The term, “cup of tea” is an idiom here. An idiom is an expression that has acquired a meaning that differs from the literal sense or meaning. In this case, “cup of tea” means: something one enjoys or is good at. If an activity is not “your cup of tea,” then that means you do not like it.
We use lots of idioms in language that could be easily misunderstood without the right interpretation of meaning, this is why, if we do not understand what something means, it is good to find out. Don't be afraid to ask questions, especially if you think something to be odd or simply do not understand what something is or does.
If you don’t, you might find yourself “barking up the wrong tree.” (Another idiom meaning that you believe the wrong explanation or definition for something.)
Other interesting idioms:
Put your money where your mouth is.
Please, don't beat around the bush.
She has a bee in her bonnet.
It will be a barrel of laughs.
That will cost an arm and a leg.
Think outside the box.
Be careful not to spill the beans!
Don't get all bent out of shape.
If you are late for work, you might get fired.
It's time to hit the hay.
Let's shoot the breeze a while.
It's raining cats and dogs outside.
I'll be there with bells on.
You are making a mountain our of a molehill.
Could you lend me a hand?
This will be a crash course.
I better hit the books!...
Okay, that's all I will do.
Drop me a line sometime....
Now That's a Box of Crayons...
Here is another interesting tidbit of information; this about something in computer lingo... pixels. I read somewhere that pixels are square in computers and rectangular in video which for whatever odd reason , I thought was interesting. I think it's interesting that the words “picture” and “element” are combined to make the word and concept, “pixel.”
A pixel is a tiny dot of light, a unit of measurement used when talking about the size of an image on your screen, TV or Computer. A pixel is basically the smallest measure of a digitized or Digital Image. The number of pixels describes the measurement of image size and resolution. Sometimes they are measured PPI... that is pixels per inch.
But wait, there's more...
If you have a 24 bit display, each pixel can display over sixteen million colors.
(and I thought 64 Crayola crayons in a rectangular box was pretty cool when I was a kid!)
Pixels are comprised of even smaller elements...each pixels has three dots in it, a red a blue and a green, which converge at the same point.
To see human pixels preform, see Samsung's July 2007 Human Pixel performance in Korea on You Tube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9Jo0BRdbO4
There are other human pixel performances to view on You Tube. This one, a Ukranian TV ad is quite interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx6KaBo8wiY
If you are an ancient computer game junkie, be sure to check out Human Tetris, http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1595198/5389271 Space Invaders, http://www.notsonoisy.com/spaceinvaders/and Pong... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWY0Q_lMFfw
videos by Guillaume Reymond.
And just for fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH8gZYH3vrU
FYI...
Human pixeling is not new. Though captured, not in color, but in black and white, consider the work of Arthur Mole by visiting this site of interest:
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/07/people-as-pixels-in-monumental-art.html
A pixel is a tiny dot of light, a unit of measurement used when talking about the size of an image on your screen, TV or Computer. A pixel is basically the smallest measure of a digitized or Digital Image. The number of pixels describes the measurement of image size and resolution. Sometimes they are measured PPI... that is pixels per inch.
But wait, there's more...
If you have a 24 bit display, each pixel can display over sixteen million colors.
(and I thought 64 Crayola crayons in a rectangular box was pretty cool when I was a kid!)
Pixels are comprised of even smaller elements...each pixels has three dots in it, a red a blue and a green, which converge at the same point.
To see human pixels preform, see Samsung's July 2007 Human Pixel performance in Korea on You Tube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9Jo0BRdbO4
There are other human pixel performances to view on You Tube. This one, a Ukranian TV ad is quite interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx6KaBo8wiY
If you are an ancient computer game junkie, be sure to check out Human Tetris, http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1595198/5389271 Space Invaders, http://www.notsonoisy.com/spaceinvaders/and Pong... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWY0Q_lMFfw
videos by Guillaume Reymond.
And just for fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH8gZYH3vrU
FYI...
Human pixeling is not new. Though captured, not in color, but in black and white, consider the work of Arthur Mole by visiting this site of interest:
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/07/people-as-pixels-in-monumental-art.html
The Wheel in the Sky Keeps on Turning
This is interesting....
This chronometer stands in Heroes Square, City Park, Budapest Hungary. It’s a landmark commemorating the admission of Hungary to the European Union and it's really really big. It stands eight meters high. (I like this photo because you can see how tall in is next to the people in the photograph.)
Designed by Istvan Janaki, and erected in 2004, this 60-ton hourglass-like timepiece is specially designed to flow the sands of time’s passing for exactly one year, it's designed so that the last grains of sand flows out exactly at midnight. Not sure if that happens "on time," but that's the design. It has to be turned over by shear brute force to begin keeping time another year.
Sprach Zarathustra
Sprach Zarathustra is a musical piece written by Richard Strauss in 1896. It's a very recognizable piece of music with it's distinct crescendo of horns and a timpani climax. It's a classic, one I know mostly because it was used in a salad dressing commercial in the 1970's. It was also the theme song for a popular1968 science fiction movie by Stanley Kubrick, called
2001 A Space Odyssey.
2001 is an interesting film, one that I think really worked to promote the idea of man's evolutionary origins and his future as a being leaving earth to go beyond... into space! Space travel was relatively new, and computer technology a thing of the future when the movie was produced.
2001, was a movie that lasted 139 minutes, but it only had 40 minutes of dialog. I watched a you-tube video by Rob Ager who likes to critique films. He says the film 2001 is filled with symbolism, and that it was intended to speak into the subconscious mind of the viewers through the various symbols, which is probably why there was not so much dialogue; it was supposed to affect your psyche and make the viewer think. People are still thinking about the film and it's contents today.
You can watch Ager's video to see what kinds of symbolism he thinks it contains and what it means @: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P95NWAHWLrc&feature=related
I think it's interesting that the piece by Strauss, as well as the film, 2001 A Space Odyssey, was inspired by a book written by the German philosopher, poet, and scholar, Friedrich Nietzsche, titled, Thus Spake Zarathustra, (subtitled, A Book for All and None.
Thus Spake Zarathustra is a philosophical work, and it speaks to the reader the athiet philosophy of it's author.. Nietzsche. Through Zarathustra, (a philosopher of life, Sge and guru sort of teacher, Nietzsche taught his readers that old religious ideas (moralistic religion) no longer had power over humanity. He promoted the notion that is was time for people to become what he called "overman," and believed the time had come for humans to step out intellectually from all the previous understandings of God and become the essence of divinity themselves.
Zarathustra informs the reader... "Once the sin against God was the greatest sin; but God died and these sinners died with him. To sin against the earth is now the most dreadful thing"
(125).
"'The earth,' [Zarathustra] said, 'has a skin, and this skin has a disease. One of these diseases, for example, is called man'" (242).
Nietzsche believed that instead of being concerned with thoughts of G0d, mankind should be concerned with people and ecology. He also advocated that they give thought to the notion that time is not linear, but rather, circular... and the events of life simply happen over and over again, something he called "eternal reccurance." Eternal reccurence is not a belief in reincarnation, butmore like the concept of a fractal, or a repeated pattern, it's a belief that beings return to the same bodies, and situations then happen over... and over again. Dismissing belief in God, rejecting moral commandments and the dismissing the concept of a place called hell, Nietzsche called himself an "immoralist" and believed men should be ruled by their own instincts and intelligence without the fear of God.
The movie 2001 begins somewhere on the continent of Africa we watch as some apes have an encounter with a monolith, a rock sticking out of the ground, and from this rock they gain something they did not have before... knowledge of somekind, intelligence perhaps. Then we see evolution of ham as the apes over time, become human.
The human then creates a computer with a personality, named HAL who can talk and think. We learn about morality as a man named Dave Bowman wrestles with what does and does not constitute life, in particular, regarding the computer named HAL who basically pleads with him not to pull the plug, but Dave eventually terminates the program that gave "life" to the machine. He has killed his own creation.
Then Dave is last seen reaching out for a monolith, and then he is transformed into a fetus-like being, “the Star Child.” a He is last seen floating in space trapped in a transparent orb of light gazing at Earth.
"da..... da..... da....... da-da..." (Sprach Zarathustra plays)
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWnmCu3U09w)
He is Bowman, Davb Bowman... a starchild. We see him "brooding" over the earth in space, hovering, wondering what he will do next...
The eternal return of man. Deja Vu. No death, no meaning to existence. Life, can simply be unplugged.
What is man?
Who is God?
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6umxthz1Ys&feature=related
2001 A Space Odyssey.
2001 is an interesting film, one that I think really worked to promote the idea of man's evolutionary origins and his future as a being leaving earth to go beyond... into space! Space travel was relatively new, and computer technology a thing of the future when the movie was produced.
2001, was a movie that lasted 139 minutes, but it only had 40 minutes of dialog. I watched a you-tube video by Rob Ager who likes to critique films. He says the film 2001 is filled with symbolism, and that it was intended to speak into the subconscious mind of the viewers through the various symbols, which is probably why there was not so much dialogue; it was supposed to affect your psyche and make the viewer think. People are still thinking about the film and it's contents today.
You can watch Ager's video to see what kinds of symbolism he thinks it contains and what it means @: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P95NWAHWLrc&feature=related
I think it's interesting that the piece by Strauss, as well as the film, 2001 A Space Odyssey, was inspired by a book written by the German philosopher, poet, and scholar, Friedrich Nietzsche, titled, Thus Spake Zarathustra, (subtitled, A Book for All and None.
Thus Spake Zarathustra is a philosophical work, and it speaks to the reader the athiet philosophy of it's author.. Nietzsche. Through Zarathustra, (a philosopher of life, Sge and guru sort of teacher, Nietzsche taught his readers that old religious ideas (moralistic religion) no longer had power over humanity. He promoted the notion that is was time for people to become what he called "overman," and believed the time had come for humans to step out intellectually from all the previous understandings of God and become the essence of divinity themselves.
Zarathustra informs the reader... "Once the sin against God was the greatest sin; but God died and these sinners died with him. To sin against the earth is now the most dreadful thing"
(125).
"'The earth,' [Zarathustra] said, 'has a skin, and this skin has a disease. One of these diseases, for example, is called man'" (242).
Nietzsche believed that instead of being concerned with thoughts of G0d, mankind should be concerned with people and ecology. He also advocated that they give thought to the notion that time is not linear, but rather, circular... and the events of life simply happen over and over again, something he called "eternal reccurance." Eternal reccurence is not a belief in reincarnation, butmore like the concept of a fractal, or a repeated pattern, it's a belief that beings return to the same bodies, and situations then happen over... and over again. Dismissing belief in God, rejecting moral commandments and the dismissing the concept of a place called hell, Nietzsche called himself an "immoralist" and believed men should be ruled by their own instincts and intelligence without the fear of God.
The movie 2001 begins somewhere on the continent of Africa we watch as some apes have an encounter with a monolith, a rock sticking out of the ground, and from this rock they gain something they did not have before... knowledge of somekind, intelligence perhaps. Then we see evolution of ham as the apes over time, become human.
The human then creates a computer with a personality, named HAL who can talk and think. We learn about morality as a man named Dave Bowman wrestles with what does and does not constitute life, in particular, regarding the computer named HAL who basically pleads with him not to pull the plug, but Dave eventually terminates the program that gave "life" to the machine. He has killed his own creation.
Then Dave is last seen reaching out for a monolith, and then he is transformed into a fetus-like being, “the Star Child.” a He is last seen floating in space trapped in a transparent orb of light gazing at Earth.
"da..... da..... da....... da-da..." (Sprach Zarathustra plays)
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWnmCu3U09w)
He is Bowman, Davb Bowman... a starchild. We see him "brooding" over the earth in space, hovering, wondering what he will do next...
The eternal return of man. Deja Vu. No death, no meaning to existence. Life, can simply be unplugged.
What is man?
Who is God?
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6umxthz1Ys&feature=related
“Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom."
There's a song I remember from my childhood. I learned it when I was about eleven. My cousin Christopher played it on the guitar, and the rest of us sang along. It's a catchy chorus and you may even know this tune, especially if you are older than I am, for it was popular a little before "my time,: in the 60's. It' s called, Those Were the Days.
The chorus to the song is, “Those were the day’s my friends, we thought they’d never end, we’d sing and dance, forever and a day… We lived the life we choose we’ d fight and never loose; those were the days-- oh yes, those were the days! La-la-la-la-la-la…”
This song was originally a Lithuanian folk tune called Long Journeys that had been rewritten and sung by a young woman named Mary Hopkins. It was so popular in it's day that that it remained the number two US favorite on the pop music charts for four weeks! The song began, “Once upon a time there was a tavern…where we used to have a drink or two…” It's considered a folk song, because it tells a story.
The story of the folksong is told from the perspective of one of the youths, which has now aged. The years have passed. Friends have gone their separate ways and now the old person telling the song is at a loss for the days of youth, when life was more fun and exciting. She reminisces how they used to dance, fight, drink alcohol and do whatever they pleased, and it was a joy to their hearts, and she laments that the years have sadly passed. Her friends have all left her and have gone their separate ways, and the now grown youth finds herself revisiting the tavern.
