To Flow By Alongside

παραρυῶμεν

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Hebrews 2:1

The New American Standard Bible translates it as “so that we do not drift away from it.”

The American Standard version: “lest haply we drift away from them .”

Young’s Literal Translation comes the closest: “lest we may glide aside”

Some see the verb as passive, unmoving as we are “drifted by,” with the idea of one floating in the water as a boat passes by.  The idea is that the lapsed believer does not move along with the group, but instead, stays behind.

παρα (3844) beside, by the side of, alongside of,

ρέω (verb, 4482) to flow

παραρρέω (verb, 3901) gradually drift away, to flow by alongside

http://biblesuite.com/greek/pararuo_men_3901.htm

Circumcise Baby Boys on the Eighth Day

“And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.” Genesis 17:12

There is a legitimate scientific reason why circumcision is safest for a male child on the eighth day after birth, but Moses could not possibly have known or understood this fact.   The science of Moses’ day was not sufficiently advanced to have discovered this fact.  Those who believe the Bible account know that God led Moses to give this instruction.

At birth, the infant’s immune system has just begun to work and the child could not yet successfully fight off infection.  Luckily, for the first week of life, the child carries antibodies in his blood which have been provided by the mother.  The mother’s antibodies begin to decline in number after one week,

The infant’s ability to form clots begins to develop about day five and reaches its peak at day eight.  If any surgery is to be performed, day eight would be the ideal day.  On day eight, the infant is best able to prevent infection and to close and seal a surgical wound.  Moses could have only known this in one of two ways: 1. Trial and error, with a large number of dead babies, or 2.  He was told.

The science behind this was not elucidated until the Twentieth Century.  In 1935, Dr. Carl Peter Henrik Dam (1895 - 1976), while doing research on cholesterol metabolism in baby chicks at the University of Copenhagen, discovered Vitamin K, a vital factor in the coagulation mechanism.  He initially called it the Koagulationsvitamin.  He received the 1943 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his work on the subject.

The American pediatrician, Luther Emmett Holt (1855 – 1924) discovered that infants were especially susceptible to bleeding on days two through five, but had nearly 100% clotting ability by day eight.

………………………………………….

The Jewish Kabbalists, in their numerology, say that the eighth day has a mystical meaning.  The number seven has the meaning of “nature,” or “finite.”   The number eight carries the meaning of “super-rational,” or “infinite.”

Awe

"A religious person makes the decision not to be awed by anyone but G-d."  Rabbi Schmuel "Schmuley" Boteach, b. 1966, California, USA.  Rabbi Boteach is a Chabad Lubavitcher.  Orthodox Jews do not write the name of God, instead substituting G-d.

Film Comment: The Twilight Series

The Twilight series of films is based on a highly successful five book young adult romance fantasy series by American author Stephenie Meyer.  The films are:

Twilight (2008)

Twilight: New Moon (2009)

Twilight: Eclipse (2010)

Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 (2011)

Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 (2012)

To date (25 November 2012) the series has grossed over $2,500,000,000 worldwide.  The basic plot is this: Bella, a lonely teenager, displaced by divorce to a boring small town on the United States northwest coast, becomes attracted to a strange but handsome boy at her high school.  She eventually comes to realize just how strange he is.

Edward is a member of a vampire family which lives in one location until it becomes difficult to disguise the fact that they are not aging.  The “family” members are not biologically related but were collected together by the patriarch, whom they recognize as their father.  The family long ago stopped hunting humans for food and lives off the blood of forest animals.

Edward proves to be a sensitive and protective boyfriend for Bella and he strongly holds to his Nineteenth Century values of sexual abstinence and chaste love until marriage.  That presents the problem: a vampire cannot marry a human.  Because he loves her, Edward is reluctant to “turn” Bella though she begs him to.  He realizes that he would be damning her to become a monster like himself.

