Category: faith

Genesis 4. Cain and Abel.

 

Sounds pretty good to me. Cain worked the soil, and with the sweat of his brow he gave thanks to the Lord for it. Notice it does not say first fruits, only some of the fruits of the soil.

Abel offered the firstborn of his flock.

It takes faith to do the right thing. think of it! To sacrifice the firstborn!

 

And God ordained it so, that the acceptable perfect offer is the firstborn of the flock of sheep or goats. This got later codified in Leviticus.

This is a little jewel from the story of Gideon.

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The expression “my brothers keeper” is used often, but how many really know where the expression is coming from in this increasingly Bible illiterate world.

Yet, in the New Testament, after Jesus there is even better things promised.

Where is Nod? Here is a map from 1702. Nod is what is now Iran.

And with Abel dead and Cain gone, Adam and Eve started over.

 

Genesis 3. The Fall of Man.

Why the serpent? It has since the fall of man become the symbol of sin and Moses used this symbol during the Hebrews wandering in the desert when a disease broke out.

And Jesus himself used this symbol to explain its messianic and redemptive value.

And the serpent figures most prominently in Revelation, the last book of the New Testament.

Back to Genesis 3:

Satan quotes God, but changes one vital detail. Eve corrects the snake, but adds one touch.

 

Satan’s approach is always the same, repeated in the temptation of Jesus 40 days after His baptism:

The approach is: First flatter and appeal to vanity. If that doesn’t work, quote scripture to test God’s promises. Finally, if that doesn’t work, promise power and authority.

Fig leaves are lousy. They break very easily and does not cover well.

No, Adam and Eve did not die physically, but they both died spiritually, their perfect communication  and trust in God was broken.

Yes, the human mitochondria and RNA tend to suggest we all come from one mother.

And people have been dreaming of finding the tree of life ever since.

 

Genesis 2. Adam and Eve.

 

And this is the reason we are having a seven day week, starting with what we call Sunday, or more precisely Saturday evening after sunset, and ending the seventh day with a day of no creative work. This is called sabbath.

This is the second name of God, the covenantal name Jehovah, or Jahwe.

Jews and Christians have Jahwe or Jehovah as the main name for God, since Elohim just means “the strongest strong one” and is valid for any God. This is where Islam parts from Judeo – Christian belief, not accepting Jehovah, only Allah, (and 98 more names for God, the hundredth being known only to Allah himself.)

 

We are still in the early days of a functioning eco-system, and rains have not started yet. Yet there is plenty of water on the earth, the earth was formed before the sun was turned on. Yes, water was created before the luminaries.

So, the question is, where was the garden of Eden?

The river Euphrates and Tigris are mentioned, so the simplest guess is it must be between the two rivers.

And indeed, some early map puts the garden downstream of Babylon, a vast marshy land with meandering rivers between Euphrates and Tigris. On the map below the lower river is Euphrates.

But, the Muslims have another explanation, placing Eden nearer the Red Sea, this time in Ethiopia and Sudan.

And they place importance on Pishon and Gihon, being the Blue Nile and Atbarah river

The problem with this interpretation is manifold, Eden is East of the promised land, not south, and Euphrates is the most prominent of all rivers in the middle east.

So this will place Eden south of Babylon. An alternate location, is near the beginning of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris,

Tanotherhis interpretation is favored by the Kurds, a proud people living in Eastern Turkey and Syria, Northern Iraq and North West Iran. They are very proud of being the cradle of civilization.

The garden of Eden is still a picture of ideal conditions, peace and prosperity.

Only one restriction. I see trouble ahead. More to follow.

It means Adam named all the birds and beasts as he encountered them. His offspring continued the process, and it is still going on.

I have chosen to take this description spiritually. Feel free to take it literally, remembering, this is easy for God to do, compared to the rest of Creation.

Yes, Jesus himself took the spiritual lesson and applied it to mankind. God’s idea is, one man, one woman, one lifetime. This indeed would abolish a whole host of diseases, not to mention the hurt that comes from breakups, betrayals and falsehood.

 

 

Genesis 1. The Creation.

Now it must be said, it is attributed to Moses. He did not write it all down himself, but had help from the local scribes. After Moses death it was completed, including even his burial.

 

Yes there was a beginning. The question is, before energy and matter does time and space even make sense? Since we are bound in space and time, and all observations we can make are from our experiences in space and time. Yet the Bible is clear: Before Creation there was God!

Which leads us to

 

This is the first hint of the triune aspect of God, three, yet one. God the Father creator, God the Son – Jesus Christ is also called the Word, and the Holy Spirit – God’s spirit.

