Palmowniy

Revelation 6:9-11 and Daniel 8:13-14

2010-05-21T00:24:00.000-07:00

Summary:
The fifth seal (Rev 6:9-11) speaks of souls under the altar crying for justice. The altar represented is the altar of sacrifice, which was symbolic of Jesus on the cross. Thus the souls are on earth. The cry for justice is a repeat of cry for justice long requested through the centuries, but more specifically it is the same cry as that made in Daniel 8:13-14. It is the cry for cleansing of God's name. The cry to make the injustice in the world right. I like David did not understand how the world's injustice will be remedied, until I looked into the sanctuary (Psalm 73).

Revelation 6:9-11

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants [3] and their brothers [4] should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

WHERE EXACTLY ARE THESE SAINTS - EARTH

1. What is the altar spoken of here?
There were two altars in the sanctuary. The altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense. Which one of the two mentioned involved blood at the base of the altar? Only the altar of burnt offering. (Exodus 29:12; Leviticus 4:18)

2. Where did the antitype of the altar of sacrifice occur?
Jesus fulfilled the symbolism of the altar of sacrifice by dying on the cross in Golgotha. Thus the location for this antitype would be earth. One other rite of the temple was fulfilled on earth and that was the laver, which was representative of Jesus' baptism.

3. Where did the antitype of the two compartments of the heavenly sanctuary take place?
Both compartments took place and are taking place in heaven. Thus the there is a distinctive dividing line between heaven and earth represented in the sanctuary.

4. Where are the souls under the altar?
If the altar is representative of the altar of sacrifice, then the souls are on earth. This is most interesting considering many attempts to insert the saints in heaven prior to the resurrection of Jesus.

What makes the temple so dirty?

Are these souls really talking?
5. Is Revelation 6:9-11 the only place where blood talks in the Bible?
The imagery here is similar to that used by the writer of Hebrews when speaking of Abel and Jesus (Hebrews 12:24).

6. What makes the cry of Jesus', Abel's, or the souls' blood under the altar so compelling?
It was unjust. Abel was killed by his jealous brother. The souls under the altar were killed for only witnessing, reading the Bible, going against the state religion, or some other good cause. Jesus was killed for sins he didn't commit.

7. What was it that caused the earthly temple to become unclean and in need of cleansing?
The unjust death of lambs. The lambs were killed for sins they did not commit. Each lamb's death was allowed by the temple servants, the temple constitution, and the God of the temple. Only the temple could stop the death of a lamb, but they never did for 2000+ years. Thus the temple was held culpable.

8. What was it that caused the heavenly temple to become unclean?
Jesus died for no sin he committed, but for the sins that we committed. The only person that could have stopped this death was God (Matt 26:39). Thus God and his house (temple) were held responsible for the death of Jesus and the filth of injustice settled on the temple.

9. Is the death of Jesus the only thing that causes the temple to be dirty?
No, when we become Christians we become the representatives of Christ (2 Cor 5:20). When Jesus sent out the twelve to go and do missionary work, he said, "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me." (Matthew 10:40). Paul says that it is not he that lives, but Christ lives inside him (Galatians 2:20). The joy of the Christian is to follow in His master's steps (1 Peter 2:21-23; 4:12-19). It is still unjust. The fact that we are being killed and that we did the right thing doesn't erase the crime and just like in the case of Jesus' death the only being in the universe that could stop the injustice is God. Thus God is held culpable and his house/temple is soiled with injustice.

The same question in Daniel

10. Does the question of how long occur elsewhere in the Bible?
Yes, 60 times in the KJV. Psalm 74:10 states, "O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?".

11. Is there a verse or verses in the context of the sanctuary and apocalyptic prophecy that deals with the same question?
Yes, Daniel 8:13-14 and Daniel 12:6. Here is what Daniel 8:13-14 says.
Daniel 8:13-14

Then I heard a holy one speaking; and [another] holy one said to that certain [one] who was speaking, "How long [will] the vision [be, concerning] the daily [sacrifices] and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot? And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; [fn] then the sanctuary shall be cleansed."

12. What started to happen on 1844?
God started to get things in order so that he could fix the wrongs that were committed against Jesus and all of those that died representing Jesus through the centuries. It is the preadvent judgement. While not all have kiled God's saints, all the earth is held guilty for Jesus' death. It was our sin that put him there, because we should have died long ago, but we are still living. Every breath we breath is an injustice a stain on the heavenly temple. Jesus said, And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." (Matt 21:44). The only way to fix our problem, is to believe in the one we killed.

13. When will Jesus make his killers/the world pay for their wrongdoing?
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen (Rev 1:7).

Google the 2nd Microsoft

2010-05-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs is a marvelous genius of PR. Just look at his first commercial that aired on the eve of the Super Bowl.

He was equally adapt at creating the next big thing:
Fonts
The mouse
Operating system design

The result was that Apple was king.

But one thing he was not capable of seeing while at the top was a pirate. Mr. Bill Gates practically walked away with Job's ideas and created Windows. The result was Microsoft became the ruler of the 90's.

In similar fashion, Steve Jobs has recreated the magic he started, when he came to Apple.

Again he masterfully created a PR strategy. In case you haven't noticed, the top item on Google news sci/tech section for the past 8 months has been the iPad.

Again He saw the next big thing:
iTunes
iPod
iPhone
and now the iPad

Interestingly, there lurks another pirate. A partner of Jobs in this second round of victorious CEOing-- Google. Google's original marriage with Apple has been severely tried of late. The Google phone, Google apps, and now...With the purchase of Bump Technoligies, Google is set to make a gPad. History repeats itself. Just ask Steve Jobs.

musings

2010-04-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

1. I want to be a servant of God, like Jeeves is to Birdy Wooster.

2. I want to see life, like Coach Phil Jackson or Coach George Karl sees a basketball game and Jesus saw people.

3. I want to see a student, like the Nun in Malawi that believed in my friend Davey, when he was only in the third grade.

My Helvitian Homeland

2010-01-11T09:08:00.001-08:00

Alcohol

2010-01-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

Key Words:
Alcohol, Fermentation, Wine, New Wine, Grape Juice,

From Haskell:

Fermented Wine
Fermentation is a sign of death, and death is the result of sin. Alcohol is formed by a process of fermentation; hence, it is a direct child of death and sin.
Prov. 20:1. The wine here referred to is fermented; because it is a “mocker” and “deceiver” its character is evil.
Prov. 23:20, 21. This is also fermented wine; for it is evil and is classed with the riotous” and the “drunkards.”
Gen. 9:21. Fermented wine causes one to lose all sense of modesty.
Isa. 5:11. The evil nature of the wine here referred to is revealed in its inflaming the passions.
Isa. 28:7. Fermented wine causes the one who drinks it to err in vision and stumble in judgment. Prov. 31:4, 5. It will cause one to forget the law and pervert judgment. Prov. 23:21. The use of it brings poverty.
Prov. 23:29, 30. It brings sorrow and contention.
Eph. 5:18. The use of fermented wine forbidden.
Prov. 23:31. We are forbidden to even look upon this kind of wine.
1 Cor. 6:10. No one addicted to the use of intoxicating wine can enter heaven.

Unfermented wine
The unfermented wine, or the pure juice of the grape, was used as a beverage from earliest time. Gen. 40:11. The king of Egypt drank the sweet juice of grapes.
Deut. 32:14. The pure blood of the grape was regarded as a choice drink. Judges 9:13. It cheers God and man. Ps. 104:15. Gladdens the heart.
1 Tim. 5:23. It has medicinal qualities.
Mark 2:22. If put in old bottles it ferments, thus becoming unfit for use. Ex. 12:15. Leaven causes fermentation; at the time of the Passover, all leaven or fermented things were taken away from the homes. Matt. 26:17, 26, 28. The Lord’s supper was instituted at the Passover supper, and the wine used was unfermented, because nothing fermented was allowed in their houses. The use of fermented wine excludes the drinker from heaven (1 Cor. 6:10); but of the unfermented, it is not only stated that those who use it may enter heaven, but that the Saviour and the redeemed will drink of it in the kingdom of God. Matt. 26:29.