As she laments her now tragic and lonely life and for a brief sobering moment, she sees a reflection in her drinking glass. Lo and behold! It’s the face of an old and lonely person, someone who now thinks that life has passed them by, and she would hate to admit it, but the person she sees is herself.
In her moment of despair, and to her pleasant surprise, a familiar voice calls her name, and she happily discovers that it’s her old friend. She and her old friend indulge in more drunkenness together, and the song wistfully ends as she joyfully and with great gusto sings, “Oh my friend, we're older but no wiser…for in our hearts the dreams are still the same.
La-la-la-la,lala, La-la-la-la,lala., those were the days, oh yes those were the days.”
It’s the kind of song that makes Proverbs 18:2, ring true when it says, “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”
And then there's Proverbs 15:21: “Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom."
The chorus to the song is, “Those were the day’s my friends, we thought they’d never end, we’d sing and dance, forever and a day… We lived the life we choose we’ d fight and never loose; those were the days-- oh yes, those were the days! La-la-la-la-la-la…”
This song was originally a Lithuanian folk tune called Long Journeys that had been rewritten and sung by a young woman named Mary Hopkins. It was so popular in it's day that that it remained the number two US favorite on the pop music charts for four weeks! The song began, “Once upon a time there was a tavern…where we used to have a drink or two…” It's considered a folk song, because it tells a story.
The story of the folksong is told from the perspective of one of the youths, which has now aged. The years have passed. Friends have gone their separate ways and now the old person telling the song is at a loss for the days of youth, when life was more fun and exciting. She reminisces how they used to dance, fight, drink alcohol and do whatever they pleased, and it was a joy to their hearts, and she laments that the years have sadly passed. Her friends have all left her and have gone their separate ways, and the now grown youth finds herself revisiting the tavern.
As she laments her now tragic and lonely life and for a brief sobering moment, she sees a reflection in her drinking glass. Lo and behold! It’s the face of an old and lonely person, someone who now thinks that life has passed them by, and she would hate to admit it, but the person she sees is herself.
In her moment of despair, and to her pleasant surprise, a familiar voice calls her name, and she happily discovers that it’s her old friend. She and her old friend indulge in more drunkenness together, and the song wistfully ends as she joyfully and with great gusto sings, “Oh my friend, we're older but no wiser…for in our hearts the dreams are still the same.
La-la-la-la,lala, La-la-la-la,lala., those were the days, oh yes those were the days.”
It’s the kind of song that makes Proverbs 18:2, ring true when it says, “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”
And then there's Proverbs 15:21: “Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom."
Palentological Spell
Many people understand that paleontology is the study of fossils and it would be right to say so, but it actually involves much more than that. It is actually a study of what the fossils in their many forms tell us about the past. According to Wikkipedia, paleontology, "as a "historical science" it tries to explain causes rather than conduct experiments to observe effects." As an established facet of science it began in the 1800's, but for centuries people have known some of the things the study of fossils reveal.
For example, fossils themselves are proof that things that live do die; fossils that show us things unlike any we see today tell us that animals can become extinct; and fossil sea shell beds on dry land reveal to those that observe them; that areas we might think were always dry land areas, were once under water.
After Darwin's famous theory of human evolution hit the press in 1859, paleontologists, those who took to the study of these dead things, focused in on formulating ideas about how exactly such a revelation might have taken place. After all, Darwin's concept of the origin of species, in particularly man, and anyone who was anyone knew that evolution was an outcome of events like mutations. With the fabulous story of human evolution finally in writing, so that everyone everywhere could finally understand who they are, where they came from and where they were going, like magic, the world became captivated under a weird paleontological spell that held to the notion there was no such thing as God who created man out of the dust of the earth and that the dead things proved it.
All this thinking of paleontological spells reminds me of a fairy tale.
In the 1800’s a man by the name of Hans Christian Anderson wrote a fairy tale called, the Emperor’s New Clothes. It's a story of a king who was fooled by swindling tailors. These particular tailors were different from the rest who were actually were in the business of making real clothes for people to wear so that they would not be naked or exposed to the elements. These swindling tailors didn’t really make clothes; they just pretended that they did. Eventually they had the whole kingdom looking at nothing and believing it was something real even though nothing was even there. It goes a little like this:
Once upon a time, there were some tailors who were perhaps, lazy or maybe just lacking skill, either way, they were hoping to make a quick buck from the wealthy king, so they devised a scheme. Appealing to the kings desire for greatness, they approached him and told him that they had special fabric with which they could make him the greatest king in all the land.
When they first showed the king the wonderful fabric they had to offer, he was suspicious (for he was after all a wise king, and he really didn’t see it the way they did. In fact, he didn’t see the fabric at all! (And rightly so.) You see, the tailors were simply holding forth their hands, pretending there was fabric to be seen.
The king marveled that there was nothing to be seen, yet their power of suggestion was keen and their crafty hands were sly. It sure looked as if they believed that they were holding fabric in their hands. The king looked hard.
Yes, he was certain. The tailors were certain. Certainly, the tailors believed that such a wonderful fabric was really there.
The clever tailors with deception in their hearts desired greatly to trick a trusting, somewhat gullible, but extremely wealthy man. They knew that if they appealed to his pride and told him that only the smartest people could see the fabric, he might believe them. So they countered his wisdom and apprehension, telling him that the fabric was so special that it had the unusual quality of appearing invisible to any man who was unfit for his office, or who was unpardonably stupid.
“Wow, invisible fabric!" thought the king, and as he was struck with the notion that perhaps there was some truth to what the tailors were telling him, he began to doubt in his mind what he knew to be true. He wondered, at the prospect.
“ What if they were right, and I am wrong?” he thought to himself, not wanting, of course, to look… “stupid.” But he did have a problem. He saw nothing. Wondering if maybe he was just missing something, he took another look, and the next thing he knew he thought he may have seen a little bit of fabric. Before too long, he actually started to believe that the fabric was there!
He was no doubt under the subtlety of their carefully crafted spell.
“If I were to be dressed in a suit made of this cloth, I could distinguish the clever from the stupid in my kingdom, and thus I should be able to find out which men in my empire are unfit for their jobs,” said the king to himself. Proud of his own inspiration, he complimented the gentlemen and their fine invisible cloth, and employed them to make him some designer clothes.
Before long, the counselors to the king found themselves in an awkward position, that of having to choose between, appearing “stupid” and “unfit for office” as they were shown the fabric by the king, and admitting that they didn't see the fabric at all. Fearing for the loss of their dignity and position in the kingdom, they gave lip service to the perception that the fabric was not only there, but to impress the king, they said that it was the most exquisite, most beautiful fabric they had ever seen! They vocalized their hearty agreement with the king that the traveling tailors were certainly unsurpassed as experts in their field, and they did this when really, they knew they really saw nothing at all. It was more important to agree with the king than say something considered utterly stupid in the minds of everyone else in the room.
Before long everyone in the king’s court was talking about the tailors and the beautiful fabric, with no one daring to point out that they could not see the fabric or the suit the tailors had made. They willing suppressed the truth because “only a fool, or someone unfit for royal office” would not be able to see it (and no one wanted to be thought of as a fool.) Besides everyone in the kingdom were extremely happy fetching things here and there to help the tailors in their work and the whole process was quite lucrative for everyone.
When at long last, the clothes were made for the king, all anyone heard was how pleased he was with the marvelous fit. His new clothes were apparently so comfortable, so lightweight and so exquisite, he could hardly wait to wear them in public.
In celebration, the king arranged a feast in honor of the tailors planning that he would sport his new attire for the entire kingdom. He did this because he wanted everyone in the kingdom to be sure that they knew what an imperial and wise king they were subject to.
It was amazing when the king paraded his new, finely tailored suit for the crowds. No one could see it, but they all nodded their heads in approval as they marveled at the king. Some even declared it to be the most beautiful suit made out of the most beautiful fabric with the most wonderful qualities, colors and textures they had ever seen. No one dared to question the wise counselors on the matter as the emperor paraded himself up and down the street naked, that is, until from somewhere in the crowd a child spoke the truth as he stood in astonished wonder at the sight of a naked king. He shouted, “The king has no clothes on!”
Like the emperor’s clothes, the concept evolution is practically spun out of thin air by clever men who want to dismiss the notion of God. They have found fame, prestige and fortune presenting forth an idea of their own creation that cannot be scientifically proven, but must be believed; believed by those who are quick to be labeled as “ truly wise,” and "fit for office.” Few dare to question the theory, for fear of looking foolish. People simply nod and wave because they understand it takes a certain, special kind of wonderful wisdom, to see the world through evolutionary eyes.
Darwin’s book, Origin of Species, was a big impressive book, with big words, difficult and even revolutionary concepts to grasp not by observation, but rather with the mind, and as such it became required reading for the mind considered to be truly educated and truly scientific. By standing under such incredible intellect one could learn how, exactly, natural selection works, and how important it is to preserve the favored races in the struggle for life on Earth. Darwin’s book, void of accountability to a creator God, freeing mankind from all the dogma about God and man's need for redemption through Jesus Christ, offered a new idea to those who through such education showed they were most endowed with such incredible and superior intellect.
Creationist continue to remind them that that mutations are incapable of producing a positive informational increase and that there is no known scientific law that would allow one kind of creature to turn naturally into a completely different kind. Animals like mules and ligers, do not reproduce. No one has yet to observe evidence for this s strange science that has been concocted. Glad to be of superior intellect, glad to understand completely how life originated on earth billions of years ago by chance,yet so full of wonderment and excitement about how all things hang so critically in the balance, evolutionists continue to insist that the creationists who believe in God and a special creation are wrong.
Pride is intellectually paralyzing. The proud person only see what he wants to see, believes only what he wants to believe. The proud person, seeking to be somehow significant in the eyes of other people, will easily conform to the influence of others, often without even thinking. Like the king in the story, the proud refuse to admit the very thing they believe in cannot be seen and this, only because they do not want to be perceived as being unfit, not wise enough to be someone who is important.
We humans can believe or imagine many things, even fairy tales, but there is one thing we cannot dispute: the earth is not going to last forever. Neither are we. All things that are living today, like things that were living yesterday will end up just exactly like the paleontologists fossils; dead.
But there is another story, one with a happy ending. Like Darwin's Origin of Species, it's a story written down for posterity. In it, Jesus Christ, a man born of a virgin, born in a stable and laid into a manger came to earth and in his obedience to God who sent him, he even conquered death. It's an "old, old story of unseen things above, an old old story of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love."
Jesus himself said, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
(John 3:15- 19)
For example, fossils themselves are proof that things that live do die; fossils that show us things unlike any we see today tell us that animals can become extinct; and fossil sea shell beds on dry land reveal to those that observe them; that areas we might think were always dry land areas, were once under water.
After Darwin's famous theory of human evolution hit the press in 1859, paleontologists, those who took to the study of these dead things, focused in on formulating ideas about how exactly such a revelation might have taken place. After all, Darwin's concept of the origin of species, in particularly man, and anyone who was anyone knew that evolution was an outcome of events like mutations. With the fabulous story of human evolution finally in writing, so that everyone everywhere could finally understand who they are, where they came from and where they were going, like magic, the world became captivated under a weird paleontological spell that held to the notion there was no such thing as God who created man out of the dust of the earth and that the dead things proved it.
All this thinking of paleontological spells reminds me of a fairy tale.
In the 1800’s a man by the name of Hans Christian Anderson wrote a fairy tale called, the Emperor’s New Clothes. It's a story of a king who was fooled by swindling tailors. These particular tailors were different from the rest who were actually were in the business of making real clothes for people to wear so that they would not be naked or exposed to the elements. These swindling tailors didn’t really make clothes; they just pretended that they did. Eventually they had the whole kingdom looking at nothing and believing it was something real even though nothing was even there. It goes a little like this:
Once upon a time, there were some tailors who were perhaps, lazy or maybe just lacking skill, either way, they were hoping to make a quick buck from the wealthy king, so they devised a scheme. Appealing to the kings desire for greatness, they approached him and told him that they had special fabric with which they could make him the greatest king in all the land.
When they first showed the king the wonderful fabric they had to offer, he was suspicious (for he was after all a wise king, and he really didn’t see it the way they did. In fact, he didn’t see the fabric at all! (And rightly so.) You see, the tailors were simply holding forth their hands, pretending there was fabric to be seen.
The king marveled that there was nothing to be seen, yet their power of suggestion was keen and their crafty hands were sly. It sure looked as if they believed that they were holding fabric in their hands. The king looked hard.
Yes, he was certain. The tailors were certain. Certainly, the tailors believed that such a wonderful fabric was really there.
The clever tailors with deception in their hearts desired greatly to trick a trusting, somewhat gullible, but extremely wealthy man. They knew that if they appealed to his pride and told him that only the smartest people could see the fabric, he might believe them. So they countered his wisdom and apprehension, telling him that the fabric was so special that it had the unusual quality of appearing invisible to any man who was unfit for his office, or who was unpardonably stupid.
