3/31/13

From Gary... Believing the unbelievable


This machine has the oldest known complex gear mechanism and is sometimes called the first known analog computer,[10] although the quality of its manufacture suggests that it may have had a number of undiscovered predecessors[11] during the Hellenistic Period. It appears to be constructed upon theories of astronomy and mathematics developed by Greek astronomers and is estimated to have been made around 100 BC. In 1974, British science historian and Yale University Professor Derek de Solla Price concluded from gear settings and inscriptions on the mechanism's faces that the mechanism was made about 87 BC and was lost only a few years later.[12]
It is believed to be made of a low-tin bronze alloy (95% copper, 5% tin), but the device's advanced state of corrosion has made it impossible to perform an accurate compositional analysis.[13]
All of the mechanism's instructions are written in Koine Greek,[7] and the consensus among scholars is that the mechanism was made in the Greek-speaking world. One hypothesis is that the device was constructed at an academy founded by the Stoic philosopher Posidonius on the Greek island of Rhodes, which at the time was known as a center of astronomy and mechanical engineering; this hypothesis further suggests that the mechanism may have been designed by the astronomer Hipparchus, since it contains a lunar mechanism which uses Hipparchus's theory for the motion of the Moon. However, recent findings of The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project suggest that the concept for the mechanism originated in the colonies of Corinth, which might imply a connection with Archimedes.[14]
It was discovered in a shipwreck off Point Glyphadia on the Greek island of Antikythera. The wreck had been found in October 1900 by a group of Greek sponge divers. They retrieved numerous artifacts, including bronze and marble statues, pottery, glassware, jewelry, coins, and the mechanism itself, which were transferred to the National Museum of Archaeology in Athens for storage and analysis. The mechanism itself went unnoticed for 2 years: it was a lump of corroded bronze and wood and the museum staff had many other pieces with which to busy themselves.[15] On 17 May 1902, archaeologist Valerios Stais was examining the finds and noticed that one of the pieces of rock had a gear wheel embedded in it. Stais initially believed it was an astronomical clock, but most scholars considered the device to be prochronistic, too complex to have been constructed during the same period as the other pieces that had been discovered. Investigations into the object were soon dropped until Derek J. de Solla Price became interested in it in 1951.[16] In 1971, both Price and a Greek nuclear physicist named Charalampos Karakalos made X-ray and gamma-ray images of the 82 fragments. Price published an extensive 70-page paper on their findings in 1974.[15]
Coins that were found at the site by Jacques Cousteau in the 1970s date the shipwreck to shortly after 85 BC. Inscriptions on the device itself indicate that it was in use for 15 to 20 years before that. The ship carrying the device also contained vases that were in the Rhodian style. Rhodes was a trading port at that time, where the great Greek astronomer Hipparchus was thought to have worked from about 140 BC to 120 BC. After his death, an astronomy school was set up to continue his tradition and there is some speculation that this is where the mechanism originated.[15]
It is not known how it came to be on the cargo ship, but it has been suggested that it was being taken to Rome, together with other treasure looted from the island, to support a triumphal parade being staged by Julius Caesar.[17]
For more information... 



What do you get, when you mix gear driven clocks, computers and stars with ancient history.  The answer is-something that interests me!!!  Who would have believed that something so complex could have existed so long ago?  Hard to believe, isn't it?  Which reminds me of this passage from the book of Matthew...

Matthew, Chapter 13
 53  When Jesus had finished these parables, he departed from there.  54 Coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom, and these mighty works?  55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  56 Aren’t all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?”  57 They were offended by him. 

But Jesus said to them, 
“A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house.”   58 He didn’t do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. 

The people who knew Jesus while he was growing up had difficulty accepting him as a prophet and in a way, that is understandable.  What is commonplace to us is held in no exalted position.  Yet, what if among our everyday existence, something very precious was present without our being aware of it?  The world still seemed the same when the Antikythera mechanism was discovered.  It took some time to discover its true value and appreciate it for what it represented.  The same was true of Jesus in his day and that truth has not changed.  People go about their daily lives, doing what they must, but Jesus is there.... waiting for them to discover him.  Unlike this Greek artifact, Jesus is explained- all you have to do is to retrieve that Bible you have been meaning to read for so long and just do it.  You won't find star charts or astrolabs, but if you take what the scriptures teach to heart, you will find your way to heaven.  Really; what could be better than that?  

