Nov 1, 2013

Reformation Overview - Zwingli and Calvin

Huldrich Zwingli is often forgotten in the remembrance of the reformers because he died early in the movement in a battle with Roman Catholic soldiers.  His followers joined some years later with those of John Calvin.  None of the early reformers were perfect in their ideals, at least as perceived today.  All held strong stances against the Anabaptists, those radical reformers who believed in taking baptism only when you believed, that infant baptism held no effectual power.  In fact Calvin wrote to the King of England encouraging him to burn the Anabaptists at the stake, as the death of a few would save the souls of many.  However they did fight hard to deliver the Bible from it's Roman captivity, and for that we today are most grateful.


Part 2
 


Part 3
 

The Secret Space Program - Richard Dolan

Richard Dolan is one of the greatest researchers of our generation.  In this presentation, he makes the case for a secret space program, one that likely includes aircraft able to leave the atmosphere and enter space thanks to very advanced propulsion technology among other amazing stuff.

Keepers of the Flame: The Reformers

Remembering the Reformation as it "officially" occurred on November 1st, 1517, but not discounting those who paved the way for Luther and Zwingli.  The Waldenses, Wyckliffe, Hus, and many others suffered and often died trying to keep the flame alive and free the Bible from it's captivity in the Roman church.  Thank God we have the Bible today.  Don't take that for advantage.  We may not have them for long...

Fire in the Sky News / Earth in Debris Field! / Huge Fireball PAC.NW

We are seeing compelling evidence that a large field of space rocks is passing by/through us...but from where?  And why? 

Know Your Enemy (Part 32 - The Information War II)

Continuing a look at the reformation and how Satan has always had his disciples focus on controlling "information flow".  This occurs today in the USA where 6 companies control 98% of the market.  Thankfully, the heroes of the reformation set the Bible free from the Roman Church.  This is the rest of the story.

 

Strange October - 2013

I'm pretty sure the Iceland video at the beginning is a hoax, but lots of interesting weather and other events here...

The Theology of the Gospel - P3 - Chris White

Good explanations relating to the work of the Holy Spirit in the ekklesia.

Oct 29, 2013

The First Post-Reformation Missionaries - The Moravian Brethren

I am thoroughly fascinated by church history, and can't pass up this brief cover of Count Zinzendorf and the Moravian Brethren, as they were doing missions long before any of the other early protestant groups. Especially interesting the way they would become connected with those who followed the teachings of Jan Hus, the Bohemian martyr who helped lay the path for Luther in the early 15th century. Good stuff!

The Moravians & Count Zinzendorf
William Carey, considered the "father of modern missions" actually followed the Moravian missionaries. In fact, after reading a Moravian missionary journal (first published in 1790), Carey exclaimed, 'See what these Moravians have done! Can't we Baptists at least attempt something in fealty to the same Lord?'”
 
From The Hand of God in History by Rev. Hollis Read (Philadelphia: John E. Potter and Company, 1870)


The Moravians
The roots of the Moravian Church go back to the reform movement  of John Hus (sometimes spelled Huss), who in turn was inspired by John Wycliffe who first made the English version of the Bible available to ordinary people. An offensive to the Catholic hierarchy, Hus was "burned on the stake" in 1450 (See The Old Rugged Cross):
In the eyes of the church establishment, Hus had committed heresy. He believed that everyone should be allowed to read the Bible in their own language -- an unthinkable notion in a culture that reserved God's Word for elite students of Latin. He also opposed the Pope's money-raising efforts to sell indulgences (the false assurance that people could buy or earn pardon for sin instead of trusting in Christ's redemption through the cross).
 
Hus was "tried" and found guilty. When asked to recant, he refused. Instead he knelt and prayed that God would forgive his accusers. Mocked and humiliated, he was led naked to the stake, where executioners covered him with wood and straw for the torturous fire.
 
Given a last chance to recant, he answered, "In the truth of the Gospel which I have written, taught, and preached I will die today with gladness." Then the fire was lit using pages from the forbidden Bible printed by John Wycliffe as kindling. Enveloped in flames, Hus kept singing an old hymn, "Christ, thou Son of the living God, have mercy upon me." He died praising the Lord He loved!