“Wow, invisible fabric!" thought the king, and as he was struck with the notion that perhaps there was some truth to what the tailors were telling him, he began to doubt in his mind what he knew to be true. He wondered, at the prospect.
“ What if they were right, and I am wrong?” he thought to himself, not wanting, of course, to look… “stupid.” But he did have a problem. He saw nothing. Wondering if maybe he was just missing something, he took another look, and the next thing he knew he thought he may have seen a little bit of fabric. Before too long, he actually started to believe that the fabric was there!
He was no doubt under the subtlety of their carefully crafted spell.
“If I were to be dressed in a suit made of this cloth, I could distinguish the clever from the stupid in my kingdom, and thus I should be able to find out which men in my empire are unfit for their jobs,” said the king to himself. Proud of his own inspiration, he complimented the gentlemen and their fine invisible cloth, and employed them to make him some designer clothes.
Before long, the counselors to the king found themselves in an awkward position, that of having to choose between, appearing “stupid” and “unfit for office” as they were shown the fabric by the king, and admitting that they didn't see the fabric at all. Fearing for the loss of their dignity and position in the kingdom, they gave lip service to the perception that the fabric was not only there, but to impress the king, they said that it was the most exquisite, most beautiful fabric they had ever seen! They vocalized their hearty agreement with the king that the traveling tailors were certainly unsurpassed as experts in their field, and they did this when really, they knew they really saw nothing at all. It was more important to agree with the king than say something considered utterly stupid in the minds of everyone else in the room.
Before long everyone in the king’s court was talking about the tailors and the beautiful fabric, with no one daring to point out that they could not see the fabric or the suit the tailors had made. They willing suppressed the truth because “only a fool, or someone unfit for royal office” would not be able to see it (and no one wanted to be thought of as a fool.) Besides everyone in the kingdom were extremely happy fetching things here and there to help the tailors in their work and the whole process was quite lucrative for everyone.
When at long last, the clothes were made for the king, all anyone heard was how pleased he was with the marvelous fit. His new clothes were apparently so comfortable, so lightweight and so exquisite, he could hardly wait to wear them in public.
In celebration, the king arranged a feast in honor of the tailors planning that he would sport his new attire for the entire kingdom. He did this because he wanted everyone in the kingdom to be sure that they knew what an imperial and wise king they were subject to.
It was amazing when the king paraded his new, finely tailored suit for the crowds. No one could see it, but they all nodded their heads in approval as they marveled at the king. Some even declared it to be the most beautiful suit made out of the most beautiful fabric with the most wonderful qualities, colors and textures they had ever seen. No one dared to question the wise counselors on the matter as the emperor paraded himself up and down the street naked, that is, until from somewhere in the crowd a child spoke the truth as he stood in astonished wonder at the sight of a naked king. He shouted, “The king has no clothes on!”
Like the emperor’s clothes, the concept evolution is practically spun out of thin air by clever men who want to dismiss the notion of God. They have found fame, prestige and fortune presenting forth an idea of their own creation that cannot be scientifically proven, but must be believed; believed by those who are quick to be labeled as “ truly wise,” and "fit for office.” Few dare to question the theory, for fear of looking foolish. People simply nod and wave because they understand it takes a certain, special kind of wonderful wisdom, to see the world through evolutionary eyes.
Darwin’s book, Origin of Species, was a big impressive book, with big words, difficult and even revolutionary concepts to grasp not by observation, but rather with the mind, and as such it became required reading for the mind considered to be truly educated and truly scientific. By standing under such incredible intellect one could learn how, exactly, natural selection works, and how important it is to preserve the favored races in the struggle for life on Earth. Darwin’s book, void of accountability to a creator God, freeing mankind from all the dogma about God and man's need for redemption through Jesus Christ, offered a new idea to those who through such education showed they were most endowed with such incredible and superior intellect.
Creationist continue to remind them that that mutations are incapable of producing a positive informational increase and that there is no known scientific law that would allow one kind of creature to turn naturally into a completely different kind. Animals like mules and ligers, do not reproduce. No one has yet to observe evidence for this s strange science that has been concocted. Glad to be of superior intellect, glad to understand completely how life originated on earth billions of years ago by chance,yet so full of wonderment and excitement about how all things hang so critically in the balance, evolutionists continue to insist that the creationists who believe in God and a special creation are wrong.
Pride is intellectually paralyzing. The proud person only see what he wants to see, believes only what he wants to believe. The proud person, seeking to be somehow significant in the eyes of other people, will easily conform to the influence of others, often without even thinking. Like the king in the story, the proud refuse to admit the very thing they believe in cannot be seen and this, only because they do not want to be perceived as being unfit, not wise enough to be someone who is important.
We humans can believe or imagine many things, even fairy tales, but there is one thing we cannot dispute: the earth is not going to last forever. Neither are we. All things that are living today, like things that were living yesterday will end up just exactly like the paleontologists fossils; dead.
But there is another story, one with a happy ending. Like Darwin's Origin of Species, it's a story written down for posterity. In it, Jesus Christ, a man born of a virgin, born in a stable and laid into a manger came to earth and in his obedience to God who sent him, he even conquered death. It's an "old, old story of unseen things above, an old old story of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love."
Jesus himself said, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
(John 3:15- 19)
Neanderthal Man (Pt 2)
(continued from PT 1 NEANDERTHAL MAN)
Fossil remains of what is now referred to as Neanderthal man were first discovered in 1856 in Neander Valley, Germany; (hence the name, Neanderthal.) At the time of discovery, the bones found were simply thought to be normal human bones by their discoverer, but as some specimens that were subsequently found at the site were stooped over and looked like they may have had “protruding” eyebrows this original assumption of them being "human" was considered a mistake. Other conclusions about them were suggested and new ideas came to light.
At the time, particularly in certain scientific circles, Charles Darwin’s publications of Evolutionary thought were being circulated by the scientific world. There were many debates about what these very old, physically stooped, human-like remains were and weren’t until finally, in 1908, the Institute of Human Paleontology in Paris made an official declaration. they deemed that “Neanderthal” was not human at all. He was labeled, "Paleolithic." meaning that he was from the second part of the Stone Age, (beginning about 750,00 to 500,000 years BC and lasting until the end of the last ice age which according to the dictionary was about 8,500 years BC.
As a member of the Paleolithic people group that lived during the Stone Age, Neanderthal hunted and gathered his food. School textbooks and scientific museums told the public that Neanderthal was very primitive, lived in caves, defended himself with only rocks and sticks as he roamed the land, hunting and gathering fish, birds, elephants and bison for food with his microlithic tools. He is described as a Homo Sapien Neanderthalensis, something very different from Homo Erectus, (Peking Man) yet very different from “Homo Sapiens Sapiens.” (Cro-magnon man. ) Anybody with keen scientific intellect could obviously see what Neanderthal was and wasn’t.
Homo Neanderthalensis, was labeled inferior, a subspecies of our own group. It was believed that he could not speak, let alone read and write. He was savage, trying to survive in the wilderness, perhaps with only his small clan. Stooped and slouchy, hair covered, using grunts in order to communicate instead of words, we saw more proof of this thing called evolution. After all, look how far advanced man had become since the Neanderthal days!
But today, years later, educated men of science have new information about Neanderthal man. It seems they have newly discovered that they were wrong. The new theory is that Neanderthal was not even close to being human. In fact, the current teaching is that Neanderthal is totally unrelated to the Homo Sapien though they coexisted during the same time. He was co-existent with the Cro-Magnon, but died out as Cro-Magnon took over and populated the planet. Cro-Magnon man is the species that is believed to have evolved into what we people are today.
The change in understanding came about because in 1950, learned professionals uncovered a truth that could not be denied: Neanderthal stooped, not because he was more ape-like, but as a result of suffering from osteo-arthritis. Besides that, unearthed artifacts made it obvious that despite the conjecture, Neanderthal used both stone and iron tools. No longer half man, half ape, he took a huge jump on the evolutionary timetable, for now he had to be more human than previously declared. Then things changed again when someone discovered Neanderthal’s hyoid bone.
The hyoid bone is a special bone and what is remarkable about it is is that it's a bone that only humans have. It's a special bone that allows us the ability to communicate with words. With the discovery that Neanderthal man, like humans, had a hyoid bone, it had to be considered that Neanderthal probably spoke as well as you or I.
With all these discoveries, it had to be noted that the previous Darwinian evolutionary concepts about Neanderthal that had been put forth in the scientific world were completely wrong. Many people had to look at the facts and simply change their minds. Suddenly Neanderthal, was not a "subhuman, lower life form" or some Stone Age “caveman” as had been believed and taught for decades; he was intelligent. If they did not admit he was actually, “human,” evolutionists were forced to admit in all honesty that he was at least “more human” than they had previously thought. But the discoveries did not stop there.
The most surprising discovery happened in the 1990’s. It was the discovery of a “Neanderthalic flute.” The flute was simply a piece of bone that had holes for various sounds carved into it, but another landmark had been uncovered. Neanderthal not only had some kind of language but he was creative and expressed himself with notes of music. He also worked with tools. We also know from these subsequent discoveries that Neanderthals came in various sizes, some nearly as tall as modern day humans and that they suffered the same diseases that we do. It would appear that perhaps the original discoverer was right: These ancient bones are the bones of humans. Remarkably, the scientific community that desires to hold on to their belief in evolution still deny the possibility. They claim to know this because of DNA testing.
According to William Goodwin, a scientific researcher at the University of Glasco, UK commenting on Neanderthal and the relationship to modern man, was quoted in a BBC article dated March 2000, “Though they co-existed, we can't find any evidence of genetic material being passed from Neanderthals to modern humans.” Apparently DNA now proves there is no connection.
In March 2005 I saw an article from the Dolan DNA Learning Center in New York crediting the researchers there for being the first scientists to reconstruct a “Neanderthal” skeleton. At the time of this writing, anyone could visit their website at: www.dnalc.org/neandertal.html and view the skeleton they constructed alongside that of a human skeleton to compare and contrast how different and alike they were, so I did.
The Dolan Neanderthal skeleton was said to be 5 ft. 5 in. tall. It stood displayed beside a “human” (Homo Sapien) skeleton in a room at the center. The literature said that the Neanderthal skeleton was pieced together from various fossil finds, that is, from various locations. It was not constructed from one fossil find because there has never been an excavation with bones completely in tact. I read that it was also not completely made of "Neanderthal' bones. some of the bones used were "human." This didn't stop them from making the claim that they were the first to reconstruct a “complete” Neanderthal skeleton for the world to see.
The two skeletons looked remarkably similar, though they did have notable coloring differences. They even stand within inches of height besides one another. Still at the Dolan webpage Gary Sawyer, one of the skeleton architects was quoted as saying, “We noticed one interesting thing was that these are kind of a short, squat people. These guys had no waist at all — they were compact, dwarfy-like beings."
Compact? Dwarfy-like? I have seen Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs... the skeleton in the picture on the web, was not what I would label dwarfy. Dwarfy, would indicate small. This was completely illogical to consider since it was nearly the same height as the human's skeletal remains, similar in height, size and form. The skeleton is neither short, nor squat, nor dwarfy. The skeleton is 5’5’’ tall!
People just simply see what they want to see. In fact, the concept of evolutionary evidences is more and more reminiscent of a fairy tale.
Fossil remains of what is now referred to as Neanderthal man were first discovered in 1856 in Neander Valley, Germany; (hence the name, Neanderthal.) At the time of discovery, the bones found were simply thought to be normal human bones by their discoverer, but as some specimens that were subsequently found at the site were stooped over and looked like they may have had “protruding” eyebrows this original assumption of them being "human" was considered a mistake. Other conclusions about them were suggested and new ideas came to light.
At the time, particularly in certain scientific circles, Charles Darwin’s publications of Evolutionary thought were being circulated by the scientific world. There were many debates about what these very old, physically stooped, human-like remains were and weren’t until finally, in 1908, the Institute of Human Paleontology in Paris made an official declaration. they deemed that “Neanderthal” was not human at all. He was labeled, "Paleolithic." meaning that he was from the second part of the Stone Age, (beginning about 750,00 to 500,000 years BC and lasting until the end of the last ice age which according to the dictionary was about 8,500 years BC.
As a member of the Paleolithic people group that lived during the Stone Age, Neanderthal hunted and gathered his food. School textbooks and scientific museums told the public that Neanderthal was very primitive, lived in caves, defended himself with only rocks and sticks as he roamed the land, hunting and gathering fish, birds, elephants and bison for food with his microlithic tools. He is described as a Homo Sapien Neanderthalensis, something very different from Homo Erectus, (Peking Man) yet very different from “Homo Sapiens Sapiens.” (Cro-magnon man. ) Anybody with keen scientific intellect could obviously see what Neanderthal was and wasn’t.
Homo Neanderthalensis, was labeled inferior, a subspecies of our own group. It was believed that he could not speak, let alone read and write. He was savage, trying to survive in the wilderness, perhaps with only his small clan. Stooped and slouchy, hair covered, using grunts in order to communicate instead of words, we saw more proof of this thing called evolution. After all, look how far advanced man had become since the Neanderthal days!