Stephenie Meyer, the writer of the Twilight novels, is a Mormon and some believe this is the origin of the series’ emphasis on family and chastity.  Feminists have complained that the novels and films present Bella as a helpless female, with her life revolving around her man.  Edward must continually protect Bella from other vampires (and werewolves!) who disapprove of their relationship.  Feminists also object to the relationship’s violence, as Bella is seriously injured when she and Edward eventually do consummate their relationship.

Bella eventually becomes a powerful vampire with a beautiful half-human half-vampire child.

I see all these things, but what I really see is perhaps a message which Meyer did not originally intend.  The message is this:  to succeed, to really get what you want in this world, you must submit.  Adapt to the world.  Adjust what you believe.  Buy into the system, and you may find love, success, wealth, and maybe even power.  The darkness is very seductive.

Wire Fencing

Atheists in Santa Monica, California apparently have mounted a campaign to displace the traditional Christmas nativity scenes usually created annually by a coalition of churches and the police department.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/12/10/atheist-group-ousts-church-christmas-displays-from-santa-monica-park/

The back and forth battle between Christians and outspoken atheists has been raging for several years across the United States to the point where many Evangelical Christians speak of a "War on Christmas."

The thing which struck me immediately when I saw the news reports on the current Santa  Monica situation was that the displays, including the non-Christian ones, had wire fencing in front of them to prevent vandalism.

What They Think of Us: Unblack Metal

Advisory: There may be profane and/or disturbing content in this post. 

http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=64176

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110616205051AAMWMWX

“The whole purpose of black metal was to create the most dirty, unclean, antichristian sound possible. The spirit behind black metal will always be antichristian. That's where the sound comes from. You can't have good and evil mixed together and it be Christian” Death Raizer  (Note: Many black metal musicians draw a distinction between black metal music and satanism.) 

Unblack metal is music which sounds identical to black metal but which has lyrics and content which promotes Christianity.

http://christianmetalfellowship.blogspot.com/2009/10/interview-with-elgibbor-22208.html

2008, the Polish Christian Unblack musician Fire (Jarek), comments: "God created music and satan distorted it.  I want to bring people to know Christ through music that they enjoy.  My lyrics are always either from the Bible or inspired by my life testimony and experiences.  ... he delivered me from drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and black magic!  We serve an awesome God."

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22fire%22+%26+%22Elgibbor%22&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=MjytUP2CFpDk9gTmk4DgCw&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=1202&bih=812

http://sonic14va.tripod.com/Christianextrememetal/elgibborinteview1.html

You tube video

A list of Unblack Metal bands.  Several of the bands are European.  A few of the names are based on Hebrew or Greek words.
Admonish
Arch of Thorns
Armageddon Holocaust
Azmaveth
Bedeiah
Beeroth
Bleedience
Borgarzur
Cabalistic
Crimson Moonlight
Dark Endless
Demoniciduth
Diamoth
Dormant
Elgibbor
Exaudi
Fire Throne
Frosthardr
Grim
Horde
Hortor
Keber
Lo-Ruhamah
Phanerosis
Sanctifica
Shadows of Paragon
Slechtvalk
SorrowStorm
Soterion
Stronghold
Syringe
Trastorno
Vaakevandring
VIXIVI

My personal take on this: Unblack metal music is certainly on the far extreme fringes of Christianity.  I believe that the Christian musicians who produce it are sincere in their intent and that God knows men's (and women's) hearts.

Do the form and origins of this type of art make it inherently evil?  Is Christian country music acceptable?  Is Christian rap music acceptable?

A few years ago there was a woman named Kellie Everts who claimed to be a "stripper for Christ."  Could there be Christian pornography?  Where is the line?

