CostumeVersettes

F1. Aaron [priestly garments/accessories, jeweled breastplate, staff]
Num 18:7 "But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift" . . .
[ Aaron was the brother of Moses. He helped Moses with the leadership duties of the Israelites. However, there was grumbling amongst the tribes regarding who should be in charge. So God told Moses to put a staff from each of the tribes in the tabernacle. God made Aaron’s staff sprout, bud, blossom and even produce almonds. This was a sign from God to show that Aaron and his sons were chosen to receive the gift of the priesthood.
Priests of ancient Israel were privileged to serve in the tabernacle and, later, in the temple. Although both of the previous temples in Jerusalem were destroyed, the Jewish people have plans to build a new temple on that same site. Although there seems to be some disagreement on where the actual site is, some believe that the temple can be rebuilt without disturbing the nearby Muslim Dome of the Rock.1
Selected Jewish men are currently training to serve in the temple, while craftsmen are creating the sacred temple articles (Heb 9:1-2) and making the priestly robes.2
Because we know the temple is mentioned in Bible prophecies (e.g., Dan 9:27, 11:31, 12:11; Mat 24:15-18), we know that this is another sign that we are close to Christ's Second Coming.
Rev 11:1-2

[Note: For a virtual tour of the Temple Mount or for more information on the planned temple, pictures of the temple vessels, pictures of the priestly garments and more, see http://www.templeinstitute.org/ ]

An Extra Lesson: The Ark of the Covenant
The first temple also housed the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place (the Holy of Holies). This very powerful, sacred object has played an important part in Israel’s history (Ex 25:10-11, Heb 9:3-5). Also known as the Ark of the Testimony, this sacred chest of gold and acacia wood contained the two stone tablets of the covenant (the Ten Commandments), the gold jar of manna and Aaron's staff that had budded. When the Ark was not kept in the temple (or, previously, the tabernacle), it was carried by the Israelites on their journeys and into battle. A meeting place with the Lord (Ex 25:22) and a sort of earthly throne of God (2 Sam 6:2), the Ark has helped the Israelites win many wars in the past.
There are interesting indications that King Solomon may have had a copy made of the real Ark of the Covenant for one of his sons. Some people believe that the copy is hidden in a chamber or tunnel under the temple grounds and that the original is guarded day and night in a church in Ethiopia. Others believe that the real Ark is under the temple grounds. Some believe that Jeremiah hid the Ark in a cave. Still others believe that the Israelis have it in a secret place. Author/researcher Grant Jeffrey suggests that the Ark may help the Israelis win the coming Gog/Magog war prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39, specifically pointing to the term "my glory" (Ezek 39:21-22) as a likely reference to the Ark.
Regardless of where it currently is, many believe that the original Ark will indeed show up in Israel at an appropriate time in the future.3

1 Hal Lindsey, The Rapture (Toronto: Bantam, 1983) 150.
2 Grant R. Jeffrey, Unveiling Mysteries of the Bible (Toronto: Frontier Research Publications, 2002) 71.
3 Jeffrey 83-101.

F2. Abraham and Sarah [both old and gray, Abraham with long beard and cane; Sarah holding babydoll; against night sky full of stars, standing on sandy seashore]
Gen 17:17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"
[ When Abram was about 75 years old, he and his wife, Sarai, moved (Gen 12:1-5). The Lord had told him, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." God made special promises to Abraham and his descendants. The Lord solemnly pledged to be their God and to give them the whole land of Canaan as an everlasting possession.
When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord told him that he and his wife would have a son in about one year. The Lord also changed their names to Abraham (father of many) and Sarah (princess), telling them nations and kings would come from them. At first both Abraham and Sarah found it very hard to believe--even funny--that the Lord claimed He would give them a child at their age. However, the Lord convinced them that nothing was too hard for Him to do (Gen 18:14). The next year, just as God promised, 90-year-old Sarah gave birth to Isaac! Isaac grew up to be the father of Esau and Jacob. Jacob’s 12 sons were the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel.
The world has indeed been greatly blessed through the Israelites. God chose them to provide the human part of the ancestry of Jesus Christ and to record His word. Abraham had showed that he had faith in God to do the impossible and God counted him righteous for it. The Bible tells us, too, that when we have faith, we are blessed right "along with Abraham, the man of faith."]
Heb 11:11
Gen 22:17-18
Gal 3:9

F3. Adam and Eve [clothes of sewn together fig leaves; bitten apple on ground; forked-tongue, wicked, evil-eyed smiling snake on tree limb in background]
Gen 3:4-5 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
[ What was Satan’s first great lie to mankind? It happened in the Garden of Eden. Satan convinced Eve that if she disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit, that she would become like God and also increase in knowledge. Instead, when both Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, it brought sin into the world and great misery to all mankind.
Unfortunately, many people are still falling for that same old lie that we can become like God. Satan is a very skillful and convincing liar. Lying is Satan’s "native language" (John 8:44), so this serpent speaks with the ultimate "forked tongue."
Additionally, some people involved in false religions believe that man is in a state of evolution. They believe that through some sort of change, godhood is the next step for "worthy" men�.."worthy" by their false standards, that is. This is just like Satan’s same old "you will be like god" lie.
Remember what the Bible says. Be wise. Recognize the oldest lie around and refuse to fall for it!]
[Notes:
(1) Why did God say that if Adam ate the forbidden fruit he would die that very day, yet he lived to be 930 years old? What’s the explanation? Remember, in the Lord’s eyes a "thousand years are like a day" (Gen 5:5, Ps 90:4). (See also the Methuselah costume page.)
(2) Where did Cain find his wife (Gen 4:17)? The Bible mentions Adam’s children Cain, Abel and Seth by name, but they had other children, too (Gen 5:4). Cain married one of his sisters. The rules against close relatives marrying were not yet necessary, because the gene pool was still so close to perfect.1]

Gen 3:2-3
Gen 2:17 (KJV)
2 Cor 11:3

An Extra Lesson: Did the different races "evolve"?
Did the different races "evolve" separately? No. God created mankind "in the beginning" (Mat 19:4) as fully developed humans. God did not get us here gradually by evolution.
The completely unsupportable theory of evolution2, was largely popularized by Charles Darwin in his book The Origin of the Species published in 1859. This influential evolutionist (as well as many others of his time) also believed, quite illogically, that the Caucasian race was more evolved than other races.3 His book The Descent of Man clearly reveals his racist position.4
Creation scientists, on the other hand, are quick to point out that God created just one true race--the human race--from one man (Acts 17:26).5 Moreover, modern geneticists and biochemists have done extensive research and tests that support this. Their studies of mitochondrial DNA and haplotype XIII male Y chromosomes show that all of mankind can be traced back to one man and one woman who lived thousands of years ago in or near Africa.6
Adam and Eve were probably mid-brown in color. They had within their genes the entire range of skin tones and body characteristics that exist today. What we call different "races" resulted largely from isolation of the gene pool, which could easily have begun at the Tower of Babel when the people broke up into different language groups (Gen 11:9).7

[Notes: See The Monkey’s Nephew, Cave Dwellers and Young Earth costume sections to read about some of the many other flaws in the theory of evolution. See the Peleg costume page for more on the Tower of Babel and on isolation of the gene pool.]

1 Ken Ham, et al., The Answers Book (El Cajon, CA: Master Books, 1992) 177-183.
2 Henry M. Morris, Creation and the Modern Christian (El Cajon, CA: Master Book Publishers, 1985) 147.
3 Morris 77-79.
4 Brad Harrub, Ph.D., "In the News: Was Darwin a Racist?" Apologetics Press: Reason & Revelation, March 2004, 17 Nov 2010 <http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/12>.
5 Ham 132.
6 Robert W. Faid, Scientific Approach to Biblical Mysteries/A Scientific Approach to More Biblical Mysteries (Carmel, NY: Guideposts, 1993) 101-107.
7 Ham 131-153.

F4. Daniel [Daniel with 3-4 kids in peaceful lion costumes, possibly with muzzles on]
Dan 6:22 "My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions" . . .
[ Daniel was a righteous man and a great prophet of God who had never broken any of the laws of Babylon, the kingdom where the Jews had been exiled. The king really liked Daniel and wanted to put him in a very high position, but some bad men did not want that to happen.
They tried, but failed to find fault in Daniel. So these bad, sneaky men came up with a plan. They convinced King Darius to pass an irreversible rule that any person caught praying to any god or man other than King Darius for the next 30 days would be thrown in the lion’s den. They knew all along that Daniel would only worship God and planned to catch him that way.
That did not deter Daniel. When he "learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." (Dan 6:10). The men did catch Daniel praying to God and they forced the king to have him thrown in the lion’s den.
The king was not happy with himself and tried to figure out a way to rescue to Daniel, but the bad men forced him to uphold the rule. Reluctantly, he king had Daniel thrown in the lion’s den and told Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" (Dan 6:16). The worried, sleepless king fasted all night.
However, God honored Daniel’s loyalty and courage. He sent an angel to protect Daniel from the lions. The next day, the overjoyed king found that Daniel was alive and unharmed. So, he had Daniel taken out of the lion’s den and had the bad men thrown in!
The (now wiser) king sent out an order that everyone in his kingdom must have reverence for the living God of Daniel (Dan 6:25-27). Way to go, Daniel! Way to go, King Darius!]
Dan 6:4
Dan 6:23

F5. King David [show small shepherd child with sling and stone bag either (1) looking way up at large child in armor with sword (or next to an adult on ground whose body extends beyond the side of the picture)]
1 Sam 17:50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone . . .
[ Although there are some people who don't want to believe the Bible is true, archaeologists have found hundreds of thousands of artifacts that confirm the Bible is true and none that show it is false. For example, archaeologists recently discovered some inscriptions in stone that speak of King David of Israel and/or the House of David.1
Have you heard of King David before? He was very important in Israel's history and the Bible tells all about him. The Lord was with King David even when he was still only a shepherd boy. One of the most well-known stories about David tells of when he relied on God to help him kill an enemy soldier, a giant named Goliath. He did it with just a sling and a rock (1 Sam 17:49)!
Did you know that giants are mentioned more than a dozen times in the King James Version of the Bible? For instance, there are the sons of Anak (Num 13:33), Emims (Deu 2:10-11), and a giant king with a 13-foot-long bed (Deu 3:11). Several of the giants are even mentioned by name.
Some people may find it hard to believe that giants really existed or that Goliath could really have been over 9 feet tall. Yet as recently as 1918, a man named Robert Wadlow* was born in Illinois who grew to be 8 feet 11 inches tall, almost as tall as Goliath.
The Bible also mentions a "huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot" who "was born to the giant" (2 Sam 21:20). Having extra fingers and toes is called polydactylism and is a birth defect which still occasionally occurs today. It’s interesting to know that even unusual Bible stories like these often have modern medical or scientific explanations or similarities.
Here’s something else to think about. David used a rock to slay Goliath. David said "God is my rock." God is OUR rock, too. If we will let Him into our hearts, God can help us overcome OUR Goliath problems, too. God is greater than any enemy!]
1 Sam 18:14
1 Sam 17:4
Ps 22:3