But today, years later, educated men of science have new information about Neanderthal man. It seems they have newly discovered that they were wrong. The new theory is that Neanderthal was not even close to being human. In fact, the current teaching is that Neanderthal is totally unrelated to the Homo Sapien though they coexisted during the same time. He was co-existent with the Cro-Magnon, but died out as Cro-Magnon took over and populated the planet. Cro-Magnon man is the species that is believed to have evolved into what we people are today.
The change in understanding came about because in 1950, learned professionals uncovered a truth that could not be denied: Neanderthal stooped, not because he was more ape-like, but as a result of suffering from osteo-arthritis. Besides that, unearthed artifacts made it obvious that despite the conjecture, Neanderthal used both stone and iron tools. No longer half man, half ape, he took a huge jump on the evolutionary timetable, for now he had to be more human than previously declared. Then things changed again when someone discovered Neanderthal’s hyoid bone.
The hyoid bone is a special bone and what is remarkable about it is is that it's a bone that only humans have. It's a special bone that allows us the ability to communicate with words. With the discovery that Neanderthal man, like humans, had a hyoid bone, it had to be considered that Neanderthal probably spoke as well as you or I.
With all these discoveries, it had to be noted that the previous Darwinian evolutionary concepts about Neanderthal that had been put forth in the scientific world were completely wrong. Many people had to look at the facts and simply change their minds. Suddenly Neanderthal, was not a "subhuman, lower life form" or some Stone Age “caveman” as had been believed and taught for decades; he was intelligent. If they did not admit he was actually, “human,” evolutionists were forced to admit in all honesty that he was at least “more human” than they had previously thought. But the discoveries did not stop there.
The most surprising discovery happened in the 1990’s. It was the discovery of a “Neanderthalic flute.” The flute was simply a piece of bone that had holes for various sounds carved into it, but another landmark had been uncovered. Neanderthal not only had some kind of language but he was creative and expressed himself with notes of music. He also worked with tools. We also know from these subsequent discoveries that Neanderthals came in various sizes, some nearly as tall as modern day humans and that they suffered the same diseases that we do. It would appear that perhaps the original discoverer was right: These ancient bones are the bones of humans. Remarkably, the scientific community that desires to hold on to their belief in evolution still deny the possibility. They claim to know this because of DNA testing.
According to William Goodwin, a scientific researcher at the University of Glasco, UK commenting on Neanderthal and the relationship to modern man, was quoted in a BBC article dated March 2000, “Though they co-existed, we can't find any evidence of genetic material being passed from Neanderthals to modern humans.” Apparently DNA now proves there is no connection.
In March 2005 I saw an article from the Dolan DNA Learning Center in New York crediting the researchers there for being the first scientists to reconstruct a “Neanderthal” skeleton. At the time of this writing, anyone could visit their website at: www.dnalc.org/neandertal.html and view the skeleton they constructed alongside that of a human skeleton to compare and contrast how different and alike they were, so I did.
The Dolan Neanderthal skeleton was said to be 5 ft. 5 in. tall. It stood displayed beside a “human” (Homo Sapien) skeleton in a room at the center. The literature said that the Neanderthal skeleton was pieced together from various fossil finds, that is, from various locations. It was not constructed from one fossil find because there has never been an excavation with bones completely in tact. I read that it was also not completely made of "Neanderthal' bones. some of the bones used were "human." This didn't stop them from making the claim that they were the first to reconstruct a “complete” Neanderthal skeleton for the world to see.
The two skeletons looked remarkably similar, though they did have notable coloring differences. They even stand within inches of height besides one another. Still at the Dolan webpage Gary Sawyer, one of the skeleton architects was quoted as saying, “We noticed one interesting thing was that these are kind of a short, squat people. These guys had no waist at all — they were compact, dwarfy-like beings."
Compact? Dwarfy-like? I have seen Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs... the skeleton in the picture on the web, was not what I would label dwarfy. Dwarfy, would indicate small. This was completely illogical to consider since it was nearly the same height as the human's skeletal remains, similar in height, size and form. The skeleton is neither short, nor squat, nor dwarfy. The skeleton is 5’5’’ tall!
People just simply see what they want to see. In fact, the concept of evolutionary evidences is more and more reminiscent of a fairy tale.
Neanderthal Man (Pt. 1)
Neanderthal man, (or Neanderthal, as some spell it,) is a word that easily conjures up images of slouchy, cave dwelling hominid creatures. We tend to think of the word as describing a being that is barely intelligent, has a primitive personality of a brutish nature, and grunt like a pig to communicate instead of using words. This is because we have heard of Neanderthal as adherents to Darwin’s theory of Evolution promoted the concept that “Neanderthal’ man, though he was definitely a human (aka “man,” ) was somehow an ancient link between man and ape. We tend to think of Neanderthal as a prehistoric, and rather inferior subspecies, particularly as compared to the more "highly evolved" Homo Sapiens, (wise human beings,) that we consider ourselves to be.
Scientists who believe in the evolution of man, (not the special creation of God,) teach their young that man can claim his origin to be a sort of primordial soup, making human beings nothing more, or less than a by- product of amoeba that was produced via some cosmic explosion, one that came about by accident in the middle of nothing in this vast thing called space. Evolutionists don’t claim to know exactly what it was that happened, or how, but they believe that when this event they often refer to as the Big Bang occurred (somewhere in space and time,) the universe was formed and all the necessary stuff for life (aka primordial soup) was ready to cook up some life forms to live on planet earth.
The suggested concept is that this soup, full of amino acids, then gave rise to life in the form of bacteria, which changed (a.k.a. evolved) into fish, which changed, and grew legs or wings and crawled out of the sea or flew up into the sky giving us spiders and lizards and fish and birds. Then due to even more supposedly random developmental changes (and earth shattering violence of meat eating entities and natural disasters) that took place over time between numerous organisms and even groups of organisms… ape appeared and then, by more shear accident, (or was it a stroke of good luck,) man emerged. They believe that over billions of years, the stuff of life, (amino acids) evolved into animals, plants and the human beings we are today.
This theory of how things became what they are, how life evolved upon the earth is a construct of possibility, a way of looking at origins and an idea to rationalize what we see and know as we seek to discover who we humans are and why things are what we see, but it’s not a provable scientific fact. Besides that, many scientists who believe in this construct of evolution would not profess to even remotely believe in “God,” but as a thinking being, man has the ability to ask questions, and an inner curiosity that drives him to find answers, even if they have no relation to something we call God.
If a person doesn’t like the answer to life’s beginning, to be “God,” then this progression of life evolving from fish to animal and bird, to ape, and ape to man, can seem quite reasonable as certainly man had to originally come from somewhere, before his mother, and before his mother's mother. But where? If you can figure it all out, and come to some logical conclusion, something that requires education, people will think you to be quit smart, and there inclination in man to be thought of as “smart” by other “smart” human beings, and so there’s a large segment of humanity that now believes that life on earth came about as a mere product of some unidentifiable, random, process called Evolution.
"Survival of the fittest," they say, believing that man today has evolved, developed into a powerful being. He can do anything he desires after all he has technology which he himself created and can rule over other men and even rule the world. By believing in himself, believing in humanity as a whole and developing more technology, man has power... power to rule and shape the world as he sees ‘good.’ His name is Homo Sapien.
Powerful Homo Sapien has looked at the fossil remains of Neanderthal man, and given all of the evidence great and deliberate thought. He has pieced together his story and written it down for all to understand, or rather stand under, with awe and reverence for the incredible wisdom that can figure out such things.
Just by sheer human intelligence we who are educated about such things know that poor Neanderthal was not at all like us Homo Sapiens, (obviously the more desirable, more favored species.) As you can see, (that is, if you are wise enough to see this of course,) without a doubt he is a completely different creature. Neanderthal is not like us humans at all.
Scientists who believe in the evolution of man, (not the special creation of God,) teach their young that man can claim his origin to be a sort of primordial soup, making human beings nothing more, or less than a by- product of amoeba that was produced via some cosmic explosion, one that came about by accident in the middle of nothing in this vast thing called space. Evolutionists don’t claim to know exactly what it was that happened, or how, but they believe that when this event they often refer to as the Big Bang occurred (somewhere in space and time,) the universe was formed and all the necessary stuff for life (aka primordial soup) was ready to cook up some life forms to live on planet earth.
The suggested concept is that this soup, full of amino acids, then gave rise to life in the form of bacteria, which changed (a.k.a. evolved) into fish, which changed, and grew legs or wings and crawled out of the sea or flew up into the sky giving us spiders and lizards and fish and birds. Then due to even more supposedly random developmental changes (and earth shattering violence of meat eating entities and natural disasters) that took place over time between numerous organisms and even groups of organisms… ape appeared and then, by more shear accident, (or was it a stroke of good luck,) man emerged. They believe that over billions of years, the stuff of life, (amino acids) evolved into animals, plants and the human beings we are today.
This theory of how things became what they are, how life evolved upon the earth is a construct of possibility, a way of looking at origins and an idea to rationalize what we see and know as we seek to discover who we humans are and why things are what we see, but it’s not a provable scientific fact. Besides that, many scientists who believe in this construct of evolution would not profess to even remotely believe in “God,” but as a thinking being, man has the ability to ask questions, and an inner curiosity that drives him to find answers, even if they have no relation to something we call God.
If a person doesn’t like the answer to life’s beginning, to be “God,” then this progression of life evolving from fish to animal and bird, to ape, and ape to man, can seem quite reasonable as certainly man had to originally come from somewhere, before his mother, and before his mother's mother. But where? If you can figure it all out, and come to some logical conclusion, something that requires education, people will think you to be quit smart, and there inclination in man to be thought of as “smart” by other “smart” human beings, and so there’s a large segment of humanity that now believes that life on earth came about as a mere product of some unidentifiable, random, process called Evolution.
"Survival of the fittest," they say, believing that man today has evolved, developed into a powerful being. He can do anything he desires after all he has technology which he himself created and can rule over other men and even rule the world. By believing in himself, believing in humanity as a whole and developing more technology, man has power... power to rule and shape the world as he sees ‘good.’ His name is Homo Sapien.
Powerful Homo Sapien has looked at the fossil remains of Neanderthal man, and given all of the evidence great and deliberate thought. He has pieced together his story and written it down for all to understand, or rather stand under, with awe and reverence for the incredible wisdom that can figure out such things.
Just by sheer human intelligence we who are educated about such things know that poor Neanderthal was not at all like us Homo Sapiens, (obviously the more desirable, more favored species.) As you can see, (that is, if you are wise enough to see this of course,) without a doubt he is a completely different creature. Neanderthal is not like us humans at all.
Night Light
By definition, a “night-light” is a little light source placed for comfort or convenience in areas that are dark. It is not a very bright or intrusive light, which is highly desirable for most people. After all, when they wake up in the middle of the night their eyes are sensitive to such a thing. People like night-lights because they want just enough light to see, but not enough to hurt their eyes or wake them completely from sleep.
While a dim light might be preferable for the sake of our own comfort, if we really want to see, then bright light is required. This would be especially true if we are examining something in order to detect a problem and fix it. People need light to see.
All life needs light. The same concept is true spiritual speaking, we need light, true light. The scripture says, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. (Ephesians 5:14) Spiritually speaking God’s word is a lamp from which shines forth truth. Not only does it point to God as being perfect and holy, but also it reveals Jesus Christ. More importantly, like a bright light, it reveals our need for a savior, even reveals the Savior to us.
We live in spiritual darkness until we know Christ.
Because the brightness of truth is so bright, people tend to shy away from it, or they diminish it so that is is only a night light, They prefer, you see, to avoid the bright light of complete truth so they take some of the Bible, but not all. This is how many false religions are created. Dead things do not need light, for there is no life in them. Things of the dark don't like the light and prefer things to be in light subdued or darkness, where they can be hidden, but God's children are children of light and of the day.
You cannot see in the dark.
Natural lighting from the sunshine is good for us. It gives us vitamin D, causes seeds and plants to grow, and it feels glorious radiating against our skin with it's warmth, It's interesting that even with sunlight in abundance, we humans tend to live and work by man made light.
Office buildings are lit up with it, signs and streetlights are lit up with it, we read by it, work by it and even use it to man-made light to -simulate the sun when we are indoors. Somehow, and for some reason we seem to prefer the light we make ourselves, though we desperately need sunshine.
(Man-made light... it’s technology. It helps us manage our own world and live our lives the way we want. )
Besides control and convenience, the man-made light we create has the potential to create man made revenue. Even more importantly it gives us the ability to see at nighttime, when all is dark. Light at night has the unique feature of allowing us creatures of the day to become creatures of the night.
Consider the spiritual world.
Like the natural world we live in, a spiritual world exists too and like the natural world, it needs to be lit up. Unfortunately, man-made spiritual doctrines can and often are used to replace the true light of God’s word. Like spiritual utility companies, man made doctrines are able to create revenue. They even are invented and controlled by men instead of God, to whom such control belongs. God's truth, his rule his reign, his promises fulfilled are light and life to those who find them.
