#3. WAS NOAH's ARK STABLE?

Let’s see how plausible this commissioning of a 'floating zoo' really is.

Did God know what He was doing? 

Firstly, what sort of conditions would the ark face?                            

A deluge to destroy Earth!...                                                        

...from Hebrew: mabbul and Greek: kataklusmos (cataclysm)               

So how much water was that?                                                  

Enough to cover all 'pre-flood' mountains by at least 7 metres!...then wind to blow-dry the Earth!

Here are the approximate dimensions again – 137 metres long, 23 metres wide & 14 metres high, giving the LWH proportions of 30:5:3



Too long and it would snap between ocean swells

Too short and it would pitchpole

Too high and it would capsize like this livestock carrier

Guess what!                                                            

Naval architects from these organisations have determined that the proportions are optimal for an unpowered seaworthy vessel like Noah’s ark:

·       The Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean

·       German Federal Institute of Physics & Technology


Perhaps our Creator God knows a thing or two about designing ships hey?


NEXT: The greatest business partnership ever!
http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/4-greatest-business-partnership-ever.html

#2. BATHTUB TOY OR CARGO SHIP?

We’re looking for the specs God supplied Noah when commissioning the ark…

Indian teak

“The end of all flesh is come before me….look I will destroy them with the earth”  “Make an ark (tebah: a box) of ‘gopher’ wood…”

[‘No problem there’, Noah would think.]                    

Gopher wood was quite possibly INDIAN TEAK  (Tectona grandis) – the best shipbuilding timber being: strong, durable, resistant to water, rot & insect invasion – and yes, used in Ancient Babylon.

With rooms...

“…rooms shall you make in the ark…”

[‘Ah, that’s a bigger box than I was expecting’, thinks Noah]

“…pitch it within and without with pitch…”

[Noah can handle this – ‘Okay, just make a big water-proof box for a home, to withstand any bad weather’]                                          

Did you know?....‘pitch’ comes from the same Hebrew word for ‘atonement’ or covering: kopher.

“…the length: 300 cubits…”

[Yes Noah, you heard right! – 300 cubits, that’s about 137 metres long!]

“…the breadth: 50 cubits and the height: 30 cubits…”

[‘Whoa! This will be huge!’]                                                           

Yes Noah… about 137m long, 23m wide and 14m high

3 decks

“…a window shall you make to the ark…a cubit shall you finish it above…”

[‘Fair enough - it will need some light and ventilation’]

“…and the door of the ark shall you set in the side thereof…”

[‘Just one door?...what! no back door?’]                                   

What would Health & Safety have to say about that!

“…with lower, second and third stories shall you make it…”

[‘This aint just a box, it’s a multi-story apartment block!’]

“…look I, even I, will bring a flood of waters upon the earth…”

Cross-sectional model

[‘Uhh!... this is supposed to float?? This is getting serious!’]

“…to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven and everything that is in the earth shall die.”

Get to it, Noah!

While he gets started let’s see if God got those proportions right…Click on:


http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/3-was-noahs-ark-stable.html

Modelling by Noel Deed, Port Macquarie NSW

#1. CRUISE OR CRUD?

'Unsinkable'

Would you like to share the smells of a floating zoo for over a year, drifting to who knows where?...or prefer White Star’s brand-new ‘unsinkable’ luxury liner?...heading for exciting New York!

Here is the ‘Titanic’ departing for its only voyage that lasted…just 5 days!...after it had been said: “God Himself couldn’t sink this ship!” 

Millions of dollars would be spent searching for its watery grave at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean - after sinking in calm waters! 

Just a bathtub toy?

Meanwhile, legends in cultures all over the world include a global flood and the Jewish Bible tells us of Noah’s ark saving the world’s most valuable cargo ever: the genetic base for all people, land animals and birds today.

Also on its maiden voyage, Noah’s  powerless ‘ship’ went aground after 150 days - on the mountains of Ararat in modern Turkey!...which also inspired searches.

So what made the difference?                              

God was the ark’s marine architect – and the captain.                  

• He assembled the livestock
• invited boarding
• closed the only door 
• finally disembarked His passengers safely after about 371 days.

What would you choose?...cruise in luxury or crud in the ark?

Was the ark a real sea-worthy vessel? 

Let’s check the specs for Noah’s epic project….Click on: 
http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/bathtub-toy-or-cargo-ship.html

BAPTISM DEFENDED

Is baptism just a Jewish ritual?...or is it meant for Gentile Christians too?

           

Here is the directive the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples about all nations:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…”  
Matthew 28:19-20

            

            Did the Lord expect new believers to accept baptism?

“He who believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”            Mark 16:16

            

             Peter upheld this directive…and didn’t leave the children out!

