#5. AURUM, OLIBANUM...et MURRAM??

This is the final post in our 5-part series looking for that Star of Wonder, following the previous post:
http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/did-you-bring-gps.html

Here's a Christmas bonus for you:

What gifts have these strangers from the East brought for the young Child Jesus, the new King of the Jews?

GOLD can be beaten so thin that it can be seen through. Aircraft windscreens and spacesuit visors are coated with gold to protect against radiation. The atomic symbol for gold is Au from the Latin word for ‘shining dawn’: aurum. The Hebrew name for gold is zahab, because of its shimmer. (Joseph doesn't know yet that he is about to be given angelic orders to shift his little family to Egypt - an expensive move!)

FRANKINCENSE (olibanum) is a sweet spicy incense used in religious services. The bark of Boswellia serrata trees is cut to produce pale yellow tears of fragrant gum resin which is dissolved in alcohol then steamed. The Hebrew name for frankincense is lebonah, because of its whitish colour. The English name comes from the French: franc ences or ‘free incense’ ……except this stuff aint free - it's very expensive!

MYRRH (murram) is an embalming oil, also used in making sacred anointing oil. Pale yellow gum exudes from beneath the bark of the shrubs, Comniphora myrrha and Balsamodendron myrrha, which is then distilled to produce a bitter oil. The Hebrew name for myrrh is mor, meaning ‘bitter’- the meaning of the name Mary! 

So ladies, imagine you are Mary of Nazareth - possibly still a teenager – you are newly married  but your reputation is in tatters and you now have this Child miraculously conceived called Jesus, as ordered by an angel. You are also blessed with a man of integrity for a husband, Joseph, who always obeys divine orders precisely. You have been told that your Child is ‘Son of the Highest’ and will sit on king David’s throne forever, but......king David has been dead for nearly 1000 years and his throne has been gone for nearly 600 years!
Bethlehem is not your home town and now these strange visitors from the East have arrived on the doorstep to bow down in worshipping your Child, presenting Him with:               

GOLD!...shimmering like the shining dawn out there…                                      

FRANKINCENSE!...umm, sweet and very expensive...these Gentile visitors act like this is a coronation!…but whatever is in that last flask?

MYRRH?        O,oh!!  Embalming oil for my new Baby?? ...and that's what my name means!...bitter! 

How would you feel about that? Is that a bitter taste in your mouth?

Over 30 years later, Jesus refused to drink pain-deadening wine laced with myrrh, before being crucified as a criminal, but later that day Nicodemus the teacher of Israel, together with wealthy Joseph of Arimathaea, embalmed Jesus’ bloodied body with expensive myrrh and spices before burial in the brand new tomb. 
Why did God come to live with us like this? Why did Jesus die like the worst of criminals? Why did He rise from among the dead?                                            



He's risen!!

Photo credits:            
magi /pinterest.com                                                                                                                                                                                                       
spacesuit /flickr.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
censer / orthocath.wordpress.com                                                         
sepulchre / ferlans.wordpress.com                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

AUSTRALIA'S RACISM

'The Sydney Morning Herald' and 'The Australian' daily newspapers have declined to publish this letter:

 

Would someone please explain to us lesser mortals why the Commonwealth of Australia still makes provision for racism in our Constitution, and why British theologian and naturalist Charles Robert Darwin (1809 -1882) is highly honoured by academia, after publishing his racist title: 'The Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life'.  This was followed by: ‘The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex' in which Darwin stated:

"At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the world. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes...will no doubt be exterminated. The break between man and his nearest allies will then be wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilised state, as we may hope, even than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as now between the negro or Australian and the gorilla.”

While we attempt reconciliation with our indigenous citizens, Darwin’s pseudo-science remains embedded in our high school textbooks, despite his flawed theories having fuelled genocide (eugenics sounds nicer) producing thousands of aboriginal specimens for European museums, not to mention the millions murdered under communism and Nazism during the 20^th century.

Photo credit: a2zlifestyle.com 

'GOD'S WORD NO LONGER THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY'

In case you missed the seminar at Camden Haven Anglican Church last night (Saturday 26th) we listened to 3 guest speakers: an astronomer, a food safety researcher and a Bible college lecturer/ordained minister.
Here are some snippets of what they had to say (with my comments below in italics)....

"The Big Bang theory is a good theory because it passes all the tests."                
What about all the anomalies? e.g. Earth synchronised with Venus
Have you ever seen design, synchrony, harmony, life...even beauty, result from an explosion? By the way, the apostle Peter tells us the Big Bang comes at the end - not the beginning.