Like their teacher, the followers of Hus in Bohemia based their fellowship on the Bible. Even Martin Luther expressed his appreciation for their understanding of salvation by faith, "church discipline," and loving expressions of "the priesthood of all believers." 
Their fellowship grew rapidly and spread into Moravia. But with their growth came persecution. Fueled by the Hapsburg emperors, the Catholic Counter Reformation became more militant, and many Hussite churches were destroyed. As persecution intensified, they were forced to hide. In 1722, some of the Moravian Hussites sought freedom in Saxony, Germany. They were welcomed by Count Zinzendorf, who offered them land and shelter -- and helped them establish a Christian village dedicated to God and His work around the world.  Here, in a foreign land and among unfamiliar people, they became known as "the Moravians." 
Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf 
Nikolaus Ludwig lost his father early. When his mother remarried, the little Count was left with his beloved Lutheran grandmother who spent much time in study and prayer with her precious grandson. The little boy was heartbroken when he finally had to leave her mansion in Saxony (part of Germany) for elite boarding schools where genuine Christian faith was ridiculed.  
His training for courtly life was made even more miserable by various mentors assigned to make sure that their young trainee stayed on course, learned proper court manners -- including ballroom dancing and superficial discourse.  Serious Christianity clashed with their plan.  
Yet, the young Count kept longing for freedom to follow God and serve Him with his life.  That opportunity soon came knocking.  So when two refugees from persecution in Moravia arrived at his estate, he gladly welcomed them and offered them refuge in a small village on his property. They sent the good news back to their "brethren" in Moravia, and soon the village -- renamed Hernhut (the Lord's Watch) -- became a shelter for oppressed Hussites, Anabaptists, Lutherans and many others who embraced salvation by faith alone.  
When Satan sowed jealousy and conflict in their midst, Zinzendorf and his small family (his wife would eventually bear 12 children, out of which only 3 survived) left their mansion to teach and live in the village with the people they loved. 
Using the Bible as his only instruction book, Zinzendorf began to established a community devoted to prayer, praise, Bible study, and mutual edification.  Continual prayer would rise to God as the people took turns praying each hour, day and night -- a discipline that would continue for 200 years. The fruit of the new obedience to God's Word were hearts filled with praise -- and a readiness to serve God and share the gospel wherever God might send them.  
In 1731, Zinzendorf was invited to Denmark for the coronation of a new king. In the midst of the pomp and ceremony, God opened a door that would change hearts and nations around the world. During a dinner at the Danish palace, Zinzendorf was served by a Christian slave -- now named Anthony -- from the Danish West Indies. In their book, Count Zinzendorf, Janet and Geoff Benge describe their conversation:
"Tell me, how did you come to hear of Christ?” Ludwig asked.
     Surprised that one of the dinner guests would ask him questions of a personal nature, Anthony answered, “I first heard of Christ when I was on the ship coming to Europe.”
     “What do you mean ‘first heard of’?' Ludwig asked. “St. Thomas has been ruled by European countries for many years. Surely you must have heard of Jesus Christ before then.... Tell me, how is it that you could live on a Christian island and not know about Christ Jesus?”
     “Perhaps a story will help you understand, sir,” Anthony replied. “When I was a child, a slave who was a coach driver drove his master to church. While the service was going on inside, the slave was expected to wait with the carriage. But this slave became curious. The church doors were closed, so he crept up to them and put his ear to the door to hear what was being said inside. Someone saw him and reported him to his master.... The slave owner took out a knife and cut off his ears right there on the church steps.”
      Ludwig felt his stomach turn as he pictured such a gruesome act, on the steps of a church no less.
      “You need to understand that the white people on Saint Thomas do not want their slaves to hear about Jesus Christ. They fear that the message will fill their heads with new ideas and cause them to rebel.'"
Filled with compassion, Zinzendorf invited Anthony to come and share his testimony at Hernhut. The former slave accepted, and his message stirred in the Moravians a deep commitment to go wherever God would send them. A year later, after much prayer and preparation, two Moravians were chosen and sent as the first missionaries to the West Indies.
Into All the World
 
In August 1732, the two "brethren" left for St. Thomas.  Zinzendorf drove them fifteen miles in his horse carriage, but from then on, they had none other than God to trust for daily provision. He proved His faithfulness, and they soon found a ship headed for the West Indies. There God gave the strength to endure some painful "opportunities" to share in the torments of slaves -- and thus gain their trust and attention.
 
The next set of Moravian missionaries were called to Greenland.  They learned the language of the Eskimos and lived among them. The following report shows how one Moravian shared the gospel:
"As John Beck sat in his tent translating the Gospels into the native tongue, a group of Eskimos gathered round him. They asked him about his work, and he began, as he had often tried before, to open up the questions of dogmatic theology with them. But they turned away. And then in an inspired moment, John Beck slowly read the verses he had just translated from St. Matthew’s account of the Agony in Gethsemane: 'He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. And He fell on His face and prayed, saying, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me.' Where argument had failed, the story of the Suffering Saviour prevailed – a lesson the Moravian missionaries never forgot."
Other Moravian missionaries were sent to Africa, South America, American Indians, Asia.... They faced murderous hostility and deadly diseases, but God's love spread wherever they went. And when a message came back to Hernhut that two or five or twelve of their brethren had died, the same number would volunteer to replace those selfless martyrs in their battlefield.
 