From Bacchiochi (http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/endtimeissues/eti_81.html) :

Yayin
One may press out a cluster of grapes and pronounce the Kiddush over the juice, since the juice of the grape is considered wine [yayin] in connection with the laws of the Nazirite. (Cited by Louis Ginzberg, "A Response to the Question Whether Unfermented Wine May Be Used in Jewish Ceremonies," American Jewish Year Book 1923, p. 409.)

Fresh wine before fermenting was called 'yayin mi-gat' (wine of the vat; Sanh 70a). (
(The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1906 ed., s. v. "Wine," vol. 12, p. 533.)

Yayin=grape juice in these texts: Jer 40:10, 12; Neh 13:15; Lam 2:12; Gen 49:11; Songs 1:2, 4; 4:10

Oinos

The typical word for wine is oinos οἶνος. In ancient times, it had dual meanings. Here is an example from Aristotle.

“though called wine [oinos], it has not the effect of wine, for it does not taste like wine and does not intoxicate like ordinary wine.” - Aristotle, Metereologica 388. b. 9-13

“There is more than one kind of liquid called wine [oinos] and different kinds behave differently. For new wine contains more earth than old, and so thickens most under the influence of heat, but solidifies less under the influence of cold.” Metereologica 388. a. 34

Questions?

Did Jesus turn water to wine?

Commentary:

Starting verse:
John 2:10

It is stated that Jesus made water into fermented wine. Fermented wine is necessitated say some, because the wedding took place six months after the Jewish grape harvest. The date is derived from John 2:13. (Bacchiochi 29.4). However there are several good reasons to believe that Jesus made grape juice.

-The art of juice making was known at the time of Jesus ("That must may remain always sweet as though it were fresh, do as follows. Before the grape-skins are put under the press, take from the vat some of the freshest possible must and put it in a new wine-jar [amphoram novam], then daub it over and cover it carefully with pitch, that thus no water may be able to get in."--Columella, On Agriculture 12, 29.).
Genesis 40:11
-Jesus would be held morally responsible for the wedding guests alcohol consumption
Genesis 9:21
-Both the Talmud (Sotah 48a; also Mishna Sotah 9, 11.) and Modern Jewish
rabbis(Cited in William Patton, Bible Wines. Laws of Fermentation condemn/forbid
the use of wine at weddings (Oklahoma City,n. d., p. 83. Emphasis supplied.).
Proverbs 20:21, 23:31
-"Well drunk" is translated "drink freely" in English Standard Version, Revised
Standard Version, American Standard Version, New American Standard Bible,
Younng's Literal Translation.
-The wine was a symbol of the new covenant, which did not have any of the symbols of
sin-namely fermentation.
Luke 5:38; Matt 9:17; Mark 2:22 (note only wine that could be stored in new wine skins is new wine/grape juice "Jesus was not thinking at all of fermented, intoxicating wine, but of 'must,' a non-intoxicating beverage, which could be kept safely in new leather bottles, but not in old skins which had previously contained ordinary wine, because particles of albuminoid matter adhering to the skin would set up fermentation and develop gas with an enormous pressure.Alexander Balman Bruce, The Synoptic Gospels in The Expositor's Greek Testament (Grand Rapids, 1956), p. 500.)
-Good wine in the Bible is described as new wine.
Isaiah 65:8

Heaven part 3

2009-11-08T05:31:00.001-08:00

Power to bind heaven was given to the disciples Matthew 18:18. The connection between our actions and heaven is not far away Matt 23:22. All the power of heaven is given to Jesus Matthew 28:18. The Pharisees had this power as well, but in the negative Matthew 23:13. The baptism of John was from heaven Mark 11:30 (which reveals that the ministry of John would produce a response for or against not only John but also for or against heaven). Heaven was shut up from the ministry of Elias Luke 4:25. The most important thing is that your name is in heaven Luke 10:20. Heaven rejoices when repentance comes to a sinner Luke 15:7.

Treasure is in heaven when we sell our worldly goods Matthew 19:21. Conversely, if there are a lot treasures down here (riches, marriage, family, etc... it is harder to have your heart in heaven's treasure) Matthew 19:23. God is our father in heaven Matt 23:9. People can be single for heaven because of the great treasure Matthew 19:12 In heaven, we will be like Angels Matthew 22:30 Humility and greatness are not far apart in heaven Matt 18:1,3,4,10 Pride was cast out of heaven Luke 10:18. Martyrs have a great reward Luke 6:23. The God of heaven hides the truths from the proud and reveals them to the humble Luke 10:21

The sign of the Son of Man appears in heaven before the second coming Matt 24:30. The Pharisees wanted a sign from heaven Mark 8:11. Other signs will occur in heaven before the second coming Luke 21:11.

Heaven will not last for ever Mark 13:25. It is easier for this to happen then the law to go defunct Luke 16:17.

stopped Luke 21:33

H1N1 Vaccine

2009-11-04T09:52:00.001-08:00

Vaccine Refusal
By Allan R. Handysides, M.B., Ch.B..

Question:

With the recent outbreak of a new strain of influenza, there has been a lot of talk about the dangers of vaccines. I have seen a lot of activity on the internet about the dangers, and wonder if there could be a “cover-up” of the side effects. What is your take on the situation?

Answer:
Firstly, we too have noted the flurry of internet activity, much of it against the use of vaccines. It is important to recognize that there is a vocal “anti-vaccine lobby” and always has been. This group pounces upon any and every possible side effect, real or imagined, to try to dissuade people from using vaccines. These are the group of people who promoted the idea that thimerosal, a mercury-containing stabilizer in measles vaccines, was causing autism. The amount of mercury was so tiny, it contributed little more to our total mercury load than does the atmospheric pollution prevalent everywhere; yet, the claims resulted in multi-millions of dollars being spent on research to either confirm or refute the allegations. No evidence of linkage between the vaccines and autism could be found. Every time a new vaccine is developed, the same type of scare campaign is mounted.
It is very difficult to tie a rare side effect to any medication, and studies require the use of control groups to monitor the background rates of spontaneous events. For example, a person may claim the vaccine causes headaches, but if one thousand vaccine recipients are compared to one thousand controls and the rate for both groups is 16 headaches per 1,000, it is difficult to claim a vaccine is causing the effect. A single person who develops a rash or neuropathy or diabetes shortly after the vaccine does not prove it is a complication of the vaccine. Such conditions occur spontaneously, and the event may be coincidence rather than caused by a vaccine.
Vaccines are tested in large numbers of people, and equally large numbers of controls are monitored. It is these studies that reveal what may be real complications. The numbers of real complications with vaccines are usually extremely small, though reputable producers of any vaccine or medication will withdraw a product rather than risk the population’s health.
As with most things, people neglect to enter into the equation the results of not doing something. For example, with birth control pills, side effects are well-described; but consider the far greater number of complications that attend a given number of pregnancies.
Modern societies have not faced the lethal epidemics that confronted our great grandparents. Few indeed have sat watching infants gasp to the grave with diphtheria. Not many beggars with distorted, wasted limbs grab our attention in the cities today. Smallpox killed half its victims, leaving the rest scarred for life with disfiguring pox marks all over their faces. Vaccination has eradicated this disease. To watch a youngster in the throes of tetanus is a gut-wrenching experience. I spent two weeks supervising the care of an Amish youngster who had to be paralyzed and ventilated while he battled with tetanus.
As a society, we have no understanding of the specters of death. Vaccines rank with clean water and sewage disposal, refrigeration, and antibiotics as the greatest advances in medicine of the last one hundred years. Ellen White and her household were vaccinated against smallpox, giving us a sensible example.
Measles, mumps, and rubella are diseases whole classes of medical graduates may not have seen.
Studies have shown that children who are not immunized are not only at risk for themselves, but for others. Outbreaks of disease often have geographic boundaries that are defined by pockets of the population refusing such immunization. In fact, unvaccinated children have 35 times greater chances of contracting measles. Some delay vaccination erroneously, seeking to protect their younger children. Their children then become vulnerable at an age of high risk to contracting disease. Even what used to be common-place diseases, like chicken pox, can prove lethal. I shall never forget seeing a 7-year-old boy die from chicken pox encephalopathy, nor the agony of his anguished mother as she clutched his lifeless little body.
Because many states demand immunization, but leave an exemption for religious objection, some seek to have the Church endorse their personal choice as a religious tenet of Adventism. It is dishonest for us to participate in such deception.
Clearly, we recognize an individual’s right to choose – but would be duplicitous to pretend this refusal of vaccine is based on Seventh-day Adventist doctrine.
Unlike many Americans, I trust information coming from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta – and I’m a British Canadian! There is no reason in the world why vaccine producers would do anything but produce the best, most effective, and safest vaccine possible. It is in their own, as well as society’s, best interest to do so. There may be the occasional complication, but thousands of lives will be saved.
If you choose to refuse immunization, that is your prerogative. But it is not an evidence-based position to urge others to follow your example.[1]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] New England Journal of Medicine, 360;19, May 7, 2009, page 1981-1987