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”  Acts 2:38-39
 

            …and so did Paul…

“…he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptised.”     Acts 9:18

Okay, they were Jews – what about Gentiles like the Ethiopian treasurer and Cornelius the centurion?

“See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?...they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”                      Acts 8:36-

“Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?                                             
And he [Peter] commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord…”                           Acts 10:47-48

            What did Paul teach on baptism?

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live longer therein?  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should also walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”             Romans 6:1-5

 

            Now for household baptism of Gentiles - in Philippi, Macedonia…          
“And when she [Lydia] was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there….”        Acts 16:15

            …even the town jailer – and his family!                                                                   

“ And he [the jailer] took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.  And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”    Acts 16:33 

           

Clearly the Lord Jesus instructed that Christians with Gentile background, who believe on Him, should be baptised.

NEXT:             What about the kids?

THE LORD'S SUPPER - just a Jewish ritual?

Is the Lord’s Supper just a Jewish ritual?...or is it a mandatory sacrament for all Christians?
Let’s check what the Bible really teaches on this one….

Here is what Jesus said, just before His arrest…

“…He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.   Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”     Luke 22:19-20

A simple, comforting memorial

“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.                                     
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”  1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Who was Paul  writing to?

“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours….”
Ch1 v2

Do we have to take Paul seriously?

“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”  1 Cor 14:37

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” 2 Thess 2:15

What was the tradition of ‘breaking bread’?

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…”        Acts 20:7

Clearly the Lord Jesus instituted the supper memorial, asking his disciples to remember Him this way, which tradition they upheld each Lord’s day and which Paul instructed us to uphold, following their example. 

Nepalese 'meat market'

NEPAL.  HELPING THE WEAK

Message from New Light Nepal mission

Dear friend and partners of New Light Nepal,
Thank you very much for your Love and Support for the different ministries of New Light Nepal. God is so good to bless the work of our hands.
As we write this update, our country is facing economic blockades and all people are suffering because of a shortage of petrol (gas), diesel, and cooking gas. South Nepal is suffering due to tribal protests, as well as the fact that all government offices and business have closed down. We are not able to submit our reports to government offices.
But, praise God, all of our activities and ministries are going well and we have been experiencing the security and love of the Lord. development, we have found that there are groups of

A PARTICULARLY NASTY DEVELOPMENT. 

We have found that there are groups of traffickers whose strategy is to bring prepubescent girls to town and give them hormone injections for 2 months to force them to develop so they can be sold into sexual slavery even younger.

We want to break this cycle. Please pray for us. .

Let us share one girl’s trauma.

 

One Girl Saved from Traffickers!

By "Mothers Against Trafficking" program leader.

Let me give you some background, then tell you a story. New Light Nepal is working hard to cut trafficking off at the root in Thokarpa VDC (an area smaller than a district), which is in Sindhupalchok. Thokarpa is a large VDC with several mountains; it is hard to travel from one corner to another. People's lifestyles, outlook, and social class differ greatly from ward to ward within Thokarpa.

We make heart-wrenching discoveries and have very difficult personal encounters each time we start new Mothers Against Trafficking groups in Thokarpa. BUT WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENDING THIS CRIME IN THOKARPA

  

 

I want to share a story with you. One of our Mothers Against Trafficking (MAT) leaders, was returning after a MAT class from a village when she heard a mother beating her daughter in a house. The girl was crying.

As she walked up to the house she heard the mother saying, "Why don't you go to town? We will get money regularly from that man if you go to town with him!" The girl pleaded, "Mother, please do not send me away. I want to live in the village. I heard that my friend had a bad life after she went to town." The mother threatened her, "I am not hearing any of your excuses! You must go to town!"

----- called to the mother and tried to intervene in the situation. "Auntie, please listen, sending your daughter to town will not help either of you. Instead, your little girl will be in a very bad place." The mother replied, "I don't want to hear anything from you. I have decided to send her to town. This is between my daughter and me. Why are you interfering in our business?"

----- left the house, but her heart was pained, and the next day she brought this case to her MAT class. All the mothers in the MAT decided go there and talk to the mother.

The mother argued a lot in the beginning, but after the women in the MAT spent a lot of time talking with her, she started to cry. She admitted that she does not have any other option than to send her girl with that stranger, in order to feed her family. Her old house was destroyed in the recent earthquake, and since then, they have struggled greatly.

The mothers in the MAT decided to help them with their immediate need by providing food. They asked NLN for a scholarship for the girl to be enrolled in school, so she will not be forced to go to town with the trafficker. These girls are brought to town to be “domestic helpers” but sold to brothels in Kathmandu or India.

More than 60 mothers have already graduated from our 3-month MAT curriculum  in that area, and they are fighting the battle against trafficking on the front lines. We need prayers and support to cut trafficking off at the root. Thank you!

Please pray:s. For the current situation in Nepal to be resolved soon so people will feel at ease in their lives.

