The most important city in Iraq is not Baghdad, and you probably have never heard it mentioned on the 10 o'clock news. It is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible (and it is even found three times in the family tree of our Lord Jesus Christ). This is, of course, the fabled Babylon.

Beginning this month, we're going to embark on a new journey. A journey that explores the single most important thing a Christian can learn to do, worship. We'll learn exactly what worship is and what it's not; we'll learn how God wants us to worship; and, finally, we'll learn that worship is the only thing that will bring us the joy of the Lord.

So often in the Bible we encounter genealogies which, to most of us, aren't particularly exciting reading. And yet they often contain hidden treasures to reward the diligent.

The night Jesus was betrayed closed a long, full day after His final Passover meal with His disciples. In the Garden of Gethsemane that same night, Jesus endured a terrible emotional and spiritual ordeal in prayer before His Father.

For the third straight year, it was a full house for the Steeling the Mind Bible Conference in Southern California, held this year in Anaheim. The spacious Heritage Forum hosted the event that drew people from as far away as New England.

For just over a year now, we have been talking about the authority and power that God gives us as Christians to make "faith choices" - choices we make by faith and not our feelings. What's sad is that many Christians still don't realize they have the authority to go against the tide of their emotions, and choose God's will regardless of how they feel.

The movie, The Gospel of John, is the greatest story ever told in the most powerful language of the 21st century. It is an inspired presentation of the Truth that will delight people of all ages.

John didn't want the divorce in the first place, but his wife, Stella, was tired of being married and simply wanted out. Amazingly, Stella got custody of their only child, eight-year-old Christa.

Over the last few years we have watched closely as the European Union has emerged as a growing world power. The value of the Euro has surpassed that of the dollar, and in May the EU will welcome 10 new members, increasing its influence in the UN and expanding its potential for growth.

Last month many of us availed ourselves of the opportunity to celebrate our loved ones with a traditional remembrance. As I did so, it occurred to me that this should be an appropriate time to remind ourselves that we are the recipients of the ultimate "valentine."

Whose sermons are quoted most in the Bible? The answer may surprise you. Just as the New Testament epistles are our primary interpretive commentary on the historical narratives (the Gospels and Acts), the most venerated portion of the Old Testament - the Torah - has, within it, its primary commentary in the form of three sermons by its principal author, Moses.

If you examine the continuing articles in the vanguard of the "new sciences," it is interesting to recognize how much of our current understanding of the nature of our universe is built on disturbingly small glimpses of actual data. It appears that many writers consistently draw vast conclusions from half-vast information.

Over the last several weeks, we have been talking about making emotional choices or "fleshly choices" as Christians. These are choices to follow what we think and feel and see, rather than choosing, by faith, to follow what God has asked us to do. These choices immediately quench God’s Spirit in us.

Despite much activity and wishful thinking about diplomatic progress, the real question is whether there will be a formal cease-fire. Even this cannot be taken for granted. Still, the intifada seems to be winding down.

There are many Christians who do not take the record of the Flood in Genesis seriously. They consign the account to a moral lesson without regarding the narrative as actual fact.

Three Things God Can't Do:

Geneology Table

The ancient pagans worshiped idols of wood, brass, or stone. Modern society has invented an even weaker idol - clearly the most insulting of all. It is ironic that it has become fashionable to attribute the creation of this universe - and of ourselves - to randomness.

So far in our overview of Against the Tide , we've focused on the importance of our day-to-day choices and how they are the key to our Christian walk. We've talked about "faith choices" - choosing something we don't feel by saying, "Not my will, but Thine" - and how God has given us the authority and the power to make this kind of choice.

What a wonderful topic to discuss this month: Knowing how much God loves us! It's amazing to me that we "happen" to be in this particular section of the book at this time, but certainly, it's not by coincidence. The whole reason for the season is God's Love!