Dutchman's Noah's Ark opens doors

A half-sized replica of the biblical Noah's Ark has been built by a Dutch man, complete with model animals.

Dutch creationist Johan Huibers built the ark as testament to his literal belief in the Bible.

The ark, in the town of Schagen, is 150 cubits long - half the length of Noah's - and three storeys high. A cubit was about 45cm (18in) long.

The ark opened its doors on Saturday, after almost two years' construction, most of it by Mr Huiber himself.

'Past comprehension'

"The design is by my wife, Bianca," Mr Huibers said. "She didn't really want me to do this at all, but she said if you're going to anyway, it should look like this."

Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras and bison are included in the ark's interior.

The Bible's Book of Genesis says Noah kept seven pairs of most tamed animals and one breeding pair of all other creatures in the boat, which survived a catastrophic flood sent down by God to punish man.

Mr Huibers spent nearly two years building the ark

Mr Huibers, a contractor, built the ark out of cedar and pine - because Biblical scholars are still not sure as to which type of wood was used in the ark's construction.

He began building in May 2005, after he dreamed of the Netherlands being flooded.

"In February 1992, I had a dream that Holland will become flooded. The next day, I found a book about Noah's Ark in the local bookshop, and since then, my dream has been to build the ark," he said.

Visitors were stunned. "It's past comprehension," Mary Louise Starosciak told the Associated Press.

"I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big."

The ark includes a 50-seat theatre showing a segment of the Disney film Fantasia retelling the story of Noah's Ark.

US visitor Lois Poppema told AP she thought the Netherlands was the right place for an ark to be built: "Just a few weeks ago we saw Al Gore on television .. saying that all Holland will be flooded.

"I don't think the man who made this ever expected that global warning will become [such an important] issue - and suddenly having the ark would be meaningful in the middle of Holland."

Source: BBC News

Christians in North Korea Scalded With Molten Iron

I didn't know there were any Christians in North Korea. If Kim Jong Il gets his way, there won't be. Here's your weekend must-read, from World Magazine. Goes behind the firewall in a week or so, so get it while it's hot:

On both sides of the border, Dobbs heard horror stories from underground Christians about recent North Korean persecution. Executions and torture may occur in large part in North Korea's prison camp—the gulag holds an estimated 200,000 political prisoners—but they also happen in public. Dobbs gleaned one estimate that the regime kills 300 people a year for their faith. Other well-connected activists report arrests of Christians were higher last year than in 2005, with perhaps 50,000 believers languishing in prison.

Some examples of persecution that Dobbs learned about:

In one prison, a warden hung a Christian man upside down and ordered him to deny his beliefs. Eventually the warden stabbed at him and pushed him to the ground, ordering 6,000 prisoners to trample him to death.
Eight prisoners stayed silent when told to deny the existence of heaven, so an infuriated prison official ordered other inmates to pour molten iron over them.
Some reports say Christian prisoners are deliberately crippled so they cannot walk; others are left naked and so starved they eat the rats scampering in their prison cells raw.

On your way to your free church please notice how you are not being shot by the secret police, and please say a prayer for those who are.

Eleven-year-old Girl Comes to Diabetic Mom's Rescue, Stopping Her Out-of-control Van

Police called her quick thinking "nothing short of heroic."

AP Staff/AH (April 24th, 2007)

According to an AP report, yesterday, the courageous actions of 11-year-old Abigail Parker may have saved not only her own life, but also that of her mother and younger brother as well.

While driving on U.S. 31 south of Peru, Indiana, Abigail noticed her diabetic mother had begun to drive "erratically at about 80 mph," say police. Deborah Parker (36) had started having a diabetic reaction to low blood sugar.

That's when Abigail reportedly sprang into action, climbing from the van's rear seat up to the front, and onto her mother's lap. She successfully stopped the vehicle at least partially off the road, called 911, and kept her 8-year-old brother calm while she waited for help to arrive.

Source: FOXNews.com

Evel Knievel's Salvation Testimony Spurs Spontaneous Baptisms at Crystal Cathedral—500 to 800 Commitments & Rededications on Palm Sunday

"I just got on my knees and prayed that God would put His arms around me and never, ever, ever let me go."

Brad A. Greenberg/AH (April 19th, 2007)

One man's life touches so many others. We've heard that message conveyed countless times, from the movie, It's a Wonderful Life, to messages from the pulpit. And yet it's still a wonder when you see God change one heart which, in turn, affects hundreds of others.

That probably wasn't even a passing thought this past March, however, when the Lord suddenly broke into the life of famous motorcycle daredevil, Robert "Evel" Knievel. He knew that there were Believers who were actively praying for his salvation—he cites his daughter, ex-wife and their churches, along with the "hundreds" of letters Knievel had received urging him to trust God—but for 68 years, he had resisted calling on Jesus Christ as Savior.

According to an article in Christianity Today, (CT) sometime during Daytona Bike Week last month, Knievel's resistance finally gave way to belief. "I don't know what in the world happened. I don't know if it was the power of the prayer or God himself, but...the power of God in Jesus just grabbed me. All of a sudden, I just believed in Jesus Christ. I did, I believed in him! ...I rose up in bed and, I was by myself, and I said, 'Devil, you...get away from me. I cast you out of my life.' I just got on my knees and prayed that God would put His arms around me and never, ever, ever let me go." (Photo: Rev. Robert H. Schuller with Knievel on Palm Sunday—Courtesy of Crystal Cathedral)

One thing apparently led to another, and after a visit by Rev. Robert Schuller, who baptized Knievel, he eventually found himself giving his testimony at the Crystal Cathedral on Palm Sunday.

According to the CT report, Rev. Schuller (who took over last year for his retired father) could see from the people's reactions to Knievel's testimony that this would be no ordinary service. Deviating from the normal script, and transition into the offering, Schuller went up front and said, "I believe there is somebody who needs to be baptized here. Maybe up on that balcony or by that door or by that wall. So come forward." (Photo: Knievel is baptized—courtesy of Crystal Cathedral)

Then Schuller, with the help of four other pastors and a "candy dish" of water, walked from person to person who had moved to the front, crying while baptizing them and going on to the next one. The spontaneous response went on for 30 minutes, and then continued in the next service. In all, between 500 to 800 people were estimated to have made first time, or recommitments to the Lord.

After undergoing some difficult times of late, the church had reportedly been praying for the congregation and the community, though not necessarily for revival. Schuller candidly adds, "Our congregation and church keeps saying, 'Okay, where do we go from here?' I'm not exactly sure. But I think the Holy Spirit will assist me in the doing the right thing."

The Palm Sunday service, featuring Evel Knievel's testimony and the mass baptisms, will be re-aired this week, on April 22nd.

To read the full CT article, follow the link below.

Source: Christianity Today