"DNA is an awesome pointer to relatedness of all life and a key element in modern theories of evolution of species."      
Why ever would the Master Designer use different program languages?  Why doesn't my computer just evolve its own programs?

"As humans we share 99% of our DNA sequence with chimpanzees." 

The missing 1% makes all the difference.  Actually geneticists now tell us that it's only 76% exact alignment.

"Science underpins our understanding of genetics, biology, evolution and creation."          
Evolution and creation together in the same breath??

"A literal interpretation of Scripture defies scientific evidence today."
Our series 'Holy Bible of Science' also on this blog, shows just how much Science is in the Bible. Just click on:

http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/science-master-in-twister.html

"The Bible is a great servant."                                                                                            
So the Word of God is no longer our ultimate authority - it is just our servant??
Well that's not what Psalm 119 says..."I am your servant: give me understanding..."

"The Bible is God's revelation to ancient people and was not written to us."
Some writings, maybe, but..."Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." - that's us, folks! 

"The English translators (of the Bible) have let us down by pushing our understanding in a certain direction."                                                                                 
So much for John Wycliffe and William Tyndale's heroic efforts, let alone all the other martyrs who have given their lives for upholding the Bible's truth.



Tyndale losing his life for translating the Bible into English (re-enacted)

"Genesis 1 is narrative and not necessarily historical."  
Only God was there to tell us what He did...but "we know it's only a story"!!!
How much more of the Bible is supposed to be 'just a story'?

"It makes no sense to say that God created just one man and one woman."  

"When the Bible says death entered the world through one man's sin, actually death has always been there but it was staved off by grace."
"Genesis 3 is reality, if not historical, so it depicts the consequence of sin."
So the apostle Paul is lying is he?...when he says: "by one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death."

"Resurrection has always been God's intention for mankind and you cannot have resurrection without death, so there must have always been death."
It's getting dumber....the Almighty is outside time.

"Ancient people were childlike in their understanding compared to us." 

Really!?  Try building a seaworthy ark 137 metres long, from timber, then use it as a floating zoo for a year. Or try looking after 2 million people in a desert for 40 years like Moses did.

"When God said Creation was 'very good' He wasn't looking at death (in fossils)".
Of course He wasn't because there were no fossils for Him to see!
Even children know that it takes catastrophic avalanche to turn animals into fossils.

"Dinosaurs were extinct long before Man was created."                                       
So why do secular children immediately identify the behemoth that Job saw as a brachiosaurus? Why do intact dinosaur blood components and skin still survive today?

"The idea of 'a young earth' is motivated by taking the Bible as being authoritative but we see things materially."                                                                    

Ah, so science is now our authority, not the Word of God!?

"The relationship between humans and chimpanzees doesn't present a problem to Christians because we don't understand all truth."                  That's for sure!

"The survival of Tibetans at altitude is a legacy of pre-human characteristics."
So Tibetans are a bit pre-human??

Q. What existed before the Big Bang?  "Science cannot answer."

One of the speakers: "I don't have all the answers. I'm uneasy about some issues. There is a fair bit of brain bending required."
You said it mate.

This is weird! It's like we're in a time warp, taken back to the early 1820's and we're listening in to Reverend William Buckland pretend he is a geologist while giving imaginative lectures at Oxford University. Theologians have now pencilled the Gap Theory into the Bible after: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" so young law student Charles Lyell now decides he's going to: "Take the Science away from Moses" with amateur geology. Theologian Charles Robert Darwin is still a school boy but in years to come will take Lyell's 'millions of years' to popularize his grand-dad's ideas in 'The Origin of Species or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life'. Sound racist to you? Darwin's ideas will be used to justify the mass slaughter of aborigines in Australia so that specimens can be shipped back to European museums. Of course he will be honoured with a state funeral and interment beside Sir Isaac Newton in Westminster Abbey where Buckland finally became Dean.
A clergyman will even display a Congolese pygmy in New York's zoo! Communists will soon use Darwin's ideas to exterminate millions upon millions of innocent men, women and children. While Americans will adopt the Darwin family's eugenics movement to control human breeding, the Nazis will perfect the process with gas chambers, using the mentally ill, homosexuals, gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses and of course millions of Jews. Deja vu!
By the way, don't take my word for it - check the facts for yourself.

