is a rumor that the city may condemn the buildings because of California code changes. It is time to gather up anything of value before things end.  Suddenly there is an urgency to get things in order. Whatever happens I will do what I can. The Lord has been with me throughout the years and he will provide. 
It used to be that owning a business building was a wise investment. Things do change. We keep moving as we see the Lord leading us.

Luk 12:33  Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 
Luk 12:34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

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