God reigned -- and these faithful servants could say with the apostle Paul, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!" Philippians 1:29.
Eventually John Wesley would be "born again" through the ministry of a Moranian church on Aldersgate Street in London. To gain more encouragement, Wesley traveled to Hernhut and spent months with the Moravians, sharing their lives of worship, teaching and service. 
 
In 1739, Zinzendorf wrote the words of the hymn below. The following year it was translated from German into English by John Wesley.
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousnessMy beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.


The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb,
Who from the Father’s bosom came,
Who died for me, e’en me to atone,
Now for my Lord and God I own.

Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.

When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.

Jesus, the endless praise to Thee,
Whose boundless mercy hath for me—
For me a full atonement made,
An everlasting ransom paid.

 
See also Zinzendorf's poem, A Prayer for Purity
 

 
Like King David, God's beloved shepherd/king -- "a man after My own heart" (Acts 13:20) -- Count Zinzendorf was severely tempted. But unlike David, he didn't commit adultery or murder. Satan didn’t lure him into the usual worldly sins. Instead, he appealed to Zinzendorf’s zeal for God, and prompted him to go beyond Biblical boundaries in his teaching. So, for a season of time, God’s servant embraced a feeling-based form of mysticism. When confronted, he repented under the burden of God-given conviction.
 
The prayer of David's heart may well be an expression of Zinzendorf's heart as well:
I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,'
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin....
 
"You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance." (Ps 32:5, 7)

Palestinian president hopes to use pen from pope to sign peace treaty

As rumors continue, it appears a peace deal has been arranged to be signed in the spring of 2014.  The prophesied third temple should not be far behind...
 By Cindy WoodenCatholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis gave Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a fancy pen as a gift, and Abbas told the pope, "I hope to sign the peace agreement with Israel with this pen."

Pope Francis responded with his hope that the agreement would be reached "soon, soon."

The exchange took place Oct. 17 in the papal library after the pope and Palestinian president had spent almost half an hour meeting privately.

Abbas had given the pope a Bible and a framed scene of Bethlehem, West Bank. The pope gave Abbas a framed scene of the Vatican along with the pen, "because you obviously have many things to sign," which is when Abbas spoke about his hopes to sign a peace treaty.

A Vatican statement about Abbas' meeting with the pope and a later meeting with the Vatican foreign minister, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, said, "The reinstatement of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians" was a topic in both conversations.

"The parties expressed their hope that this process may bear fruit and enable a just and lasting solution to be found to the conflict," it said. "Hope was expressed that the parties to the conflict will make courageous and determined decisions in order to promote peace" and that the international community would support their efforts. The U.S.-mediated talks began in July.

The Vatican statement did not mention Pope Francis' possible trip to the Holy Land, although when Abbas greeted Archbishop Mamberti he told him that he had invited the pope to visit. Abbas' delegation also included the mayor of Bethlehem, which likely would be on the itinerary of a papal trip.

In April, Israeli President Shimon Peres also invited the pope, and Israeli media have been reporting that a papal visit is expected in the spring. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced Oct. 16 that the prime minister would meet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome Oct. 23 and meet the pope during the same trip.

The Vatican statement on Abbas' meetings said the pope and Palestinian leader also discussed the ongoing war in Syria and expressed their hopes that "dialogue and reconciliation may supplant the logic of violence as soon as possible."

The two also discussed the work underway on a Vatican-Palestinian agreement regulating "several essential aspects of the life and activity of the Catholic Church in Palestine," as well as the situation of Christian communities in the Palestinian territories and the contributions Christians make to society throughout the Middle East.


Read more at - http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1304368.htm

The Sun Greets Ison With a Broadside

Get your daily ISON fix right here... courtesy of BPEarthwatch

Know Your Enemy (Part 31 - The Information War)

I'm re-playing this section of The Fuel Projects "Know Your Enemy" series as it covers what the reformation accomplished, most significantly freeing the Bible from the chains of the Roman Church and getting into the common folk in their own language.  People could see they didn't need a pope or priest to take communion or confess their sins.  In other words, the reformation set the gospel free.

 

The Life and Times of Martin Luther

Life and Times of Saint Martin Luther


 
Oct. 31 is the 488 anniversary of the greatest event since the founding of Christianity.
The 4 greatest events of the past 1000 years were:
Invention of printing by Gutenberg in 1455
Discovery of the New World by John Cabot in 1494
The Reformation of Saint Martin Luther in 1517
 
Fall of the Papal States in 1870

Saint Martin Luther (1483-1546).
 
