One can’t help but to be in awe when thinking about the accomplishments of man. From the building of the pyramids, to putting a man on the moon, man has done some incredible things. Just a few days ago, man did it again and sent four astronauts to circumnavigate the moon. NASA said, “Today, for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, humans have departed Earth orbit. Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy now are on a precise trajectory toward the Moon.” In doing so they traveled “248,655 miles from earth, surpassing the record for human spaceflight’s farthest distance previously set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. At its farthest point, crew inside the Orion spacecraft will have traveled about 252,756 miles, before looping back toward our home planet, setting the new record for human spaceflight.” It does seem amazing that they already did this over 50 years ago and not only did they fly by the moon, but they also landed on the moon in 1969. One writer said, “The program culminated in 1972 with Apollo 17. It cost roughly $257 billion in 2020 dollars and employed 400,000 Americans at its peak. In total, Apollo astronauts returned 382 kilograms of lunar rocks, core samples, and regolith from the lunar surface. The samples showed the Moon is a lifeless world that formed roughly 4.5 billion years ago, experienced catastrophic change 3.8 billion years ago, and has been relatively (though not completely) inactive since. Its rocks are chemically related to Earth, supporting the theory that the Moon was created when another large world impacted early Earth.” “The launch of Artemis II, NASA’s crewed lunar flyby, will cost about $4.1 billion. The entire program is expected to exceed $100 billion by the time astronauts are scheduled to step on the lunar surface once again in 2028.”
The bravery of these men and women is astounding although “Artemis II pilot Victor Glover stated, "There are no atheists on top of rockets." Even knowing that at any point during the mission their lives could instantly end, they still commit to the mission with everything they have. They all know what can happen if something goes wrong. As I watched the lift-off, their journey to the moon and their return to earth, I could not comprehend the knowledge and wisdom required to put all this together. One person said, “‘Today, your cell phone has more computer power than all of NASA back in 1969, when it placed two astronauts on the moon’” “What’s often not known is that all the early rocket experiments and later missions to the moon and beyond wouldn’t have been possible without a team at JPL known as the human “computers.” Most of these human computers were women who either had degrees in mathematics or were simply very good at mathematics. Over the course of time, these women not only performed hundreds of thousands of mathematical calculations crucial to the U.S. space program, but also eventually became some of the first computer programmers at NASA.” I myself missed the math chip and still count out the months of the year on my fingers.
I do admit that I have not followed space exploration very closely, but I do love to look at the moon in all its glory. It is always amazing when the moon shines bright and it appears to almost be daytime. The strange thing is that when you look from earth and the moon lights up the night, it is so beautiful, but when you get as close to the moon as the astronauts do, it really is quite ugly and desolate up close. What I find amazing is that once they are at the moon, they comment about how amazing and beautiful the earth is. Commander Reid Wiseman said, “Before you launch, it feels like it’s the greatest dream on earth, and when you’re out there, you just want to get back to your families and your friends,” Wiseman said. “It’s a special thing to be a human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth.” Some of the pictures they took are truly amazing, but Apollo 8 beat them to it with the famous picture called Earthrise. “Taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard.” Not only was this an amazing picture, but this is also the crew that read the creation story from space on Christmas Eve. I even saw a stamp with the Earthrise picture and the words “In the beginning God.” “Nothing contributed more to this quality than the astronauts’ inspired choice to close their Christmas Eve television broadcast by reading the opening verses from the Book of Genesis. The reading served as a benediction, consecrating the endeavor of space exploration and projecting a sense of optimism and renewal to a global audience. According to a telegram from one grateful viewer, the mission “saved” 1968.”
In 1968 there was the Vietnam war, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was also assassinated. Today the world is in chaos, and the chaos is largely enhanced due to one man named Trump, who just happens to be the most powerful man in the world. What I find interesting about the Artemis mission, in light of Trump’s horrible views, racism and actions he has taken, there is a woman, a black man and a Canadian on board and not only that you have the European Space Agency heavily involved. “At the heart of this historic mission is ESA’s European Service Module, which provides the Orion spacecraft and its crew with life support, power and propulsion, enabling safe human travel beyond Earth orbit.” Seems kind of ironic with all the chaos Trump is creating with his allies and people within his own country. This mission took place over Easter and Glover said, “Easter Sunday, whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in God or not is “an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing, and that we’ve got to get through this together.”
The word believe in God is crucial and it really isn’t a matter of saying God is not for me. Yes, Glover was speaking to the world and no not everyone believes in God, but in the end, everyone will stand before God, whether they believed in Him or not. Glover had said about no atheists sitting on rockets which came from there are no atheists in foxholes. That is not completely true as a true atheist will lay on their deathbed and curse God. For most, they say they believe in God but how they live their lives suggests they do not need Him. Their view of the earth is far too close to see what these astronauts see and respond, “In the beginning God.”