[*Note: For more information on Robert Wadlow, see http://www.altonweb.com/history/wadlow/ ]

1 Grant R. Jeffrey, The Signature of God (Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press, 2010) 57-59.

F6. Easter [2 women with angel, show open tomb and cloth laying inside]
Mat 28:5-6 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
[ Easter is the day when Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection (being raised) from the dead. Jesus had left His perfect, heavenly home to come to earth and live "taking the very nature of a servant" (Phlp 2:5-8). He came to teach us, give us His word, heal the sick and appoint disciples. He came to lay down His life for us, suffer and die on the cross and take the punishment for our sins. He came to rise from the dead, conquering sin and death forever for those who believe. He did this because He loves us very, very much. He wants us to confess our sins, repent, love Him back, accept Him as our Savior and, in so doing, become Christians. Then we can be forgiven for our sins, have a blessed, healthier life and eventually go to heaven to be with Him in new, perfect bodies.
Jesus’ resurrection is a well-established fact. After the Lord rose from the dead, He appeared to the people over a period of 40 days (Mat 28:7, Acts 1:3, Acts 13:30-31). Paul's account in the Bible says over 500 people saw Jesus after He rose again (1 Cor 15:6). As most of the 500 were still alive, they could have easily verified what Paul wrote.
Non-biblical historical records also confirm the resurrection. In fact, Cambridge scholar Canon Westcott asserted, "Indeed, taking all the evidence together, it is not too much to say that there is no historic incident better or more variously supported than the resurrection of Christ."1
In fact, a number of people have set out trying to prove Jesus did not exist.....and then found so much evidence verifying Jesus lived, died and was resurrected that they ultimately became Christians!
Have faith and believe!]
[Note: Modern scientists have studied the Shroud of Turin (the cloth many believe Jesus was buried in). The cloth has what appears to be the image of Jesus on it. Computers show the image could not have been faked by painting it on the cloth. The image appears to have been infused into the cloth, which many believe occurred supernaturally at the moment of the Lord’s resurrection. The Shroud fits numerous circumstances surrounding Jesus’ death. Although we don’t know for sure, many feel it may be further historical evidence for the Lord’s burial and resurrection.]
1 Cor 6:14
Phlp 3:20-21

1 Paul and Marie Little, Know Why You Believe (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1988) 58.

F7. Elijah [in airborne, fiery, horse-drawn, flame-decorated golden chariot in whirlwind; cloak on ground]
2 Ki 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
[ Elijah was a great prophet of God. He lived in a time when Israel’s King Ahab and many Israelites had turned away from the true God, worshipping instead Baal, a false god. The Lord had clearly commanded His people not to do such things (Ex 20:3). Elijah told the wicked king that the land would be without rain for a few years, except at Elijah’s word. Then the Lord told Elijah to go live near a certain brook, promising to send ravens to feed him. The promised ravens brought him bread and meat.
After the brook dried up from the lack of rain, the Lord told him to go see a widow that would feed him. The poor widow was almost out of oil and flour for her and her son to live on, yet Elijah promised it would not run out until it rained again. The Lord kept them all nourished from this promised supply of oil and flour (1 Kings 17:15). Later, when the widow’s son died, Elijah prayed to the Lord to revive him and the Lord did so (1 Kings 17:22). Then the woman realized that Elijah really was a man of God and spoke the truth (1 Kings 17:24).
In the third year, the drought and famine being severe, King Ahab accused Elijah of being a troublemaker. In response, Elijah told the king that the trouble was brought on by Baal worship. He told the king to summon the people and the prophets of Baal. Elijah asked the people how long they would waver between two opinions and told them to follow the true God. Then Elijah challenged the several hundred wicked prophets of Baal to a contest: whichever god answered their calls with fire was the true God. Result? The Lord answered with fire. Baal didn’t. Finally, after the drought, famine and fire, the people realized that the Lord was the one true God. At Elijah’s direction, the people killed the false prophets. Immediately after that, the rain returned.
At the "end" of his time on earth, the Lord took Elijah to heaven in a fiery chariot without him having to die! But Elijah’s still got more work to do! The last two verses of the Old Testament say Elijah will come back someday to again help the people change��.lest the Lord strike the land with yet another curse* (see also the covenant in Deu 4:23-31).
[*Note: Many people believe Elijah will be one of the two witnesses the Lord will send during the Tribulation, who will give testimony and will have power to stop the rain. When they die, the world will be able to see them for three and a half days (Rev 11:9). Live, worldwide news coverage was not possible before the relatively recent invention of satellite television--another indication that we are close to the Lord’s return!]]
1 Kings 18:21
1 Kings 18:24
Mal 4:5-6

F8. Elisha [with mantle same color as Elijah’s cloak and with salt and bowl; with child in salt shaker costume with big "S" on it (and possibly have salt shaker child arms akimbo with white cape)]
2 Ki 2:20 "Bring me a new bowl," he said, "and put salt in it" . . .
[ Elisha, the assistant of the prophet Elijah, was also a great prophet. When the Lord took Elijah to heaven in the fiery chariot, Elijah’s cloak fell to the ground. Elisha picked it up and carried on in Elijah’s place. Elisha had asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit and the Lord allowed him to perform many miracles.
One of the miracles he did was to cure a spring with salt. Salt has always been important to the Lord’s people. In Bible times, salt was:

(1) a flavoring that improved the taste of food
(2) a preservative
(3) a medicine
(4) also used in offerings and salt covenants (formal agreements)

In the New Testament, Jesus said believers are "the salt of the earth." We are to season our speech with salt, too. Some believe that means we should talk in an interesting way. Others think it means talk in a godly, wholesome way.
As the "salt of the earth," believers can:

(1) help improve life for others
(2) help preserve life and good principles
(3) act like medicine to help cure some of the problems the world deals with
(4) set a good example in keeping honorable promises

So, what does that really mean? Christians can help others to have a better life here and for eternity by teaching them about the Bible and salvation through Jesus. Also, when we see bad laws or bad practices, we can work to get them changed for the better. In so doing, we can help preserve a good quality of life for many. We can also help cure a few of the bad things that hurt people or that turn them away from the Lord. And, lastly, we can set a good example in keeping honorable promises.
You, too, can practice being "the salt of the earth"--shake out some of that good salt!]
2 Ki 2:21-22
Mat 5:13
Col 4:6

F9. Elizabeth [pregnant with hands on abdomen in surprise standing next to Mary (in blue and white)]
Luke 1:41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
[ Did you know that while babies are still inside their mother’s womb they can suck their thumb, hiccup, feel pain, cry, see light and hear sound? Elizabeth’s unborn baby actually jumped, reacting joyfully when Mary, the soon-to-be mother of Jesus, came to visit. Elizabeth’s baby, a cousin of Jesus, grew up to be John the Baptist.
John the Baptist had some very important missions to do--he helped prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. He taught about repentance and forgiveness of sins. And he baptized many people--including Jesus!]
Luke 1:42-44
Luke 1:13-15

F10. Queen Esther [crowned Esther; possibly draw from perspective behind shoulder of king with him holding out scepter]
Est 4:14 "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"
[ Esther was a beautiful young Jewish woman who became King Xerxes’ queen. An important nobleman of the kingdom was an evil man named Haman. Esther’s cousin Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman. That angered Haman, so he plotted to destroy Mordecai and all of his fellow Jews. He convinced the king to sign a law telling the people to kill all the Jews in the king’s realm on a certain day and take all their belongings, too.
Mordecai told Esther about the new law and encouraged her to talk to the king about it to save the Jews. Unfortunately, anyone who approached the king without being called could be killed--unless the king extended his scepter toward them and spared their life.
Esther and many fellow Jews fasted for three days before she dared approach the king. The king spared her life and she asked him to spare her people. The king (who had not known Esther was Jewish) had the evil Haman hanged. As King Xerxes could not legally reverse the law about killing the Jews, he authorized Mordecai to issue an order letting the Jews defend themselves. The Jews won the battle. Mordecai became second in rank to the king and worked for the good of the Jewish people.
Jews now celebrate this historical event as "The Feast of Purim." Who knows? Maybe someday you will have a special mission "for such a time as this!"]
Est 8:5-6

F11. Gabriel [angel with trumpet]
Luke 1:19 . . . "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news."
[ The earthly duties of angels include, among other things: protecting, comforting, helping and fighting for God’s people. They also deliver messages to God’s people.
Gabriel is one of God’s most special angels. He delivered some very important messages. He may be the angel that explained to the prophet Daniel the meaning of his visions (Dan Chapters 8 and 9). He announced to Zechariah that he would become the father of a great and godly son (Luke Chapter 1) and told him what to call his son. Zechariah’s son grew up to be John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus. Gabriel also announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God and told her to call Him Jesus (Luke Chapter 1).
The verses about Gabriel also help remind us that God hears us the very moment we begin to pray and that on occasion God answers our prayers immediately, too!]
Dan 9:21-23
Prov 15:29

F12. Gideon [next to fleece with dew, both hands with all 4 fingers pointing toward self and thumbs up in the classic "Me?!!" pose, looking up toward heaven incredulously, eyebrows raised; plow in background]
Judg 6:12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."
[ Gideon was a farmer who considered himself to be from a weak group of people, himself being the least of them. Yet, the angel of the Lord approached Gideon and called him a "mighty warrior." Gideon’s reaction was kind of like, "Who, me? You can’t be serious!" Then the Lord told Gideon to use his strength and save Israel from the enemy. Gideon clearly didn’t think he was good enough for the job. However, God wanted Gideon to remember that he was being sent by the Lord himself.
Gideon gathered thousands of people together to fight the enemy. Still, Gideon couldn’t believe he was the one God wanted for the job. So Gideon asked God for a sign that He really had chosen him. Gideon put out a fleece of wool and asked God to put dew only on the fleece that night and not on the ground. God did so. Gideon still didn’t believe, so he put out a fleece again. This time he asked God to put dew on the ground overnight, but not on the fleece. Again God gave him the sign he asked for. Finally Gideon believed.
Then the Lord really stretched Gideon’s faith. God said there were too many people with Gideon. The Lord wanted the Israelites to know that they would have victory because of God, not because of their own efforts. God sent Gideon with only 300 people to attack the enemy army of many thousands of soldiers. God gave Gideon and his people the victory.
We can learn from this that if the Lord gives us a job to do, He can help us do it--even if we don’t think we’re capable (Phlp 1:6). God doesn’t necessarily need strong or perfect people to accomplish His purposes (Heb 13:20-21). What God wants are faithful people who simply make themselves available to do His will.]
Judg 6:14
Judg 6:16