Footnote: Elohim is Hebrew, the corresponding Arab word is Allah, which is also plural.

 

Notice God omitted saying it was good – for the second day only! Why?

It takes time, and a full cycle to build a stable eco-system.

Clouds are God’s way of stabilizing temperatures. If there were no clouds, temperatures in the tropics would be as high as 140 degrees F.  There are many different cloud types:

Of these cloud types the cumulus clouds and the cumulonimbus (Thunder storms) are the most important in stabilizing the temperatures. They appear during day and afternoon if temperatures are rising enough, there is enough humidity and some form of aerosol or cosmic radiation to form a condensation point.  These clouds cool significantly, mostly by reflecting incoming sunlight back into space.

 

Footnote. We are all created into God’s image, male and female.

A man has an X and a Y chromosome, a woman has two X chromosomes. There are a few other combinations with an extra chromosome, rare, but they do exist. Total combinations, XX, XY, XXY, XYY.

 

Yes, it was very good. Time for a day of rest.

Bear arms or bare arms, a Limerick.

A number of female House Democrats wore sleeveless clothing on Friday, tweeting in support of “Sleeveless Friday.” The action was part of the push to modernize the House dress code.

Bear arms or bare arms is at play,

a second amendment display,

so oft misunderstood,

one for choice, one for good.

The Dems keep on going astray.

A lesson from the Kurds:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ISIS are cowards, they flee

when women as soldiers they see.

For they go right to hell

if they die, that’s the spell.

Or is it, they go covfefe?

Just keep your aim! Still the leader :

The Norwegian Lady at Virginia Beach, a Limerick..

There once was a lady from Moss

whose faith had been shaped by the cross.

With God’s love she did cope,

as the anchor, her hope

Her faith, hope and love came across.

There stands in Virginia Beach a statue, donated by the citizens of Moss, Norway; a statue memorializing the dangers of the sea. Many ships have been shipwrecked on the American East Coast during the ages, and the seas have always been treacherous. Before telegraph and radio the women waited for their husbands safe return from their journeys, whether it had been a long journey to America, or just a fishing tour on the North Sea. I can still remember from my childhood’s Sweden how my great aunt Hanna sat, looking out the window with a perfect view of Skagerrak, watching the ships go in and out of Gullmarsfjorden. She was always the first spotter and sent a message to the town: “En, to, tre, hurra, no kommer Majblomma fra Gullholmen.” (One, two, three, Hooray, now is “Mayflower” coming in around the nearest island.) Their lives were full of waiting and longing, and with that, a deep faith. “Everybody” went to church, fearing God, the faith was dark but deep, well anchored in God’s word.

Which brings us to the importance of being well anchored. On the U.S. east coast  nor-easterns and hurricanes come up the coast, and during these, sailing ships have to cut sail and throw anchor to stabilize the ship. If there are no solid rocks, only sand, the anchor does not hold and the ship drifts helplessly closer and closer to land, and runs ashore where the storm finally breaks it up.

Watching the statue this old hymn came into my head and reminded me of the importance of being securely anchored.

In times like these you need a Savior,
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One,
This Rock is Jesus, the only One;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

 

 

Potica, a bread for life and celebration, a Limerick.

Potica, now cherished in Rome.

Slovenia is really its home.

So the Pope was all right

to Melania’s delight;

that nutcake fits Donald’s genome.

Visiting the Vatican, President Trump, his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka had a meeting with His Holiness, Pope Francis. The meeting started out tense, but after the half an hour private one on one audience, the President and the Pope emerged all smiles. President Trump said: “Thank you. I won’t forget what you said.” Later  he tweeted: “Honor of a lifetime to meet His Holiness Pope Francis. I leave the Vatican more determined than ever to pursue PEACE in our world.”

The Pope, smiling broadly  even cracked a joke with Melania Trump. His Holiness the Pope asked Melania (in Italian): What do you feed your husband? ‘Potica?’  Melania laughed and answered in Italian “Potica, si, … yes”, the perfect answer. After all, Melania is fluent in six languages: Slovenian, Serbo-Croatian, Italian, German, English and conversational French. The Pope is fluent in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, German, Ukrainian and Piedmontese  and, of course, Latin.

The mike feed wasn’t all that great, so many newspapers got it all wrong. The Guardian(UK) thought Melania responded “Pizza”. Huffington post seemed to indicate the Pope suggested that Trump looks like he’s filled with yeast, milk, butter, eggs and lots of nuts. Washington Post got it all wrong and called it an awkward exchange. The Pope and Melania understood each other perfectly in Italian, but the interpreter (interruptor) had to mistranslate Potica to Pizza. The Pope loves Potica, and it is the traditional cake for Christmas and Easter in Slovenia, Melania’s native country. It was the perfect small-talk.