Heaven part 2

2009-11-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

There are times when heaven gets dark Isaiah 13:10, Ezekiel 32:7-8. God does these things as a sign of the times Daniel 6:27.

Satan fell from heaven while trying to ascend up to heaven Isaiah 14:12-14. Good angels do not fall from heaven, but come down from heaven to earth Daniel 4:13. In fact, there is a whole army in heaven of good angels Daniel 4:35. It is also called a host of heaven Daniel 8:10. Some of that host was lost and fell from heaven Daniel 8:10.

People worship the queen of heaven instead of the God of heaven Jeremiah 7:18 False religions read their future in the stars of heaven Jeremiah 10:12 (NLT) Some worship the stars Jeremiah 19:3.

Wind and clouds are in heaven.

God has an upper chamber in the heavens that he built Amos 9:6.

John the Baptist's message was to repent, because the kingdom of heaven was at hand Matthew 3:2. Jesus continued to preach this same message Matthew 4:17.

Heaven is the reward them that are poor in spirit Matthew 5:3. The rewards are not equal in heaven Matthew 5:12. His disciples were instructed to say the same thing Matthew 10:7. The result was that the kingdom of heaven advanced with force Matthew 11:12 (NIV). In fact when Jesus came to a place, it exalted it to heaven Matthew 11:23 (Lamentations 2:1). The kingdom of heaven is described in several parables Matthew 13.

Jesus gave the keys of heaven or authority to the church Matthew 16:19 and 18:18. The most powerful among men in God's eyes John the Baptist, is nothing compared with the heavenly beings Matthew 11:11.

Stopped Matthew 18:1

God's will is done in heaven, but not on earth Matthew 6:10.

A study on heaven

2009-10-31T04:57:00.000-07:00

The scriptures many times use the following phrases: "Under Heaven", "Heaven Above", "Up To Heaven", "The Gate of Heaven", "ascended up to heaven". All of them indicate that we are separated or in some way inferior to heaven.

God made...

Thou, [even] thou, [art] LORD
alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all
their host, the earth, and all [things] that [are] therein, the
seas, and all that [is] therein, and thou preservest them all;
and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Nehemiah 9:6

Moses mentions a heaven inside a heaven. Or a place that people that lived in heaven would call heaven:

Behold, the heaven and the heaven
of heavens [is] the LORD'S thy God, the earth [also], with all that
therein [is].
Deuteronomy 10:10

When Moses gave the final call for a decision to Israel, he noted that the word on which to base that decision was not out of reach, i.e. in heaven (Deuteronomy 30:12).

In this very high place, the stars dwell, the sun dwells, and God dwells. But as 1 Kings 8:27 and 2 Chronicles 2:6 state that not all the heavens(heaven and the heaven of heavens) are able to contain God.

God sent down bread, water, and fire from heaven. The birds, sun, and stars live in heaven. The plain persistent cry of men in the Bible is for God in heaven to hear their cry. There is some sort of structural building in heaven called a sanctuary Psalm 102:19.

stopped Isa. 13. To be continued.

Thomas looks into Jesus' side

2009-10-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

what if Jesus had never been born?

2009-08-18T12:41:00.001-07:00

Billabong Odyssey

2009-08-10T00:40:00.000-07:00

three top english preachers

2009-07-16T15:47:00.001-07:00

Henry Lattimer
-burned at the stake
-said these words ¨Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we
shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust
shall never be put out¨

William Wilberforce
-had two goals 1. end slavery 2. reform the upper and middle classes of
england
-part of the Clapham Sect
-wrote ¨A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed
Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes of This Country Contrasted With Real Christianity¨
Charles Spurgeon
-David Livingstone carried this sermon with him all over Africa "Accidents,
Not Punishments," and the comment ¨Very Good¨ D.L. was written on it as well
-Charles Spurgeon´s were in such great demand that they were printed in NY the
Monday following his Sunday sermons.

Grasshopper Media Presents

2009-06-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

letter by Pastor Asscherick

2009-05-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

April 30, 2009
Pastors Jan Paulsen, Don C. Schneider, Ricardo Graham
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904

Dear Pastors Paulsen, Schneider, and Graham,

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. Like each of you, I am an ordained pastor of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. I write these words with my heart on full display--from pastor to pastor. This letter concerns the teaching of evolution at La Sierra University. While I am not a formally trained scientist, I am, however, familiar with many of the apologetic, philosophical, and theological issues surrounding the theories of naturalistic evolution. I have made this an area of special study in my life and ministry. So, I feel both comfortable and qualified to speak to the issue, especially in its ecclesiastical ramifications.

It is a matter of incontestable fact that naturalistic evolution is being taught at La Sierra University. This is not in and of itself a bad thing. Evolution should be taught at our denominational universities. But it should be taught as a competing and inimical worldview to the biblical worldview. We need our young people to know what it is they are up against, yes, but when naturalistic evolution is taught as fact or as the preferred and normative worldview, then we can be sure that the enemy has breached our lines.

There is no point in equivocating. I have seen the class materials with my own eyes. Frankly, I think every Seventh-day Adventist deserves to see them. Our people need to know what is happening. Many of them have heard various rumblings, but being the conscientious, confiding, and hopeful people they are, they have generally assumed the very best. We are making capital of their trust.

In 2003 I preached a two-week evangelistic meeting on the Loma Linda University campus. The event was student-led and university-sponsored. Many students from La Sierra University attended those meetings, and I personally visited with many of them. They told me what was being taught in some of their science classes. I shall never forget the looks and questions of unadorned incredulity that I witnessed among those students. I have talked to many more since. What should I do? Should I say something? Should I just attend a non-SDA school? Do our leaders know about this? How come these people are allowed to teach at a Seventh-day Adventist University? These young people, and many others like them, are justifiably nonplussed. Frankly, I share their confusion!

What deeply concerns me is that the faith of many students, who look up to their Adventist professors as more than just academic instructors, but also as spiritual leaders, is being undermined. Jesus' words in Luke 17:1, 2 about causing one of these little ones to stumble carry inestimable weight, and they should be reason enough to propel us to responsible action. Brethren, what are we doing and allowing? Will not God hold us accountable in our respective spheres for what happens on our watch?

I am aware, of course, that the church's governmental structure gives institutions like La Sierra University a necessary degree of administrative freedom. This is a good and wise arrangement. But this freedom, surely, is not synonymous with virtually unaccountable autonomy. La Sierra University is, after all, a denominational university. If the board has not yet adequately addressed this matter, then doesn't that evince a kind of complicity, if not outright mismanagement and denominational disloyalty? I genuinely ask, at what point is La Sierra University's board accountable and answerable to you men and the levels of church government that you represent? When, if ever, can someone step in and save our children and the institutions they attend?