F13. Isaac [with load of sticks strapped on back]
Gen 22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac . . .
[ Isaac was a miracle child. He was born to very old parents (Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90), just as the Lord had promised. The Lord also promised to bless Abraham’s descendants through Isaac. Yet the Lord put Abraham through a very hard test. He told Abraham to take his son to the mountains and sacrifice him there. Abraham was heartbroken, because he loved Isaac more than his own life and did not want Isaac to die. Still, he was prepared to obey God.
Abraham put wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s back. After taking up the fire and the knife, they set out on their journey. When they arrived, Abraham built an altar, tied Isaac up and prepared to sacrifice him. Just then the angel of the Lord called out to Abraham and told him not to harm the boy. God had been testing Abraham to see if he would be faithful, even to the point of being prepared to sacrifice his beloved son. Abraham had passed the ultimate test and the Lord provided a ram for the burnt offering instead.
Although God spared Abraham the painful burden of having to sacrifice his only son, God later took that painful burden on Himself. God’s love for us is so great that He sacrificed Jesus, His only begotten Son, for our salvation (John 3:16-17, 1 John 4:9-10). Moreover, because our God is triune (one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit), God not only sacrificed His beloved Son on the cross, He was also laying Himself on the cross (Col 1:19-22). The Lord did this to take the punishment for our sins, to cleanse us of our sins and in so doing, to make us worthy to go to heaven (Jude 1:24).
The Lord made the ultimate sacrifice just for us. Don’t waste that sacrifice. Accept God’s love. Accept Jesus and live!]
Heb 11:17-18
Gen 22:12

F14. Isaiah
2 Pet 1:20 [SEE FINISHED PAGE]
[ Isaiah was a true prophet of God. The test applied to prophets was that they must be 100% correct in their predictions. True prophets spoke for God. The probability of even a very small collection of unusual prophecies coming true just by chance is extremely small, with computations of odds beyond comprehension. However, God knows the future, so with true prophets there is no "chance" involved--it’s for real!1
A large portion of the Bible is prophetic and every single one of the prophecies fulfilled so far was, of course, 100% accurate (Is 42:9, Ps 119:140). In fact, Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies about Him in His first coming. There are many more prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled relating to the end times and eternity. We know that God does not lie and that the whole Bible is completely accurate in the original manuscripts (Heb 6:18). We also know that if God fulfilled all the previous Bible prophecies accurately, He will fulfill all the future prophecies accurately, too. There are over 500 prophecies about His second coming. We can rest assured in the truth of the prophecies predicting how Jesus will return again, rapture true believers to heaven, save the tribulation saints at the Second Coming, conquer the people who rejected God, and set up His kingdom on earth.2
By the way, many people scoff at these prophecies about the end times. Guess what? Their ridicule also fulfills prophecy--God said people would do that (2 Pet 3:3-4)! Bible prophecy is truly awe-inspiring and exciting!]
[Note: The Bible means "the book." The Protestant Bible consists of 66 books (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament). Some religions include another 12-16 books called the Apocrypha. The Bible was written over a period of approximately 1,500 years by some 40 men in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek), on three continents (Asia, Africa, Europe). In spite of these facts, the Bible has perfect unity, which can only be accounted for in that all its writers wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 3:16-17).3]
2 Pet 1:21
Deu 18:21-22

An Extra Lesson: What About False Prophets?
If a prophet spoke something in the Lord's name that did not come from the Lord, or if he spoke in the name of false gods, he was to die (Deu 18:20). If a prophet predicted something that came true, but he tried to encourage the people to follow false gods, that prophet was to be put to death (Deu 13:5).

[Resource: For an easy to use online Bible search program, see http://www.biblegateway.com/ ]

1 Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Volume I (San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., 1972, 1979) 318-323.
2 Hal Lindsey, The Late Great Planet Earth (Toronto: Bantam Books, 1970) 160-165.
3 McDowell 15-17.

F15. Jacob/Israel [sleeping, stone under head, w/ stairway and 3-4 angels on stairs]
Gen 28:12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
[ Jacob and Esau were the sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Esau unwisely sold his birthright (special inheritance rights as the oldest son) to Jacob for some lentil stew. Later Jacob tricked their father into giving Jacob the blessing due to Esau also. This made Esau very angry, so Jacob ran away.
While Jacob was sleeping one night, he dreamt of a stairway to heaven with angels on it. God spoke to Jacob from above the stairway. God promised the land Jacob was on to Jacob and his descendants.
Later, Jacob fell in love with a beautiful young woman named Rachel. Jacob promised Laban, Rachel’s father, he would work seven years for him if Laban would let Jacob marry Rachel. Now it was Jacob’s turn to get some of his own medicine. Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Rachel’s sister, Leah, instead. After agreeing to work for seven more years, Jacob got to marry Rachel as well. (In those days the customs allowed men to have more than one wife.)
At one point, God gave Jacob the new name of "Israel," which indicates struggling with God. Jacob’s 12 sons were the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel, through whom God promised to bless all peoples on earth.]
Gen 28:13-14
Gen 32:28

F16. Jesus Christ [white robe, light blue mantle, holding little lamb]
John 11:25 (KJV) Jesus said unto her, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."
[ Jesus Christ is the second person of the Holy Trinity. He is the Son of God. Some people believe that Jesus was just a great moral teacher. That is not logical. Jesus was indeed a great moral teacher, however, if that’s all He was, He wouldn’t have claimed to be the Son of God, too. That would have made Him a liar. If He was a liar, He could not logically be considered a great moral teacher (John 10:36-38).1
The fact is, Jesus literally fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies written about Him, clearly establishing that He is in indeed the Messiah.2 While Jesus walked the earth, He performed many healings and other miracles, a great number of which were not recorded in the Bible (John 21:25). He told numerous parables and taught us many wonderful things, including how to have a more abundant life through Him (John 10:10). Interestingly, there is more written historical evidence that Jesus lived, died, was buried and resurrected, than there is that Roman emperor Julius Caesar lived around that same time in history.3
Most importantly, Jesus is our Savior (the one who saves us from our sins). Everyone has sinned (Rom 3:23). This makes us unworthy to go to heaven unless someone takes the punishment for our sins. Jesus was worthy to take the punishment for our sins, because he lived a perfect, sinless life (2 Cor 5:21). Although Jesus knew He would suffer a very painful death, He loved us so much that he willingly gave His life for us (John 10:11, 18). If we believe in and accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we become a Christian. This is the only way for us to be cleansed from our sins, forgiven and made worthy to go to heaven, because "salvation is found in no one else" (Acts 4:12, John 14:6).
Jesus was resurrected (brought back to life) on Easter Sunday (Acts 1:3, Mat 28:5-7). He then walked the earth for another 40 days and was seen by over 500 people. (1 Cor 15:6). The Bible tells us repeatedly that someday Jesus will come again (Examples: James 5:8, 1 Thes 5:23, Titus 2:12-14).
Would you like to accept Jesus? You can do so by saying the prayer below. If you do accept Jesus, write down the date you do it so that you will always remember your "spiritual birthday"--the special day you became a Christian!
Prayer to Accept Jesus
Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins
and that God raised you from the dead. I am sorry for my sins--please forgive me. I accept
you as my Savior and Lord. I ask you now to come into my heart and to help me lead a life
pleasing to you. Thank you. Amen.

John 3:16-17
Rom 10:9-10
1 John 5:10-11

1 Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Volume I (San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., 1972, 1979) 103-107.
2 McDowell 175.
3 McDowell 81-87.

F17. The Jewish People [ huge crowd in biblical attire going back into infinity]
Gen 26:4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.
[ The Jewish people are very special to God. God chose them out of all the nations and gave them many great honors. The Lord promised that all nations on earth would be blessed through them. He chose them to receive many promises and blessings; to record the Bible; to build the temple and worship in it; and to produce the Jewish patriarchs from whom came the human ancestry of Christ. The Lord guided the Jews, did many miracles on their behalf, spoke to them through the prophets and chose His apostles from among them.
Israel is represented by the fig tree in the Bible. Israel gathered together again as a nation in 1948. This is a sign to the world that Jesus is returning soon (Mark 13:30)! Many people think that this is the generation of believers--Christians and Messianic Jews (those Jews who have accepted Jesus)--that will be raptured. The Rapture is when true Christians and the dead in Christ will be taken up to meet the Lord in the air and go to heaven (1Thes 4:17-18, 1 Cor 15:51-53).
Would you like to help modern-day Jews and participate in Bible prophecy at the same time? Some groups, like the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, accept donations to arrange for Jews to make aliyah (move to Israel). This is a fulfillment of numerous Bible prophecies in which the Lord said He would one day re-gather the Jews to their homeland (Is 11:12, 49:22). These are exciting times to be alive!]
Rom 9:4-5
Rom 11:25

[Notes: For information on visiting or taking a virtual tour of the Center for Jewish History in New York City, see http://www.cjh.org/ . For the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, PA, see http://www.nmajh.org/ . For the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, see http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageNavigator/eng/USENG_homenew ]

F18. Job and the Dinosaur [Job next to child in long-neck-type dinosaur costume]
Job 40:15-17 "Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! His tail sways like a cedar . . . "
[ Those scientists who believe in evolution (the theory that complex life developed from simple matter by chance over time), typically believe that all the dinosaurs died out millians of years before man appeared. However, many creation scientists believe that the most accurate tests show the earth is much younger than that--perhaps only about 6,000 years old. This age also fits in with a 6,000-year calculation based on the genealogies listed in the Bible.1
Creation scientists also believe, based on the first chapter of Genesis, that God made man and land dinosaurs on the sixth day of creation. In fact, an interesting example of evidence of their living at the same time exists in Texas. What appear to be petrified human footprints have been found right in the middle of dinosaur tracks*!2
Job, who was apparently born sometime not very long after Noah’s Flood, had apparently seen living dinosaurs. Although the Bible doesn’t use the word "dinosaur," it does use the words "behemoth" and "leviathan." (The King James Bible was translated into English in 1611 and it does not contain the word "dinosaur;" dinosaur fossils were not discovered until the 1800’s and the word did not exist until 1840.) From the descriptions in the Book of Job, it appears these creatures were possibly the Apatosaurus and the Brachiosaurus. By the way, cedar trees in Job’s area could grow to be 120 feet tall and up to 40 feet around, so the comparison of the behemoth’s tail to a cedar tree indicates it was a very large tail indeed.3
Although most of the dinosaurs are dead, many people believe there are still some dinosaurs alive today. Man has still not explored the entire earth. In fact, the giant monitor lizards called Komodo dragons that live on the remote island of Komodo were not even discovered by modern man until 1912.4 There are still some 7,000,000 acres of virtually unexplored dense jungle and swamp lands in the African Congo. Explorers to the region report seeing what appear to be dinosaurs. Villagers near there have also identified drawings of the Apatosaurus as being similar to a local living creature they call "Mokele Mbembe."5 Someday we may see actual proof!]
Job 40:18-19
Job 41:1

[Note: For more information on the age of the earth, see the Young Earth costume section.]
[*Opportunity: The Creation Evidence Museum in GlenRose, TX, addresses this subject. For information on visiting the museum, see http://www.creationevidence.org/ ]

1 Dennis R. Petersen, Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation (South Lake Tahoe, CA: Creation Resource Foundation, 1986) 34-52, 134.
2 Petersen 142-143.
3 Duane T. Gish, Dinosaurs by Design (Colorado Springs, CO: Master Books, 1992) 20-23.
4 Petersen 147.
5 Gish 17.