Don't miss the NEXT POST. Click on: http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/australias-racism.html

ADF SACKS CHRISTIAN OFFICER

On June 30, the last day as Chief of Defence Force, General David Hurley AC, DSC withdrew the commission of Major Bernard Gaynor, an Army Reserve officer who had served his country in the regular army from 1999 to 2011and been deployed three times to Iraq, earning a United States Meritorious Service medal.                                     
Why?
Apparently Gaynor had exercised his right to privately voice concern on several issues:

-        the obvious link between Islam and militant jihad

-        Christians schools unable to refuse employment of gay teachers

-        public moneys used for gender re-assignment of serving ADF personnel (sex change surgery)

The issue that really sealed his fate was his protest at serving ADF personnel marching in uniform in Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parades contrary to ADF policy under the Defence Act 1903.          

Such parades openly mock our Lord Jesus Christ and Christian family values.

While Bernard Gaynor walks away from his army career in disgrace, General
Hurley looks forward to being sworn in as Governor of New South Wales on October 2.   
What would our fallen diggers have to say about that!                    

Do you have family members who have served in the armed forces to safeguard our freedoms and uphold our Christian heritage?

The objectives of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras include: “…creating opportunities for people to express themselves artistically and politically and develop their artistic and political skills”
Meanwhile here is ADF policy:

POLITICAL ACTIVITIES9

9.In participating in any political activity, the ability of Defence personnel to properly serve the government of the day, whatever political party is in office, must not be called into question.

10.Defence personnel may:

a.join a political party or organisation and take an active part in its affairs provided they do not identify any part of Defence with any political activity;

b.attend political meetings provided they do not identify any part of Defence with any political activity;

c.write letters to newspapers expressing their personal views about public issues, subject to compliance with the provisions of DI(G) ADMIN 08–1—Public comment and dissemination of information by Defence members and provided they do not identify any part of Defence with any political activity; and

d.express their personal opinions on a political party, candidate or an issue, but not as Defence personnel.

11.Where Defence personnel do engage in such political activities, they must avoid giving the impression that such activities are being undertaken in other than a private capacity.

 

Acknowledgements:
defence.gov.au 
www.international.to   
morningmail.org   
bernardgaynor.com.au   
mardigras.org.au                 
Photocredit:      
billmuehlenberg.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  defence.gov.au                                                                                                                                                                     

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#5. PLANET EARTH

We continue our series: ‘Holy Bible of Science’ following the 4th article: ‘More science…wind & waves’: http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/more-sciencewind-waves.html

 

Does Planet Earth look round or flat to you?...from the first ever colour photograph taken from outer space.                 

The Jewish prophet Isaiah wrote in about 700 BC:

"It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth..."        Isaiah 40:22

…and that’s centuries before Aristotle claimed the Earth was spherical.                             

By the way, that’s just a colour chart below Earth which hangs on nothing in space, just as Job said about 3,500 years ago:

“He…hangeth the earth upon nothing.”          Job 26:7

Okay then, what about Earth’s continents?                                              
In 1912, German meteorologist Alfred Lothar Wegener proposed the theory of slow ‘Continental Drift’ from one super-continent now known as Pangaea (‘all lands’), comprising Laurasia in the north and Gondwanaland in the south.

Earlier, in 1859 French-American geographer Antonio Snider-Pellegrini proposed “rapid, horizontal divergence” at the time of the Great Flood.

Thesaurus Geographicus

Flemish mapmaker Abraham Ortelius was the guy who ‘put the world on the map’ with the first ever atlas: Thesaurus Geographicus. Way back in 1596 he suggested: “…Americas were torn away from Europe and Africa…by earthquakes and floods…”

So was there once just one super-continent? Absolutely!...  

“And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto 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 1:9-10   

No arguments there, but were today’s continents torn apart or have they been drifting apart over millions of years? Who was right?                                                    

Why not check with eye-witness account?                                                            

”For in [Peleg’s] days was the earth divided…”         Genesis 10:25                               
(Peleg lived 239 years)       

Based on eye-witness report, it takes only half a dozen words to describe the parting of the continents only ~4,000 years ago!

What do you know!...plate tectonics in the Bible - long before the science of ‘geology’ existed.   
Fantastic?  Of course!

 

NEXT: World's 1st Met Report
Click on: http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/worlds-1st-met-report.html

Acknowledgements:  
scienceblogs.com  
geologyfreak.wordpress 
en.wikipedia.org   
pubs.usgs.gov     
ortelius.com        

Image credits:
commons.wikimedia.org   
antiqua-global.art.com