Gutenberg Printing Press. God's Gift to Luther.
Gutenberg Printing Press. God's gift to Saint Martin to enable him to throw lots of ink at the devil!!
Just 30 years before the birth of Luther, Johann Gutenberg invented printing from movable type—the greatest discovery in the history of the world. It enabled Saint Martin to throw a lot of ink at the devil!!
The Reason for the Reformation!!
Around 60 A.D., the Apostle Paul gave one of the greatest prophecies in the entire Bible. He predicted a great falling away or apostasy from Christianity before the end of the world. This was not to be a falling away into atheism or agnosticism but a corruption of the true Gospel by the Man of Sin sitting in the Temple of God. This wolf in sheep's clothing; a Lamb with the mouth of a Dragon; would sit in the Temple of God and call himself God. In the New Testament, the Temple of God always refers to Christ's true Congregation. St. Paul said:
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away FIRST, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
              Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
And now ye know what withholdeth (restrains) that he might be revealed in his time. 
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness"(II Thess. chapter 2).
No one can deny the fulfillment of this great prophecy of the Bible and that the Papacy has been around since the time of Pope Constantine and is STRONG DELUSION indeed!!
 
The Word of God and the believers in Christ were hindering the manifestation of the Man of Sin!!
According to the Apostle Paul, the believers KNEW perfectly well what was withholding or restraining the manifestation of the Man of Sin. It was no mystery to them. Jesus had already told them that they were the LIGHT of the world and the SALT of the earth (Matt. ch. 5).
 
By the time of Saint Martin Luther, the Bible was a RARE book. The only "bible" available was the corrupt Latin Vulgate version which included corrupt words like priest, charity, church, etc. etc.

By the time of the Reformation, true Christianity was almost extinct after the long dark night of the Dark Ages. The Congregations founded by St. Patrick and St. Columba were virtually non existent along with the Waldensians; Albigensians; Wycliffites, Hussites and Nestorians etc. etc.

Age long Inquisitions had virtually destroyed the Temple of God and the Papacy had her foot firmly planted on the Old World . . . and was about to corrupt the entire New World . . . when the Son of God rescued His Congregation by raising up a humble miner's son to rebuild the ruined edifice and bring down the Man of Sin.
Birth of Saint Martin Luther at Eisleben, Germany
Birth place of Martin Luther
Birth-place of Saint Martin Luther - (the third house on right-hand side).
 
The great Dr. Luther was  born in the town of Eisleben, Germany, on November 10, 1483. His parents were John and Margaret Luther. Inside the house is this inscription:
In this house Dr. Martin Luther was born, the 10th of November 1483. God's Word is Luther's lore; which abides for evermore.
Boyhood of Saint Martin Luther
The Luther's were very poor and young Martin (like St. Columba), was gifted with a great voice. Many times he literally had to sing for his supper!! An angel of mercy Frau Ursula Cotta often shared the family meal with him.
Luther house in Eisenach
Luther grew up in this house in Eisenach, Germany.
Luther as a boy by Prof. Lindenschmidt.
Luther as a boy by Prof. Lindenschmidt.
The Luther's were very poor and young Martin (like St. Columba), was gifted with a great voice. Many times he literally had to sing for his supper!! An angel of mercy Frau Ursula Cotta often shared the family meal with him.
 
Less than 10 years after the birth of Luther, a New World was discovered by John Cabot. God knew that Luther's Reformation would be mightily assailed by Satan in Europe so He had a new Continent prepared for the Reformed Christians.
Saint Martin Luther discovered the Bible!!
Luther's discovery of the Bible
Luther's discovery of the Bible.
 Luther had a near miss with lightening and almost got killed. That is why he decided to become a monk. By forsaking the world and hiding himself in a monastery the monk believed that he was serving God. He soon learned that the thick walls do not keep out the lusts which burn within. 

He was deeply troubled that all his fasts, whippings, vigils, penances etc., etc. were unavailing in giving him peace within.

One day he accidentally discovered the Bible in an old dusty attic in the monastery.

The corrupt Jerome version of the Bible was locked up in the Latin tongue which only scholars could understand. Fortunately, Martin excelled in the study of Latin . . . and Greek.
 
Saint Martin Luther was appointed Professor of Theology in 1508
Saint Martin was such brilliant student that he soon surpassed all the others in zeal and learning. He was appointed professor of Theology in 1508.
Augustinian monastery
Augustinian Monastery.
Luther was appointed Professor of Theology at this Augustinain Monastery at Wittenberg, in the fall of 1508.  
Saint Martin Luther visited Rome!!
The young and naive monk visited the city of Rome 1510. Imagine his shock when he found out that holy Rome was actually unholy Rome:
Pantheon at Rome
The Pantheon at Rome.
 Luther made a visit to the unholy city in 1510. While climbing Pilate's Staircase on his knees to do penance for his sins he heard a voice like thunder say:

"The just shall live by faith"
 
