Then, after all the horrifying events of the year, the space program accomplishes the unimaginable: Apollo 8 sends three astronauts to orbit the Moon. The mission is a success and the largest world audience to that day was watching and listening as those three men marveled at the sight of the Earth rising over the horizon of the Moon. The image above was photographed and the men began their broadcast back to the most captive audience in history. As they looked at what now appeared to be a tiny planet, they could only think to capture the awe of the moment in one way. The reading of the Creator’s own words. Here is their broadcast: 1968 Apollo 8 Broadcast.
The men read together the creation account from Genesis. After the unsettling events of 1968, on Christmas Eve as we orbited the Moon for the first time in history, the word of God was read to the whole world. One can not help but tear up at the thought. From the perspective of Earth in 2018, this is truly amazing. Who knows how the world might react if the same thing were to happen this Christmas Eve.
Fifty years later, our nation and world are in no better state. We lie, kill, hate, separate, and destroy as much or even more than any time in history. Perhaps it is time to relive that night fifty years ago and unite the world with one thing: the Word of the awesome Creator of this good Earth, it’s Moon, the Sun, stars, all the Universe, and all of us.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
Psalms 19:1-6 NKJV
And another:
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”
Hebrews 1:1-4 NKJV
And finally:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”
Genesis 1:1-10 NKJV
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Were you alive to witness the events of Christmas Eve, 1968? What were your thoughts as you heard the broadcast? If you were not alive then, have you ever experienced such awe and amazement that only God’s Word would suffice? Comment your thoughts.