From Gary V. Womack... THE SHEPHERD PSALM



THE SHEPHERD PSALM

(23rd Psalm)


David grew up as a shepherd boy, keeping his father's sheep.

When Samuel came to Jesse to find God's choice for Israel's king, after 7 sons were passed over, David was the one He chose.

1 Sam. 16:11 "And Samuel said to Jesse, 'Are all 
                      the young men here?' Then he said, 
                      'There remains yet the youngest, and 
                      there he is, keeping the sheep.' And 
                      Samuel said to Jesse, 'Send and 
                      bring him. For we will not sit down till 
                      he comes here.' "

Before David faced Goliath, he had to convince king Saul of his faith & his bravery & ability based on his experience as a shepherd.

1 Sam. 17:33-40 David took the weapons of a 
                           shepherd and faced Goliath.

David also proved himself as an able musician on his harp.

1 Sam. 16:14-18 David was a skillful player on 
                           the harp.

The final words of David are introduced by this description of him:

2 Sam. 23:1 "Now these are the last words of David.  
                    Thus says David the son of Jesse; 
                    Thus says the man raised up on high, 
                    The anointed of the God of Jacob, And 
                    the sweet psalmist of Israel:



The shepherd psalm -


vs.1 "The Lord is my Shepherd..."

Heb. 13:20-21 "Now may the God of peace who 
                        brought up our Lord Jesus from the 
                        dead, the great Shepherd of the 
                        sheep, through the blood of the 
                        everlasting covenant, (21) make you 
                        complete in every good work to do 
                        His will, working in you what is well 
                        pleasing in His sight, through Jesus 
                        Christ, to whom be glory forever and 
                        ever. Amen."

Jn. 10:1-5 As the Lord's sheep, we recognize His 
                 voice & follow Him.

vs. 1 "...I shall not want."

Mt. 6:25-ff Do not worry, the Lord will provide.

Paul said,

Phil. 4:19 "And my God shall supply all your need 
                 according to His riches in glory by Christ 
                 Jesus."

vs. 2 "He makes me to lie down in green
         pastures;" - of tender grass

         To recline in comfort & contentment 
         amidst abundance.

Eph. 3:14-ff The abundance of God's gifts are 
                    beyond our thinking.

vs. 2 "...He leads me beside the still waters." - 
              cf. troubled waters - peace

Phil. 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything 
                  by prayer and supplication, with 
                  thanksgiving, let your requests be made 
                  known to God; (7) and the peace of 
                  God, which surpasses all understanding, 
                  will guard your hearts and minds through 
                  Christ Jesus."

vs. 3 "He restores my soul;" - to nourish with 
          food of the pasture


vs. 3 "...He leads me in the paths of 
             righteousness for His name's sake."

He won't lead us astray - because of His reputation.

Jn. 14:1-6 Jesus went to prepare a place for us &  
                 told us how to get there.

Prov. 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to a 
                     man, but its end is the way of death."

Isaiah foretold of God's mercy on the Gentiles to lead them:

Isa. 42:16 "I will bring the blind by a way they did 
                 not know; I will lead them in paths they 
                 have not known. I will make darkness 
                 light before them, and crooked places 
                 straight. These things I will do for them, 
                 and not forsake them."

vs. 4 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of  
           the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; 
           For You are with me; Your rod and Your 
           staff, they comfort me."

1 Thess. 4:13-18 Our hope & comfort - Meeting 
                           Christ in the air

vs. 5 "You prepare a table before me in the 
           presence of my enemies;"

Consider the glory that awaits around His heavenly table.