DON'T MESS WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!

What is the Book of Acts all about?                                                  
It seems that before Irenaeus named ‘Acts of the Apostles’ in the 2nd Century, it was known as ‘Gospel of the Holy Ghost’!

Before we look for the Holy Spirit’s activity….
The Lord Jesus called the Holy Spirit - the Parakletos, meaning ‘one called alongside’ or intercessor, consoler. This has been translated as ‘Comforter’, from Latin - com: together ; fortis: strong  

Wow! No wonder Jesus told his disciples:                                  
1:8 “…you will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you…and you shall be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth”

Did the Holy Spirit just come alongside? No!                         
1:4 “…they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…” – not just the apostles! 


Very soon someone else is filling hearts….
Ch 5 “…Satan filled your heart that you should lie to the Holy Spirit…”     
Then Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead!

The apostles were slow to take the gospel to the nations…              
Ch 8 “all were scattered …EXCEPT the apostles”…but that doesn’t stop the Holy Spirit - the gospel goes to AFRICA with the Ethiopian state treasurer!

Ch 9 Even Paul, once the worst persecutor of Christians, hears:      
“…be filled with the Holy Spirit”

Ch 10&11                                                                
The apostles are reminded – the gospel is for ALL NATIONS.           
The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch - where the gospel was preached to Gentiles also. 


the ripple effect - to the ends of the earth!

Ch 13 The Holy Spirit directs that Paul & Barnabas now take the Gospel to ASIA

Ch 16 The Holy Spirit directs Paul to now take the Gospel to EUROPE
Hey, the Holy Spirit has a global agenda here!

Ch 21 Apostle Paul was warned ‘by the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem’…but he went anyway.                                           
There is no further mention of the Holy Spirit’s direction in Acts after this warning was ignored.

No, don’t mess with the Holy Spirit of God.
(Where does that leave the clergy?)

#6. JESUS CHRIST = GOD ??

We’ve been exploring who Jesus Christ really is…

• Jesus proved He is the ‘I AM’ - knocking armed soldiers off their feet!
• His disciples saw Him as the Son of God : ‘God with us'
• Apostle Paul tells us Jesus is the exact image of the invisible God
• From the prophets we learn that Jesus is Jehovah
• So that means He is the Almighty!...which He confirms in The Revelation

“Hang about…how can God be in heaven and dead on the cross at the same time?… and while we’re at it…                                    

3 judges > 1 unanimous verdict

The word Trinity is not even in the Bible!”                                                             

Well let’s see if there can be 3 ‘persons’ or identities in one true God……

Back at the beginning… ‘God said: “Let us make man in our image…”’ where ‘God’ is from Hebrew: elohim - a plural unity!


So we need Isaiah again to reveal God to us…

“…from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord God and His Spirit has sent me.”

What will His name be?

Fog, ice and ocean = water!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be on His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…”

More than that…

“…the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest on Him…”



…and here is where this happened – PUBLICLY!

‘the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”

They say Jesus was just a good man and that God doesn't even exist??

So is Jesus really God in human form?  Yes!!

‘…Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen’

‘Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God…’



 ‘…God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.’

“…of the great God and of the Saviour of us, Christ Jesus”


“…in His Son Jesus Christ.‘This is the true God and eternal life.’

“Thy throne, o God…Thou hast loved righteousness and hast hated lawlessness; therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee …”

In fact…

            ‘…in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.’   WOW!!

Make no mistake…

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to God the Father’s glory.”

Yes, it’s all a bit hard to get our heads around so how about we illustrate this simply……….






3 matches > 1 flame!...1 died for 3 days/nights but came alive again!

#5. JESUS NOT THE ALMIGHTY??

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists came from the Advent Movement and both teach that Jesus Christ is not Almighty God.

Let’s see if they’re right – or very wrong!...

In The Revelation the apostle John introduces Jesus Christ as ‘the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth’. Who is it that then says?...

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, [the beginning and the end], says the Lord God, he who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

(Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet – like saying A to Z.)

John saw ‘one like the Son of Man’ who said:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last...fear not; I am the first and the last, and the living One and was dead…”

Where else can we find this claim to being the ‘first and last’?

In the prophecy of Isaiah of course!

“I, Jehovah, the first; and with the last, I am He.”

“Thus says Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first and the last, and besides me there is no God…”

“I am the One, I am the first. Moreover I am the last…”

Remember we found that Jesus proved He is Jehovah – the ‘I AM’ – whose glory Isaiah saw in the temple, so let’s go right back to what the ‘First and Last’ said to Moses:

           

“I am Jehovah. I appeared… as the Almighty God…”

Does anybody still want to argue that Jesus Christ is not the Almighty?

NEXT….. Jesus = God??  No ‘Trinity’ in the Bible??
Click the link:
http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/jesus-christ-god.html