F19. John the Baptist [draw about waist-deep in river baptizing Jesus (Jesus is completely wet), with dove coming down; sunrays breaking through clouds, John in "clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist]
Mark 1:4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
[ John the Baptist told people to repent (turn away) from their sins, confess and be baptized. He preached that Jesus was coming (Luke 3:16) and even baptized Jesus (Luke 3:21-22).
Baptism is a religious ceremony that shows a person’s relationship with Jesus, our Savior, who cleanses us of and forgives us for our sins. Different churches baptize in different ways. Some churches get the whole person wet. Some churches pour or sprinkle water over a person’s head.
This brings up a good thing to remember: as long as you go to a true, Bible-believing Christian church, many of the differences in ceremonies and worship between Christian religions are not important or worth arguing about (Gal 3:26-28).

Important Things Your Church Should Believe
(1) There is one true God. He exists as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together in three persons (called the Holy Trinity).
(2) The Bible is the true word of God and is 100% accurate in the original manuscripts.
(3) Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, was born of a virgin, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(4) Jesus walked this earth, performed many miracles, then suffered and died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins.
(5) God resurrected (raised) Jesus from the dead.
(6) Man has a sinful nature and cannot earn his way to heaven just by trying to do good.
(7) Jesus is our Savior. He is the only way for sinners to obtain forgiveness of sins, to be cleansed of those sins, to obtain salvation, to avoid hell and to be made worthy to go to heaven.

[Note: Making sure a church you are considering attending believes the above points is also a way to help determine that the church is not a "cult" (false religion). Your church should have available a printed statement of beliefs that lists at least the above points.]
Eph 4:5-6
1 Pet 3:21
Acts 22:16

F20. Jonah and the Whale
Jonah 1:17 [SEE FINISHED PAGE]
[ God told Jonah to preach to the people in the town of Nineveh. God was concerned for the 120,000 people there and wanted Jonah to tell them to change their evil ways. Jonah didn't want to go, so he got on a ship to run away. However, God sent a bad storm. After the sailors learned the storm had come because of Jonah’s disobedience to God, they threw Jonah overboard.
Nevertheless, God was prepared. He sent a whale to swallow Jonah. (There is always some air in the whale’s stomach, so Jonah would still have been able to breathe.) Jonah was inside the whale for three days. While he was there he prayed. Finally, Jonah was ready to do what God wanted him to do. Then God made the whale spit Jonah up on land and gave Jonah a second chance. (Having Jonah inside him probably made the whale sick. Sick whales often beach themselves. Sick creatures often throw up. It all fits!)1
Some people think this Bible story is hard to believe, but perhaps they don’t realize that God is all-powerful. God does not need to work within natural laws, but He often does. It may help skeptics (people who have a hard time believing something) to learn of a similar, but more modern example. In 1895, a man named James Bartley was swallowed by a whale. About a day and a half later, his fellow whalers caught that whale. When the whalers cut the whale open, they found their shipmate inside--still alive! Since in the ancient Hebrew customs even a partial day was counted as a whole day, Bartley could have been inside that whale as long or longer than Jonah!2]
Jonah 2:1
Jonah 2:7
Mat 12:40 (KJV) "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
[Note: Gasp! Is that green hair on Jonah? No! The Bible says that seaweed was wrapped around his head.]
Jonah 2:5

1 Robert W. Faid, A Scientific Approach to Biblical Mysteries/A Scientific Approach to More Biblical Mysteries (Carmel, NY: Guideposts, 1993) 160-161.
2 Henry M. Morris and Martin E. Clark, The Bible Has The Answer (El Cajon, CA, Creation-Life Publishers, Inc., 1992) 74-76.

F21. Joseph and the Multicolored Coat [in multicolored, striped coat]
Gen 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
[ Jacob was the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph was his favorite son. Jacob (who was also known as Israel) "loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours" (Gen 37:3 KJV).
Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of Joseph. Then Joseph had some dreams that sounded like one day he would rule over his family. This made the brothers even more angry, so they sold Joseph to some merchants and let their father think Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.
Joseph ended up in prison for something he didn’t do. However, while there, Joseph met the chief cupbearer of the Egyptian pharaoh (ruler) and interpreted a dream for him. When the pharaoh had some troubling dreams about cows and heads on a stalk of grain, the chief cupbearer told him about Joseph (Gen 41). The pharaoh summoned Joseph, who explained that the pharaoh’s dreams meant seven years of plenty were coming, followed by seven years of severe famine. The pharaoh chose Joseph to be the second most powerful man in Egypt. Joseph arranged for grain to be stored to feed the people during the coming famine.
After the famine arrived, Jacob’s other sons went to Egypt to get food. Joseph was able to give them food and invited the whole family to come live in Egypt. Although the brothers did a bad thing, God used it to accomplish good. You see, God used Joseph to save the Israelites from starvation! This story reminds us that although we won’t always understand why bad things happen to us, God can bring good things even out of bad situations for those who love Him (Rom 8:28, Prov 16:4).
[Note: Archaeologists have discovered some ancient Egyptian coins that have an image of Joseph on them, his name, the year and the value of the coins. Another ancient coin bears Joseph’s image/name, an inscription and an image of a cow, representing the pharaoh’s dream. Additionally, an artifact was found showing Joseph’s name, image and his title as minister of the treasury in the pharaoh’s court. These items are good reminders that no accurately identified archaeological discovery has ever disproved the Bible!1]
Acts 7:9-10

1 Grant R. Jeffrey, The Signature of God (Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press, 2010) 69-70.

F22. Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus [with carpentry tools]
Mat 1:24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
[ God gave a very high honor to a man named Joseph. God chose this righteous man to be the foster father of Jesus! Joseph was a descendent of King David. Joseph, a carpenter by trade, lived in Nazareth. It became Joseph’s responsibility to provide food, shelter and clothing for Jesus and Mary. It was also Joseph’s responsibility to bring Jesus up in the traditional Jewish way.
The story of Joseph can help remind us of the importance of being a good father. Like Joseph, God gives present-day fathers some big responsibilities, too. Fathers should provide for the needs of their families: food, clothing, housing, medical attention, discipline, etc. They should teach their children about the Lord, the Bible and the way God says we should live (1 Thes 2:11). Additionally, fathers should "practice what they preach." That means they, too, should obey God’s rules and in so doing, be a good example to their children (Prov 20:7). Fathers should love their children, give them good guidance and try to protect them from harm (Prov 4:1-2). It is also said that one of the best things a father can do for his children is to love their mother! Tell your father how much you appreciate the good things he does for you and your mom!]
Mat 1:18-21

F23. Joshua [trumpet hanging on cord from waist near a 12-stone-monument and a river]
Josh 4:7 "tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD . . . These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."
[ While the Israelites were in the desert, Moses sent 12 spies to the land of Canaan to check it out. Joshua and Caleb were the two faithful spies who gave good reports about what they found there. The 10 unfaithful spies died, but Joshua and Caleb were allowed to go into the promised land with the Israelites who had survived the desert. Joshua became the mighty military leader who took over from Moses.
When the Israelites were ready to cross the Jordan River, the Lord stopped up the water like He had at the Red Sea (Josh 4:23). When they got to the other side, the Lord told Joshua to set up a stone memorial to remind the people of what the Lord had done for them.
Later, at the Lord's direction, Joshua led his people around Jericho with the ark of the covenant,* while shouting and blowing trumpets. On the seventh day, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down and the Israelites took the city. (*see Aaron costume section)
Interestingly, this area is known for earthquakes. Experts believe God may very well have caused earthquakes to stop up the Jordan and to knock down the walls at Jericho. Archaeologists have also discovered ample evidence at the site of Jericho that agree with the biblical account. This evidence includes: proof that the city had been burned (Josh 6:24); plentiful grain, indicating a short siege; and even that the city walls had collapsed outward forming a ramp (Josh 6:20), unlike other sieges of that time where the walls fell inward under the advance of the invading armies.1, 2
The story of Joshua, his many successful battles and the Israelites journey into the Promised Land remind us of the countless blessings the Lord gives to his faithful followers (Josh 4:24).
Josh 6:4-5

[Resource: For more details on how archaeology confirms the biblical record of the fall of Jericho, see http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i2/jericho.asp]

1 Robert W. Faid, Scientific Approach to Biblical Mysteries/A Scientific Approach to More Biblical Mysteries (Carmel, NY: Guideposts, 1993) 135-141.
2 Grant R. Jeffrey, The Signature of God (Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press, 2010) 63-64.

F24. King Josiah [robes, crown and scepter all over-sized, crown lopsided and hanging just low enough to cover the edge of one eye]
2 Chr 34:1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.
[ The Lord made Josiah king when he was only eight years old! Josiah "did what was right in the eyes of the LORD" (2 Chr 34:2). After ruling for several years, when King Josiah ordered that the temple of the Lord be repaired, one of the priests found the Book of the Law. Josiah was very sad when he learned of the many ways his kingdom had disobeyed God’s laws. He renewed the agreement to follow the Lord’s commands and his people pledged to do so also. He set about ridding his kingdom of the bad things people used in idolatry (the sin of worship of false gods) such as idol statues, shrines and altars of false gods. He got rid of the mediums, the spiritists and the priests of the false gods. Josiah was a good king who was a good influence on his people and a good example for them as well.
Never underestimate the kind of positive impact you as a young person can have for the Lord!]
2 Ki 23:25

F25. Lazarus [wrappings still partially on; standing by open tomb]
John 11:43-44 . . . Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face . . .
[ Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. Jesus loved them all. The ladies sent word to Jesus when Lazarus was dying, because they knew He could heal their brother. However, Jesus did not come right away. Instead, Jesus came when Lazarus had already been dead for four days.
The shortest verse in the Bible, John 11:35, tells us that after He got there, "Jesus wept." Jesus knew that Lazarus had died so that He could raise him from the dead and glorify God. Yet He still cried. That is an example of how much the Lord loves His faithful believers and wants us to live. The Bible says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints" (Ps 116:15). It also says the Lord takes "no pleasure in the death of anyone" (Ezek 18:32). The Lord wants us to repent, accept Jesus and gain eternal life.
Did you know that the soul never dies? When the body of a faithful believer dies, their soul immediately goes to heaven. If you believe in and accept Jesus, He will one day raise you up, too. He will give you a perfect new body......that will never ever die!]
John 11:4
John 11:25
John 11:45

F26. Lot [with his two daughters and a pillar of salt behind him]
Gen 19:15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."
[ Lot was a good man who lived with his family in a city called Sodom. The people there were very evil. Lot had been sitting at the city gateway when two angels arrived. Lot invited them to stay at his house that night.
The men of the city knew Lot had visitors. They wanted to hurt the angels, but Lot tried to protect them. Instead, when the men were going to break the door down, the angels protected Lot and struck the bad men blind.
Then the angels led Lot and his family out of the city to protect them, because God planned to destroy Sodom, Gomorrah and all their evil residents. In fact, there were not even ten righteous people there, otherwise the Lord would have spared those cities!
After the angels brought Lot and his family out of the city, one of the angels told them to flee and not look back. Lot’s wife looked anyway. She was turned into a pillar of salt. To this day there is a pillar of salt near the Dead Sea known as "Lot's Wife."1]
[Note: Jesus said the world would experience this same kind of evil in the end times:
Luke 17:29-30 "But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed."]
Gen 19:13-14
Gen 19:24-26

1 Merrill C. Tenney, et al., The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1963, 1964, 1967) 493.

F27. Luke [traditional garb, but add doctor's reflector headband, stethoscope and doctor bag with yellow tablet and pen]
Luke 1:3 . . . since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you . . .
[ Luke was one of the early leaders of the Christian church. He was well-educated, intelligent and very familiar with the Old Testament. Luke is believed to have gone on many missionary journeys with Paul. He had plenty of opportunity to interview people who either knew Jesus, were early church leaders and/or were eyewitnesses of miracles Jesus performed.
Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Luke wrote part of the Bible. The Gospel of Luke contains many historical facts about the life, death and resurrection of Christ. It also shows the fulfillment of some of the Old Testament prophecies written about Jesus.
Over the years, critics have questioned whether facts mentioned in the Bible are accurate. However, no accurately identified historical, geographical or scientific discovery has ever disproved anything in the Bible!1 Luke, for example, mentions numerous people, cities, islands and countries of his time, some of which Bible critics did not think existed. Archaeological findings have since confirmed much of the historical accuracy of Luke and of Acts.2
Did you know Luke was also a doctor? He is often referred to as "the beloved physician" (Col 4:14). Perhaps you, too, will someday be a "beloved physician" who will teach others about Jesus!]
Luke 1:1-4
2 Tim 3:16-17 (KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

1 Henry M. Morris with Henry M. Morris III, Many Infallible Proofs: Practical and Useful Evidences for the Christian Faith (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 1996) 23.
2 Norman L. Geisler and Ronald M. Brooks, When Skeptics Ask (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1990) 200-202.