Some forms of man-made doctrine can come pretty close to simulating the real thing, in fact, one would hardly know the difference unless of course one had learned to be dependent upon the natural sunshine instead of incandescent or florescent lighting. sometime these religions with their doctrines and rules seem bright, sometimes they are but little lights of low intensity, light a tiny night-light, and people think they see just fine. Little do they know, such shallow lighting only serve to make them look better than they really are.
God loves humans who have sinned, but sin itself is exactly what separates us from God. How can humanity be cleansed of sin when they think they are better than that really are? Truth is, when people reject Jesus, they remain in their sin, simply because they cannot see that which is obvious when it is in pure and holy light. God has already spoken his judgment, long ago in a garden called Eden, but he has given us His word... a promise and a savior.
John 12:46-48
" I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. "
1John 1:5-10
"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. "
Sins exposed to light will no longer be in the shadows. It can be dealt with properly. In Jesus, our sins can be forgiven and forgotten, covered in the love of God toward us that flowed the day the sinless Lamb of God took our place in death. Only in the light of God and by his grace, can we have victory over darkness and become his children... children of light.
In 1 Corinthians 13:12, Paul the apostle wrote, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
Yes, it's a spiritually dark world, now. We are in a sort of gray area... an area of grace. But one day, the true light of God will shine upon all, even into the deepest darkness and all sin will be exposed. This radiant glory will reveal all things, even sins people thought were unknown to anyone because they were never exposed to real penetrating light before.
Jesus was not just a source of spiritual light among the many lights from above. He is not just one god among a plethora of good and possible options to believe about God. Light from true light, Jesus is true God and light from true light, His word is a light, and a lamp unto our feet. (Psalm 119:105)
We are not designed to live in night light, nor light made by human hands. We are children of the day. Like flowers in God's garden of life, we are created to live in true spiritual light that comes from his own son.
A little tilling of hard soil,
a little seed of kindness,
a little seed of love,
God’s Love…
God’s promise… and something called truth…
a little living water...
a little heavenly light..
and the next thing you know...
Something is changing about you and the world you find yourself in…
Suddenly,
Like a little seed,
Like a sunflower…
you desire to live your life in the light, following
the Son.
While a dim light might be preferable for the sake of our own comfort, if we really want to see, then bright light is required. This would be especially true if we are examining something in order to detect a problem and fix it. People need light to see.
All life needs light. The same concept is true spiritual speaking, we need light, true light. The scripture says, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. (Ephesians 5:14) Spiritually speaking God’s word is a lamp from which shines forth truth. Not only does it point to God as being perfect and holy, but also it reveals Jesus Christ. More importantly, like a bright light, it reveals our need for a savior, even reveals the Savior to us.
We live in spiritual darkness until we know Christ.
Because the brightness of truth is so bright, people tend to shy away from it, or they diminish it so that is is only a night light, They prefer, you see, to avoid the bright light of complete truth so they take some of the Bible, but not all. This is how many false religions are created. Dead things do not need light, for there is no life in them. Things of the dark don't like the light and prefer things to be in light subdued or darkness, where they can be hidden, but God's children are children of light and of the day.
You cannot see in the dark.
Natural lighting from the sunshine is good for us. It gives us vitamin D, causes seeds and plants to grow, and it feels glorious radiating against our skin with it's warmth, It's interesting that even with sunlight in abundance, we humans tend to live and work by man made light.
Office buildings are lit up with it, signs and streetlights are lit up with it, we read by it, work by it and even use it to man-made light to -simulate the sun when we are indoors. Somehow, and for some reason we seem to prefer the light we make ourselves, though we desperately need sunshine.
(Man-made light... it’s technology. It helps us manage our own world and live our lives the way we want. )
Besides control and convenience, the man-made light we create has the potential to create man made revenue. Even more importantly it gives us the ability to see at nighttime, when all is dark. Light at night has the unique feature of allowing us creatures of the day to become creatures of the night.
Consider the spiritual world.
Like the natural world we live in, a spiritual world exists too and like the natural world, it needs to be lit up. Unfortunately, man-made spiritual doctrines can and often are used to replace the true light of God’s word. Like spiritual utility companies, man made doctrines are able to create revenue. They even are invented and controlled by men instead of God, to whom such control belongs. God's truth, his rule his reign, his promises fulfilled are light and life to those who find them.
Some forms of man-made doctrine can come pretty close to simulating the real thing, in fact, one would hardly know the difference unless of course one had learned to be dependent upon the natural sunshine instead of incandescent or florescent lighting. sometime these religions with their doctrines and rules seem bright, sometimes they are but little lights of low intensity, light a tiny night-light, and people think they see just fine. Little do they know, such shallow lighting only serve to make them look better than they really are.
God loves humans who have sinned, but sin itself is exactly what separates us from God. How can humanity be cleansed of sin when they think they are better than that really are? Truth is, when people reject Jesus, they remain in their sin, simply because they cannot see that which is obvious when it is in pure and holy light. God has already spoken his judgment, long ago in a garden called Eden, but he has given us His word... a promise and a savior.
John 12:46-48
" I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. "
1John 1:5-10
"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. "
Sins exposed to light will no longer be in the shadows. It can be dealt with properly. In Jesus, our sins can be forgiven and forgotten, covered in the love of God toward us that flowed the day the sinless Lamb of God took our place in death. Only in the light of God and by his grace, can we have victory over darkness and become his children... children of light.
In 1 Corinthians 13:12, Paul the apostle wrote, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
Yes, it's a spiritually dark world, now. We are in a sort of gray area... an area of grace. But one day, the true light of God will shine upon all, even into the deepest darkness and all sin will be exposed. This radiant glory will reveal all things, even sins people thought were unknown to anyone because they were never exposed to real penetrating light before.
Jesus was not just a source of spiritual light among the many lights from above. He is not just one god among a plethora of good and possible options to believe about God. Light from true light, Jesus is true God and light from true light, His word is a light, and a lamp unto our feet. (Psalm 119:105)
We are not designed to live in night light, nor light made by human hands. We are children of the day. Like flowers in God's garden of life, we are created to live in true spiritual light that comes from his own son.
A little tilling of hard soil,
a little seed of kindness,
a little seed of love,
God’s Love…
God’s promise… and something called truth…
a little living water...
a little heavenly light..
and the next thing you know...
Something is changing about you and the world you find yourself in…
Suddenly,
Like a little seed,
Like a sunflower…
you desire to live your life in the light, following
the Son.
Paradise
Paradise is an English word of Persian roots. It is usually identified with describing any place of complete bliss, delight and peace. Historically it particularly denotes the biblical Garden of Eden, the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, lived after they had been created by God until the Fall, or perhaps some imagined place of total tranquility, someplace besides the Earth, or even a new state of Earth without heavy labor, strife, war and death.
In the Book of Genesis, God shapes Adam from the dust of the Earth then causes Adam to go into a deep sleep and as he is sleeping He forms Eve from Adam's side. He then places them in this seemingly perfect garden, called Eden, where they then live. Unfortunately, Eve listened to the Serpent rather than God and her husband Adam, did too. Disobeying God's word to them, taking the bad advice of the serpent and eating the very fruit God told them not to eat, they were now destined to die.
Gen 3:17-19" And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. "
Disobeying God, judgment was pronounced for the serpent as well as Adam and Eve. Expelled from the paradise of Eden, they knew that they should have never listened to the serpent who beguiled them into eating the fruit God told them not to eat.
However, they were comforted that when God expelled them, he gave them a promise. God promised that one day there will be a seed produced of the woman, a redeemer, who would crush the head of the serpent.
Gen 3:14-15 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
By believing the promise of God, they would one day see redemption.
In Luke 23:43, Jesus told the thief on the cross who believed that he was God, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
In the Book of Genesis, God shapes Adam from the dust of the Earth then causes Adam to go into a deep sleep and as he is sleeping He forms Eve from Adam's side. He then places them in this seemingly perfect garden, called Eden, where they then live. Unfortunately, Eve listened to the Serpent rather than God and her husband Adam, did too. Disobeying God's word to them, taking the bad advice of the serpent and eating the very fruit God told them not to eat, they were now destined to die.
Gen 3:17-19" And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. "
Disobeying God, judgment was pronounced for the serpent as well as Adam and Eve. Expelled from the paradise of Eden, they knew that they should have never listened to the serpent who beguiled them into eating the fruit God told them not to eat.
However, they were comforted that when God expelled them, he gave them a promise. God promised that one day there will be a seed produced of the woman, a redeemer, who would crush the head of the serpent.
Gen 3:14-15 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
By believing the promise of God, they would one day see redemption.
In Luke 23:43, Jesus told the thief on the cross who believed that he was God, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
And Then, There's Technology
The English word technology comes from the Greek “technologia.’ It is a term that can be applied to material objects of use to humanity, such as machines or utensils, but it can also encompass the broader definition of organizational systems. It describes any human innovation that involves the generation of knowledge and to solve problems, particularly those problems that modify the natural environment in order to satisfy perceived human needs and wants.
When the average person think about technology, they often think of the most highly sophisticated tools. Machines of all sorts, and of course, computers are generally the first things that come to mind. But in the simplest form of the definition, “technology” would also include the simple tools, thing like levers, pulleys, hammers, and weapons too. Things like spears and even rocks, when used to satisfy a need or get what one wants, are forms of man’s “technology.”
School children are often taught that technology has gone through dramatic changes as mankind developed through the ages. Perhaps you remember learning that the Stone Age came first and then the Bronze Age and then the Iron Age? I do. But it has since come to my attention that this information is totally inaccurate. This is not the way it really happened. Not only that, the scientists and experts who write this stuff for our digestion, know it is not true. yet they teach it.
I wonder, "Why?" (You may be wondering that too.)
I think it's because once the pupil, usually a child, understands the concept of technological advancement through human history over the span of time like this, they will "better understand" another prominent teaching, this one about the origin of mankind. Understanding man's technological advancement, is counterpart to the idea that man gradually evolved over long periods of time from lower life forms in order to become who and what he is today. Both concepts are best understood on a time line.
Imagine a time line that starts back at the beginning of time and moves forward to today. At the beginning, would be the first of these “technological ages,” the Stone Age, which occurred sometime after man was no longer whatever he was before he evolved into ‘man,” (and woman.) Apparently man came down out of the trees and began working with stone and wood... and this without metals, for that age had not occurred yet.
Next on the timeline would be the Bronze Age. (During the Bronze Age tools and weapons began to appear in use and they were made of bronze. Then comes the Iron Age, which is the time when man not only discovered but also began to work with… (take a guess,) … you probably guessed it: iron.
Over the next few spans of time on the timeline, mankind enters into the Industrial Revolution, (with the invention of the cotton gin, and then the glorious Technological Age of the 20th century, followed by the Information or Computer/Space Age which we are in now.
Once you have clearly seen this progression, and how things have gotten better and better over time, and understood how man has been becoming more advanced and smarter, as he is working with more and more complex substances through the passage of time, you will better understand the basic principle of evolution.
It's simplistic, easy to understand, but it is not complete. In fact new discoveries have been made and this “three age system,” (Stone, Bronze, Iron) originally developed by Danish archaeologist Christian Thomsen, has had to be modified by giving subdivisions to the ages. For example the Stone age has been come two parts, The Old Stone (now called Paleolithic,) and New Stone (Neolithic) age. Most importantly, it's notable that within these “ages,” “technological developments” have appeared in different societies at vastly differing times, some with no relation at all to Thomsen's "ages.” Therefore, they are not accurate.
An example of this inaccuracy, would be the Maya people of South America. They were essentially still living in the Paleolithic “(old) Stone Age” when the exploring Spanish conquistadors of the 1400’s discovered them. Learned explorers of the day may have assumed these people were not very bright, they may have appeared technologically challenged, but those assumptions would be wrong as it is widely recognized that these same people had an incredible knowledge of mathematics. In fact, much of the Mayan culture, like the Egyptian past, remains an enigma to the “wise” scientists of today who cannot fit them into the three-age schema they were taught.
Another example not fitting into this technological age model presented in most textbooks would be the Japanese culture. The Japanese people mastered that art of fine pottery and glass long before they were developed in farming. This being the case, they too do not fit into Thompsen’s three system model of technological development either.
Anything that man has created that increases his ability to get what he needs or wants, by definition, is technology. It can refer to something like a hoe, that makes the world of tilling the soil a little easier or to weapons, like swords and spears. Since the beginning of time, men have used various forms of technology to get what they want, to gain dominance over other men.
No mater the weapon, be it rocks and stones, bows and arrows, or cannons that shoot balls of iron over land and sea, technology will be used by the most aggressive in order to secure for themselves the things they want. After all, he who creates the greatest tool, (be it rock or bomb, nuclear, chemical or biological warfare of the Atomic or Technological Age) rules and shapes the world.
Technology is power.