At that time the new Cathedral of St. Peter's was under construction and money was desperately needed. This is what started the Indulgences scandal. Luther said later about his visit to Rome:
"I myself" he declares, "have heard people say openly in the streets of Rome, "If there be a hell, Rome is built on it."
"Salvation for sale" sparked the blessed Reformation!!
That the free gift of God should be bought and sold like a commodity in the marketplace aroused the ire of Saint Martin Luther. Indulgence seller Tetzel would approach a town and beat loudly on a DRUM to summons the people. Then he would proceed to offer his license to sin for money. When Luther heard of his approach to Wittenberg he said: :
"I'll put a hole in his drum."
Big business! A typical market day scene in Germany before the Reformation.
Big business! A typical market day scene in Germany before the Reformation.
License to sin. Copy of the infamous Indulgence by Tetzel.
License to sin. Copy of the infamous Indulgence by Tetzel.
The Sale of Indulgences was started by Pope Alexander Borgia in the year 1500.
The keys are actually the keys of the SAFE or the STRONG BOX.
This is what sparked the Reformation. The Pope desperately needed money to build St. Peter's in Rome. Forgiveness of sins was offered for a price —murder, adultery, lying, theft, swearing etc., etc. You could even buy forgiveness for future sins. . . . Salvation was bought  and sold like any common marketplace commodity. That the Gift of God could be treated so contemptuously was the last straw for Luther. 
Handwriting on the door
Handwriting on the door. Oct. 31, 1517.

 
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X. (1513 - 1521).
Leo thundered at Saint Martin and ordered him to appear at Rome with 60 days!!
The Burning of Babylon commences!!
Roman Emperor Leo X., roared at Luther and sent him a Bull of Excommunication ordering him to appear at Rome within 60 days to recant . . . or face a fiery death.
The burning of Babylon commences.
The burning of Babylon commences.
 Flames consume the Papal Bull of Excommunication. Luther ignored this Papal thunder and on Dec. 10, 1520, outside the gates of Wittenberg, he burnt the Papal Bull;, the Decretals of Clement VI., the Summa Angelica, the Chrysposus of Dr. Eck etc., etc.
By this brave act Luther formally excommunicated the Pope. Since that fateful day, the fire of God's wrath has never ceased to consume Babylon the Great.
Elector Frederick the "Wise" protected Saint Martin Luther

Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony.
 Frederick the "Wise", Elector of Saxony, was the founder of the University of Wittenberg. He protected Saint Martin Luther Luther from the wrath of the Pope. Read his famous dream on the night before Oct. 31.
Saint Martin Luther at Worms
City of Worms
City of Worms.
 Site of the famous Diet of Worms held in 1521. Here Luther defended his writings before the Emperor Charles and all the dignitaries of the Empire. Here he made his timeless reply when asked if he would recant his writings:
I cannot submit my faith either to the Pope or to the Councils, because it is clear as day they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless therefore, I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture . . . I can and will not retract . . . Here I stand . . . I can do no other. So help me God, Amen!!
During Luther's stay at Worms, the Spanish soldiers of Emperor Charles made no small commotion. They were especially interested in finding and destroying all copies of Luther's book: The Babylonian Captivity of the Congregation!!
Babylonian Captivity of the Congregation!!
Cover of the book: Babylonian Captivity of the Church by Martin Luther.
 The Babylonian Captivity of the Congregation written by Saint Martin Luther in 1520. In that book he compared the previous 1000 years of Roman domination of the Christian Congregation to the 70 year Babylonian Captivity of the Jews in Babylon.

Of course he did recognize that the end of the Captivity was at hand and that the countdown to the Second Coming of Christ had begun.

Satan knew the signs of the times however. When Saint Martin was at Worms defending his writings; the Spanish soldiers went from house to house confiscating and burning copies of the book.
 
Emperor Charles V fights the Reformation . . . and is defeated!!
Emperor Charles V.
Emperor Charles V. (1500-1558).
 Emperor Charles V., ruler of the first of the 4 world Empires. His sceptre swayed over the largest Empire in the history of the world. Luther's sword was sharper than his. Luther told him that if he fought God's Reformation he would lose everything. . . . He died a bitter and defeated man.
Saint Martin Luther translates the Bible into German
Luther was put under the Ban of the Empire. His friends, fearing for his safety, kidnapped him and carried him off to the Wartburg Castle.
Luther carried off  to the Wartburg.
Luther carried off  to the Wartburg.
 Under the assumed name of Junker Geoge, Saint Martin began to translate the New Testament from Greek to German.
This he accomplished in the remarkable time of only a few weeks.

Trouble in Wittenberg caused him to leave the castle and return home where he later finished the translation of the Old Testament.
Saint Martin Luther threw an inkwell at the devil!!
Luther's study at the Wartburg.
Luther's study at the Wartburg.
 This is where the famous incident with the inkwell took place. Luther had just begun his memorable translation of the Bible into German. 
                  