Lk. 12:37 (Jesus) "Blessed are those servants 
                             whom the master, when he 
                             comes, will find watching. 
                             Assuredly, I say to you that he 
                             will gird himself and have them 
                             sit down to eat, and will come 
                             and serve them."

vs. 5 "...You anoint my head with oil; - Kings 
              anointed - chosen - medicinal

Mt. 26:6-13 A woman anointed Jesus with costly 
                   fragrant oil.

vs. 5 "...My cup runs over." - Abundantly 
             satisfied - Full measure

Lk. 6:38 (Jesus) "Give, and it will be given to you 
                         good measure, pressed down, 
                         shaken together, and running over 
                         will be put into your bosom. For 
                         with the same measure that you 
                         use, it will be measured back to 
                         you."

vs. 6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;

On the heels of adversity, goodness & mercy is near to follow.

Rom. 8:18-32 In the midst of trial is hope - and 
                      good follows.

vs. 6 "...and I will dwell in the house of the Lord 
             forever."

Rev. 22:1-5 In the presence of God forever.

From Jim McGuiggan... I HAVE BEEN PERSUADED


I HAVE BEEN PERSUADED

"I have been and am now persuaded!" Paul said that something (Someone) had persuaded him some time earlier and that as he wrote he was still utterly convinced that nothing could separate humans from the love of God that is seen in and as Jesus Christ (Romans 8:38). In a whole series of trenchant denials he lists what might be offered as proofs that God had changed his mind and turned from his commitment to creation. Ten times he says "no!" What about death? Does that not prove that God has turned from us, that in the face of our moral ugliness he has finally and forever walked away? "No, in fact, it was through death, the death of Christ, that God placarded his faithful refusal to abandon us!" What of life with all its dangers and challenges? "Nor that!" What about evil angels? "Nor those!" And what of emperors and such? "Nor those!" And on he goes. Ten times he says no—this man who knew what pain and deprivation and loneliness was—ten times he says no and concludes by saying "and nothing else you could name!" can keep God from us.
He didn’t persuade himself of this! The participle (verbal adjective) is passive. Someone had persuaded him; had made a believer of him. He didn’t use to think that way but now that he had seen the brutal realities of life, day in and day out, he had changed his mind. The participle is also a perfect passive. This means he was persuaded sometime earlier and that that persuaded frame of mind was still with him after all he had seen and heard and felt and experienced!
And if we had made a list of our own that had things in it that weren’t explicit in his he’d have said, "Nor that!" or "Not that either!" He’d have said no until the cows came home because for him, amidst all the teeming number of realities, there was one that was more real than all else—God’s self-disclosure in Jesus Christ.
Had we asked him if he didn’t accept that harsh realities were real, he’d have said, "Oh, they’re real enough. I’ve met them face to face and so have a host besides me. But God is real! And Jesus Christ is real. I look at all those harsh realities, walk around them, pick them up and feel their weight and how solid they are and then I turn and see him watching me. One look at him and the remotest hint of hesitation in me burns away and the adventure continues. I get weary, of course, and I don’t always feel joyful and clear-headed. But that’s part of the adventure, don’t you know. I have the complete awareness that even when I feel these I’m still in the adventure. It’s part of the adventure that you brawl with tough realities. The real secret is to see him and once you’ve seen him, really seen him, there’s no going back. By then he has you and you don’t want to go back. Back to what, for pity’s sake? Back to less than him? That isn’t a real option. Not for people like us."

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Baptism Of Jesus


                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                     The Baptism Of Jesus (1:9-11)

INTRODUCTION

1. The baptism of Jesus by John served a significant role in both of
   their ministries...
   a. It came at the height of John's ministry, after which it began to
      decline
   b. It served as the beginning of Jesus' ministry, which soon overtook
      the ministry of John

2. The baptism of Jesus has often raised two questions...
   a. Why was He baptized?
   b. Does His baptism reveal the purpose for Christian baptism?

[This study will answer these questions, first by reviewing Mark's
account of the baptism of Jesus...]

I. THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

   A. JESUS COMES FROM NAZARETH...
      1. From Nazareth of Galilee -  Mk 1:9a
      2. Located halfway between the Mediterranean coast and the
         southern tip of the Sea of Galilee
      3. Where Jesus grew up - cf. Lk 2:39-52
      -- About a hundred mile journey to where John was baptizing

   B. JESUS IS BAPTIZED BY JOHN...
      1. In the Jordan river - Mk 1:9b
      2. In Bethabara (Bethany) on the east side of the Jordan - cf. Jn 1:28-29
      -- The Greek word (baptizo) indicates that the baptism involved
         immersion

   C. THE SPIRIT DESCENDS ON JESUS...
      1. Immediately, just as Jesus comes up from the water - Mk 1:10a
      2. He saw the heavens parting ("being torn open", ESV) - Mk 1:10b
      3. The Spirit descends like a dove - Mk 1:10c; cf. Lk 3:22 ("in
         bodily form like a dove")
      -- Thus the Holy Spirit bears His testimony of Jesus

   D. THE FATHER SPEAKS OF JESUS...
      1. As a voice from heaven - Mk 1:11a
      2. Proclaiming:  "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well
         pleased" - Mk 1:11b
      -- Thus the Father bears His testimony of Jesus

[With such visual and audible effects, the baptism of Jesus was
certainly a significant event!  It naturally raises several
questions...]

II. QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

   A. WHY WAS JESUS BAPTIZED...?
      1. Not for the same reason other people were being baptized by
         John
         a. Theirs was a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins
            - Mk 1:4
         b. They were confessing their sins - Mk 1:5
         c. Jesus was without sin - He 4:15
      2. Jesus said it was "to fulfill all righteousness" - cf. Mt 3:15
         a. It was God's counsel that people be baptized of John - cf.
            Lk 7:29-30
         b. Jesus was willing to set the right example by doing the
            Father's will, something He delighted to do - cf. Ps 40:
            7-8; Jn 4:34; 8:29
      3. It also served to introduce Him to John and Israel
         a. John had been proclaiming that He was coming - Mk 1:7
         b. John had been told that the Spirit coming upon Jesus would
            be a sign - cf. Jn 1:29-34
      -- He was baptized to do God's will, and to publicly identify Him
         to Israel

   B. DOES HIS BAPTISM EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE OF OUR BAPTISM...?
      1. Many refer to Jesus' baptism to explain the purpose of
         Christian baptism
         a. That baptism has nothing to do with the remission of sins
         b. That baptism is but a public profession of one's faith
         c. That baptism publicly identifies our relation to Christ,
            just as His baptism publicly introduced Him to Israel
      2. However, there is no Biblical connection made between Jesus'
         baptism and our own
         a. Christian baptism is for the remission of sins - Ac 2:38;
            22:16
         b. Christian baptism is a union with Christ in His death - Ro 6:3-7
         c. Christian baptism was often administered in relative privacy
            - Ac 8:35-38; 16:25-34
      -- No Biblical writer suggests that we are baptized for the same
         reason as Jesus

   C. WHAT IS THE IMPORT OF THE SPIRIT AND THE FATHER'S ROLE...?
      1. They certainly bear testimony as to who Jesus is
         a. As the Spirit would do later, via the works Jesus did - Mt 12:28
         b. As the Father would do later, on another occasion - Mt 17:5
      2. They also bear testimony to the nature of the Godhead
         a. I.e., three distinct persons in One God
         b. Though One in substance, there is a distinction to be made
            between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - cf. also Mt 28:
            19; 2Co 13:14; Ep 2:18
      -- Thus we see the unity of the Godhead implied in the baptism of
         Jesus

CONCLUSION

1. With the baptism of Jesus...
   a. He was formally introduced to John, and by him to Israel
   b. The Father and the Spirit audibly and visually confirmed Him as
      the Son of God
   c. Jesus demonstrated His desire to serve and "fulfill all
      righteousness"

2. The baptism of Jesus is certainly significant to Christians...
   a. Not that we are to be baptized for the same reason as He
   b. But certainly in confirming that He was the Messiah
   c. And displaying the attitude that should be true of all His
      disciples ("I have come to do my Father's will")

Jesus did not need baptism because He was without sin; He was baptized
because it was the Father's will for man at that time.  Should we who
are sinners dare hesitate to do the Father's will regarding baptism for
the remission of sins today...? - Mk 16:15-16; Ac 2:38; 22:16


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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