Technology, you might say, began long ago somewhere near the beginning of time, when a man, looked at a rock, considered it a weapon and used it to dominate another human being. Take Cain for example, of Cain and Able. Cain used technology ( a rock) to get what he wanted. He wanted to get rid of his brother and it worked. He killed him. He didn't use his bare hands. He used technology.
Mankind today, may seem much more “technologically sophisticated,” than Cain was We now have better more efficient ways of ensuring that we get what we want. There are swords, catapults, grenades. semi-automatic machine guns, and even laboratories that build nuclear bombs and biological weapons. Like Cain, people today can easily succumb to thinking that technology is the solution to anything that ails us, but like Cain we need to learn that the solution to our problems isn't technology, it's obeying God.
Technology has solved a lot of, what we humans consider to be, problems. It helps us do a lot of thing, but it's not the answer to everything in the world. Jesus is. After all, Jesus conquered death when he rose from the grave. Death and destruction are some of the heavier weighted problems humanity and all of creation faces... and yet the hand of God renews things day by day. Meanwhile we try to solve problems, particularly those problems that modify the natural environment in order to satisfy perceived human needs and wants with technology.
When the average person think about technology, they often think of the most highly sophisticated tools. Machines of all sorts, and of course, computers are generally the first things that come to mind. But in the simplest form of the definition, “technology” would also include the simple tools, thing like levers, pulleys, hammers, and weapons too. Things like spears and even rocks, when used to satisfy a need or get what one wants, are forms of man’s “technology.”
School children are often taught that technology has gone through dramatic changes as mankind developed through the ages. Perhaps you remember learning that the Stone Age came first and then the Bronze Age and then the Iron Age? I do. But it has since come to my attention that this information is totally inaccurate. This is not the way it really happened. Not only that, the scientists and experts who write this stuff for our digestion, know it is not true. yet they teach it.
I wonder, "Why?" (You may be wondering that too.)
I think it's because once the pupil, usually a child, understands the concept of technological advancement through human history over the span of time like this, they will "better understand" another prominent teaching, this one about the origin of mankind. Understanding man's technological advancement, is counterpart to the idea that man gradually evolved over long periods of time from lower life forms in order to become who and what he is today. Both concepts are best understood on a time line.
Imagine a time line that starts back at the beginning of time and moves forward to today. At the beginning, would be the first of these “technological ages,” the Stone Age, which occurred sometime after man was no longer whatever he was before he evolved into ‘man,” (and woman.) Apparently man came down out of the trees and began working with stone and wood... and this without metals, for that age had not occurred yet.
Next on the timeline would be the Bronze Age. (During the Bronze Age tools and weapons began to appear in use and they were made of bronze. Then comes the Iron Age, which is the time when man not only discovered but also began to work with… (take a guess,) … you probably guessed it: iron.
Over the next few spans of time on the timeline, mankind enters into the Industrial Revolution, (with the invention of the cotton gin, and then the glorious Technological Age of the 20th century, followed by the Information or Computer/Space Age which we are in now.
Once you have clearly seen this progression, and how things have gotten better and better over time, and understood how man has been becoming more advanced and smarter, as he is working with more and more complex substances through the passage of time, you will better understand the basic principle of evolution.
It's simplistic, easy to understand, but it is not complete. In fact new discoveries have been made and this “three age system,” (Stone, Bronze, Iron) originally developed by Danish archaeologist Christian Thomsen, has had to be modified by giving subdivisions to the ages. For example the Stone age has been come two parts, The Old Stone (now called Paleolithic,) and New Stone (Neolithic) age. Most importantly, it's notable that within these “ages,” “technological developments” have appeared in different societies at vastly differing times, some with no relation at all to Thomsen's "ages.” Therefore, they are not accurate.
An example of this inaccuracy, would be the Maya people of South America. They were essentially still living in the Paleolithic “(old) Stone Age” when the exploring Spanish conquistadors of the 1400’s discovered them. Learned explorers of the day may have assumed these people were not very bright, they may have appeared technologically challenged, but those assumptions would be wrong as it is widely recognized that these same people had an incredible knowledge of mathematics. In fact, much of the Mayan culture, like the Egyptian past, remains an enigma to the “wise” scientists of today who cannot fit them into the three-age schema they were taught.
Another example not fitting into this technological age model presented in most textbooks would be the Japanese culture. The Japanese people mastered that art of fine pottery and glass long before they were developed in farming. This being the case, they too do not fit into Thompsen’s three system model of technological development either.
Anything that man has created that increases his ability to get what he needs or wants, by definition, is technology. It can refer to something like a hoe, that makes the world of tilling the soil a little easier or to weapons, like swords and spears. Since the beginning of time, men have used various forms of technology to get what they want, to gain dominance over other men.
No mater the weapon, be it rocks and stones, bows and arrows, or cannons that shoot balls of iron over land and sea, technology will be used by the most aggressive in order to secure for themselves the things they want. After all, he who creates the greatest tool, (be it rock or bomb, nuclear, chemical or biological warfare of the Atomic or Technological Age) rules and shapes the world.
Technology is power.
Technology, you might say, began long ago somewhere near the beginning of time, when a man, looked at a rock, considered it a weapon and used it to dominate another human being. Take Cain for example, of Cain and Able. Cain used technology ( a rock) to get what he wanted. He wanted to get rid of his brother and it worked. He killed him. He didn't use his bare hands. He used technology.
Mankind today, may seem much more “technologically sophisticated,” than Cain was We now have better more efficient ways of ensuring that we get what we want. There are swords, catapults, grenades. semi-automatic machine guns, and even laboratories that build nuclear bombs and biological weapons. Like Cain, people today can easily succumb to thinking that technology is the solution to anything that ails us, but like Cain we need to learn that the solution to our problems isn't technology, it's obeying God.
Technology has solved a lot of, what we humans consider to be, problems. It helps us do a lot of thing, but it's not the answer to everything in the world. Jesus is. After all, Jesus conquered death when he rose from the grave. Death and destruction are some of the heavier weighted problems humanity and all of creation faces... and yet the hand of God renews things day by day. Meanwhile we try to solve problems, particularly those problems that modify the natural environment in order to satisfy perceived human needs and wants with technology.
Bond... James Bond
James Bond is an adventurous, sensual, crime-fighting spy hero and commander in the British Secret Service. well, not actually, it's only in someone's imagination, well, not actually only in the imagination of his creator, but also in the imaginations of millions of people. James Bond is not a real person, but rather a fictional character created by British author Ian Fleming in 1952.
Agent “Double-O-Seven,” as he is called, introduces himself to his contemporaries as "Bond… James Bond,” and he has intrigued audiences for decades. He has been "seen" in over 20 feature films, a television series and of course his well-known syndicated cartoon where he made his first public debut. He's known for his cutting-edge technological equipment, thrilling suspense-filled spy adventures, exotic romances, and high-tech vehicle chases which all have, no doubt, captured the imagination of the public.
But more than an imaginary figure, Bond is a moneymaking machine. People not only devour every word of the comics, and flock to the films, but they enthusiastically spend their paychecks purchasing all kinds of James Bond paraphernalia. There are video games, toys, and gadgets, posters and DVDs to further fuel the imagination of kids and adults alike.
People are fascinated with danger, but obviously they prefer to do so vicariously rather than in real life. They would rather live out their fantasies through someone like Bond. Bond, of course, can do things they themselves would never “really” do, and besides they know he's ficticious. Through Bond, they get all the thrill with none of the kill, at least not for real.
That’s the magic of the media. It's like a whole different world of emotion and action, one you can attain without ever really being real. Even when it's real people, they are only acting, and that under the direction of movie creators, or shall we say, illusionists who make believe and help their audiences believe that what they see on the big screen is real, or at least, indicative of the way life could be. You might say, imagined.
Whether, film or digital, or simply the power of suggestion via the scribbling of a pen, people love to be transported to another world, or another place in time, even another life. And the saucy world of James Bond is no exception. At the movies, in their imaginations, you can be sure that they virtually experience scenes and moments they will not soon forget.
Most Bond films are rated PG-13, which means that they are considered fairly tame bu most standards. They are not intended for little kids due to the intense sequences of violent action, torture scenes, bad language, sexuality and nudity that we are warned of on the label, but anyone thirteen and over can fill their imagination with all this for the mere price of a movie ticket or DVD.
Agent “Double-O-Seven,” as he is called, introduces himself to his contemporaries as "Bond… James Bond,” and he has intrigued audiences for decades. He has been "seen" in over 20 feature films, a television series and of course his well-known syndicated cartoon where he made his first public debut. He's known for his cutting-edge technological equipment, thrilling suspense-filled spy adventures, exotic romances, and high-tech vehicle chases which all have, no doubt, captured the imagination of the public.
But more than an imaginary figure, Bond is a moneymaking machine. People not only devour every word of the comics, and flock to the films, but they enthusiastically spend their paychecks purchasing all kinds of James Bond paraphernalia. There are video games, toys, and gadgets, posters and DVDs to further fuel the imagination of kids and adults alike.
People are fascinated with danger, but obviously they prefer to do so vicariously rather than in real life. They would rather live out their fantasies through someone like Bond. Bond, of course, can do things they themselves would never “really” do, and besides they know he's ficticious. Through Bond, they get all the thrill with none of the kill, at least not for real.
That’s the magic of the media. It's like a whole different world of emotion and action, one you can attain without ever really being real. Even when it's real people, they are only acting, and that under the direction of movie creators, or shall we say, illusionists who make believe and help their audiences believe that what they see on the big screen is real, or at least, indicative of the way life could be. You might say, imagined.
Whether, film or digital, or simply the power of suggestion via the scribbling of a pen, people love to be transported to another world, or another place in time, even another life. And the saucy world of James Bond is no exception. At the movies, in their imaginations, you can be sure that they virtually experience scenes and moments they will not soon forget.
Most Bond films are rated PG-13, which means that they are considered fairly tame bu most standards. They are not intended for little kids due to the intense sequences of violent action, torture scenes, bad language, sexuality and nudity that we are warned of on the label, but anyone thirteen and over can fill their imagination with all this for the mere price of a movie ticket or DVD.
Rocket Man
One thing man has imagined is the possibility of soaring through the air like a bird or bumble bee and in his mind he has even created a wearable device called a jetpack that uses rocket power to propel the wearer through the air. Comic strips and movies such as Buck Rogers in the 1920’s, and King of the Rocket Men in 1949 first popularized the concept, but it has been the more recent box office legends like Star Wars, (1977) and the The Rocketeer, (1991) that have truly ignited human imaginations with the idea.
The desire to break away from gravity and the limitations of man’s earth-bound nature is nothing new. Historical records show that Leonardo DaVinci who lived from 1452-1519 dreamed of flying and he drew many concepts of flying machines even conceptualizing a device resembling a modern jetpack device. For men like DaVinci, flying with a backpack rocket remained nothing more than a dream, but if DaVinci would have lived in the 1900’s he may have seen his dream come true.
In June 1960, a man named Wendell Moore filed a patent on a real jetpack device, known as the Bell Rocket Belt. The original test pilots to take to the sky with this wearable rocket were Bill Suiter and Gordon Yeager. They flew Moore’s device in movies and in aeronautical exhibitions around the world, most notably the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Las Angeles CA, USA. Bill launched at one end of the stadium, flew through the air and landed in the center of the field for over a billion spectators that day. Moore’s device was impressive and it was American made, but it was not the first. Before the Bell Rocket there was a jet pack developed in Germany during WWII, a device they called the Skystormer.
The Skystormer was developed with the intention of troops being able to cross the waterways when bridges were unavailable, or to cross potential minefields safely without having to cross on foot. But like Moore’s Bell Rocket Belt, the Skystormer had a lack of maneuverability and like the belt, it used hydrogen peroxide, an expensive fuel. Safety issues and expense of operation have constrained its practicality and use, but this has not stopped other inventors from test piloting “experimental” jetpacks. In 1980, the United States space program tested something called the Manned Maneuvering Unit, which has since been used in many NASA space missions.
So, you see, safety issues, as well as cost that has kept such devices from being marketed to the general public and they are expensive. One jetpack was offered in 2008 at a cost of $250,000.00 with a promise to keep its wearer aloft for 30 seconds. A less expensive jetpack was offered however, for only $155,000.00.
At the price of a museum painting, Leonardo DaVinci would be amazed.
The desire to break away from gravity and the limitations of man’s earth-bound nature is nothing new. Historical records show that Leonardo DaVinci who lived from 1452-1519 dreamed of flying and he drew many concepts of flying machines even conceptualizing a device resembling a modern jetpack device. For men like DaVinci, flying with a backpack rocket remained nothing more than a dream, but if DaVinci would have lived in the 1900’s he may have seen his dream come true.
In June 1960, a man named Wendell Moore filed a patent on a real jetpack device, known as the Bell Rocket Belt. The original test pilots to take to the sky with this wearable rocket were Bill Suiter and Gordon Yeager. They flew Moore’s device in movies and in aeronautical exhibitions around the world, most notably the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Las Angeles CA, USA. Bill launched at one end of the stadium, flew through the air and landed in the center of the field for over a billion spectators that day. Moore’s device was impressive and it was American made, but it was not the first. Before the Bell Rocket there was a jet pack developed in Germany during WWII, a device they called the Skystormer.