Satan saw the handwriting on the wall and was furious. His demons gave him no rest day or night. . . . At last Luther took his inkwell and threw it at the devil! The mark is still to be seen on the wall. God's Word translated into German gave the devil a fatal wound.
 
German translation was the best in the world!!
The German translation of the Holy Scriptures was the best and most accurate translation since the Latin Italic version of 150 A.D. All the other version are copies of that masterpiece.
Luther's study at Wittenberg
Luther's study at Wittenberg
 In 1522, Saint Martin returned to Wittenberg. This is where he completed his extraordinary translation of the Bible. The King James Bible is 75 per cent the work of English Reformer William Tyndale. Tyndale visited Luther here and Tyndale copied a lot from Luther. Even the notes on the margin of Tyndale's Bible are exactly the same as Luther's translation. He also had a tremendous influence on the Spanish translation as most educated Spaniards spoke German.
It's no fun to be a nun!!
Young girls were enticed to enter the convent thinking that they could escape from the corrupt world and become brides of Christ. Imagine their horror when they discovered that they were required to become priests' lovers and bear their children. Of course escape was impossible and many died horrible deaths within the gloomy walls of the convent.
The blessed Reformation ended that nightmare in England and Germany.
Luther's wife ex-nun Katharina von Bora as a bride.
Luther's wife ex-nun Saint Katharina von Bora as a bride.
 Saint Martin was very reluctant to marry because of his precarious existence as an outlaw under the Ban of the Empire. Any day he expected to be arrested and burned alive.

He found husbands for all the rescued nuns except Saint Katharina. Saint Katharina would have no husband except Saint Martin and so they were united in holy matrimony.
Luther rescued this beautiful flower from the gloomy, concealed life of a convent because he knew that it was no fun to be a nun. She became his wife in 1525; was a real helper in the work of the Reformation, and became a joyful mother of 4 children.
Saint Martin Luther was a latter day Nehemiah!!
In the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament, Nehemiah was the prophet who led the Jews back from Babylon to Jerusalem. Nehemiah re-built the ruined Temple and re-established the worship of JEHOVAH after the Babylonian Captivity.
Luther preaching by Schnorr.
Saint Martin preaching the Word by German artist Schorr.
 Luther is known as the "Prince of Preachers." He knew how to keep the hell bound spellbound. His sermons alone total over 100 volumes. Luther was another Nehemiah who rebuilt the Jewish Temple after the Babylonian Captivity. The two men are almost carbon copies of each other. You can read about him in the Old Testament. Nehemiah punched one of the Jews in the face because he refused to leave his heathen wife. Luther never punched anybody . . . but he sure laid the Papacy low with his preaching and pen!!

Luther threw plenty of ink at the devil. During his brief lifetime as a Reformer; he published over 100 volumes and thousands of sermons. His translation of the Old Testament into German was a Homer task.
Saint Martin Luther's last words!!
Luther's home going was on the morning of February 18, 1546. These are his last words:
"Standing over Luther's tomb, you recall the story of his death at Eisleben. He had arrived there on the 28th of January, 1546, and although very unwell, he took part in the conferences which ensued up to the 17th of February. He also preached four times, and revised the ecclesiastical regulations for the territory of Mansfeld. On the 17th he was so ill that the Counts entreated him not to quit his house. At supper, on the same day, he spoke a great deal about his approaching death; and some one having asked him whether we should recognise one another in the next world, he said he thought we should. "I feel very weak," he exclaimed, "and my pains are worse than ever. If I could manage to sleep for half an hour, I think it would do me good." He did fall asleep, and remained in gentle slumber for an hour and a half. On awaking about eleven he asked, "What! are you still there? Will you not go and rest yourselves?" On their replying that they would remain, he began to cry with fervour, "‘Into Thy hands I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth’ Pray, all of you, dear friends, for the Gospel of our Lord; pray that its reign may extend, for the Council of Trent and the Pope menace it round about." He then slumbered about an hour.

When he awoke, he remarked, "I feel very ill. I think I shall remain here at Eisleben, here—where I was born." He walked almost the room, and then lay down, and had a number of clothes and cushions placed over him to produce perspiration; but they had not the desired effect. "O my Father!" he went on to pray, "Thou, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ; Thou, the source of all consolation, I thank Thee for having revealed unto me Thy well-beloved Son, in whom I believe; whom I have preached and acknowledged, and made known; whom I have loved and celebrated, and whom the Pope and the impious persecute. I commend my soul to Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ I am about to quit this terrestrial body, I am about to be removed from this life; but I know that I shall abide eternally with Thee. ‘Into thy hands I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.’"His eyes closed, and he fell back in a swoon. When he revived, Jonas said to him, "Reverend father, do you die firm in the faith you have taught?" He opened his eyes, looked fixedly, and replied, "Yes." Soon after, those nearest saw him grow paler and paler; he became cold; his breathing seemed more and more faint; at length, heaving one deep sigh, Martin Luther expired."
Saint Martin Luther final resting place in Wittenberg, Germany

Town Hall and Stadt Kirche, Wittenberg.
 