Governing and administrative structures are not the church. The people are the church. The governing and administrative structures are the scaffolding of the church. Scaffolds are for building and strengthening a thing; they are not the thing itself. But what if some are using the scaffolding to tear down the very church they were commissioned and created to build up? What then? I genuinely want to know. Where does the buck stop?

Perhaps you feel that your hands are tied by policy and protocol. But surely they cannot be tied completely. What should I, as a church pastor, do if someone is teaching doctrine that undermines the church's biblical positions in one of my Sabbath School classes? Wouldn't it be expected of me, the pastor--shepherd--of the flock, to address it? To ask this question is to answer it. Of course, I would work through the Sabbath School council and the church board, but you can be sure that I would deal with the problem. My conference president, to say nothing of my Lord, would surely hold me in contempt
if I told him lamely that my hands were tied, no?

Furthermore, the greater the errancy, the greater the urgency. As even a cursory analysis plainly reveals, few doctrines are at greater philosophical odds with Seventh-day Adventism than naturalistic evolution, the arguments of well-meaning theistic evolutionists notwithstanding. Our Magna Carta is Revelation 14:6-12. If naturalistic evolution is true, Creation is cremated, the Sabbath is sabotaged, and our very name is neutered. What becomes of Scripture? And of our unique eschatology? We are not talking about bongo drums, wedding bands, and Christmas trees here.

If our hands are tied, then surely we must let an unfaltering love for God, for His Word, and for His young people dash these fetters into so many deserved pieces! We must do something. You must do something.

Who knows but that you have come to your positions for such a time as this. My ministry places me in somewhat of a unique situation in the world church. In partnership with the Central California Conference, I run ARISE, a mission training school that has seen hundreds of young people over the last seven years. I also have the privilege of preaching regularly on 3ABN and the Hope Channel. Too, I travel all over the world holding evangelistic meetings and preaching at camp meetings, youth conferences, weeks of prayer, etc. I genuinely feel that I have my finger on the pulse of the average lay person in the Seventh-day Adventist church the world over. Especially the young people ages 15 to 30. I can say with unblinking confidence that God is working in His church! Praise Him!

I just arrived home from the Youth Mission Congress in Frankfurt, Germany. Over 1600 young people attended the meetings. Night after night I preached the Adventist message--I preached Christ! The theme chosen for the congress was Follow the Bible, and what an indescribable joy it was to see, at the end of my last sermon, hundreds and hundreds of young people streaming forward. All of them had personal decision cards in their hands. A beautiful, five-foot-tall wooden Bible had been constructed for just this moment. On the side of the Bible was a slot designed to receive the decision cards the young people clutched in their surrendered hands. One by one, each placed his or her card in the Bible. The symbolism was rich and thrillingly profound. It was impossible to not be moved at a fundamental level as each eager young person placed their decision, and thus their life in that wooden Bible. My translator openly wept at the sight. We will follow the Bible, they were each saying. All over the world, God's people--and in particular, it seems, His young people--are saying We will follow the Word--the Living Word, Jesus, and the Written Word, the Bible.

God has entrusted us with these young people. They are His. He has given us His wise counsel to raise up institutions of learning to educate, equip, and empower them. To build them up.

But what do we do when one of our institutions turns from this inestimably important responsibility, a responsibility that is fraught with eternal significance and involves the souls of those Jesus died to save? This is what I want to know.

And so do many, many others.

I thank each of you for your time, and, in advance, for your thoughtful responses.

Sincerely,
David Asscherick
Director, ARISE

Next Monday

2009-05-11T06:52:00.001-07:00

Missionary

2009-05-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Unless you preach everywhere you go, there is no use going anywhere to preach.

- Francis of Assisi

Irreducible Complexity

2009-05-08T13:58:00.001-07:00

Bacteria Flagellum: Evolution's Nightmare
Uploaded by apologetics - Discover more great science and hi tech videos.

The Five Centers of Christianity

2009-04-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what the five centers of Christianity were after Jerusalem fell during the Middle Ages 600-900 AD?
1.Rome
2.Constantinople
3.North Africa
4.Persia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_Church_of_the_East)
5.China search Christianity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Dynasty) and A History of Christianity in Asia: Beginnings to 1500 Samuel Moffat

LOL, very cool

2009-04-17T21:10:00.001-07:00

Jonah or Job

2009-04-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Many times we claim that we are going through the sufferings of Job, when we are really going through the sufferings of Jonah.

Davie Kadieyampakeni

Bad day (or days, months, year, years)?

2009-04-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

You can recover, unlike this caterpillar.

As a PARISite, I know =).

Libertango

2009-04-09T20:58:00.001-07:00

This is my major professor's favorite music.

Brussel Blooms

2009-04-08T12:43:00.001-07:00

The Great Purple Hairstreak

2009-03-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

Watch Purple Hairstreak Butterfly Life Cycle in Animals | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

IBM

2009-03-24T19:36:00.001-07:00

Fighting the Dragon

2009-03-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Five Europeans rescued Saturday after an Indonesia diving trip went wrong had to fight off a Komodo dragon while they were waiting to be found, according to reports.

The group was found at Mantaolan, on the island of Rinca off the Komodo National Park, after going missing Thursday.

The divers -- three Britons, a Frenchman and a Swede -- spent two nights on the deserted island, which is home to the large Komodo dragon, before rangers found them Saturday.

Frenchman Laurent Pinel, 31, said the group had to fight off one dragon with rocks and scavenged for shellfish as they waited to be rescued, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.

"On the beach a Komodo dragon came amongst us [Friday] afternoon," Pinel said, describing how the group had to pelt the dangerous reptile with rocks to scare it away.

"We had nothing to eat. We ate some kind of mussels scraped from the rocks," Pinel told the newspaper.

The husband of one of the other divers said he was told they were in good condition, although dehydrated.

"I'm just so relieved," said Mats Kohler, husband of Helena Neva Lainen. They are both from Sweden.

An official said they were being taken to a hospital for examination.

Searchers using boats located the missing divers at 11 a.m. Saturday (11 p.m. ET Friday), the official said.

They arrived at a hospital in Labuan Bajo, on the western tip of the island of Flores, about two hours later, an official said.

They were one of two groups of divers who entered the water off Komodo National Park on Thursday and were supposed to be gone for an hour, said an employee of the dive company, Reef Seekers. The second group came back after the hour passed, but the first group failed to resurface, she said.

Earlier, an official with the Komodo Divers Association said the group that returned comprised six snorkelers.

Among those who went missing was one of the owners of the dive company, Kathleen Mitchinson, the employee said.

The seas that the divers were in are known to be dangerous because of their strong tides, and that's one theory being investigated in the divers' disappearance, the employee said.

taken from:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/07/missing.divers/index.html#cnnSTCText

Revelation 12

Mom

2009-03-17T17:38:00.001-07:00

Don't throw yourself to lions. Let a king throw you, then a king can rescue you.

Miserable Messes of Pottage

2009-03-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

Many literary societies are in reality young theaters on a cheap scale, and they create in the youth a taste for the stage. While writing upon this point, my eye falls upon the following striking incident from real life:-

"'It is of no use, Mrs. W., I have tried again and again, and I cannot become a Christian.'

"'So you said a year ago, yet you thought there was nothing in the way.'

"'I don't think there is now, but I don't feel any different from what I did then, and I don't believe I ever shall be a Christian.'

"The first speaker was a bright girl somewhat over twenty, who, on a previous visit nearly a year before, had confided to her elder friend her earnest desire to become a Christian. Of her evident sincerity there could be no doubt, and the visitor was sorely puzzled to understand why her young friend had not yet found peace. The two were standing by the half-opened door of the Sunday-school room, where a rehearsal for an 'entertainment' was in progress; and the girl, looking in, seemed suddenly to find there a suggestion for further thought.