Extrabiblical Evidences of Biblical Persons and/or Events: The Nebo-Sarsekim Tablet

The Nebo-Sarsekim Tablet is a clay cuneiform inscription which mentions an important Babylonian official of King Nebuchadrezzar II.  The official was a eunuch named Nabu-sharrussu-ukin.  Jeremiah 39:3 mentions this man, who sat on the Middle Gate of Jerusalem during the Babylonian conquest of the city.  The clay tablet was found about 1870 in the ruins of Sippar, about one mile from modern Baghdad, Iraq.

"And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, evenNergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon." Jeremiah 39:3 The tablet is a receipt for a financial transaction. [Regarding] 1.5 minas [0.75 kg] of gold, the property of Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, the chief eunuch, which he sent via Arad-Banitu the eunuch to [the temple] Esangila: Arad-Banitu has delivered [it] to Esangila. In the presence of Bel-usat, son of Alpaya, the royal bodyguard, [and of ] Nadin, son of Marduk-zer-ibni, Month XI, day 18, year 10 [of] Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Reynolds 2007).

How Biblical Dates Have Been Determined

How do archeologists and historians know that the reign of Sennacherib of Assyria ran from 705 to 681 BC/BCE since the BC/BCE (Before Christ/Before the Common Era) system dates from the birth of Jesus?  The Assyrians used a totally different dating system, as did the Persians, the Jews, the Romans, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Indians, the Muslims, the Hindus, and the Mayans.  Some of the calendars were based on lunar cycles, some on solar cycles, others on a combination of the two.  Some calendars were based on arithmetic calculations.  How could anyone find a unified, understandable, and universally agreed upon date for an ancient event occurring before the modern dating system?

First, we have to acknowledge that our modern dating system is in error by about 6 years.  It is now recognized that the biblical events surrounding the birth of Jesus (such as the fact that Herod died in 4 BC/BCE) require that Jesus’ birth occurred about 6 BC/BCE.  The calculations by Dionysius Exiguus in the sixth century were in error, not the Bible.

The dating of biblical and other ancient events has been established in much the same way as modern science has advanced: one little step at a time, putting a piece here and another piece there until finally a recognizable pattern emerges.  Just like a jigsaw puzzle.

One of the first types of information which was used was lists of officials.  Roman consuls served for one year and a list of those men who served from 509 BC/BCE to 541 AD/CE exits.  If only one man can be locked into a specific year, then the entire list is locked.  Obviously then, an event known to have occurred during the reign of one of these men is also locked.  Such lists have been found in the records of numerous ancient cultures.

King lists have been found all over the world.  Events were often reckoned as having happened in the “third year of “ this or that king.  The second century Egyptian, Claudius Ptolmaeus, accurately compiled a list of the kings of Egypt, Persia, and Bablylonia from the eighth century BC/BCE forward.   The third century Egyptian priest Manetho divided Egyptian history into thirty dynasties.

Anchor events of known and provable date can often be tied to individuals and events spoken of in histories and lists.  There were solar eclipses on 6 April 648 BC/BCE and 15 June 763 BC/BCE and a lunar eclipse on 27 August 413 BC/BCE.

One piece of information by itself may be just a piece of information.  Put together with hundreds of other facts, there may suddenly be an “Aha!, there it is!”

Religious Place Names

Theophoric names are a recognized category within onomastics, the study of place name origins.  They are names in which the name of a god or deity is embedded.  The word “theophoric” is derived from the Greek words θεός (theos = god) and φορός (phoros = tribute), a God tribute, bearing the  name of a god).  Theophorisms also occur in personal names such as Apollodorus, Theophrastus, Joel, Uzza, Manaf, Masih, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Bogomil, Michael, Christopher, Nathaniel, Timothy, Judah, Oswald, Marcus, Abijam, Ingrid, Daniel, Abdullah, and Rahman, among many others.

Odense, Denmark: From Odins Ve (“Odin’s shrine).

Osmussaar, Estonia: The Swedish name of this city was Odensholm.

Audresselles, France: Originally, the name of this commune was Oderzell, from Odin.

