Senseless

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Senseless

In Jeremiah 10 the word senseless (in the NIV) is used three times and anytime I find a word used that many times it signals a trip to the concordance.  If you use the King James senseless is translated brutish.  Looking in the Strong’s Concordance the word in Hebrew is (number 1197) baar, which means to kindle or consume (by fire or by eating).  The NIV translates several words senseless the one in Jeremiah 5:21 basically means “no heart” and the one in Jeremiah 4:22 means “stupid.”  Jeremiah (in the NIV) uses senseless more than any other book in the Bible. Psalms is next with most of those words meaning “foolish” or “stupid.”

In Jeremiah 10 three different groups of people are referred to as “senseless” or “brutish”:

  • V.8 – Those who are taught by wooden idols (The chapter starts off with a warning about learning the ways of the nations and being terrified by signs in the skies.)
  • V.14, 51:17 – Goldsmiths who are making idols. (See Comparison of Jeremiah 10 and 51)
  • V.21 – Shepherds who do not inquiry of the Lord.  The fruit of that is they do not prosper and their flocks are scattered.

Remember they are going to burned or consumed.

The shepherds are the group that concerns me just because of the “sheep” who are hurt because of their actions.  In Mark 3:1 – 6 are examples of this type of shepherd.  The Pharisees set a trap for Jesus using a cripple and when the man is restored they are furious and start to find ways to KILL Jesus.  I know people are still upset when it comes to the topic of divine healing and other moves of the Holy Spirit.  It is sad when any “religious movement” would not stand in awe of someone being healed or set free just because their doctrine never made room for Jesus to do miracles in their life time.

Convection Currents – The Bible and Science

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Revelation 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold or hot.

From my studies, I know that Jesus was describing the Church at Laodicea by comparing them to a hot-water spring that flowed into their city.  It arrived cooled off and just a bad temperature for drinking.  The statement that we should be either hot or cold can be a puzzling one since everyone thinks we should always be “hot” in our relationship with God.

In science the terms hot and cold are relative terms and derive much from the context that we are using them in, sunspots are hot enough to melt iron but appear dark because they are next to stuff that is two times their temperature. (see post-Hot and Cold and Why Hot and Cold)

Hot and cold in our physical world are important because they cause convection currents.  These are responsible for our weather, ocean currents, and the driving force of plate tectonics.  The “hot” material, either air, water, or magma, rises while the convection current“cold” material sinks to be heated thus creating a circular pattern.  When the temperature evens out nothing moves; this can/does happen on the Mississippi Gulf Coast around three in the afternoon.  The air and the water can have the same temperature and there is no lateral air movement, everything goes straight up.  Before and after this point there will be either a sea breeze or a land breeze because of uneven temperatures.

I think in natural cycles as well as spiritual cycles we will have our “cooler” times but watercyclesummarythey are necessary so we can be “heated” up again and rise to the work we have been called to do. (The water cycle in itself may not be a true convection current but energy is still gained and lost in the evaporation/rain process.)

∞Jesus, wither we are in a hot stage or a cold stage always let us always be found in you. Amen.

Water cycle pic is from: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html                     The Convection pic is from:  http://www2.vims.edu/bridge/DATA.cfm?Bridge_Location=archive0906.html                            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspot                                                            Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible © 1973 page 650 (spring of water)

Lightning 2 – The Bible and Science

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Job 37:11 He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.

The bolt of lightning is really just a stream of electrons that is jumping from the cloud to the ground or another cloud.  These electrons are “scrapped” off of atoms/particles because of the movement of ice, water, and air within the cloud.  This movement comes from the convection current caused by warm air rising and cold air falling in the cloud.  As the particles hit each other electrons charge the middle of the cloud while Lightning formationthe positive particles charge the top of the cloud.  But without movement, there would be no energy release.

We see the same principle at work with the power of God in our lives.  We know the power is available but until we start to “move” that energy will not be released.

∞Jesus, may we live the Great Commission and have your power as we go and preach your Word.

Graphics and referenced: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/science/science-overview.htm

Lightning – Consider God’s Wonders

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Job 37: 14 “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. 15 Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? (NIV)

Lightning in the Bible is a wonder of God that biblical man attributes as His weapon and an awesome act of God that is used to describe glorious things.  Elihu in this verse ask a question,” Do you know how He makes lightning flash?” Fast-forward to 2014 and you would imagine that we know the mechanism and principles of how such a common occurrence as lightning is controlled.  The truth is we have a better understanding of clouds and lightning than Elihu and Job but we do not understand completely how this wondrous and awesome act of God happens.

∞Father, help us to always consider Your wonders and to stay in awe of Your mighty works.

See Comparison of Jeremiah 10 and 51 for more on lightning.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/lightning.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/science/science-overview.htm   good graphics

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/myths.htm

The Birth of a New Adam

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Why do a post about Adam during Christmas?  The first week of Advent was to reflect on the Old Testament shadows and prophecies of Jesus and since Adam was “a pattern of the one to come” (Romans 5:14) my reading went to Genesis, Isaiah, and several other places.  Most references to Adam outside of Genesis are family tree notations like 1 Chronicles 1:1, Luke 3:38, or Jude 1:14.  1Corinthians, 1Timothy, and Romans actually do some of the explaining of the “pattern” so I am comparing the first Adam and the second Adam (Jesus).

Adam 1

Adam 2

Other comparisons that are interesting: Adam sewed fig leaves together; Jesus cursed a fig tree before His crucifixion.  Eve came from Adam and the Bride is found in Jesus.

Notable things in Adam’s life – He was the first to operated on, first to make clothes, first to blame some else for his mistake, named all the animals in the Garden, first gardener, and the first to bury a child.

A word about Eve; evolutionists have come to the conclusion that there must have been an “Eve” who birthed all of mankind.  I saw a program where they spent forty minutes stating why there had to be one (Eve) and twenty minutes denying the concept.  The problem here is dual evolving of human DNA is unbelievable and I am sure that mathematically it has to be impossible.

In Hebrews, the first chapter, Jesus is clearly shown as “The Son.”  Several quotes from the Old Testament such as “You are my Son today I have become your Father” from Psalm 2:7, other verses that are mentioned at the beginning of Hebrews are     2 Samuel 7:14, and Psalm 45:6,7.   Several other verses that tell of things to come are Psalm 110:1 and Isaiah 8:17 where everything is put under His feet showing Lordship of all things.

The word “Adam” comes from a word that means, “to show blood”, “be flushed, or to turn rosy or ruddy.”  This possibly referred to his color. This leads to a question I just did not understand, “Why did God “hate” Esau (Edom)?”  He was a type of Adam (the sinner-man) being the firstborn and he was “red.”

Since Jesus was a second Adam, if we are found “in Him” we are a completely new and different race of people.