The Skystormer was developed with the intention of troops being able to cross the waterways when bridges were unavailable, or to cross potential minefields safely without having to cross on foot. But like Moore’s Bell Rocket Belt, the Skystormer had a lack of maneuverability and like the belt, it used hydrogen peroxide, an expensive fuel. Safety issues and expense of operation have constrained its practicality and use, but this has not stopped other inventors from test piloting “experimental” jetpacks. In 1980, the United States space program tested something called the Manned Maneuvering Unit, which has since been used in many NASA space missions.
So, you see, safety issues, as well as cost that has kept such devices from being marketed to the general public and they are expensive. One jetpack was offered in 2008 at a cost of $250,000.00 with a promise to keep its wearer aloft for 30 seconds. A less expensive jetpack was offered however, for only $155,000.00.
At the price of a museum painting, Leonardo DaVinci would be amazed.
The Beatles
The Beatles, John, Paul, George and Ringo, with their rock and roll music had a lasting impact on the world, one that is evident even though the four are no longer a band and some are dead. They were so spiritually oriented in their presentations, so influencial over youth and popular in the world that John Lennon announced to the world in 1966, that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus." It was evident not only to John, but to the world that behind the messages of the music was a spiritual force that was almost becoming a religion.
This post is not so much about the Beatles as it is their spiritual legacy in the world. It's about Jesus the savior and about John, Gensis and Peter. It' s about John, John Lennon; it's about Genesis, not the book, but the band; and itt's about Peter, that is, not the apostle Peter, not St. Peter standing at the gates of heaven, but Peter Gabriel, and it's about the 2006 Winter Olympics.
The opening ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics which featured a song by John Lennon was a spectacular production. you can view it at several youtube sites. Called "Sparks of Passion" it began with a voice telling the audience: PASSION LIVES HERE.
It was quite a show!
I found the passion of it all interesting right away, since it seemed to me that there had recently been a lot of books and movies about "passion" (and purpose, and having passion for your purpose) marketed en mass to consumers in America around the same time. Even a drive past one of the local universities, a Jesuit University called Gonzaga, has flags along the road that read, "find your passion." It's a common and familiar theme, in other words. This too is interesting...
Passion, besides meaning "intense emotion, or enthusiasm," refers often to the suffering of Jesus upon the cross when he was crucified, (particularly in catholic circles.) The word comes from a Latin root word that means "to suffer" or to endure."
With the Olympic stage set for "passion" the opening ceremony began.
A large silver anvil with two horns, one on either side stood before the crowd, as did a masked muscular man dressed in red. The anvil was hit with an enormous hammer held by the man. As it was hit flames poured out of it into the air. Then the anvil changed colors from silver to gold.
The man with the hammer was referred to as "Lord of the Rings" by the commentators because as an Italian gymnast, he was a gold medalist, (you know, the men perform on the "rings"...) and then he was further described by the commentators as wearing the costume of a "metropolitan shaman." A "shaman," they continued, " is a member of a tribal society who acts as a medium between the visible world and the invisible world."
There were obvious religious and spiritual overtones here... of many flavors non-the-less.
The anvil was then described as representing "the industrial past," in particular, of the local area. Then as a gong sounded, the golden box with horns was hit again and again with the maul-like hammer. Flames flew upwards each time it was hit, and hordes of dancers dressed in red moved from behind the stage to dance across the floor. In their dances they danced and moved like flames themselves to the sound of gong and drum.
From the built in circles on the floor, choreographed flames of fire rose up over 3 meters high and then ice skaters joined the dancers in entertaining the crowd with their fire dance. It was after all the Winter Olympics, and it was a stage of ice.
In minutes the stage of ice became a pounding, swirling mass of movement and fire until the announcers told us that the dancers, in their red costumes, represented blood. The blood red dancers then formed a heart shaped figure at the center of the stage by gathering together and by moving in unison as the drums played, they simulated the beating of a heart.
The pounding of the drums became a heartbeat, then the heart (dancers) dispersed. They were then replaced on the stage by six fast skaters with flame throwing devices on their heads. These circled the stage until dancing trees and cow statues on wheels appeared and the stage was full of people dancing. You can imagine the spectacle of it all as anthems were playing, skaters carried flags, and skaters dressed like cow, trees and snowflakes. There were 50 snowflake skaters each with a huge 3-foot diameter balloon upon their head and all skated around until at last, they all dispersed. Then, like magic, the floor of the arena became a television screen and we were watching a downhill skier.
But it was really only an animated skier, animated by the collective bodies of hundreds of people that took to the stadium floor. Each was dressed so as to make up a pixel of the colorful choreographic presentation of the skier. The giant animated skier made from human bodies did a downhill run, and even appeared to soar through air as if going off a jump, and landed gracefully upon his skies to the uncontrolled cheers of the crowd.
Then the Flame throwing skaters returned to the scene and another elaborate "Spiderman" like presentation took to the floor. Bodies climbed up the poles that displayed the Olympic rings and then they were unveiled and illuminated as fireworks exploded in the sky. Then it was the Parade of Nations where the teams from every country were announced and celebrated.
Italian officials gave their blessings and their welcome to the crowd, and then the Olympic Flag was flown. Next, about two dozen acrobats took the stage, suspended by ropes or wires they climbed into the air on nearly invisible vertical wires above the stage and there they performed choreographed acrobatics to music. In finale they joined bodies together to made the shape of a dove, the universally recognized symbol of peace, on the highly suspended net. The audience broke into cheers, and then Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s wife, stood on stage.
From the stage she read a free verse poem from a prepared script calling for peace in the world. He performance concluded with her shouting to the entire Olympics watching world, “Imagine Peace.”
(It's a nice sentiment, but really, one must do more than simply IMAGINE it. One must live it.)
Anyhow, ... then the event announcer commented that she was “Yoko Ono, spreading the word.”
(Spreading the word?)
Again, take note that "Peter," was a prominent apostle, and "Gabriel" is the name of an angel, specifically the angel who announced the birth of Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the savior of the world. And Yoko Ono is here, we are told, "spreading the word." The message is not about salvation. It's not even about how to have peace with God and one another through the Word made flesh, Jesus. It's really about blatantly dismissing the very foundational truths of the worlds salvation. Masking themselves as spiritual by their names, it's a new religion they sing about, one void of heaven hell, sin, death, bible or Jesus Christ who died for you and me.
Who would have even imagined?
No doubt, like the rest of the Olympic opening ceremony it was a heavenly sight and sound as lights flashed around the room like the stars of heaven and all the people sang along. It was remarkable to say the least to see people of every tongue and tribe and nation on earth lifting up their voices with Peter Gabriel and sang about how they much preferred a world without religion, without the promise of a place called heaven, a world where everyone just lived for today, and dispense with the concept of hell. It would appear that the entire world seemed enamored with Lennon's dream.
As the song goes, he is "not the only one."
However, such a world is imaginary. Worse than that it circumvents the truth of God. As a Christian I can say that one day God will make all things new and there will be peace forever, but without God... it's a whole different story. Jesus is a real hope for a problem world, and he is the one who promises to give us peace, not only hear on hearth and with one another, but with God. Instead the world imagines God away, or imagine that they can. The ironic thing is it that they did it with Peter Gabriel of the band Genesis and this because John himself couldn't be there.
John Lennon didn’t get to be the one to sing his song for the world. He didn’t even get see his song performed. He was not there to thank his wife for her support, nor to see North and South Korea lay aside their stark political differences for the sake of participation as one country in the 2006 Olympic games. John Lennon was not there, because he had long been dead. The world was forced to celebrate without him because his life tragically had ended one day in December 1980, when a man by the name of Mark Chapman, a supposed fan of John Lennon and his music, walked up to him on a busy New York City street and shot him with a gun.
The day John Lennon died, was a sad day that will be long remembered in human history. One minute, a vibrant, wonderfully creative man, was full of life, and the next he was gone; his life, poured out all at once, in what seemed but the blinking of an eye. With one act of violence, the man John Lennon was gone from Earth, void of life, dead...tragically lost in the meaningless madness of destruction and death that exists in the world, a madness that seems to never be satisfied.
There are a lot of speculative ideas about why Chapman shot and killed John Lennon., but no one really knows. Whatever the excuse, whatever the rational, whatever reason or suspicion you might imagine this act of violence might be, or not be, the facts remain; it was premeditated murder. Chapman did it. He not only admitted that he did it, but there were witnesses. One minute John was walking down a New York City street, a loving, funny, energetic and imaginative human being and the next, his life was snuffed out without any warning. His life came to an end when Mr. Chapman willingly pointed and fired the gun he held in his hand. Why did he do this?
Millions of people wonder.......
When Chapman was asked why he would do such a thing, (being a supposed “great fan” of John Lennon and all,) Chapman said it was because he “wanted to make a name for himself.”
That is exactly what happened. Chapman was instantly famous when the news hit the press that he shot John Lennon in front of his New York apartment.
Chapman was arrested and tried for his crime. The reports say that four out of five bullets fired from Chapman’s gun at close range hit John Lennon. Chapman was only sentenced ‘20 years to life.”
It's been over twenty years now, and would you believe, Chapman says he’s sorry and ashamed for what he did. He insists that he has gained a deeper understanding of the value of human life over all his prison years. He's sorry, but where will he find forgiveness? After all, the deed has been done, there is no turning back the hands of time. Nothing that any man can do will raise the man, John Lennon, back to life. Just what do you do with that?
What exactly does it take to actually forgive the evil that has been done? Twenty years??? Who will have compassion on this very guilty man? Why? Why would they? Should they? And, what about justice?
Justice we understand.
It's mercy, forgiveness, and compassion that we struggle with.
_________________
Jesus Christ was a man like John.
Like John Lennon, Jesus Christ bled and died at the hands of those who wanted to make a name for themselves. Jesus however was also God.
Jesus had a lot Chapman's who wanted to rid the world around them of anything or anyone who is greater than they perceived themselves to be. Even today, there are a lot of people who would prefer to simply IMAGINE God away. But Jesus laid his life down, freely, and he will probably let them Imagine what they will, for God is not a tyrant. Jesus, unlike John Lennon, did not simply die and his life was over. He not only gave his life freely, but he took it up again. Jesus was able to raise his life again from the grave.
You can't keep a good man down.
Jesus was in every way a man like John Lennon was, but as evidenced by his healing of people, miracles and even raising Lazarus from the grave, and his own subsequent resurrection he was obviously in complete control. He was also in complete sinlessness and complete subjection to the father all along. Jesus’ life was real, just like John Lennon's, the pain and suffering was real, the forgiveness was real and so was the resurrection. But Jesus was the Messiah, God himself, and the one who was and is, and is to come. Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God, the Lord of heaven.
It is God, our creator who gave us life in the beginning. It is God who established order and purpose in the universe. It is God who given us minds with which to grasp some meaning in this life we live upon the orb called earth. It is God who has given us our imagination wherein we have the freedom to think and dream and do anything we want to. God gives us everything we are and everything we have, hoping all the while we will respond to him, repent of sin and subject our will to his as he holds out His Word and His promises.
I kinda think that is what imagination is for... for understanding God, who is far above our understanding.
Genesis 6:5 "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. " (KJV)
Deut. 29:19- 20 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. (KJV)
Jeremiah 7:23-24 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. (KJV)
Jeremiah 23:16-17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. (KJV)
Let God into your heart. All you have to do is let him in. Let thoughts of him, his words, his ways, his promises fill your mind, touch your life, be your reality and your imagination. Love Him with your heart mind and soul. Love your neighbor, and do not simply "imagine peace," but make peace, with God. The result is a peace that no one can take away, a peace that passes understanding.
There is only one way... (John 14:6) It's not something you would even think up on your own, in fact it's something greater than you'd probably ever even imagine; Jesus.
--------------------
God is love.
He is full of compassion and mercy.
He even sent his only Son into the world knowing that the evil lurking in humanity’s heart would shoot an innocent man to death on the streets of New York city, and even nail a sinless man named Jesus to a wooden cross that had been fashioned from a tree.
But thank God, His mercy triumphs over his justice. In fact, he bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. (1 Peter 2:24; KJV) "
But it is the power of God that fulfills His Word and saves sinners who will repent. We can imagine that God is but a myth, we can deny the existence of heaven and of hell, even dismiss such absurdities as virgin birth, and resurrection from the dead, but these things are true. Our denial is only our imagination hard at work. These truths stand the test of time, and like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden, only attacked with the intent to destroy, but they are not myths. They are real.
From the beginning to the end, God knows it all, but in the evil imaginations of our human heart we dare to reject God and all his wisdom. Instead of God we believe in myths... and imagine that there is no heaven or hell, when hell is real and it's what Jesus died to save us from. We go about our lives living only for today, believing there is nothing to live or die for, but knowing it's not true. Until we find ourselves seeking to find purpose and meaning in our lives, often without the one who gave us life in the beginning... after all, "It's easy if you try."
but the Apostle Paul did pray...