Ullefoss, Norway: From Ullr, the Norse deity of the hunt, plus “foss,” Norwegian for “waterfall.”

Tuesley, England: The name of this village is of Old English origin.  Tiw/Tig/Tyr, the god of law and heroic justice, plus “leah,” a clearing.

Film Comment: The Art of Getting By

I first saw Freddie Highmore in Five Children and It, a children’s fantasy film.  Basically he portrayed a cute little boy.  Probably, Highmore’s most well-known role is that of Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

As a twenty year old, Highmore still has the cute innocent look but the character he portrays in the comedy, The Art of Getting By (2011), is a decidedly different person.

George Zinavoy (Highmore) is a sweet natured, gentle, and very talented artist.  He is an obviously intellectual and capable high school senior.  He has decided to do nothing, not even in art class.  When he meets a girl (Emma Roberts) who likes him, he cannot bring himself to admit that he also likes her.

George’s problem is his philosophy, which is one version of the worldview known as Postmodernism.  We are born alone.  We die alone.  Everything else is basically nothing.  Life has no meaning because, in the end, we will all die, alone.

A great many people today, possibly nearing a majority, have a postmodern view of reality.  This is why you hear so many people saying that “you have your truth, I have my truth.”  How they choose to respond to the philosophy can lead to apathy, rage, cynicism, hedonism, manipulativeness, withdrawal, and any number of other pathological lifestyles.

The challenge for Christians is to show these people that life does have meaning and to help them see what that meaning is.  We cannot “save” them but we can present the Gospel and let the Holy Spirit do His work.

Praying for God

"A little girl was asked to pray in Sunday School. "Dear Lord," she said, "please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my brother and my doggy and me.  And please take care of Yourself, too, Lord.  If anything happens to You, we'll be in big trouble."

From the Big Book of Church Jokes, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.

   

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The Lord's Prayer in Korean

Church People

Prepare your children for the inevitable disillusionment caused by dealing with "church people."

Film Comment: Heavenly Daze

This 1948 Three Stooges film, Heavenly Daze, exhibits many of the confused popular ideas about Heaven, angels, and God.  Heaven is in the clouds.  Angels are humans who have died.  People can be sent back to Earth to set things right.  God frowns on any interest in the opposite sex.

Shemp the Stooge  has died and is having trouble convincing his Uncle Mortimer to let him into Heaven.  Mortimer decides to give him one more chance.  He can get into Heaven if he can reform the incorrigible Moe and Larry.

Watch the film and see how many confused stereotypes you can spot.

Angels are not humans who have died.  They are supernatural created beings, who, while powerful, are not omnipotent and who clearly are of lesser rank than members of the ἐκκλησία (ekklesia). The word angel (ἄγγελος) translates in English as “messenger.”

“Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” 1 Corinthians 6:3

Don't Wait on the Hearse

A message seen on a Church Sign Board:

“Don’t Wait For the Hearse To Take You To Church”

“From The Big Book of Church Jokes, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”

Prague Christian Library

The Prague Christian Library  (Křesťanská knihovna Praha) website is available in English and Czech.  This is a physical library of over 6000 items (books, videos, DVDs, CDs, pamphlets, position papers, etc), with a searchable database.

The library is open to the public about thirty hours a week (four days a week and two Saturdays per month).  The library issues library cards and allows patrons to check out items.   The available items cover the following subjects: Biblical studies and reference, Children's books, Christian fiction, Church history, Evidences for belief, Family and relationships, Leadership development, Practical ministry skills, and Social issues and ethics.  Many items are in the languages of the countries which neighbor the Czech Republic. 

The library does book searches and sells some items related to their mission focus.  They state that they accept donations and are non-denominational.

Once More About Labels

I have spoken before about the use of “labels” in this blog.  “Label” is the term used by Blogger, the platform for this blog, to denote search keywords for subjects which are discussed in individual blog posts.   For the recent post, Film Comment: The Road to Perdition, the following words are listed as labels: acting, assassin, comic book, crime, damnation, Daniel Craig, family, graphic novel, Hell, Jude Law, kill, Latin, murder, perdition, sin, Son, The Road to Perdition, theology, and Tom Hanks.