"'I believe,' she said hesitatingly, 'there is one thing I cannot give up.'

"'Give it up at once, dear.'

"'But I can't.'

"'Come to Jesus first then, and he will give you the power.'

"'I don't want him to. I believe if I knew I should die and be lost in three weeks from tonight, I would rather be lost than give up my passion.'

"'And what is this dearly loved thing, worth so much more than your salvation?'

"'Oh, it isn't worth more, only I love it more, and I can't and won't give it up. It's that I--I want to be an actress; I know I have the talent; I've always hoped the way would open for me to go upon the stage, and I can't help hoping so still.'

"'Do you think it would be wrong for you to do so, provided the way did open?'

"'I don't know that it would be a sin; but I couldn't do it and be a Christian; the two things don't go together.'

"'How did you come by such a taste? I am sure you do not belong to a theater-going family?'

"'Oh no! my father and mother are Methodists; they always disapproved of the theater. I've been in Sunday-school all my life. They used to make me sing and recite at the entertainments when I was four years old, and I acted the angel and fairy parts in the dialogues; and when I grew older, I always arranged the tableaux, charades, etc. Then I joined a set of sociables got up by our church young people. At first we did "Mrs. Jarley's Wax-works," and sung "Pinafore" for the benefit of the church; and then we got more ambitious, studied, and had private theatricals, and last winter we hired Mason's Hall and gave a series of Shakespearean performances, which cleared off a large part of the church debt. But that's only second-class work, after all. I want to do the real thing, to go upon the stage as a profession. My father won't hear of it; but I hope some time the way will be opened that I may realize my heart's desire.'

"'And meantime, will you not come to Jesus and be saved?"

"'No, I cannot do it and keep to this hope, and I will not give this up.'

"And so the visitor turned sadly away, thinking for what miserable messes of pottage men and women are willing to sell their glorious birthright as children of God; thinking also of the seeds which are being sowed in our Sunday-schools, the tares among the wheat, and the terrible harvest that may yet spring up from this well-meant but injudicious seed-sowing." {RH, January 4, 1881 par. 23}

Mr. D.E.W.

2009-02-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

Labor Ready is a mission in St. Augustine, FL.
It is the home of Mr. D.E.W.
Today, I had the privilege of meeting Mr. D.E.W.
He came in riding on a bike.
The bike had three tennis balls stuck in the spokes.
"Three Words, Three Words, Three Best Words" he said as he rode in.
"1, 2, 3" "1,2,3"
"God is love" that is good, but is not the best
"God is great" also good, but that is not the best
Then with hands raised up he stopped and said, "H--E-- I--S-- R--I--S--E--N--"

He repeated this mantra over and over along with a few others.

On his hat he had his initials D.E.W.
I asked him about these letters.
He said, " D.E.W. will never WED"
"The girls I liked didn't like me and the ones that liked me the devil wouldn't take"

Lost Generation

2009-02-26T09:14:00.001-08:00

The God of Reason Enthroned

2009-02-22T16:23:00.001-08:00

Charles Darwin is put center stage at the Museum of Natural History in London.

Read the Chapter on the French Revolution in the Great Controversy to see a perspective on this.

Designed

2009-02-22T09:42:00.000-08:00

Balance

2009-02-15T17:06:00.001-08:00

A good woman provides balance for your life.

The Messiah of the University

2009-02-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

The University (not just mine) has their own Messiah. In almost religious fervor, here are some celebrations centered around the birth of Charles Darwin:

Thurs. Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
Singing His Praises: Darwin and His
Theory in Song and Musical Production
Join Betty Smocovitis from UF’s zoology and history
departments for a lighthearted look at Darwin’s life
and work through song and film. Discover the issues
and controversies of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and
new insights into his work and the relationship between
science and American popular culture.

Sat. Feb. 14, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Darwin Day
Curious about evolution? Here’s your chance to
explore the subject with Florida Museum research
and collections staff. See “missing link”
displays of fossils and specimens that
illustrate evolution in action. From 2:30 to 4
p.m. join Museum curators Jon Bloch, Steve
Manchester, David Reed and David Steadman
for an evolution symposium to discover the
science behind the theory. Florida
Museum curator Bruce MacFadden will
moderate the session.

The Seventh Day Adventist Church started the Creationist Movement

2009-01-23T19:18:00.001-08:00

In my Systematics and Behavioral Ecology class, I was presented with a paper published in a BBC (British Broadcasting Company) publication. It was about the theory of evolution and Charles Darwin. During the discussion it mentioned the fact that the Seventh-day Adventist Church started the creationist movement. I was shocked. I was like there is no way that we did that. About a hundred years ago we were no more than a drop of water in the ocean compared to say the Baptists, Methodists, or Catholics. So I must say I was skeptical of this Brit's report that we were the founders of the creationist movement. Furthermore, I have never heard us make this claim and it seems to me to be a good thing to say to other people about our church.
But this one statement by Ellen White kept coming to my mind as I thought of SDA's and their relationship to the Creationist movement, "Had the Sabbath always been sacredly observed, there could never have been an atheist or an idolater. {PP 336.1}" So maybe we did...

So I did a little research and it appears to be true in many respects. George Mcready Price a Canadian adventist school teacher wrote a pamphlet and some books on Geology declaring that a flood caused all the fossilization that we see today. Unfortunately some of Price's statements were not all substantiated by lab science. Price was consulted by William Jennings Bryan in the Scopes trial. His pamphlet was read by many in different faiths. His work eventually led to the founding of several creationist oragnizations. One of them is our own GeoScience Institute.

The quote begs a second go round, " "Had the Sabbath always been sacredly observed, there could never have been an atheist or an idolater. {PP 336.1}"

Adaptation

2009-01-22T20:36:00.000-08:00

We are the product of our environment. Well not entirely, but partly. A water lily is nothing without a swamp. Moths fly in the night (most of them do). Some trees grow on virtually nothing. The water Ouzel (American Dipper) sings in the middle of fierce rapids and frigid blizzards. There are beautiful colored butterflies in the desert. Flowers grow in mud.

But it is not all good, the swamp is mostly gunk and slime (not a scientific description). The night is dark and when scary things happen. The crags and cliffs and precipices and crevasses are ominous. The torrents and rapids are relentless and brutal. The blizzard claims the lives of all, except a few hardy things. The desert is mostly sand and wind. The mud is brown and dirty.

Each of the good things has in it something special that can respond to the environment in a way that will make its little world better. Likewise we as Christians, can have something in us that helps to make the dark cold world we live in better. Something inside us. It is a force greater than natural selection. It is the gospel. Through the gospel we can make any area we live in bright.

It is true then that we are a product of our environment. We cannot help it. But we are able to choose whether we will be part of the bad part of the environment or the good. There are mosquitoes in the forest and there are butterflies.

Boula-Boula

2009-01-18T08:31:00.001-08:00

This recipe comes from The Joy of Cooking

BOULA-BOULA

Simmer in boiling water until tender:
2 cups of grean peas
Puree them through a fine sieve or in a blender
Reheat and add:
2 tablespoons sweet butter
Add:
2 cups canned green turtle soup
1 cup dry sherry
Heat --> but do not boil the soup. Spoon soup into heated cups. Top each serving with:
2 tablespoons whipped cream
Place briefly under broiler. Serve at once.

With a name so cool as Boula-Boula, I expected something great. To my dismay, turtles and 2 tablespoons of whipped cream were involved. Basically, you are eating fat and salt that is green and slimy. Therefore, for those of you who might gasp at the ingredients and consider the possibility of a turtle soup guzzling apostate. Consider it not so. I would like to present to you a reality that we may find useful. Namely, we Christians are a lot like Boula-Boula. We bear the name of the greatest servant of humanity that ever lived -- Christ. But we are often, upon closer inspection, only green slime. By God's grace, we can truly live up to our name and send an alternative recipe to the Joy of Cooking 2.0 that includes a more appetizing list of ingredients.