F28. Mary, Mother of Jesus [in light blue and white as in picture with Elizabeth and the same Gabriel angel with trumpet]
Luke 1:30-31 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus."
[ Mary was a young Israelite maiden living in Nazareth who was engaged to a man named Joseph. Mary had grown up without knowing that she would become a key person in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy (Mat 1:21-23).
One day, the angel Gabriel visited Mary with wonderful news: she had been chosen to bear the Son of God! The angel told her that the baby was to be born through the power of the Holy Spirit (Mat 1:18) and that she was to call the baby "Jesus." The name "Jesus" means "Savior." This was in line with the prophecy that He would save His people from their sins.
Shortly after the angel’s visit, Joseph took Mary to live with him as his wife. Several months later Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem to pay taxes. The baby Jesus was born there. This fulfilled yet another of the many prophecies about our Messiah--every one of which the Lord fulfilled precisely (Micah 5:2, Luke 2:4)!]
Luke 1:26-27
Luke 1:46-47
Luke 1:38

F29. Methuselah [smiling old man, long, long white beard, cane; possibly with tall birthday cake with hundreds of candles on it, so many that they are starting to tilt out over the edge of the cake and drip]
Gen 5:27 Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.
[ Methuselah was the oldest man who ever lived. Before the flood of Noah, the average lifespan of mankind was a little over 900 years! Adam lived to be 930 years old (Gen 5:5). Noah lived to be 950 years old (Gen 9:29). Methuselah, who died shortly before the Noachian flood, lived to be 969 years old!
How could this be? First, remember that God is omnipotent (all-powerful). He created nature and natural laws. Although He does not have to work through the natural laws that He created, He often does. This may be a very good example. You see, many creation scientists believe that before the flood, there was a thick water vapor canopy in the sky all around the earth. These were the waters above the earth that became the rain of the flood (Gen 1:6-8, 7:11). The loss of this protective canopy is thought to be largely responsible for the great reduction in man’s average life expectancy.
Why? This canopy would have produced a fairly even temperature all over the earth, like in a greenhouse. The canopy would also have helped protect people by screening out some of the more harmful cosmic rays of the sun that may later have caused mutations in human genes, bacteria and other living things. Bacteria which may have been harmless to humans before the flood, may have become dangerous after the flood, promoting disease. Another thing the canopy would have done was increased the atmospheric pressure on the surface of the earth. Increased atmospheric pressure helps bodies absorb more oxygen, fight disease, fight infection, heal injuries faster, improve breathing and improve blood circulation--among many other good things. No wonder man lived so long in those days! At some point after the flood, the Lord changed the average lifespan to 70-80 years.1]
Ps 90:10

1 Robert W. Faid, A Scientific Approach to Biblical Mysteries/A Scientific Approach to More Biblical Mysteries (Carmel, NY: Guideposts, 1993) 33-46.

F30. Michael [angel with sword]
Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
[ Michael the Archangel is a warrior for God. He fights against the devil (sometimes referred to as the "dragon" in the Bible) and against the devil’s angels (demons). Angels are much stronger and smarter than people. Good angels watch over believers and help protect us. By praying, we can ask God to send angels to help us when we need help (but keep in mind that God does not promise to help us if we are purposely doing a bad thing).
However, we should never pray directly to or worship angels (Rev 22:8-9). We are to worship God only. So, if you ever get in a scary situation, pray and ask Jesus to help you.
Believers are continually involved in spiritual warfare from the devil’s attacks. The devil and his demons want to tempt us to do bad things, to stop us from accepting Jesus as our Savior and to hurt us in any way they can. We must always avoid anything connected with demons: things like false gods, idols, false religions, psychic powers, witchcraft, fortune telling, Ouija boards, Tarot cards, spirit guides, nature worship and the like. Involvement with such things gives demons special permission to attack us. However, any kind of sin can also give demons an invitation through which to hurt us.
Some Christians rebuke evil spirits, but one must only do that through the power of Jesus, as we have no power to do so by ourselves. These Christians might say something like, "In Jesus’ name I bind you, Satan. In Jesus’ name be gone." The Bible tells us the archangel Michael used the Lord’s powerful name to help fight against the devil. Christians might ask their pastor or other strong believers to pray with them and fight spiritual problems. Always remember, God is stronger than the devil (1 John 4:4).]
Jude 1:9

F31. Moses [with 10 Commandments; coming down a hill]
Deu 4:13 He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets.
[ The Lord inscribed the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets and gave them to Moses to pass on to the world. God gave us these laws to protect us and to help us enjoy life. When Moses saw the people worshipping the idol of the golden calf, he broke the first pair of tablets. God had Moses chisel out two more tablets and God wrote the laws on the stone tablets again. The tablets were kept in the ark of the covenant. Some religions differ on where to break up the verses and how to number the Commandments. They are listed below in shortened form from Exodus 20:2-17.]

The Ten Commandments
1. I am the LORD your God...You shall have no other gods before Me. ["other gods" means false gods/demons]
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol. [an image for worship of anything in heaven or on earth]
3. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. [don’t use the Lord’s name in a manner disrespectful to God, such as saying "Oh my G--!" or swearing with His name]
4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. [the Sabbath day is a day for worship and rest]
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery. [don’t get romantic with married people; when you marry, don’t act like you are married to anyone but your spouse]
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. [don’t lie]
10. You shall not covet. [don’t envy or desire what someone else has]

Eccl 12:13
Mat 22:37-39
John 6:28-29

F32. Naaman [in white linen loin wrap, knee-deep in water, with soap and washcloth; towel on rock at water’s edge, sandals similar to shower shoes near rock]
2 Ki 5:1 . . . He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
[ Naaman was an important and successful army commander, but he had leprosy. His wife’s servant girl suggested he go see Elisha to be cured. When Naaman arrived, Elisha sent his helper out to him with the message to bathe in the Jordan River seven times to be cured. This angered Naaman. Not only had he expected to meet Elisha in person, he expected Elisha to perform some fancy ceremony to cure him. At first he didn’t believe it would work. After all, how could something so easy cure him? And why not some other river? However, his servants pointed out that if Elisha had asked him to do something hard, he would have done it, so why not do this easy thing? So Naaman washed himself in the Jordan River seven times and he was cured. His flesh was as healthy as a child’s flesh. He tried to pay Elisha for helping him, but Elisha would not accept payment. Elisha knew that it was God who had cured Naaman and that it was a free gift from God.
This experience made Naaman realize that the God of Israel was the only true God. No false god would do.
We need to remember that salvation is a free gift from God, too, and also easy to get, like the cure for Naaman. But we must remember that just as there was only one river that could help Naaman, there is only one Savior who can wash us clean of our sins and renew our bodies. Do you want to someday go to heaven and get a whole new, fresh and healthy, everlasting body? Then you must believe in and accept the one true Savior--Jesus Christ!]
2 Ki 5:13
Acts 22:16

F33. Nativity [Mary (in blue and white again), doll in manger, Joseph, 2 shepherds with shepherd crooks, maybe some stuffed animals]
Luke 2:7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
[ Jesus left His beautiful home in heaven just to come to earth, live as a man, teach us God’s word, and to suffer and die on the cross to save us from our sins. He did that because He loved us very, very much. He wants us to love Him back and accept Him so we can have a more blessed life and so we can go to heaven and be with him.
Christmas is when we celebrate the birthday of Jesus--God’s wonderful gift of His Son to all who will believe. When we exchange gifts on Christmas, we also follow the good example of the gifts of the wise men to the Christ Child. Want to add one more song to your list of favorite Christmas carols? Sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus!]
Luke 2:10-12

F34. Nehemiah [mortar, trowel & sword]
Prov 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
[ Nehemiah was an official in the court of a Persian king. Nehemiah was Jewish. When he learned that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, he felt God was calling him to fix the wall. The king granted Nehemiah’s request to go there and repair the wall. The king appointed him governor of Jerusalem. Nehemiah organized groups of Jews to repair the walls. However, other political leaders did not want the wall rebuilt. The people had to take turns being guards and working on the wall. Even those working on the wall wore their swords while they worked. They repaired the wall in only 52 days. Their enemies were afraid because they realized that God had helped the Jews accomplish this.
Many other cities in Bible times had protective walls around them, too. The Bible tells us that when a person has no self-control, that person is like a city with broken down walls. In other words, having no self-control leaves you open to temptation, injury, attack and harm. On the other hand, if you do use self-control and avoid the things that are bad for you, it helps you stay healthier, happier and more safe. So keep your protective walls in good shape--stay in control of your mind, your body and your decisions.]
Neh 2:17
Neh 2:20 .