As I said I have not given space exploration much thought and I am definitely not a fan of all the space fiction movies there are. There is an estimated 8.3 billion people on this earth and we just saw what it took just to send four people with the hopes of eventually landing. “Artemis II is just the first step toward the goal of establishing a permanent base on the moon and eventually sending astronauts to Mars, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said on Monday. William Shatner sums up space exploration the best. He eloquently said, "Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before!" This is what NASA states. “At NASA, we explore the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all, creating new opportunities and inspiring the world through discovery. NASA’s exploration vision is anchored in providing value for humanity by answering some of the most fundamental questions: Why are we here? How did it all begin? Are we all alone? What comes next? And, as an addendum to that: How can we make our lives better? NASA was created more than half a century ago to begin answering some of these questions. Since then, space exploration has been one of the most unifying, borderless human endeavors to date. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the International Space Station, and two dozen countries have signed the Artemis Accords, signaling their commitment to shared values for long-term human exploration and research at the Moon. Through space exploration, we gain a new perspective to study Earth and the solar system. We advance new technologies that improve our daily lives, and we inspire a new generation of artists, thinkers, tinkerers, engineers, and scientists.” It hasn’t always been international since there was a space race with Russia for many years.
So, in a nutshell, they want to know if there is other life out there and how did all this come to be? It really is amazing that with all the knowledge they possess they foolish reject God. Basically, what they are telling you is we reject the bible as a source of truth. If you recall from the quote at the beginning, they said, “The samples showed the Moon is a lifeless world that formed roughly 4.5 billion years ago, experienced catastrophic change 3.8 billion years ago, and has been relatively (though not completely) inactive since. Its rocks are chemically related to Earth, supporting the theory that the Moon was created when another large world impacted early Earth.” Now obviously if you are a Christian this should be total nonsense to you, but if a particle is your god, then more power to you. Sadly, many Christians do accept their findings as truth. Those who believe in theories like the Big Bang Theory, have to believe that the particles have always been, thus the god particle. In order to have the big boom, you have to have items to go boom and the theory does not explain that. Many also spend their whole lives looking for the Theory of Everything, when God, the theory of everything, is right before them but they refuse to accept Him. The words Jeremiah spoke to the people also apply here. Jeremiah 8:9 “Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have?” Psalm 53:1 “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
What really got me thinking about all this, and as I said I have not paid attention, is the name Artemis given to these new missions. Originally, we had Apollo and now Artemis. I think we just take for granted that the days of the week are named after Greek gods and the planets are too. “The Romans adopted the planets of the Greeks and simply changed their names to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.” So, it should not come as a surprise that the missions into space would be named after the gods. They looked to the sky and rejected the God who created them. Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Greek mythology is a rejection of God as are any other gods that are worshipped. Deuteronomy 5:7 “You shall have no other gods before me.” In Greek mythology, Artemis and Apollo are twins. “Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Her twin brother is Apollo. She is the lady of the wild things. She is the huntsman of the gods. She is the protector of the young. Like Apollo she hunts with silver arrows. She became associated with the moon.” “Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is Artemis. He is the god of music, playing a golden lyre. The Archer, far shooting with a silver bow. The god of healing who taught man medicine. The god of light. The god of truth, who cannot speak a lie.” NASA states “Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the Moon in Greek mythology. Now, she personifies our path to the Moon as the name of NASA’s efforts to return astronauts and a new wave of science payloads and technology demonstrations to the lunar surface.” And they say the bible is hard to believe. And they continue in the rejection of God. This rejection is amazing because if you go on NASA’s site, they have everything celestial timed down to seconds as to when a solar or lunar eclipse happens, or the sun rises and sets. Meanwhile they continue to try to figure out the universe but reject the creator.
So what is in a name? In this case a lot. It signifies the complete rejection of the God who created the universe they are set on exploring. Isaiah 40:21 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” Jeremiah 27:4 “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: 5 With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please.”
Yes, space exploration is amazing, but as it is now, this earth has places that are uninhabitable where there is a lack of fresh water, toxicity and extreme climate, plus the earth is mostly covered with water and it doesn’t take a rocket to get here. My point is with all the money spent in space, why not take care of the earth or if you so desperately want to live somewhere uninhabitable and die quickly if there is a problem, there are plenty of places here on the planet earth. But that is not what they are looking for as they want answers about how it’s made and who’s out there and possibly another place to live and destroy. Yes, I understand the space race was with the Russians at one point, and it seemed to be a matter of national security. The “Sputnik moment in 1957 shocked the American public, spurring the creation of NASA and a generational push for scientific and technological advancement.” Humans are also doing their best to destroy the only planet we have and now with space exploration, they are polluting the rest. Between satellites and debris, there is so much out they that they have to track it. NASA says “There are currently millions of tiny objects (between 1 millimeter and 10 centimeters, or just under 4 inches) in LEO. (low earth orbit)” And now Elon Musk wants to add more garbage to space. “On Jan. 30, 2026, SpaceX filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to launch up to 1 million satellites for a mega constellation of orbital data centers.”
