Posted on 12/25/2015 2:41:05 PM PST by Arthur McGowan
"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Cool
How backwards we have gotten it that we need *scientific proof* to validate the written word of God.
Like now we can have confidence in it because science proved it so.
God is not validated by science. On the contrary, Jesus did His miracles to validate His message. He appealed to that which man could not verify or explain to validate His message.
You have created a Straw Man. Nobody has said that we need this investigation in order to have faith.
Everything—including scientific data—that makes the gospel more credible to more people, is to be applauded.
Those who use Straw Man arguments are intellectually dishonest. Our Lord does not need our lies, said St. Augustine. Intellectual dishonesty is lying.
I see you missed the point I was making.
So the thinking is that now we can be SURE it's true cause *science* supports it? Really?
Who are people trusting then? Man or God?
It's backwards to say that now we can be sure of God because man said so. Our confidence is in the wrong thing if we trust more in a man-made philosophical construct than the written word of God.
I didn’t miss your point. You are beating up on a Straw Man. All you are doing is repeating the same points.
In order to CARE where the star appeared in the sky, one has to ALREADY believe that the gospel account is true. In order to LOOK at the correct dates and locations, one has to believe already that the gospels describe accurately what the Magi observed.
This particular scientific investigation has thrown new light on what the gospel is SAYING. In other words, our understanding of both the gospels and Revelation has been IMPROVED by this investigation. Our understanding of what the Scriptures are saying has massively improved through intellectual pursuits.
Anti-intellectualism is fundamentally anti-God and anti-Christian. As is intellectual dishonesty.
I have watched this numerous times and have shown it to others and it made quite an impression. It’s the best explanation I’m aware of by far of the star.
Wonderful.
Staggering.
And yet, unsurprising in some sense, because of the absolute greatness of our God.
Thanks.
It gives a glimpse into the omniscience of God.
It reinforces my conviction that there are no other rational corporeal beings in the universe. The human race was brought into existence so that God could become incarnate. Why do it twice?
His omnipotence too. Big time.
Everything was planned in the minutest detail from the very beginning.
I will watch the video later, but as someone involved in the sciences, I believe that science ultimately leads to truth. And God is truth.
Our pastor on Christmas eve talked about how God can change anyone’s life cycle of destruction, in the form of belief of the baby King Jesus. Even a bunch of pagans that believed in astrology! (Although I’m not sure that reference to the “Wise Men” is quite accurate or fair). Even the Bible tells us to look for wonders in the sky iirc.
Regardless - if the Wise Men could figure it out, I’m guessing we have the tools at our disposal to make some reasonable conclusions on what happened.
Bump for later
Mat 2:2 saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."
Mat 2:3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
Again?
Sure we do!!
And their NAMES; too!!!
Remember; it wasn’t Protestants that made a lot of this stuff up!
Head to the wilds of Utah (Goblin Valley would be good) to see stars as they are.
Clear air, a warm campfire and extremely low light pollution makes for a wondrous experience for city folks who have been blindered by technology.
And they were NOT at any stable; either!
We once camped at the bottom of Mariscal Canyon on the Rio Grande in Big Bend national Park. At that point, the canyon is 1400 ft deep, with sheer cliffs on either side of the river.
The result is a restricted "slot" view of the heavens, with the stars being especially bright due to the high clear air and the absence of light pollution. Under these conditions, the "movement" of the stars is quite apparent.
Peregrine falcons also nest in the canyon walls at this point. To hear their eerie "skree" echo in the canyon is a memorable experience.
HMMMmmm...
Matthew 2
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5" In Bethlehem in Judea,"Â they replied, for this is what the prophet has written:
6 "But you, Bethlehem , in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel."
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Thje king sent them to Bethlehem, but the text does NOT say they found the Christ in that town. It DOES say; however; it was a HOUSE. Luke writes in chapter 2... 21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord", 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, 33 The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." 36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. I infer; from the text; that the flight to Egypt that Matthew recorded came around verses 39-40 that Luke recorded.
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel."
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