Tuesday 30 April 2013

WHAT ABOUT CONSTELLATIONS?


IOPNA’s conversational series on the CONSTELLATIONS continues with this 2nd article:

Lockheed Super Constellation
 So how can shiny dots in the night-sky possibly convey a message? 
Are we meant to ‘join the dots’ somehow or follow some sort of line?
 We find in Genesis chapter 11 verse 4, after only 4 generations since the Great Flood, people seem to have neglected God’s instruction to Noah’s family in Genesis 9 verse 1 to ’replenish the earth’ and have now turned to city building like Cain (4:17).  Worse - they have now perverted the ‘signs’ of the stars into an object of idolatry in Babylon:

“…let us build us a city and a tower, whose top [may reach] unto heaven.”
Translators have added ‘may reach’ but it seems that the tower of Babel was not so much a skyscraper but dedicated to the heavenly bodies, with Isaiah 47:13 and references in Daniel confirming that astrology was founded and relied on in Babylon.  Now 4200 years later, astrology’s horoscopes are more popular than ever!

So shouldn’t we leave this star business well alone? Wasn’t Israel warned by Moses not to worship the stars?
Moses did warn them in Deuteronomy 4 verse 19 but he goes on to say: “…them (stars), which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all the nations under the whole heaven.”   We’re looking to see what the Word of God says – not what Man imagines or idolizes.                                                  

I can’t see any artwork dividing the stars in the night-sky.                                        
No, unless you’ve had too many drinks or been in a fight - or both!                       

The 12 Zodiac constellations recognised in astrology are: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces – in that order, commencing March 21, the vernal equinox (northern hemisphere’s Spring) – but none of these constellation names appear in the Bible!
Does that mean constellations aren’t Biblical? How did the same constellations become recognised world-wide by so many cultures?                                                            

Good question.  First up, let’s see if the Bible gives constellations recognition at all, starting with Job 9 verse 9…
Job has spoken about Arcturus (probably the Great Bear), Orion, the Pleiades and the ‘chambers of the south’ (starry southern hemisphere or maybe Scorpio?) and now, in Job 38 verse 31, God answers him!  

“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?” where Pleiades comes from (Hebrew) kimah, meaning ‘collection’ and Orion comes from kesil, meaning ‘stout’ or ‘strong’.                                                 
Oh! So God recognises constellations? Don’t stop there - He continues…

“Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?”  Job 38 verse 32                                                              
You’re wondering - who or what is Mazzaroth?...let’s look at that a bit later.
As for Arcturus, the translators have taken this from Hebrew: ash, meaning ‘group’ so it obviously doesn’t refer to the single star Arcturus (in Bootes the guarding shepherd) but to a group, generally accepted to be the Great Bear (Ursu Major as it appears to rotate around Polaris). Also Hydra seems to be referred to as the crooked serpent in Job 26 verse 13.                            

Obviously stars haven’t been scattered randomly in space and groups of stars are recognised here. I wonder why?

Me too. Perhaps the constellations shining in Earth’s ceiling, the ‘firmament’ of Genesis 1 verse 6, might have made the ceiling of the Cistine Chapel look puny?   
Let’s take a look at one of God’s favourites...

Sunday 28 April 2013

WHY STARS?


Welcome to IOPNA’s 1st article in our CONSTELLATION series!


Helix Nebula
Tell me…are the stars up there to just decorate the night sky?                                

Well, before GPS they used to be handy for navigation and some people read their ‘star-signs’ in horoscopes….but I guess that’s just superstition.

So let’s explore what the Bible has to say -

Genesis 1:14-19 says: "And God said: "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons...he made the stars also."  Signs comes from Hebrew: oth, meaning 'signal' and seasons comes from moed, meaning 'appointed time'.
I’ve heard there are at least 76,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars!                                         
Yes, apparently that’s more stars than all the grains of sand on Earth!
What about this…
“He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names.” Psalm 147:4

Named them all??  Wasn’t that in the old days when Man could only count a thousand stars?
If Man can count the stars why can’t God who put them there?   

“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.”                     Isaiah 40:26
Wow!... all stars numbered and named!?                                                

3000 years after Creation, king David looked up into the night sky and said:

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained…” Psalm 8:3
The word David used here for ‘ordained’ was Hebrew: kun, meaning ‘stand up’ i.e. put in their place. He continues in Psalm 19:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” where ‘line’ comes from Hebrew: qav meaning measuring tape.

Mmm….the work of God’s fingers and hands…     but the heavens having a voice?...and words?...and “Their line is gone out…”??  Whatever did he mean?    I can’t see a measuring tape across the sky.
 
Let’s see if we can find out.   Quoting Psalm 19, the apostle Paul held Israel responsible for having heard the Word of God:

“Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.”         Romans 10:18
Whose sound is he talking about?...heavens’ words?                                                  

Paul is now speaking of God’s gospel about our Lord Jesus Christ.
So how could the gospel reach the ends of the world in the days before electronic communications or even global travel?

Aren’t the stars the only possible way?  
Let’s see what we’ve discovered so far…
                                                                                 
Is there a finite number of stars?  
Yes, God has numbered them                                    
Do they all have names?                                   
Yes, God has named them                      
Are the stars randomly scattered?                   
No, they have been set in place                 
Is there a message to read in the heavens?   
Yes, there are signs                                   
Are these signs sequenced?                              
Yes, read in season                                 
Who is the message for?                                    
Apparently the whole world               
Okay, but…“Their line is gone out…”                            
What line??…and how can shiny dots in the night-sky possibly convey a message, let alone the gospel?                         