F35. Noah and the Ark [ark on mountain, animals leaving, rainbow, Noah and wife in foreground]
Gen 6:14-16 "So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out . . . The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. . . . Make lower, middle and upper decks."
Did you know that legends are often based on truth? Hundreds of legends from different cultures around the world tell of a great flood that occurred long ago. They sound like they are based on Noah's Flood!1, 2 But Noah's Flood was for real! In fact, there are still signs of that flood today, such as animal fossils (mostly marine life) on mountaintops worldwide and sedimentary layers clearly visible in places like the Grand Canyon.3 The Bible gives us the accurate account of this worldwide flood. Creation scientists and other researchers can fill in the details. If you like to read, maybe you will enjoy the extra lesson below.
By the way, do you know the special significance of the rainbow? It is a sign from the Lord! After the flood was over, God started putting rainbows in the sky. Although there will still be floods in some places, rainbows are God’s sign to us of His promise that He will never again cover the whole earth with a flood (Gen 9:13, 15)!]
Gen 6:13-14
Gen 6:20

An Extra Lesson: More About Noah and the Great Flood

The Ark: About 4,400 years ago4, everyone except Noah and his family had become very wicked. God decided to destroy all the evil people on earth with a flood. So God told Noah to build an ark to save his family, himself and the land animals. Noah and his family may have had about 120 years to build the ark (Gen 6:3). The massive ark had three decks, over 100,000 square feet of floor space and a cargo capacity of almost 40,000,000 pounds (Gen 6:14-16). Although today there are fewer than 20,000 air-breathing land-animal types, there was more than enough room to fit Noah's family, as many as 50,000 animals* (including young dinosaurs) and food for all! Even so, it is believed many of the animals on the ark may have gone into a state of hibernation, requiring very little food and care. The animals came to Noah, just as the Lord said they would. They were able to do this before the flood because the world land mass was not yet broken up (Gen 10:25), there were no really high mountains yet and no great oceans. 5 [*It has also been calculated that the ark could have held as much as 522 railroad livestock cars or, to put it another way, over 125,000 sheep!6]

The Floodwaters Come: Some scientists believe there was a huge water canopy around the earth before the flood which turned into a terrible rainstorm.7, 8 Apparently there may also have been major meteor showers, volcanic activity and earthquakes. These would have broken up the face of the earth, opening huge reservoirs of water.9 It rained for 40 days and nights (Gen 7:11-12). Even the mountains--all of them--were covered by over 20 feet of water (Gen 7:19-20). The six to one ratio of length to width that God told Noah to use is a very stable shipbuilding ratio. In fact, the ark was so stable it could have righted itself even if it tilted almost straight up!10 After a long voyage, the ark landed on the mountains of Ararat (Gen 8:4).

The Earth's Surface Changes: Now........what happened to Noah's floodwaters? The Lord said He would never cover the earth with the waters from Noah's flood again (Is 54:9). That tells us Noah's floodwaters are still here! They are our oceans and they cover about 70% of the earth's surface. In fact, if the whole earth was smoothed out with no mountains or ocean valleys, the entire earth would be covered with water almost two miles deep! However, our topography is different from pre-flood times. At the proper time, the Lord raised up volcanoes and high mountains out of the water. He also formed deep ocean valleys (Ps 104:6-9). Most of our regular mountains were formed from folded flood layers of mud which turned into rock. We find many plant and animal fossils in these strata, too, more evidence of the flood. Even high up on Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, there are flood layers with fossils in them.11, 12

Ark Sightings: Although Mt. Ararat is a volcano, its top is glacier-covered and the ark may only be visible during the hottest summers. The locals say the ark commonly had many visitors a century ago. Explorers (who are not always allowed to climb the mountain) often encounter fierce snowstorms, falling boulders, large sections of sliding snow or ice and even packs of wild, wolf-like dogs. There have been hundreds of eyewitness reports, drawings and photos over the years from people who believe they have seen one or both halves of the apparently broken ark while climbing or flying in the area. Most of the sightings have been near the Ahora Gorge.13 Even the famous Marco Polo (born around 1254 A.D.) mentioned the ark and how huge Mt. Ararat is.14 At least one person, Fernand Navarra, even took a sample piece of wood in 1955 from what he believed to be the ark. That piece of wood is described as being hand-tooled, with pitch on it and is considered to be about 5,000 years old.15

Could the ark have lasted this long? The Lord told Noah exactly what kind of wood to use, and, of course, the Lord knew what type would last the longest. He also told Noah to pitch both the outside and the inside of the ark, which would help protect the wood. Furthermore, glacial ice may have helped preserve it. Finally, volcanic ash may have turned part of the ark to stone, a common effect of volcanic ash on wood.16 Some believe that the Lord has purposely preserved the ark and has plans for future use of it, perhaps as a witness to the truth of His word. Who knows, maybe someday we will see Noah’s Ark on the nightly news!

[Activities:
(1) Some Bible versions give the ark's measurements in cubits. Although the cubit varied in size from 17 1/2 to 24 inches, most believe the biblical cubit was 18 inches,17 which is the approximate distance from a man's elbow to the tip of his fingers.18 Is your Dad of average size? Want to surprise him with your knowledge? Tell him you bet you know the approximate distance from his elbow to the tip of his fingers. Then you can measure him and tell him why you knew that in advance.
(2) Most of the sightings on Mt. Ararat of what appears to be the ark have been at around 15,000 feet.19 Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, is a lot higher than that. Yet, as high as it is, there are even flood layers with fossils in them high up on Mt. Everest!20 See if you can find out how high Mt. Everest and Mt. Ararat are.
(3) Want to make your own rainbow? Stand with your back to the afternoon sun and use a hose to spray a mist of water in front of you.
(4) Johan Huibers, a Dutch creationist, has built a replica of Noah's ark. Although it is much smaller than the original ark, the proportions are not the same as in the Bible and the shape isn't quite what the experts believe it looked like, it is still huge and may give you a better idea of how big the real ark was. You can tour the ark if you are ever in the Netherlands. The pictures at the below sites are interesting to see.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n2/netherland- http://biblesearchers.typepad.com/destination-yisrael/2010/01/dutch-man-builds-replica-of-noahs-a rk.html
A larger ark is also being built. See: http://www.arkvannoach.com/en/en.html ]

1 John D. Morris, Noah's Ark and the Lost World (El Cajon, CA: Master Books, 1988) 24-25.
2 Gloria Clanin, In the Days of Noah (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 1996) 60.
3 Clanin 64, 72-75.
4 Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record (Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, MI, 1976) 285.
5 J. D. Morris 14-19.
6 Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record (Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, MI, 1976) 181.
7 Dennis R. Petersen, Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation (South Lake Tahoe, CA: Creation Resource Foundation, 1986) 26-27.
8 Ken Ham, et al., The Answers Book (El Cajon, CA: Master Books, 1992) 120-123.
9 J. D. Morris 20-21.
10 H. M. Morris 181.
11 Ham 123-126.
12 J. D. Morris 22-23.
13 J. D. Morris 27-37.
14 Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Reasons Skeptics Should Consider Christianity (Wheaton, IL: Living Books, 1981) 86.
15 McDowell 88.
16 J. D. Morris 27-28.
17 H. M. Morris 181.
18 J. D. Morris 14.
18 H. M. Morris 686.
20 Ham 125-126.

F36. Paul [chains, letters, pen]
1 Thes 2:2 You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.
[ Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul was his Latin name and Saul was his Hebrew name. He was a devout Jew and had gone about persecuting Christians, thinking that he was doing the right thing. Then one day on the road to Damascus, the Lord appeared to him in a blinding light and asked Paul why he was persecuting Him. He sent Paul into the city, telling him that He had appointed him as a servant and a witness. Paul could not see for three days after Jesus appeared to him. Then the Lord sent Ananias to lay hands on Paul and restore his sight. Paul received his sight, was filled with the Holy Spirit and was baptized.
The Lord put Paul to work spreading the gospel and sent him on missionary journeys. The Lord also enabled Paul to work many miracles and inspired Paul to write several letters that became part of the Bible (2 Tim 3:16-17).
But Paul’s job was not easy. He was beaten, stoned, whipped, chained and imprisoned for his beliefs. Yet, he never lost his faith, nor his will to serve the Lord.
Having persecuted members of the church, Paul considered himself the least of the apostles (1 Cor 15:9). Still, God had chosen him to deliver His message to many and Paul was grateful for this honor (1 Tim 1:12).
This shows us once again that the Lord uses imperfect people to accomplish great things. When you get older, don’t ever let the enemy trick you into thinking the sins or mistakes of your past make you unworthy to serve God. Often the Lord turns a person’s past into a useful tool toward helping others, just as He did with Paul.]
Acts 26:17-18
1 Tim 1:16

F37. Peleg [small child playing with large green and brown Pangaea puzzle pieces with the permanent part of the puzzle frame surrounded by blue water; puzzle is labeled Pangaea; globe on stand in background showing one Pangaea land mass, brass plate on globe stand says Pangaea]
Gen 10:25 [SEE FINISHED PAGE]
Have you ever noticed that the continents on a world map almost seem like puzzle pieces that have been divided up? Can you guess why that might be? Quite a few scientists believe that the earth's land masses were at one time all joined together in one giant land mass called "Pangaea." Many think that some sudden, violent event split the continents apart a few thousand years ago.1
To give you an idea when this may have happened, Noah's Flood is thought to have occurred around 2,350 B.C. Peleg was born about 100 years later. The Bible says of Peleg "in his time the earth was divided." Some believe this verse just refers to the division of the people at the Tower of Babel mentioned in Genesis 11 (see extra lesson below). Others believe that if the earth's surface really did split apart, that it occurred at this same time. Still others believe the earth began breaking up during the flood.2, 3, 4
The earth's surface is cracked, sort of like an eggshell. The continents currently rest on about 20 different plates on the earth's surface. Many scientists believe the plates are still moving, but that now they are moving very slowly. The study of the movement of these plates is called plate tectonics. This slow movement itself is called continental drift. It is believed that this movement causes many of the earthquakes we experience today.5
Gen 1:9
Ps 60:2
Gen 10:32 (KJV) These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
Gen 11:9

An Extra Lesson: Dividing People and Animals
1. The Tower of Babel/Isolation of the Gene Pool:
When the Babylonians tried to build a huge temple to false gods, the Lord confused their language. This caused the people to split up into different language groups. Many philologists believe that all languages have one common origin. This fits in with the division of languages starting at that temple.6, 7 That building is appropriately called the Tower of Babel, since "Babel" means "confused." Interestingly, part of the ancient Tower of Babel may have been discovered in the area of Babylon.8
The Babel division, and perhaps continental breakup, too, can help explain, in part, the development of the different races. Why? Due to isolation of the gene pool. When people break up into smaller groups and then marry exclusively within that group, there is a slightly smaller amount of genetic information available. Therefore, certain similar characteristics emerge.9
For instance, let's say on average 1 in 10 people from a certain people group are born with 24 fingers and toes instead of 20. Let's say several of the 24-digit people moved to an island and only married within that group. The chances are greatly increased over the average of the original group that their children, grandchildren, etc., would have 24 digits. This sort of isolated gene-pool effect can be seen in the two-toed Vadoma tribe of Africa. An example in the animal kingdom is the polydactyl Hemingway Cats, which have a varying number of extra toes. [See more on isolation of the gene pool at Adam and Eve costume section.]

2. Land Bridges: Many scientists also believe that people and animals crossed land bridges, which occurred as a result of the Ice Age and which remained passable for centuries. An example is the Bering Strait area between Alaska and Russia, which was not always under water.10 Once the land bridges were submerged, this could have further contributed to isolation of the gene pool in people, as well as isolation of animal kinds.