Eph 3:17 -21 "that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. Yes, may you come to know his love---although it can never be fully known---and so be completely filled with the very nature of God. To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen. "
We do not have to imagine what he must be like, because he had told us. He has showed us. (Micah 6:8) We do have to submit our will to his and believe him at his word. He is a just and merciful God, a God who loves us, showers us with mercy and grace and forgives all our sin in Christ. If the truth be made known, God is more, much more, than anything we could ever imagine or ask for (Ephesians 3: 20; NIV)... God is more than we can ever imagine, a reality we can believe in.
“Blessed are they that put their trust in Him.” (Psalm 2)
This post is not so much about the Beatles as it is their spiritual legacy in the world. It's about Jesus the savior and about John, Gensis and Peter. It' s about John, John Lennon; it's about Genesis, not the book, but the band; and itt's about Peter, that is, not the apostle Peter, not St. Peter standing at the gates of heaven, but Peter Gabriel, and it's about the 2006 Winter Olympics.
The opening ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics which featured a song by John Lennon was a spectacular production. you can view it at several youtube sites. Called "Sparks of Passion" it began with a voice telling the audience: PASSION LIVES HERE.
It was quite a show!
I found the passion of it all interesting right away, since it seemed to me that there had recently been a lot of books and movies about "passion" (and purpose, and having passion for your purpose) marketed en mass to consumers in America around the same time. Even a drive past one of the local universities, a Jesuit University called Gonzaga, has flags along the road that read, "find your passion." It's a common and familiar theme, in other words. This too is interesting...
Passion, besides meaning "intense emotion, or enthusiasm," refers often to the suffering of Jesus upon the cross when he was crucified, (particularly in catholic circles.) The word comes from a Latin root word that means "to suffer" or to endure."
With the Olympic stage set for "passion" the opening ceremony began.
A large silver anvil with two horns, one on either side stood before the crowd, as did a masked muscular man dressed in red. The anvil was hit with an enormous hammer held by the man. As it was hit flames poured out of it into the air. Then the anvil changed colors from silver to gold.
The man with the hammer was referred to as "Lord of the Rings" by the commentators because as an Italian gymnast, he was a gold medalist, (you know, the men perform on the "rings"...) and then he was further described by the commentators as wearing the costume of a "metropolitan shaman." A "shaman," they continued, " is a member of a tribal society who acts as a medium between the visible world and the invisible world."
There were obvious religious and spiritual overtones here... of many flavors non-the-less.
The anvil was then described as representing "the industrial past," in particular, of the local area. Then as a gong sounded, the golden box with horns was hit again and again with the maul-like hammer. Flames flew upwards each time it was hit, and hordes of dancers dressed in red moved from behind the stage to dance across the floor. In their dances they danced and moved like flames themselves to the sound of gong and drum.
From the built in circles on the floor, choreographed flames of fire rose up over 3 meters high and then ice skaters joined the dancers in entertaining the crowd with their fire dance. It was after all the Winter Olympics, and it was a stage of ice.
In minutes the stage of ice became a pounding, swirling mass of movement and fire until the announcers told us that the dancers, in their red costumes, represented blood. The blood red dancers then formed a heart shaped figure at the center of the stage by gathering together and by moving in unison as the drums played, they simulated the beating of a heart.
The pounding of the drums became a heartbeat, then the heart (dancers) dispersed. They were then replaced on the stage by six fast skaters with flame throwing devices on their heads. These circled the stage until dancing trees and cow statues on wheels appeared and the stage was full of people dancing. You can imagine the spectacle of it all as anthems were playing, skaters carried flags, and skaters dressed like cow, trees and snowflakes. There were 50 snowflake skaters each with a huge 3-foot diameter balloon upon their head and all skated around until at last, they all dispersed. Then, like magic, the floor of the arena became a television screen and we were watching a downhill skier.
But it was really only an animated skier, animated by the collective bodies of hundreds of people that took to the stadium floor. Each was dressed so as to make up a pixel of the colorful choreographic presentation of the skier. The giant animated skier made from human bodies did a downhill run, and even appeared to soar through air as if going off a jump, and landed gracefully upon his skies to the uncontrolled cheers of the crowd.
Then the Flame throwing skaters returned to the scene and another elaborate "Spiderman" like presentation took to the floor. Bodies climbed up the poles that displayed the Olympic rings and then they were unveiled and illuminated as fireworks exploded in the sky. Then it was the Parade of Nations where the teams from every country were announced and celebrated.
Italian officials gave their blessings and their welcome to the crowd, and then the Olympic Flag was flown. Next, about two dozen acrobats took the stage, suspended by ropes or wires they climbed into the air on nearly invisible vertical wires above the stage and there they performed choreographed acrobatics to music. In finale they joined bodies together to made the shape of a dove, the universally recognized symbol of peace, on the highly suspended net. The audience broke into cheers, and then Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s wife, stood on stage.
From the stage she read a free verse poem from a prepared script calling for peace in the world. He performance concluded with her shouting to the entire Olympics watching world, “Imagine Peace.”
(It's a nice sentiment, but really, one must do more than simply IMAGINE it. One must live it.)
Anyhow, ... then the event announcer commented that she was “Yoko Ono, spreading the word.”
(Spreading the word?)
Again, take note that "Peter," was a prominent apostle, and "Gabriel" is the name of an angel, specifically the angel who announced the birth of Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the savior of the world. And Yoko Ono is here, we are told, "spreading the word." The message is not about salvation. It's not even about how to have peace with God and one another through the Word made flesh, Jesus. It's really about blatantly dismissing the very foundational truths of the worlds salvation. Masking themselves as spiritual by their names, it's a new religion they sing about, one void of heaven hell, sin, death, bible or Jesus Christ who died for you and me.
Who would have even imagined?
No doubt, like the rest of the Olympic opening ceremony it was a heavenly sight and sound as lights flashed around the room like the stars of heaven and all the people sang along. It was remarkable to say the least to see people of every tongue and tribe and nation on earth lifting up their voices with Peter Gabriel and sang about how they much preferred a world without religion, without the promise of a place called heaven, a world where everyone just lived for today, and dispense with the concept of hell. It would appear that the entire world seemed enamored with Lennon's dream.
As the song goes, he is "not the only one."
However, such a world is imaginary. Worse than that it circumvents the truth of God. As a Christian I can say that one day God will make all things new and there will be peace forever, but without God... it's a whole different story. Jesus is a real hope for a problem world, and he is the one who promises to give us peace, not only hear on hearth and with one another, but with God. Instead the world imagines God away, or imagine that they can. The ironic thing is it that they did it with Peter Gabriel of the band Genesis and this because John himself couldn't be there.
John Lennon didn’t get to be the one to sing his song for the world. He didn’t even get see his song performed. He was not there to thank his wife for her support, nor to see North and South Korea lay aside their stark political differences for the sake of participation as one country in the 2006 Olympic games. John Lennon was not there, because he had long been dead. The world was forced to celebrate without him because his life tragically had ended one day in December 1980, when a man by the name of Mark Chapman, a supposed fan of John Lennon and his music, walked up to him on a busy New York City street and shot him with a gun.
The day John Lennon died, was a sad day that will be long remembered in human history. One minute, a vibrant, wonderfully creative man, was full of life, and the next he was gone; his life, poured out all at once, in what seemed but the blinking of an eye. With one act of violence, the man John Lennon was gone from Earth, void of life, dead...tragically lost in the meaningless madness of destruction and death that exists in the world, a madness that seems to never be satisfied.
There are a lot of speculative ideas about why Chapman shot and killed John Lennon., but no one really knows. Whatever the excuse, whatever the rational, whatever reason or suspicion you might imagine this act of violence might be, or not be, the facts remain; it was premeditated murder. Chapman did it. He not only admitted that he did it, but there were witnesses. One minute John was walking down a New York City street, a loving, funny, energetic and imaginative human being and the next, his life was snuffed out without any warning. His life came to an end when Mr. Chapman willingly pointed and fired the gun he held in his hand. Why did he do this?
Millions of people wonder.......
When Chapman was asked why he would do such a thing, (being a supposed “great fan” of John Lennon and all,) Chapman said it was because he “wanted to make a name for himself.”
That is exactly what happened. Chapman was instantly famous when the news hit the press that he shot John Lennon in front of his New York apartment.
Chapman was arrested and tried for his crime. The reports say that four out of five bullets fired from Chapman’s gun at close range hit John Lennon. Chapman was only sentenced ‘20 years to life.”
It's been over twenty years now, and would you believe, Chapman says he’s sorry and ashamed for what he did. He insists that he has gained a deeper understanding of the value of human life over all his prison years. He's sorry, but where will he find forgiveness? After all, the deed has been done, there is no turning back the hands of time. Nothing that any man can do will raise the man, John Lennon, back to life. Just what do you do with that?
What exactly does it take to actually forgive the evil that has been done? Twenty years??? Who will have compassion on this very guilty man? Why? Why would they? Should they? And, what about justice?
Justice we understand.
It's mercy, forgiveness, and compassion that we struggle with.
_________________
Jesus Christ was a man like John.
Like John Lennon, Jesus Christ bled and died at the hands of those who wanted to make a name for themselves. Jesus however was also God.
Jesus had a lot Chapman's who wanted to rid the world around them of anything or anyone who is greater than they perceived themselves to be. Even today, there are a lot of people who would prefer to simply IMAGINE God away. But Jesus laid his life down, freely, and he will probably let them Imagine what they will, for God is not a tyrant. Jesus, unlike John Lennon, did not simply die and his life was over. He not only gave his life freely, but he took it up again. Jesus was able to raise his life again from the grave.
You can't keep a good man down.
Jesus was in every way a man like John Lennon was, but as evidenced by his healing of people, miracles and even raising Lazarus from the grave, and his own subsequent resurrection he was obviously in complete control. He was also in complete sinlessness and complete subjection to the father all along. Jesus’ life was real, just like John Lennon's, the pain and suffering was real, the forgiveness was real and so was the resurrection. But Jesus was the Messiah, God himself, and the one who was and is, and is to come. Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God, the Lord of heaven.
It is God, our creator who gave us life in the beginning. It is God who established order and purpose in the universe. It is God who given us minds with which to grasp some meaning in this life we live upon the orb called earth. It is God who has given us our imagination wherein we have the freedom to think and dream and do anything we want to. God gives us everything we are and everything we have, hoping all the while we will respond to him, repent of sin and subject our will to his as he holds out His Word and His promises.
I kinda think that is what imagination is for... for understanding God, who is far above our understanding.
Genesis 6:5 "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. " (KJV)
Deut. 29:19- 20 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. (KJV)
Jeremiah 7:23-24 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. (KJV)
Jeremiah 23:16-17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. (KJV)
Let God into your heart. All you have to do is let him in. Let thoughts of him, his words, his ways, his promises fill your mind, touch your life, be your reality and your imagination. Love Him with your heart mind and soul. Love your neighbor, and do not simply "imagine peace," but make peace, with God. The result is a peace that no one can take away, a peace that passes understanding.
There is only one way... (John 14:6) It's not something you would even think up on your own, in fact it's something greater than you'd probably ever even imagine; Jesus.
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God is love.
He is full of compassion and mercy.
He even sent his only Son into the world knowing that the evil lurking in humanity’s heart would shoot an innocent man to death on the streets of New York city, and even nail a sinless man named Jesus to a wooden cross that had been fashioned from a tree.
But thank God, His mercy triumphs over his justice. In fact, he bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. (1 Peter 2:24; KJV) "
But it is the power of God that fulfills His Word and saves sinners who will repent. We can imagine that God is but a myth, we can deny the existence of heaven and of hell, even dismiss such absurdities as virgin birth, and resurrection from the dead, but these things are true. Our denial is only our imagination hard at work. These truths stand the test of time, and like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden, only attacked with the intent to destroy, but they are not myths. They are real.
From the beginning to the end, God knows it all, but in the evil imaginations of our human heart we dare to reject God and all his wisdom. Instead of God we believe in myths... and imagine that there is no heaven or hell, when hell is real and it's what Jesus died to save us from. We go about our lives living only for today, believing there is nothing to live or die for, but knowing it's not true. Until we find ourselves seeking to find purpose and meaning in our lives, often without the one who gave us life in the beginning... after all, "It's easy if you try."
but the Apostle Paul did pray...
Eph 3:17 -21 "that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. Yes, may you come to know his love---although it can never be fully known---and so be completely filled with the very nature of God. To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen. "
We do not have to imagine what he must be like, because he had told us. He has showed us. (Micah 6:8) We do have to submit our will to his and believe him at his word. He is a just and merciful God, a God who loves us, showers us with mercy and grace and forgives all our sin in Christ. If the truth be made known, God is more, much more, than anything we could ever imagine or ask for (Ephesians 3: 20; NIV)... God is more than we can ever imagine, a reality we can believe in.
“Blessed are they that put their trust in Him.” (Psalm 2)
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