He Read An Awful Lot

2009-01-02T22:17:00.000-08:00

"John Milton was probably the last person to read everything that was ever published."

Dr. David Calhoun of the St. Louis Covenant Theological Seminary.

Really good lectures, you can tell he knows what he is talking about. It is just like he is talking about sports, fishing, cars, butterflies =), or outdoorsing. In other words, it is very natural. A true master of his subject. He was trained at Princeton. They are free. They come from a Presbyterian perspective. Click the links to check them out.

Ancient and Medieval Church History

Reformation and Modern Church History

Job

2009-01-01T09:01:00.001-08:00

Below is a trailer about John Piper's book on Job. It is a powerful poem dealing with Job's story. I think of it as a powerful sermon.

The entire book is on You Tube. If you click on these links you can hear the book.
Part 1
I like part 1, because it makes a powerful statement about how the father was never present at any of the feasts that his sons gave.
Part 2
Part 2 was eyeopening, because it portrayed Job's wife in an entirely different way. It also was powerful to think that Job considered his prayer answered when his wife was not struck with a disease.
Part 3
The line I took away from this part was that proverbs in the mouths of fools are not beneficial.
Part 4
Part 4 is my favorite, because it talks about Jemima and how she was extra sweet. Her sweetness, surprisingly, is attributed to the trials of Job and his wife, "Beauty for ashes". It is always so. We can take our trials and become extra sweet or extra sour. Jemima exemplified the fruit of Job taking the former. It was also fascinating to see that Job actually needed those trials. Through those trials he depended solely on God and saw God deeper and more completely.

Perservere in Soul Winning

2009-01-01T08:18:00.000-08:00

God requires a constant doing on the part of His people; and when they become weary of well-doing, He becomes weary of them.

Ellen White Early Writings pg. 268

Show Me Thy Glory

2009-01-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

Nothing can make us stable Christians, but to behold his glory, a revelation of Him to us. No excitement, no intellectual acumen, no strength of logic, nothing can secure us but a revelation of God to our souls. We should therefore persevere and insist that this be done for us, that we see God's glory, and be fixed on Him. The church should pray for ministers and for candidates for the ministry, that God would reveal to them the deep secrets of his love and mercy; that He would open to them the ever flowing fountains of exquisite and perennial blessedness to let them drink therefrom and never thirst more. O do the churches think and feel how much they can do for their ministers, by praying the heavens open, and letting down on their hearts such rays of glory as shall forever enrapture and hold them in awful apprehension of God's presence and character, as that the spirit of the Highest shall come upon them, and the power of God overshadow them, and transform them from men of clay, to angels of mercy and power to a fallen world? Why do they not pray? Brethren, why do you not pray--pray that God would show you, would show the students here, the community, the whole church in the land, and in the world, his glory? Pray, and give God no rest, till He glorify his people before the nations?

For the whole sermon click on the sermon title
REVELATION OF GOD'S GLORY
December 20, 1843
by Charles Finney

Taming the Shrew?

2008-12-31T18:17:00.001-08:00

My Alma Mater

2008-12-11T20:48:00.001-08:00

Fascinating

2008-12-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

being single is like smoking two packs of cigaretttes a day

mark gungor

Butterfly World

2008-11-17T23:48:00.000-08:00

David Bellamy, Clive Farrell, Sir David Attenborough. www.miraclesofnature.org.

(click on the photo for video)

www.butterfly-world.org

The Bridge

2008-10-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

Lively Stones

2008-10-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a

holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable
to God by Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 2:5

“A lively stone is one that holds to principle and doctrine and yet is moveable,” said Pastor Seals. The paradox really struck me— a lively stone. A few days later I was listening to Stephen respond to the Sanhedrin in Acts 8.

“36 He brought them out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A PROPHET SHALL THE LORD YOUR GOD RAISE UP UNTO YOU OF YOUR BRETHEREN, LIKE UNTO ME; HIM SHALL YE HEAR. 38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers; who received the lively oracles to give unto us. ”
Acts 8:36-38

Lively oracles! The lively oracles or ten commandments given to Moses were written on stone. What made the stone lively/living was the Word of God written on the stone.

We are like stones. Isaiah 51:1 states, “…look unto the rock whence ye are hewn…” When God first made man, we were soft and pliable like clay. We were easily molded into the image of God (Genesis 2). After the fall and generations of evildoers, man became hardened with sin. Jeremiah 17:1 states, “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond; it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of you altars;.” Notice phrase table of the heart, which is like the Ten Commandments that had two tables of stone. For six thousand years, Satan has been turning clay into rock with an iron pen. He has been corrupting the image of God in man, into the image of Satan. We are now rocks. Isaiah put it this way, “thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass” (Isaiah 48:4).

Rocks can live! Again, the rocks given to Moses were lively. What enlivened the Ten Commandment rock was the word of God. Jeremiah states, “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,” (Jeremiah 31:33). And Ezekiel states, “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;” (Ezekiel 11:19). With God’s word written on our hearts, we thus are fitted to “walk in my statues, and keep mine ordinances, and do them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezekiel 11:20).

Humanly speaking our condition was hopeless. Satan thought to permanently seal his image in man by turning our hearts to stone. Through Christ our greatest weakness becomes our greatest strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). Christ's greatest miracle is transforming stony hearts. Through Christ we stones give praise to Him (Luke 19:40), become bread (Matthew 4:3, 1 Cor 10:17 (read this)), and live! In Christ, we become lively stones, holy stones, and priestly stones. As living stones we are connected to God. Our lives are not our own, but Christ's (Rom 12:1, I Peter 2:5). Apart from Christ, we stones are dead. In Christ, we stones have life. "He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5:12)

The Preacher and the Zipper (PG)

2008-09-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

Smoothie King

2008-09-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

Genesis 5 names:

Adam =son of man or red,,seth = compensation,enos= man or mankind,cainen= possession,maheleel= praise of God,jared=descend,enoch=dedicated,methusaleh = man of the dart(weapon),lamech=powerful,noah = rest

The Son of man was compensation for mankind His purchased possession the praise of God, because He descended and dedicated Himself to be man of dart(spear in His side) resulting in His Poweful rest (death).

Fresh Fruit part:
a bowl of raspberries
Frozen Fruit part:
Mango, Strawberries, Raspberries, Bananas
Juice part:
Mango Pineapple Juice
White Grape Raspberry Juice
Very Very Vanilla Silk Soy Milk

Sweet Dreams come true=)

The Walrus and The Carpenter by Lewis Carroll

2008-08-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"

"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?

"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"

"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

Northern Lights

2008-06-21T05:30:00.001-07:00

Morphos

2008-06-18T09:09:00.001-07:00

find the matching (or not-so-matching) siblings

2008-04-07T04:08:00.001-07:00

The Yellow Cave

2008-02-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

It may come as a shock to many, but humans are still cavemen. Let me explain. We build rock edifices of brick, stone, or concrete and then end up spending the majority of our lives inside these carved rock passageways. We even make caves to get to caves. These mobile caves allow us to arrive at caves of eating, amusement, or even sleep. Thus man has not overly advanced in the last century, but has merely modified an old theme.

I was party, of recent days, to one caving expedition that involved a yellow cave of eating and two cavewomen and one caveman (myself).

Cavewoman 1 (Christy Kurtz-below left)

Cavewoman 2 (Sarah Paris-above right)

Within this cave were expert hunter gatherers that fed two of the party fine cave food.

An industrial age instrument was played to the delight of the hunter gatherers.

One of the hunter gatherers chanced to allow a hair to fall upon the food of my fellow cavewomen. It was with the greatest of revulsions that I carefully removed the unwanted protein globule.
It should be noted that a combative cavemen entered the cave after feeding time for my fellow cavewomen was completed. I was then grateful for accompanying my fellow cavewomen to the cave of eating that was yellow.

