Creation Truth Foundation
[Originally published as Artemis… Is No God]
Artemis was the Greek’s goddess responsible for hunting, the wilderness and wild animals, nature and vegetation, the transitions of life, childbirth and child care, and also chastity.
The only time Artemis comes up in Scripture is in Acts 19.
Providence had placed Paul and his companions preaching and teaching around the great city of Ephesus, home to the Temple of Artemis. A riot almost ensued because so many people were coming to the Lord that those in charge of making the idols for Artemis were worried her name would be lost. And they were right, because the name of the Lord was being worshipped, replacing the names of pagan idols in many minds.
This is not unlike today. as that pagan goddess’ name adorns a space program, and yet Providence placed one of His own followers in the middle of the first human flight back to the Moon to proclaim His name, the name above every name, Jesus.
Just as her mythological twin brother Apollo’s name was important to extraterrestrial exploration in the last century, so the name Artemis has risen to promenance in today’s space program.
In recent decades, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has been focused on building and maintaining a prolonged human presence in space with the work of the International Space Station (ISS), so until recently lunar exploration took a backseat.
The Artemis missions of NASA have changed that.
They began with the first launch in 2022 when an unmanned spacecraft orbited the Moon and returned successfully for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The plan for the Artemis program is to establish an ongoing manned presence on the Moon. In upcoming missions astronauts will return to the surface, marking another generation of Moon exploration.
As we press forward, may we never forget the sacrifice of many lives throughout our ongoing space program, and may we remember it is only possible by the ordered design and engineered forces at work in creation by the Lord God our Creator.
Many of you may have watched, as I did, as four brave astronauts were launched from the clutches of Earth’s gravity on April 1, 2026. It was hard to describe how proud I was as an American on that day.
This country, founded on God-ordained rights and privileges, was the first and only country to place His image bearers on the surface of the lesser light years ago, and we are headed back again. We are literally doing what the Lord asked of us from the Genesis 1:28 mandate in studying His creation.
As much as I know that not all who work for NASA have this worldview, there are some who do, praise the Lord! On the Artemis II launch day, one of the four astronauts on board was our brother in Christ, Victor Glover, the mission pilot.
Victor continued to live his life of faith in Christ even while orbiting the moon.
Part of the personal items he chose to take were his Bible and communion cups. He studied the Word and prayed while in orbit, as well as virtually joining his home congregation in worship.
During an impromptu Easter message asked for by a CBS news interviewer, he emphasized man’s creation by the Lord and Earth as a “spaceship” traveling the universe for us to live on. He went on to share the two greatest commandments — love — and the importance that Christ placed on them.
Just as we live in a pagan, fallen world as Paul did with pagan names and temples all around, Providence has placed us here to proclaim His name above all others. He asks us to share who He is wherever He has called us, whether that be here on Earth or in space.
Please join me in prayer for the many others like Victor who carry the Lord’s light within NASA and beyond. Blessings.