The rejection of God simply means you do not believe what the bible states. If you claim you do not believe in God that is understandable and you have that choice, but you are still accountable. But if you do say you do believe in God, you cannot believe what the scientists are saying who clearly do not believe in God. Too many Christians simply do not believe these very powerful words in the bible that change how you see everything and have accepted the words of man. We must remember that satan is still deceiving with the words “did God really say?” God did say, Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 2:1 “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” People say they believe in God, but struggle with the six-day creation. Ponder this! Some people say they believe God spoke everything into existence, yet they have a hard time believing God created in six days? The reality is that God who spoke didn’t need six days but that was His plan. If you cannot believe these words in Genesis, then you will also not believe John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The God we serve created the universe and you do not have to explain it, but you had better believe it if you call yourself a Christian. If someone wants to argue about the big boom, boom, don’t waste your time. Believing in the beginning God created the universe in six days is by faith. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” If you cannot accept God created in six days by faith, you will have to start deleting verses. Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.” Exodus 31:17 “It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” I had to take an intro course one time for a church and the guy teaching suggested that it really wasn’t six days. That shows instantly their level of faith and belief. On Sunday I talked about healing and your understanding of God also effects your belief in healing and miracles. If you cannot accept “In the beginning God created in six days”, you will not be able to accept Jesus either. I think that’s why I like the Jewish Calendar. This is year 5786. As opposed to this. “The Earth is estimated to be 4.54 billion years old, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1% (roughly 50 million years).” They even struggle with the exact dating in Egyptology, yet they want you to believe they have pinpointed the beginning of the world down to billions.
I will be honest, I have not always understood the importance of the moon in our lives. Though when we did not catch any fish one time, someone told me it was because of the moon. I liked that excuse as fishing and I do not get along. There are some amazing promises in the bible. No not the one about casting their net on the other side of the boat. I think most in the church grew up with the promise that if there was a rainbow, God would never destroy the earth again as He did with the flood. Rainbows are so amazing, but they are a reminder to God. Genesis 9:15 “I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Another promise has to do with the moon. In the past, what I did not realize was that every time you looked at the beauty of the moon, there was a huge promise from God. This was a promise to David that God would never break. Jeremiah 31:35 “This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is his name: 36 “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.” Jeremiah 33:19 “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’” Even though the church has been decimated, we have hope because of this promise. You do not have to be in a space capsule to give glory to God and say in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, just believe God’s word and bow before Him with your life. When you look at the sun and moon setting and rising, know that God is the creator of all things and you will not give your praise to another as these people did. Romans 1:25 “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” Deuteronomy 32:5 “They are corrupt and not his children; to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation. 6 Is this the way you repay the Lord, you foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?”
Instead, Deuteronomy 32:3 “I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! 4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” Isaiah 40:28 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” Isaiah 42:5 “This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. 8 “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
It really is hard to believe how the church has turned away from our Creator to worship what our hands have made. This would be a good time to say, Hosea 14:1 “Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! 2 Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. 3 Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made.” Yes, Nasa is secular and their goal is to find out how the universe was created, but for those who call themselves Christians, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” is all you need. Plus, if you believe those words you will have no problem believing the power that was made available to the church at Pentecost. The God we serve created the universe and everything in it. When God created the world, that is how old it is. So when God created the mountains, though they appear to be old, they were born the moment God created them. We must believe that the God who created the mountains can also move them, and not symbolically as most people believe. Here are two different scenarios where Jesus said this. Matthew 21:18 “Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 17:14 “When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Most people will respond have you ever seen this or has it ever happened and they do not believe. They then change God actually moving mountains to hardships that are removed, thus minimalizing the power of God. But believing that God at any time can give power to take a mountain and throw it into the sea, is the faith of a mustard seed and with that kind of faith, the faith that God created everything, it doesn’t take much. Luke 17:6 “He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” Then you will believe Jesus, even though most people do not, when He said John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
Believing “In the beginning God” changes everything. Make sure you really do believe. Even though man appears to have incredible knowledge, Psalm 146:1 “Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul. 2 I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. 6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. 7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, 8 the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. 10 The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord.”