Womankind

2008-01-14T07:37:00.000-08:00

From the departure from Adam's side, to the eating of the forbidden fruit, to the seduction of her husband, Eve started a pattern of descent for women. The result was a curse in child birth and subjection to the husband (Gen 3:16).Following the fall, out of the two human members, the weakest was the woman. In society women have been for most of time behind or under the shadow of this curse. But as John Bunyan relays in the Pilgrim's Progress: the valley of humility is where Christ loved to dwell. In women's humility, Christ's power was demonstrated to turn any curse into a blessing. Through Christ women were restored to higher then they were before the fall. The amazing character of the gospel is manifested thus. Instead of remembering that a woman brought sin into the world, it will be remembered that a woman brought Jesus into the world! Furthermore, it was women that ministered to the hunger of Christ (Mat 27:55, Mar 15:40-41, John 4, Luke 10:40-41). It was a woman that cried on his feet preparing him for burial (Matt 26:7-13). It was women that sought first to continue to anoint his body after his death (Mat 28:5, Luk 24:22). It is ultimately a woman that is made to represent the church (Eph 5:23, Ezek 16). In Christ the curse has been lifted (Gal 3:10,13). In Christ, the verse is made true that she shall be called blessed and no longer cursed (Luke 1:48,Gen 30:13, Prov 31:2,Luke 1:45, Jdg 5:24).

Lion Kiss

2008-01-02T08:38:00.001-08:00

A good forward? (Is it possible?)

2007-12-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

Little Zachary was doing very badly in math. His
parents had tried everything... Tutors, Mentors, flash
cards, Special learning centers. In short, everything They could think of to help his math.
Finally, in a last ditch effort, they took Zachary
down and enrolled him in the local Catholic school.
After the first day, little Zachary came home with a
very serious look on his face. He didn't even kiss
his mother Hello. Instead, he went straight to his
room and started studying. Books and papers were spread out
all over the room and little Zachary was hard at work.
His mother was amazed. She called him down to
dinner.
To her shock, the minute he was done, he marched back
to his room without a word, and in no time, he was
back hitting the books as h ard as before. This went
on for some time, day after day, while the mother
tried to understand what made all the difference.
Finally, little Zachary brought home his report card.
He quietly laid it on the table, went up to his room
and hit the books. With great trepidation, his Mom
looked at it and to her great surprise,
little Zachary got an "A" in math. She could no
longer hold her curiosity.
She went to his room and said, "Son, what was it? Was
it the nuns?"
Little Zachary looked at her and shook his head, no.
"Well, then," she replied, "Was it the books, the
discipline, the structure, the uniforms? WHAT WAS IT
ALREADY?"
Little Zachary looked at her and said, "Well, on the
first day of school when I saw that guy nailed to the
plus sign, I knew they weren't fooling around."

Merry Tossmas

2007-12-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

Davidian Obsession

2007-11-18T23:10:00.001-08:00

What is it that God is obsessed with? What is it that makes the "heart" of the omnipotent throb? Perhaps discovering what obsessed the mind of a man whose heart was like God's will prove a fruitful study.
The Bible says that David was a man after God's own heart (1 Sam 13:14, Acts 13:22).
And the Davidian obsession was...the sanctuary. Here's why I think so.

1. He really really wanted to build the sanctuary, but God said no.
(2 Sam 7)

2. He saved up all his money and was the source of the funding for Solomon's temple."set my affection on the house of God"
(1 Chron 29:1-4, Mat 6:21, Luk 12:34)

3. He writes of the sanctuary over and over again in the Psalms, here are a few eg's:
Psalm 63 -in a land devoid of the water of life, the sanctuary restores his soul
Psalm 73 -didn't understand until he went into the sanctuary
Psalm 77 -God's way is in the sanctuary

4. Organized all the priests of the temple for Solomon (1 Chron 23,24).

5. He drew up the plans for the sanctuary, "which God showed him" (1 Chron 28:11-19)

How does the sanctuary show what makes God tick?
The sanctuary is the way back to heaven. Once we get to heaven the sanctuary is gone (Rev 21:22). Why? Because it has served its purpose. The obsession of God, like David, is the sanctuary. More specifically it is the end, which the means or the sanctuary provides that is the reason that the sanctuary is God's obsession. And the ends, well, that was the joy set before Christ (Heb 12:2, Isa 53:11), the jewels that make up the crowns of evangelists, bible workers, and pastors (Mal 3:17, 1 Thess 2:19), one of only two things that we can take to heaven, something that won't be able to be numbered (Rev 7:9)......SOULS, that is God's obsession, that was David's obsession, is it your obsession?

The Patten Project

2007-11-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

Caterpillar Shepherd

2007-08-15T23:52:00.000-07:00

It was her final act. Taken for dead, she had been pinned to a Styrofoam board. Her wings were locked in place with more pins and wax paper. It seemed pointless, but she did it anyway. Andrew my friend showed me his recent trophy. A beautiful Polyphemus, silk moth. As he recounted how he obtained this prize, I noticed a cluster of eggs at the tip of the moth's abdomen. I had tried several times to rear butterflies and moths, but each time had failed. Two weeks later, seven teen caterpillars hatched out of their eggs. I carefully put a maple leaf amidst the minuscule larva and went on my way. Changing the leaves took a long time (1 hour), and I did it about every three to four days. The caterpillars grew so fast! But not quite fast enough. I was soon to leave the enchanting land of Rosario, where Shamu swims in the sea, gulls fly in the air, and students walk on the land. I had one problem with my eminent departure. How was I going to get the caterpillars onto the plane? Much thought and consideration was done upon this perplexing question. The potential for loss of the caterpillars at the hands of security at the airport was alarming. I doubted that they would believe a young fellow's testimony about the harmless effect the Silk worm caterpillars would have on the environment where I was heading. I don't know exactly how long it took me to realize this solution, but it came shortly before departing to the Seattle Airport. I made a caterpillar sandwich. The supplies included: four slices of bread, three zip lock bags, lettuce (maple leaves), and of course caterpillars. Well it worked beautifully. I was really excited and made sure the caterpillars had plenty of air. I did this by poking holes in the zip lock bags. Once in Nashville, I made no delay of extolling the wisdom with which the caterpillars had been so masterfully smuggled into the Eastern region of the United States. But, like the caterpillars, I grew hungry as I waited for my brother to come and pick me up at the air port.

It was my idea. I wanted Indian food. So we went to a fantastic Indian Restaurant. I noticed that it was considerably hotter in Nashville then in Seattle. The food was really good, even though we got ripped off. Full of rice and curry, I half walked and half waddled to my car. It was one of those hot humid days, I sat down in the car and started to sweat. Then it hit me, like an insect pin through my neck, a hot baby story that I had seen in the Atlanta Airport. A thoughtless mother had left her baby in the car and a teenage girl noticed the baby. It had run right after a story about a woman who had strangled a rabid raccoon to protect her sons. "What recklessness," I thought as I waited for my plane. Still sweating and now heart beating, I looked back and found to my dismay the caterpillars all dead. Many had eviscerated their guts and were green and brown in color. Futilely i tried to cool them, but to no avail. They were all long gone. I lamented the moment for many moments. When I arrived at my dwelling place in the land of Cleve (Cleveland). I placed them on a fence post. "Maybe a Bluebird will enjoy these cooked caterpillars," I hoped. Thus ended an another attempt to be a caterpillar shepherd.

North Pole Sunset

2007-07-31T09:16:00.000-07:00

Sir David Attenborough

2007-07-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Mammatus Clouds

2007-06-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

INSECT

2007-06-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

I learned a lot from a couple of dead bugs on my computer pad the other day. Their short existence was not lived in vain. My computer had been left on all night and they had been drawn to the sole light source in my otherwise dark room. I had known that bugs are attracted to light and even capitalized on the fact when I desired to collect moths. It had never really struck me how much the bugs were attracted to the light. To the bugs on my keypad their entire existence was cut off, because of their intrepid pursuit of light. For them it meant death, the ultimate sacrifice for a living creature. Their relentless pursuit of light, made me ponder the priority that I set on seeking the light in my life.