3. Ships: There is considerable evidence that even very early on mankind may also have traveled between the continents on seagoing craft.11

4. Vegetation: Many creation scientists believe that for centuries after the Flood the earth was not as dry as it is now. This could mean that even areas that are barren desert today, were covered with vegetation then. This would have made it easier for animals to migrate. Additionally, some animals will die if the specific types of plants they eat aren't available or if the climate is not what they need. Therefore, some animals could have died out in certain areas simply because the conditions were not right for them.12

1 Robert W. Faid, A Scientific Approach to Biblical Mysteries/A Scientific Approach to More Biblical Mysteries (Carmel, NY: Guideposts, 1993) 39-43.
2 Dennis R. Petersen, Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation (South Lake Tahoe, CA: Creation Resource Foundation, 1986) 30, 177.
3 Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record (Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, MI, 1976) 260-261, 282-285.
4 Lawrence O. Richards, It Couldn't Just Happen (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1987) 42-43.
5 Richards 40-42.
6 Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Volume I (San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., 1972, 1979) 69.
7 Faid 49-54
8 Henry M. Morris and Martin E. Clark, The Bible Has The Answer (El Cajon, CA, Creation-Life Publishers, Inc., 1992) 70.
9 Henry M. Morris with Henry M. Morris III, Many Infallible Proofs: Practical and Useful Evidences for the Christian Faith (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 1996) 318-322
10 Ken Ham, et al., The Answers Book (El Cajon, CA: Master Books, 1992) 198-200.
11 Morris, The Genesis Record 261.
12 Ham 201-206.

F38. The Persistent Widow [Bible girl all dressed in black (?), shown pleading with a judge; research Bible costumes for judge and widow]
Luke 18:5 . . . "‘because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!’"
[ Jesus told a parable about a persistent widow to teach us that we should always pray and not give up. The widow kept asking a judge persistently (over and over) for help against her enemy. The judge was an unjust judge who did not fear God, nor did he care about people. However, even though the judge was not a good person, he finally helped the woman just so she would quit bothering him. Jesus was teaching us to keep praying and that God would eventually bring about justice for us. In other words, if even a bad human eventually helps someone he doesn’t like, we can certainly expect our good heavenly Father to help those whom He loves!
God cares deeply about His children. He wants to do good things for His obedient children! The Bible tells us not only that the Lord listens to the prayers of the righteous (obedient believers), but that their prayers are also "powerful and effective" (1 Pet. 3:12, James 5:16). He tells us to "pray continually" (1 Thes 5:17). He tells us that if we believe, obey, ask with the right motives (reasons), ask in Jesus’ name and ask for something within His will that would be good for us, He will give it to us (Mat 21:22, 1 John 3:21-22, James 4:2-3, John 16:24, Eph 1:11, Ps 84:11).
We won’t always get the answers that we want and we won’t always get the answers as quickly as we would like them. However, God will give us the answers that are best for us and at the right time. He is able to work all things out for good for His children (Rom 8:28).]
Luke 18:6-7
Phlp 4:6

F39. Peter [with rooster; hand covering mouth, horrified, or crying; 2 golden keys hanging from rope around waste]
Mat 26:34 . . . Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
[ Peter, one of the greatest apostles, had a rocky beginning:

(1) When Jesus miraculously walked out on a lake to meet the apostles, Peter asked to come to Him. When the Lord said, "Come," Peter starting walking toward Him on the water. Then Peter became afraid and started to sink. Jesus caught him and said, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew Chap. 14)
(2) Peter tried to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem to die on the cross and save us as He was sent here to do (Matthew Chap. 16).
(3) When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet to give them an example of servanthood, Peter almost didn’t allow Jesus to wash his feet (John Chap. 13).
(4) Before Jesus was seized, Peter strongly stated that he would never disown our Lord. Yet, Peter denied Jesus three times that very night, just as Jesus predicted (Matthew Chap. 26).

But Peter improved! In spite of Peter’s flaws, Jesus turned this fisherman into a mighty fisher of men. Considered the apostle to the Jews, Simon Peter helped convert thousands of people to Christianity. However, it wasn’t always easy. For instance, Acts Chapter 5 tells how the jealous religious leaders had Peter and the apostles jailed. After an angel let them out, Peter and the others continued to preach, in spite of the opposition. They were flogged for doing so, yet still continued to preach. In fact, they even rejoiced at being able to suffer for the Lord. The Lord miraculously healed many people through Peter. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter also wrote part of the Bible (2 Tim 3:16-17).
From rocky beginning to the rock Jesus built His church on, Peter’s story reminds us of our worth to God (Mat 16:18-19, John 1:42). Yes, as humans we may start out failing and weak. But the Lord knows in advance who will become strong for Him! If we love the Lord, He can choose us and use us--like Peter--to accomplish much good!]
Mat 16:18-19
Acts 5:28-29
Acts 5:41

F40. Pharaoh's Daughter [Egyptian royal garb with baby & basket near water’s edge with reeds]
Ex 2:9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you."
[ Before Moses was born, the wicked pharaoh [ruler] had made a very bad rule. He did not want the Hebrews to have so many babies and keep growing into such a strong nation. So he told the Hebrews that they must kill all their boy babies.
Jochebed, Moses’ mother, put Moses in a floating basket in the Nile to save him. When the pharaoh’s daughter went down to the river to bathe, she saw baby Moses. He was crying and she had compassion on him (felt sorry for him). She knew he was one of the Hebrew babies and she wanted to save him.
Miriam, the older sister of Moses, was watching and offered to get a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter agreed. Of course, Miriam went to get their own mother. Therefore, Jochebed was able to raise Moses until he got a little older. Then pharaoh’s daughter raised him as her own son and also made sure that he had a good education.
By saving Moses, caring for him and educating him, pharaoh’s daughter saved a baby who would grow up to be one of the greatest Hebrew leaders that ever lived. We just never know how much good one baby can grow up to accomplish!]
Ex 2:10
Acts 7:36

F41. Prodigal Son [ragged, patched biblical-era clothes with modern, runaway-type, red-bandana pouch on stick, heading down path; father running toward him with welcome arms]
Luke 15:20 [SEE FINISHED PAGE]
[ The prodigal son was a character in a parable (story) that Jesus told about a young man who was anxious to leave home. The young man asked his father for his inheritance money before the normal time to receive it. Then he left home. For a while, he lived a wild, sinful, wasteful life. Then he went broke. When a famine came, he ended up taking a job feeding pigs. He was so hungry, he wished he could eat the pig food! Then he finally came to his senses. He finally realized he had been much better off at home!
The son returned home, but his father wasn’t mad at him. Instead, the father joyously welcomed him back! The son quickly apologized. Just as quickly, the father told his servants to bring a robe, a ring and shoes for his son. The father also told his servants to prepare a celebration feast, saying, ""For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’"
This story is a good example of how some people feel after they experiment with wild, sinful living. After they learn the hard (and typically painful) way that sinful living is not so great after all, many finally come to their senses and realize our Heavenly Father’s way is best. The story is also a good example of unconditional love. Jesus used this story to show how even when we sin, if we are truly contrite (sorry), if we confess and repent, the Lord forgives us. He joyously welcomes us back, too (Luke 15:10, Is 55:7, Ps 51:17)!
Also keep this story in mind if you ever have a friend that runs away from home. Remind them how hard life is away from home. Tell your friend the story of the prodigal son. Encourage them to return to their parents, to get some help from a Christian church or to call a crisis runaway phone hotline.
[Note: The secular National Runaway Switchboard at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) provides free 24-hour confidential hotline services for youth in crisis, concerned friends and family members; crisis intervention; message relay between runaways and their parents/guardians; return-home transportation help; counseling and educational materials.]
Luke 15:17
Luke 15:21
Joel 2:13
1 Cor 13:8

F42. Rebekah [water jar on shoulder]
Gen 24:45 "Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.""
[ Abraham sent his chief servant to his relatives to find a wife for his son Isaac. Abraham told the servant that the Lord would send His angel before him so he would be successful.
When the servant reached the town of Abraham’s relatives, he stood by a spring and prayed. He prayed that if a girl came to draw water and he asked her for a drink, that the girl the Lord had chosen for Isaac would not only give him the drink, but offer to water the servant’s camels, as well. Before he even finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. He asked her for a drink, which she gave to him and then watered his camels, too. The happy servant bowed down and praised the Lord!
The servant gave Rebekah and her family some jewelry and other expensive gifts. Then he took Rebekah back to his master to marry Isaac. Rebekah and Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Rebekah’s story is another interesting Bible example of answered prayer. Just as Abraham’s servant learned, we know that although God doesn’t always answer prayers immediately, sometimes He answers them before we are even done praying!]
Gen 24:51
Ps 139:4

F43. The Rich Man and the Beggar [one child in dirty, torn black robe looking hot, thirsty and haggard in dark barren landscape; two children in bright white robes, one with arm around the other both with ladles of water in hand next to beautiful stream and flowers with small animals; wide, deep ditch between them]
Luke 16:24 "So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'"
[ Jesus told a parable of a rich man who lived in luxury and a poor man named Lazarus who begged for food at the rich man’s gate. The beggar died and later the rich man died also. The rich man was in torment in hell, but could see Lazarus comfortable and happy at Abraham’s side (Mat 8:11). The rich man asked to have Lazarus bring him a little bit of water, but Abraham told him there was a great gulf between them so that people could not cross over it.
Then the story sounds like the rich man started thinking, "If I had only known then what I know now!" Wanting to spare his brothers this misery, the rich man then asked Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers. He wanted his brothers to get right with the Lord and not have to go to that place of agony like him. However, Abraham told him that his brothers already had Moses and the prophets to listen to.
This story is a warning and a wake-up call to those who doubt if there really is a hell. It helps encourage people to believe God’s word and accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus before it is too late (John 3:16-18).
Christians are spared the agony of hell. Instead they forever delight in the wonderful gift of eternal life in heaven (Ps 16:11)! Reserve your place in paradise today!]
Luke 16:27-28
Luke 16:31

F44. Ruth [holding her shawl very full of barley cf. Ruth 3:15]
Ruth 1:16 "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God."
[ The story of Ruth shows us a great example of family loyalty, as well as loyalty rewarded. After her husband died, a young widow named Ruth decided to stay with her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth also chose to follow Naomi’s Lord, the one true God.
There was a famine in the land of Moab where they had been living, so the ladies traveled to Naomi’s hometown where there was food. At that time poor people were allowed to pick up what was left over after the harvesters went through a field. That practice was called gleaning (Lev 23:22). Ruth went to glean in a field which turned out to belong to a relative of Naomi’s called Boaz. Boaz had heard about Ruth and was obviously impressed with her loyalty to Naomi. He was very good to Ruth and made arrangements not only for her protection, but also for her to get extra grain. As it turned out, Boaz ended up marrying Ruth.
God rewarded Ruth’s loyalty with an ever-lasting honor--Ruth and Boaz became the great grandparents of King David and were part of the family tree of the human ancestry of Christ!]
Ruth 2:19-20
Ruth 4:13
Mat 1:5-6