Speaking of nutcake, or more properly nutbread it is really much more healthy if you mix in nuts or almonds with the bread as a substitute for shortening. We used to live in Lancaster County, where Ephrata Cloister is located. Once visiting the cloister we took a tour of the graveyard and noticed the brothers and sisters lived long lives, most reaching their 70’s, a rare occurrence in the 1700’s. They lived an ascetic life, sleeping six hours a night in two three hour shifts on a 15 inch wide wood bed with a wooden block as a pillow. They ate only one meal a day, vegettarian, but … it was rich in nuts, walnuts, black walnuts, Chestnuts, Lancaster County is rich in nuts. My wife tried them all in breads and cakes, also almonds, filberts, pecans, but not macadamia nuts, and no cashews.

Life is wonderful.

 

President Trump’s first foreign trip for peace, salaam, shalom; a Limerick. (Update 1)

Arabia, Israel, Rome;

then Belgium and Sicily, Home.

Donald Trump has the strength

and he talks to great length:

Bring peace, and salaam, and shalom!

This I call a welcome peace gesture!

Shalom! President Trump meets with Benyamin Netanyahu who said:

“I … look forward to working closely with you to advance peace in our region — because you have noted so succinctly that common dangers are turning former enemies into partners. That’s where we see something new and potentially something very promising. It won’t be simple. But for the first time in many years — and, Mr. President, for the first time in my lifetime — I see a real hope for change.”

Then it was time to lay a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. (Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)

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Off to Bethlehem to meet with President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas made no concessions and will continue to reward the families of “Martyred” terrorists when their sons have killed Israelis.

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Over to Rome to meet the Pope. Melania is again getting properly dressed for the occasion.

The audience with the Pope started out tense, but at the end all were smiles.

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After meeting with the Pope President Trump said: “Thank you. I won’t forget what you said.” Later  he tweeted: Honor of a lifetime to meet His Holiness Pope Francis. I leave the Vatican more determined than ever to pursue PEACE in our world.

PopePotica

After the private audience the Pope was all smiles and even cracked a joke with Melania Trump. His Holiness the Pope asked Melania (in Italian): What do you feed your husband? ‘Potica?’  Melania laughed and answered in Italian “Potica, si”, the perfect answer. After all, Melania is fluent in six languages: Slovenian, Serbo-Croatian, Italian, German, English and conversational French. The Pope is fluent in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, German, Ukrainian and Piedmontese  and, of course, Latin.

The it was off to Belgium to meet the King and Queen. Melania Trump was again dressed in a bluish grey dress and coat, a color perfectly suited for the country of Belgium.

Will the rest of the trip bring forth peace? Tomorrow is NATO and then off to Sicily and G7. Keep praying.

The Muslim Clock boy lost again, a Limerick.

The Radio Shack Clock boy is back:

A frivolous lawsuit attack.

But the judge cleaned his clock;

for the boy quite a shock!

Dismissed out of hand! What a quack!

A 14 year Muslim boy finds a 30 year old alarm clock from Radio Shack, opens it and modifies it slightly so it can be used as a timing device for bombs. He shows it to his science teacher who tells him – Good, but don’t show it to anyone. He does carry it in class the rest of the day, and when it beeps (that’s the circuit you splice to the detonator) his English teacher freaks out and calls the police. He refuses to cooperate and gets arrested.

His father, a Muslim activist complains to the white house, and from then on there is no end to the humiliation the boy must suffer for his misdeed.

Mohamed claimed he suffered “severe psychological trauma” because of the case.

He had to suffer meeting President Obama on social media and an invitation to the White House, where he met the president on the South Lawn at an astronomy event, and even worse, had to meet Bill Nye, “The Science guy; then he had to meet with Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google at a science fair; being praised by Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg; being named the beneficiary of a $20,000 fundraising campaign; getting an invitation by a Canadian astronaut to visit; endure an appearance with Dr. Oz; being humiliated by MIT scientist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein for being “my ideal student”; suffer the indignation of a proclamation by New York City of “Ahmed Day”; getting scared out of his wits by visiting Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide; then he had to meet the Prime Minister of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu; endure a trip to the Middle East during which, as the Huffington Post described it, he “hung with Jordan’s Queen Rania”; and last but not least had to make a pilgrimage to Mecca as an honored guest of Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

How much severe psychological trauma can a young boy endure?

In spite of this the judge threw out all charges, finding no cause for intentional discrimination.