Counterfeit Worms

2007-05-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went fishing. =)
In the shallows, a little minnow was noticed attempting to eat a plastic worm.
The little minnow was having an awful time and never could quite swallow the little plastic worm.

Satan puts many plastic worms in our path, that counterfeit the real worm, Jesus Christ. Many plastic worms are decorated very nicely with all sorts of colors and frills to attract the eye of a fish. Likewise, the devil's counterfeit worms are eye catchy, colorful, and appear to be very tasty.

Psa 22:6 But I [am] a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

Don't be dessert! Be Dessert!

2007-04-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

I was listening to Acappella's powerful song, "Shut de Do". One of the lines said,

Satan is an evil charmer
Hungry for a soul to hurt
And without your holy armour
He will eat you for dessert

I started thinking (*startling). Wow, I usually love dessert, but I hate beets and iceberg lettuce and certain preparations of carrots, zuchinini, and brussel sprouts (note certain preparations of brussel sprouts, carrots, and zuchinni are good). I am intereseted in giving the devil a little "Christian Health Reform". Or maybe better said a downright, dingy, dinky, dinner. As I see it, the devil is having way to many desserts. We need to try to give him a little bit more of fiber the scrubber. It should be noted that beets, carrots, zuchini, and brussel sprouts don't appear in the Bible. May be God is trying to say something. Wouldn't it be nice to "keep the armour on" and cause Satan to have eat not dessert, but a big juicy beet ( of such size as to intimidate the most dedicated beet enthusiast),
or a sweet, but so not so tasty carrot, or even better a "piercing headache" producing zuchini or how about the mind twisting brussel sprout. In conclusion, be a vegetable to the devil, however be dessert to God.

Beatitudes of the Apocalypse

2007-04-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Rev 1:3 Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand.

Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed [are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed [is] he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Rev 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

What do owls and handcuffs have in common?

2007-04-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

A lot?

David's Mighty Men

2007-04-04T14:34:00.001-07:00

There was something about this sheperd, something powerful! Whether slaying a bear and lion, beheading Goliath, conquering Philistines, tending sheep, or plucking a harp, David was good at what he did. People noticed this and were drawn to him. I like to imagine that it would be like what my Uncle said concerning Baraka Obama (this is not a political message =). "When Mr. Obama went into a room it was always noticed. Conversations stopped, people parted, expectation filled the room, eyes turned toward Mr. Obama. As he spoke, it was clear that everyone was moved. He has charisma." Charisma, that is what David had, and people loved it. I imagine that people probabbly felt better when they were around David. Something about him spoke hope, in their hopelessness.

Unfortunately, Saul got jealous. He saw people adoring, David, and not himself. So he kicked David out. But that didn't stop people from coming to David. The Bible says, "David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard [it], they went down thither to him.And every one [that was] in distress, and every one that [was] in debt, and every one [that was] discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men (1 Samuel 22:1-2)". Good, mediocre, bad, and downright evil he took them all in, as long as they were willing to let him be captain over them.

After a few years of being with David, the band of men started to change. All those Psalms that gave such a startling description of a man's relationship with his God, started to be lived out in the lives of the men and women that took refuge with the charismatic leader. Listen to this Psalm, written during David's experience in the cave. "1 I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. 2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. 3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. 4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. 5 I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. 6 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. 7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me (Psalms 142)".

Then it happened. Men who had before been the dregs of society, became the chief protectors and defenders of the next king of Israel. They became David's mighty men. "These also [are] the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, [and] with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel (1 Chronicles 11:10)."

Through the spirit of God, David's mighty men wrought many amazing feats. "8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. 11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. 13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! 16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it , and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. 17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. 18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them , and had the name among three. 19 Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three. 20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: 21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian' hand, and slew him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. 23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all (1 Samuel 23).

A son of David also had charisma. People saw something in this Son of David. After John declared him to be the lamb of God, two of John's disciples spent the rest of that day and all night with Him. The result, "We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ (John 1:41)." Think of it in a little less then twenty four hours two men are convinced of the messiahship of Christ.

Like David, Christ chose commen men, who were willing to call him Lord. The charisma of Christ, which is derived from the Greek word that can mean "God's gift" or "divine favor", gave bad, average, and "good" men hope admist this world's hoplessness.

After a few years with Jesus, people noticed, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13)". Men once fearful of maids, stood before the kings and queens of the land proclaiming Christ at the risk of their lives.

Transformed by the power of Christ, their one goal was to set up Christ's new kingdom. "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (1 Peter 3:12)" Their devotion to Christ was so powerful and influential during their lifetime that the 12 foundations of the New Jerusalem bear their names (Rev 22:14)."

Just like Christ changed them, he can change us. The "captain of our salvation" wishes to make you one of his mighty souldiers (Hebrews 2:10). Should you accept this charge, your one ambition will be to prepare the way for the coming King Jesus.

Light Capturers

2007-04-03T05:17:00.000-07:00

Light has fascinating properties. It can act like a wave sometimes or like a particle other times. The way it interacts with various substances to bring out various colors, shades, hues, and sparkles is fascinating.

Christ said, "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). It is Christ who first broke through the darkness. "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light (Genesis 1:3)." "And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (Ephesians 3:9)."

We have no light in and of ourselves. If we seperate from Christ, our flame goes out. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them (Isaiah 8:20)." "But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him (John 11:10)." "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent (Revelation 2:5)."

When accept Christ, we receive the light. "... he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12)."

People cherish things that reflect light in a beautiful way. Morphos reflect a jewel like blue light. Flowers show off a vast array of colors. The blue jay has feathers that are structured in such a way that it gives captures blue light in the feathers.

Some of the most prized light capturers are gemstones. The way that a gemstone is able to capture and reflect certain wavelengths of light has led to people doing all sorts of crazy things to obtain a light capturer.

Christians are like gemstones. " And the foundations of the wall of the city [were] garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation [was] jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; (Revelation 21:19)". In verse 14 of Revelation 21, the Bible says that the tweleve apostles names were written on each foundation. Furthermore, Peter writes, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5) ". And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him (Malachi 3:17)."

Each Christian's testimony is unique. No two people on the earth have the exact same experience with God. Light capturers capture and reflect light in different ways. Causing the many spectrums of the light of God's love to be revealed in the world. The light capturers of Revelation 21 or the apostles are represented by various gemstones in the New Jerusalem.

The jewels on the ephod of the Old Testament high priest, had special significance. They represented the twelve tribes of Israel. "And the stones [were] according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, [like] the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes (Exodus 39:14)." Christ the high priest of the New Testament wears each of his light bearers close to his heart.

Whatever wavelength of light you may capture and reflect, know that it sparkles and dazzles those around you. Just like a gemstone your experience with God is something that is sought after. "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price [is] far above rubies (Proverbs 31:10)." Accept Christs' call to be the light of the world. "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid (Matthew 5:14)." Accept Christs' call to be a light capturer.

Palmowniy

2007-04-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

"Wonderful Numberer" that is Palmowniy. This is the only time that the Hebrew word is used in the Bible. The reference can be found in Daniel 8:13. "Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] (Palmowniy) which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot (Daniel 8:13)?"

Look at Young's Literal Translation, "And I hear a certain holy one speaking, and a certain holy one saith to the wonderful numberer who is speaking: Till when 'is' the vision of the continual 'sacrifice', and of the transgression, an astonishment, to make both sanctuary and host a treading down? (Daniel 8:13)".

That "Wonderful Numberer" is Christ. The future is laid out before Christ. "Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am [he] (John 13:9)."

I want to lay my all in the hands of the "Wonderful Numberer". "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:(Isaiah 46:10)."

Make an effort to examine the prophecies of the "Wonderful Numberer".

Note Leslie Hardinge contributed to the insights here presented. For further study investigate his books (God Is My Judge, Walking With Jesus in His Sanctuary) and his sermons (Daniel Series via American Cassette Ministries).