 This the final resting place of Saint Martin Luther until that soon coming great Resurrection Morning.
Will you be joining him???
Battle Hymn of the Reformation.

Oct 28, 2013

Martin Luther and the Reformation

What Luther did (or at least is credited with doing) on November 1st, 1517, changed the course of church history for Christianity.  Luther, Zwingli and later Calvin didn't exactly change everything, as political considerations that kept them safe and able to preach and write had a strong effect on their interpretations of Christian life and sacraments.  However, Luther's awareness that the "just are saved by faith" (Romans 1:17) changed the course of his life and millions to follow.  All Christian churches that are neither Roman nor Orthodox owe their beginnings to the Protestant Reformation.  So, in honor of their work, praise God for the movement led by Martin Luther!

Gospel Of John - The Movie Part 8

After this encounter with the religious leaders of the Jews (John 8), Jesus would not speak to the people directly any more.  He only spoke to the people in parables after this encounter, that those who would reject Him would face a lesser judgment. 

Numbers Prove God

October 26, 2013 4 Comments


By: Jay

When considering the question of “proofs” for the existence of God, the history of argumentation has often been lacking.  The dialectical relationship of the empirical/materialist tradition debating with the idealist/Platonic tradition is a perennial feature of the history of western philosophy.  Modern “New Atheists,” for example, are eager to pounce on flaws in the so-called “classical proofs,” as if these were the b-all, end-all of the question of rational certainty for the divine.
 
The chief problems with the “classical proofs” are that: 1) They do not prove what they set out to prove insofar as they are (classically) based on an empirical theological method that stems primarily from Aquinas, 2) The arguments themselves are non sequitur, where the starting points of the proofs do not logically necessitate the conclusions, and 3) The philosophical and theological assumptions implicit in the arguments are not consistent with the theological beliefs about God in the biblical system.  These three majors flaws have led to centuries of debates that were often fruitless and have allowed overly confident pseudo-philosophers and “scientists” to presume that these matters are bound up with medieval superstitions that were heroically suppressed and refuted by the rationalists of the Enlightenment era.
 
Ironically, this narrative itself is a modern mythos presented by the “New Atheists” and the average run-of-the-mill academicians.  The modern materialist apologists are themselves buried in a faux dialectic that ignores, suppresses and misses the real issues at hand.   It should also be remembered that ancient and medieval thinkers had not asked questions that would later be raised, and in particular, I’m thinking of more foundational philosophical questions that never entered the mind of the medieval man.  Areas of philosophy and physics that developed in the modern world, like subatomic research, phenomenology and linguistic and semiotic research were not within their purview (obviously).
 
With such being the case, we can assess that the classical proofs are not necessarily terrible, but flawed due to the fact that they were posited with certain presuppositions.  But what happens when, over time, philosophy and science (and theology) questions those assumptions, and asks how do we make sense of these principles themselves.   For example, all medieval thinkers utilized Ancient Greek principles of logic and geometry.   Numbers, logic, and geometric forms were assumed to be the case: It never entered Roger Bacon’s or Photios of Constantinople’s mind to ask, “How is it possible for logic and numbers to be.”
 
In other words, the medieval mind didn’t consider things from a meta perspective.  There is logic, but what about metalogic?  Logic functions, but is there a higher level logic to logic?  What are the necessary conditions for the possibility of logic to be at all?  One could probably trace out a deeper connection between the artistic forms that were created in different periods and the development of 3d perspectivalism on a 2d surface, compared with the philosophical and scientific questions that began to be asked in that period.  Were the developments in optics and the study of light influential on the Renaissance portrayal of 3d perspectives?  I’m sure they were.   However, it had not entered the mind of medieval man to think in meta or transcendental categories.

It is true that ancient and medieval man posited transcendental arguments: Aristotle presents one for the law of non-contradiction, as well as filling out a more specific consideration of the different categories, which do match up in certain ways to Kant’s categories, so it’s not correct to say the medievals had no idea of what a “transcendental” was, or what a transcendental kind of argument was.   It is correct to say they did not consider the various sciences and arts from the perspective of how they are possible – what the necessary conditions for the possibility of those things to be were.  When the secular scientistic revolution occurred asking a lot of these questions, western Theism marched confidently along professing the same old, tired arguments that were unprepared to meet the level of questioning the revolutionaries were asking.  Western theology was ill-equipped due to its own assumptions about God’s existence being strictly the same as His essence, Actus Purus, an absolutely simple monad, with all human predicates equalling the divine ousia itself.