Let’s see if we’re meant to ‘join the dots’ somehow in:                              
‘What about Constellations?’ – the next article.
http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/what-about-constellations.html

Acknowledgement:            
Kenneth C. Flemming, God’s Voice in the Stars, Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune, NJ, 1981

All quotations from the King James Bible

Thursday 25 April 2013

Blind Men meet Jumbo


For those of us who think we have it all worked out, especially this ‘God stuff’, here’s a poem you’ll enjoy that brings us back to size -

The Blind Men and The Elephant

It was six men of Indostan,…to learning much inclined

Who went to see the elephant…(though all of them were blind),

That each by observation,…might satisfy his mind.

 
The First approached the elephant,…and happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side,…at once began to bawl,

"God bless me! but the elephant…is nothing but a wall!"


The Second, feeling of the tusk,…cried: "Ho! What have we here

So very round and smooth and sharp?...to me 'tis mighty clear

This wonder of an elephant…is very like a spear!"


The Third approached the animal,…and happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands,…thus boldly up and spake:

"I see," quoth he, "the elephant…is very like a snake!"


The Fourth reached out his eager hand,…and felt about the knee:

"What most this wondrous beast is like…is mighty plain," qoth he;

"Tis clear enough the elephant…is very like a tree."


The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,…said: "Even the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most;…deny the fact who can,

This marvel of an elephant…is very like a fan!"

 

The Sixth no sooner had begun…about the beast to grope,

Then, seizing on the swinging tail…that fell within his scope,

"I see," quoth he, "the elephant…is very like a rope!"


And so these men of Indostan…disputed loud and long

Each in his own opinion…exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right,…and all were in the wrong!


So, oft in theologic wars…the disputants, I ween,

Rail on in utter ignorance…of what each other mean,

And prate about an elephant…not one of them has seen!

- John Godfrey Saxe

 

Acknowledgement: 
Dr. Chuck Missler, Holographic Universe,
Koinonia House                                                                                                                                            

Sunday 21 April 2013

FREE 'SOFT-SERVES' FROM ISLAM


IOPNA’s series on ‘ISLAM in OZ’ reaches its final article– for now.

The replica ice-cream cart
Since the loss of about 3000 lives in U.S.A. on 11 September 2001 there have been several Islamic terrorist conspiracies exposed in Australia.  Public claims are made that there has never been any Islamic terrorist attack successfully perpetrated on Australian soil but the threat became a reality as early as 1915 with the Battle of Broken Hill…


The documentary
It’s January 1 again, with the new year of 1915 dawning in Broken Hill, NSW to reveal a special train of 40 open ore trucks waiting at the Sulphide Street Station. After careful cleaning of the trucks, timber seating has been fitted for the 1200 people who are gathering in excitement to board the annual picnic train to Silverton, organised by the Manchester Unity Order of Oldfellows.

Not so happy are two former cameleers who are angry at the Allies for declaring war on the Ottoman Empire after the bombing of Russian ports. No ANZAC troops have set foot on Turkish soil but these two Muslims have decided to give Australians a written warning for the future: “You kill our brothers we kill yours.”

Where is their allegiance?…to king and country?...or to Islam?


Badsha Mahommed Gool is a Pashtun from Afghanistan and now sells ice-cream from a cart.                                                              
Mullah Abdullah comes from north-west India (now Pakistan), is a halal butcher and also the local imam.
They load their rifles and ammunition into Gool’s cart and head 3 kilometres out of town where they take up position to ambush the train. The Ottoman flag now adorns the cart to declare their loyalty.

It’s Friday and the prospect of a long week-end starting with a social picnic is a welcome distraction from the drudgery of mining and the worry over our boys at war in France. Just before 10 am the train appears with its exposed passengers enjoying the fine weather and the excited children spot the familiar ice-cream cart...

“Mummy! Daddy! Mr. Gool is going to give us free ice-creams!”

As they come within range the two patriots open fire on their fellow citizens, killing 2 and wounding 6 – children included. Later they will murder Alfred Millard and wound a police officer but be shot dead after a 1½ hour gun battle.

What’s with a man who deliberately shoots the kiddies he serves ice-creams to?

NEXT:  'an-Nisa: the women'
http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/an-nisa-women.html
 
Acknowledgements: islammonitor.org                                                                                                                                                  Photocredits:                                                                                                                                                                                               poster/battleofbrokenhill.org                                                                                                                                                               cart/enwikipedia.org                                                                        
                                                                                        

 

 

 

 

Thursday 18 April 2013

CHRISLAM??

Continuing IOPNA's series on Islam in Oz:

Which Jesus?

Does Islam agree with Christianity?...Is ‘Chrislam’ a legitimate compromise?

Sura 4:157   “That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not -…”

Sura 5:17  “In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary…”
Sura 5:73   “They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity…”
Sura 9:30-31 “…the Christians call Christ the Son of God. That is a saying from their mouth; in this they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah’s curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!”     
 



So what does the Holy Bible say?




‘…the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”’
Luke 3:22
–a public endorsement

“…Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that he was seen…”   
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
–public events supported by historic records, fulfilling many Jewish prophecies written centuries before 



NEXT:  Free 'soft-serves'
http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/free-soft-serves.html