A ROCKY FOUNDATION

  David cook shared the following experience. "My brothers and I had traveled to the western edge of Zimbabwe to raft the Zambezi River. We boarded our raft at the base of the Victoria Falls. Our guide said, 'when the raft flips …' There was no 'If the raft flips' or 'on the off chance we get flipped' but 'when the raft flips.' He went on, 'stay in the rough water. You will be tempted to swim toward the stagnate water at the edge of the banks. Don't do it. Because it is in the stagnate water that the crocs wait for you. They are large and hungry. Even when the raft flips, stay in the rough water.' In Acts 1:8 Jesus told his disciples that they would be his witnesses in ever-widening circles, from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and finally to the ends of the earth. By Acts 5: 28 the disciples had filled Jerusalem with the gospel. After death of Stephen the disciples were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, preaching the gospel w...

  The famous British explorer and naval captain, James Cook arrived in Hawaii in 1778. His arrival happened during the Makahiki festival. This was a time when Native Hawaiians honored Lono, their god of peace, agriculture, and rain. Because Cook's ships arrived in a clockwise pattern around the islands—which matched the rituals used to honor Lono—many Native Hawaiians believed that Captain Cook was Lono returning to them. They treated him like a god and gave him food and gifts. After Cook's ship left, it got damaged in a storm and he had to return to Hawaii for repairs. The relationship with the Hawaiians became tense. The Hawaiians were tired of the sailors taking their resources, and someone stole one of Cook's small boats. On February 14, 1779 , Captain Cook went ashore to kidnap the local Hawaiian chief to hold as a prisoner until the stolen boat was returned. A violent fight broke out on the beach. The Hawaiians realized Cook was just a mortal man when he bled and...