Given those kinds of theological presuppositions, it was impossible to meet the onslaught of Humes and philosophes that were merely forcing the western theological assumptions to be consistent.  If God is an absolutely simple First Cause, and this (and the other “proofs”) is the extent of the “rational” evidence for His existence, then it doesn’t follow from that premise that the God presented in the Bible is that Deity.  Perhaps the First Cause is the impersonal Being of Greek thought.  Perhaps the First Cause is the theism presented in Mohammedanism.  Perhaps it is an unknown First Cause of the Enlightenment deists.  It should be evident that this argumentation as presented is useless (and actually harmful) to anyone who professes the Bible in whatever capacity, since these views are not the Biblical view, especially since Thomists, Muslims, Deists and Greek philosophers have all used this  bad argumentation.

When Etienne Gilson, the famous medievalist expounds the “I AM” of Exodus in Thomistic fashion, it is explained according to Greek philosophy, where God is revealing Himself as “Pure Being.”  Eastern patristics had similar statements, but never went on to conclude that meant God was synonymous with His existence.  And they refrained from that precisely because they knew that equating the divine essence with the absolutely simple Monad of Platonism resulted in all the same difficulties of Platonism.  So with that background, I’d like to proceed to my own reformulation of the transcendental argument in terms of the question of numbers and predication.

Delving into ancient mathematics in my graduate class on Aristotle’s metaphysics, the question of number was a crucial theme.  Both Aristotle and Plato have an important place for mathematics, and both give two famously different approaches to how invariant numerical entities relate to the objects in our realm of time and flux.  Thus, the question of numerical entities was of peculiar interest to the ancient Greeks who, according to Plato’s Timaeus, inherited their mystical and Pythagorean notions from Egyptian esoterism.  It is also in the Timaeus that we are presented with an almost miraculous knowledge of the structure of miniscule reality (Platonic solids), seemingly impossible, given the technology of that time!  Back to the argument – it occurred to me that in considering the transcendental argument for God, an overlooked, yet crucial component of this approach is the issue of numbers themselves.   For those that are well-read in Maximos the Confessor and Philip Sherrard, an even deeper insight comes to the fore.

Any time we predicate something of an object, we utilize principles and categories.  This is unavoidable and one of the things we assume is mathematical entities.  All created reality can be categorized according to unity and difference.  Thus, one and many are assumed in anything and everything.  When I say, “That table,” I am assuming a special unity of a specific object in my experience that is distinguished in that act by all other objects of perception.  One is therefore assumed in any act of predication or communication.  But “1″ itself is not just a token symbol or sociological development, it is an actual objective principle, which is made evident by the fact that predication, communication and mathematics can be done across cultures and over time.  If it were not invariant and objective, it would be subject to change like all material things.

“1″ is not just 1.  1 is also infinitely divisible.  Even Xeno was aware of the possibility that space could potentially be divided infinitely, and the result of this is that infinity is actually present at every point.  When I say “point” here, I am referring to the Pythagorean and Platonic idea of the monad or point in geometric space and/or time.   The 1 is therefore not merely 1, since it can be divided infinitely, it also encompasses an infinite potentiality within itself, as well as infinite potential relations to all other unities or objects.  This is a peculiar problem for materialists especially, because for a materialist with the standard empiricist assumptions, the only “rational” thing to acknowledge is whatever can be (supposedly) retained from immediate sense experience.  But even back to Berkeley’s time, it was posited that infinity is surely a mathematical reality, yet no one has a direct sensuous experience of anything infinite.

So how can we assume something that is present at every point, as well as in every act of predication, that is completely a fiction?  In other words, not only is there a transcendental unity of an object that must be assumed for anything in our world to make sense or for communication to be possible, 1 itself necessitates the infinity of other numbers.  Does not 1 contain .1, .2, etc?  Of course it does, and as I showed in my Egyptian metaphysics paper, the basic energetic structure of our world seems to operate on that binary mathematical principle of I, 0, or energy/being and non-being.  This means that predication necessitates 1, which necessitates not only that “1,” but all other numbers, too, unless someone wanted to be so absurd as to say that only “1″ exists, while 2, 3, etc., are illusory (which would be impossible, since 2, 3, etc., are made up of combined 1s: 1 + 1 = 2).

 


Read the full article at - http://jaysanalysis.com/2013/10/26/numbers-prove-god/#comments

Fire in the Sky News/Sky explodes over NM! And ISON Update

Updates from the last 24 hours from Mr. MBB333, who is kind enough to do the daily Fire in the Sky updates.  Much appreciated!


And from a day earlier - Fire in the Sky News/"Heard a loud BOOM!"/4 Comets!  

 

ISON and the Sun - Things are Heating Up

Two videos together from BPEarthwatch.http://www.youtube.com/user/BPEarthWatch?feature=watch  The Sun is showing some eccentric behavior with massive eruptions wrapped around days of quiet.  Meanwhile, ISON is getting closer by the day...