Choosing any of the labels will direct the reader to all of the posts which have been assigned this label. Some labels, such as marriage (26 posts) have numerous associated posts.  Other labels, such as animal rescue, have only one.  As of today, there are 2443 labels.  A few of the subjects are vampires, numerology, grace, pedophilia, abortion, NASCAR, textiles, Schoolhouse Rock, geometry, Hebrew, eHarmony, weight loss, free will, Klingons, Mickey mouse, infant baptism, religious humor, verbal inspiration, baseball, and Betty Boop.

The full list of labels occurs at the bottom of the page on which you are seeing this post.  Scroll down the page on the right hand side of the page to access the list.

The Sins of the Fathers

Yesterday in the post on The Road to Perdition, I said that the film's story is based on the idea of the"sins of the fathers."  Here are the biblical references.

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” Exodus 20:5

“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,” Deuteronomy 5:9

And the Christian promise:

“In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.

But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:29-34

Film Comment: The Road to Perdition

"My father's only fear was that his son would follow the same road ...," the road to perdition.  The word "perdition" is of Indo-European origin through Latin.  The main idea of the word is "loss."  In Christian theology, the word is used of loss of the soul, eternal damnation, utter ruin, and destruction.  It can be seen as a synonym for Hell.

The film, The Road to Perdition (1998), is set in Depression era 1931 and tells the story of Michael Sullivan,  a crime mob hit man, a paid assassin, whose son accidentally witnesses one of his murders.  The mob bosses are not pleased and want the boy killed so that he cannot tell anyone.  The killer dearly loves his son and takes steps to protect him.

Based on a black and white graphic novel (comic book), this excellent and suspenseful film stars Oscar winner Tom Hanks as the hit man and is loaded with other top level actors: Stanley Tucci, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Craig, and Paul Newman.)  The story is concurrently loving, tender, violent, and depressing.

The film is based on the idea of "the sins of the fathers," a biblical concept.  We teach our children how to act by our example.  Even if we do not wish for our children to follow our example, our actions do not affect only us but can have effects on our families and friends for generations.  Often, once they are set in motion, the consequences of our actions cannot be avoided.

Phil Keaggy and Glass Harp Performing "Amazing Grace"

Phil Keaggy (b. 1651, Ohio (USA) is an acoustic and electric guitar player in the Christian and secular music genres.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Dinesh D’Souza: (b. 1961, India) American author and public speaker, political commentator.  Roman Catholic.

Abundias: (b. Spain - d. 854) Martyr. Roman Catholic parish priest in the village of Ananelos, Spain, near Cordoba.  He was beheaded and his body was thrown to hungry dogs.

Nicola Gruevski: (b. 1970, Macedonia) Banker, elected Prime Minister of Macedonia in 2006. Macedonian Orthodox.

Hassan Sharif Lubenga (b. ca 1958, Uganda) Former Muslim extremist who converted to Christianity after having dreams and visions of Jesus.  He fled to Kenya for his personal safety. He was a sheikh of Buk Haram, a violent group similar to the Nigerian Boko Haram (Hausa = “western education is sinful”).

Isidora Barankis (d. ca. 369, Egypt) One of the first “holy fools.”  A nun at the convent in Tabenissi (on the upper Nile River) in Egypt.  She lived a life of absolute humility and pretended to be insane.  Eventually she left the convent to live in the desert. Eastern Orthodox.

The First Meal As a Married Couple

"A couple sat down to eat their first meal as newlyweds.  The wife said, "today I learned how to make meat loaf and chocolate cake."

The husband looked at his plate and said, "That's great, honey!  Which one is this?"

From the Big Book of Church Jokes, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.