F45. Samson [7 long braids of hair cf. Judges 16:13, strongman fur costume, fake arm & chest muscle suit; jawbone in hand]
Judg 13:5 . . . "No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth" . . .
[ Samson was a very strong man. He led the Israelites for 20 years and began their deliverance from the Philistines. Once, in the power of the Lord, he killed a lion with his bare hands. Another time in the power of the Lord, he killed 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.
Unfortunately, he fell in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistines offered to pay her if she could get Samson to tell her the secret of his strength, so she kept pestering him about it. Even though Samson had already learned from a similar experience that he should not reveal a secret (Judges Chap. 14), he made the same mistake again. He gave in and told Delilah that if his hair was cut off he would lose his strength. Delilah betrayed his trust. The Philistines cut off Samson’s hair, blinded him and imprisoned him.
After a while his hair started growing again. One day his enemies chained him to two pillars that supported part of a large temple of a false god. While they were celebrating, Samson asked God to give him back his strength. He pushed over the two pillars and the building collapsed. Samson sacrificed his own life to kill thousands of his enemies.
Samson’s story helps us learn to be very careful about choosing whom to trust. It also shows us one of the many good reasons why we should pay attention to what we learn from our personal experiences--so we don’t repeat our mistakes!]
Judg 16:15-17

F46. Samuel [in robe torn at hem cf. 1 Sam 15:27, horn of oil anointing David (in same clothes as with Goliath above) cf. 1 Sam 16:13]
1 Sam 16:13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him . . . and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power . . .
[ Samuel was a prophet. King Saul had disobeyed the Lord and Samuel let him know that the Lord was not pleased. Samuel told Saul that because he had rejected the Lord’s word, the Lord had rejected him as king. As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed hold of the hem of his robe and it tore. Then Samuel told him that the Lord had torn the kingdom of Israel from him and had given it to one of his neighbors who was better than him.
Then the Lord sent Samuel to anoint the new king of Israel from among the sons of Jesse. When he saw Jesse’s son, Eliab, Samuel thought he would be the one. But he was wrong. The Lord told Samuel that He looked at the heart, not the outward appearance. Of Jesse’s eight sons, the Lord had chosen David, the youngest, to be the next king.
Do you sometimes feel that you are not tall enough, pretty enough, handsome enough, old enough, skinny enough, etc.? Just keep in mind that what’s important to God is not your appearance, but your heart. Love the Lord with all your heart and "serve Him faithfully." Then you will be tops in God’s eyes!]
1 Sam 16:7
1 Sam 12:24

F47. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego [consider drawing them in modern fire-retardant suits walking out of furnace, a couple with the hoods off showing Bible garb, third in process of removing hood, or all in full suits in the furnace with Jesus, but make the suits transparent to show the supernatural protection of God]
Dan 3:17 "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king."
[ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were Hebrews who had been appointed as officials in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar made a rule that everyone was to worship a golden statue when they heard certain music. However, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to do so because that was idolatry (the sin of worshipping false gods).
This made the king so angry that he had them tied up and thrown into not just a fiery furnace, but a furnace seven times hotter than usual! In fact, the furnace was so hot that the heat killed the soldiers who threw them in there!
The three Hebrews had told the king beforehand that God could save them, "but if not" (i.e., even if God chose not to save them), they were still willing to die rather than disobey God.
The Lord protected the three men completely and even sent help to be in the furnace with them (Dan 3:25). Not only were they not burnt, when the three men came out of the furnace, they did not even smell smoky! It was almost like they were wearing modern, heavy-duty, fire-retardant suits! The king was so impressed that he praised our God (Dan 3:28), made a decree that no one could speak against Him, and even promoted the three men!
In our time, the three words "but if not" from Daniel 3:18, are sometimes used as a sort of short message in code for Christians. It is a way of saying that while we are hoping for the best and for God’s help, even if God does not get us out of a tough situation, we would rather face death than do wrong.]
Dan 3:18 (KJV) "But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
1 Pet 3:13-14
Mat 10:28

Additional Lesson: Persecution
It is important to keep life in perspective. Some people think that becoming a Christian means you won’t have any more problems. Not true. In fact, Jesus specifically told us we would have trouble in this world (John 16:33). The Lord helps us in many ways in this world, but this world in its present form is still far from perfect. We will experience perfection in heaven, but in the meantime, it helps to know in advance that there will be trials along the way (1 Pet 1).
As you get older, you may find "standing your ground" (sticking to what you believe in) as a Christian can become more of a challenge due to pressure from others (Eph 6:13). To hang in there and do well in spite of tough times will require faithful Christians to really tap into their Bible knowledge (James 1:12, 2 Tim 3:12-15).
Bible knowledge will also help you keep your priorities straight on whom you want to please, God or man (Gal 1:10). If a lot of worldly people think well of you, that is not necessarily a good sign, as ungodly people tend to think well of other ungodly people (Luke 6:26, James 4:4). On the other hand, ungodly people often don’t think well of and even persecute (harass) godly people.
Jesus said this would happen (John 15:18-20). He pointed out that they hated Him first, and that "No servant is greater than his master." However, Jesus indicated we are actually blessed when we are treated poorly on His account and that we can expect greater rewards in heaven when that happens (Mat 5:10-12, Luke 6:22-23).
Worldly people embrace evil and avoid the truth��so avoid them (2 Cor 6:14, John 3:19-21)! Godly people, however, embrace goodness and truth. Their example and influence often also helps bring others closer to the Lord. Make friends with other faithful people and you can more easily stand your ground together (1 John 1:7).

F48. King Solomon [crown, two girls with babydoll, sword]
1 Ki 3:12 . . . "I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be."
[ Solomon was a very wise and wealthy king. Why did God bless King Solomon so much? The Lord had appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he wanted. Solomon asked only for "a discerning heart," because he wanted to be a wise and just ruler of God’s people. The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this instead of selfishly asking for money, long life or the death of his enemies. So the Lord not only gave Solomon the discerning heart he had asked for, He also gave him money and honor.
One of the most memorable stories about Solomon involved him settling a dispute between two women. One woman’s baby had died, so she stole the other woman’s baby. The real mother wanted Solomon to make the bad woman give the baby back. Solomon called for a sword. Then he threatened to have the baby cut in two and to give half of it to each mother.
The real mother desperately wanted her son to live. Even though giving him up would break her heart, she pleaded with Solomon for her little son’s life and asked him to give the baby to the other woman. The bad woman, on the other hand, was quite content with the impending slaughter. Heartlessly she exclaimed, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"
Of course, Solomon had no intention of killing the baby. The threat just gave him a good way to discern (figure out) who the real mother was by seeing which one cared the most for the baby’s life. Then he was able to give the baby to his mother and know for sure she was his real mother!
Solomon is believed to be the author of most of the verses in Proverbs (Prov 1:1-7). Would you like to learn more from Solomon’s wisdom? Now you know a good place to look!]
1 Ki 3:13
1 King 3:26

F49. Stephen [shining face, on knees praying, looking up, stones around]
Acts 7:55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
[ Stephen was a Spirit-filled man of great faith. He was full of God’s grace and power. Therefore Stephen was able to do many great wonders and miracles among the people.
However, some of the Jews were opposed to Stephen. They tried to argue with him and brought him before the Sanhedrin (the highest Jewish court). They produced false witnesses to lie about him and say he had committed blasphemy (speaking disrespectfully of God).
Stephen, with his face having the appearance of an angel, told the Sanhedrin the story of the Jewish people all the way from God’s promises to Abraham, on down to the coming of Jesus, whom he accused the Sanhedrin of killing. The Jews were very angry at that, dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death. He was the first Christian martyr (person who died for Jesus).
Over the centuries there have been many martyrs for Christ. Even today many people are still being martyred rather than deny the Lord they love! What incredible faith and courage!]
Acts 7:59-60
Rev 12:11
Mat 5:10-12

F50. Thomas [dress in Bible garb, but add a loose v-necked sweatshirt (sort of like a school sweater) with a big "D" on it]
John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
[ Someone who doubts something is often called a "doubting Thomas." That name comes from what the disciple called Thomas did in John Chapter 20.
Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Later He appeared to the disciples even though they were in a locked room (in His new body Jesus was not limited by physical barriers). He said, "Peace be with you!" Then He showed them His hands and His side.
However, Thomas was not there at the time. When the other disciples later told Thomas that they had seen Jesus, he doubted them (didn’t believe them). He said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
A week later Jesus again appeared to the disciples, again coming in spite of the locked door. "Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’"
Today we can learn from Thomas’ eyewitness response. When Thomas finally believed, he exclaimed to Jesus, "My Lord and my God!"]
John 20:30-31
2 Cor 5:7

F51. Wise Men [three Magi (no crowns) in royal court robes with gifts; inside a house, not a stable]
Mat 2:1-2 (KJV) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
[ God led the wise men to the baby Jesus with a bright star. The wise men were already familiar with the prophecies that told about the coming of Jesus, such as how He was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). The Magi traveled there to worship Jesus and to bring Him valuable gifts--the first Christmas (meaning "Christ’s mass") gifts. Some people believe that these gifts may even have helped pay for living expenses for Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus while they were in Egypt keeping safe from Herod!
You may be interested in a fascinating discovery about the possible "Star of Bethlehem." Some believe that the star the wise men saw was a recurrent nova called "Novae Aquila." In July of the year 5 B.C. (B.C. means "Before Christ"), this star experienced an explosion so bright that it was even visible in the daytime. That explosion is thought to have occurred on the day Jesus was born and remained bright for several months. Historical records show that King Herod died in 4 B.C., which further supports a 5 B.C. birth year for Jesus since Herod was still alive when Jesus was born.1
These dates also fit in with a belief held by many scholars that the Gregorian calendar we use is wrong. It may show the A.D. portion of history starting on an incorrectly calculated date for the birth of Jesus (A.D. stands for Anno Domini, meaning "in the year of the Lord"). Christ’s birth year was calculated by Roman astronomer Dionysius Exiguus and many believe it may be as much as 4-7 years too late!]
Mat 2:9
Mat 2:11

1 Robert W. Faid, A Scientific Approach to Biblical Mysteries/A Scientific Approach to More Biblical Mysteries (Carmel, NY: Guideposts, 1993) 53-64.

F52. Zacchaeus [exaggerated elevator shoes, in fig tree or surrounded by a few fig leaves, with money bag with $$$ on it]
Mat 9:11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?"
[ Zacchaeus was a chief publican (tax collector) who was very rich. He was responsible for collecting taxes from the local Jewish people for the Roman Empire. The local chief publican and his employees were usually very greedy, charging the Jews much heavier taxes than the Romans required and keeping the extra amount for themselves. Most of the Jews hated the publicans, not only for taking so much money from them, but also because they considered the publicans to be traitors.
When Jesus came to Jericho, Zacchaeus (who was quite short) had to climb a tree so he could see Jesus over the crowd. Jesus stopped at the tree and said, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." Zacchaeus quickly decided to change his ways. He said he would give to the poor and repay anyone he had cheated.
Many people thought Jesus should not eat with tax collectors and sinners. However, Jesus said that He had not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. We should always remember that Jesus knows nobody is perfect, but that He still loves us very much! He welcomes us to come to Him as is--just the way we are (Rom 5:8). No matter what bad thing we do, Jesus is always ready to forgive His believing children if only we are truly sorry, confess our sins and change our ways.
Incidentally, people still pay taxes to the government today and we know that paying our lawful taxes is the right thing to do (Mark 12:17).]
Luke 19:8-10