Page Six:  Thought Sherds 26-30

Thought-Sherds (It's a play on words, you know, "potsherds'' the little Earthenware fragments that Archaeologists find, with scriptures, notes, and things written on them,.... well if you have to explain it......  it's not so funny anymore)

Thoughtsherds: [thot '- surdz ] too small to be an article, but maybe big enough to make a difference.

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26.

Sin causes Earthquakes (and Hurricanes)..... seriously.

Because of  the massive geological and atmospheric changes done to the earth at the Flood DUE TO MAN'S SIN we continue to have unstable weather and earthquakes to this day. They aren't "Acts of God" per se. But a consequence of  God's reaction to man's "Acts of Sin".

Just a side note: apparently before the flood the dry land of earth was just one contiguous mass "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear". (GEN 1:9). Scientifically this landmass is called "Pangaea". But the disruption of the Earth at the time of the Flood was so great that it formed what we now call "tectonic plates". (with much higher mountains too, Gen 7:19,20)

But there's a bigger Earthquake  coming: Rev 16:18.
Note that this coming Earthquake will be 'greater than any earthquake since man came to be on the earth' .... man was on the earth when the flood came..... scary huh ?


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27.

Why was Jesus such a Homely Looking Guy ?

Now, don't get your Feathers all ruffled.
I'm not going to be able to make my point here if you're going to be all upset......
Better ?  OK......
Most representations of Jesus show Jesus to be very good-looking, but he wasn't.....
He had the kind of appearance, that if you didn't know him, you wouldn't want to be seen standing next to him, I'm not kidding. And, no, I wasn't there.
So, why do I say that ?

Here's the Scriptural proof:

Isaiah 53:2

"There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him". -NLT

"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him". -NIV

Isaiah 52:14

"His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man." -NLT

"His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness—" -NIV

At best, Jesus probably had what would be called an "FBI Face". the kind of face that is so nondescript that it can't be recalled, thus the perfect face for an FBI Agent.
Which would also explain his remarkable ability to disappear and blend into a crowd. (John  7:10, 8:59)
And even after he was Resurrected some of his own Disciples did not initially recognize him !
It may also have been a factor in Judas identifying him with a kiss instead of a description.
In any case the Bible is Very clear that he wasn't "A Looker".

So, Why ?

If Jesus had looked like Clark Gable, that would have been half of the Message.
But because he had NO physical attractiveness  His Spirit and the Message were the WHOLE Message.

That's why he was prolly a scruffy-looking rag-a-muffin of a man.
He looked like nuthin', but when you sensed his spirit, man-o-man, it's what you'd been waiting to hear your whole life !!

And so, now you know...........



Compare with this comment from Josephus, remembering that Josephus personally knew people that knew Jesus:

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure" -
Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18 Ch 3 ¶ 3

This all makes more sense the more you think about it......... it's just not what you're used to seeing and hearing.



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28.

Science, …..scientifically speaking......

Science is that realm of thinking and knowledge, in the human experience, that provides validated description and explanation. Science is a reaction to observation, combined with a precise validation by means of independently duplicatable results.

It is not inherently predictive, for example; Science could never predict the existence of a butterfly or platypus. But it it can only struggle to attempt to verify and explain specific small aspects of their nature and design; aerodynamics, biomechanics, chemistry, etc. etc.

Oddly, we tend to imbue Science and the word “science” with much more gravitas than the objects of its attentions. Phunnie that.

Science is a child looking at a forest in wonder. The child did not and cannot make the forest.

Scientific knowledge is that very small part of the “realm of awareness”, that can be analyzed, subjected to proofs, laboratory conditions etc., wherein all variables can be accounted for. Science is not the art of “loose ends”.

It is that part of human knowledge and thinking that has been, and is capable of, deep and precise analysis, validation and confirmation.

Many, many, things simply cannot be fully subjected to the Scientific method....... too many variables. The more variables you have, the harder it is to use the Scientific method.

Thus, Science is just a tiny subset of knowledge and awareness, and Forensic* Science is just an even tinier subset of Science.

None of this is to say that Science has no or little value, it has great value. When it can be legitimately used it is very solid. It just can't be used as the “final answer” as often as some “thinkle peep”.

The point ?

Scientific thinking is just that. Limited.

But Spiritual thinking is much, much, more comprehensive. It's thinking based primarily on 'Spirit', as the word is used on this website, that is, the complete 'bundle' of emotions, morals, and motivations that are the essence of a person. Scientific proofs and thinking are just a small 'subset' of the thinking tools of a Spiritual thinker, not ignored, but the inherent limitations are recognized and respected. Science, and Scientific thinking is a tool, but it ain't nowhere near being a whole tool-box.

Doesn't the Bible/Jesus appeal to us to 'reason in our Hearts' ?

1 Cor 2:15 'a spiritual man investigates [asks questions of](G350) all things'

*“Forensic” just means “used in a courtroom”. A rubber eraser used exclusively in a courtroom is a 'forensic eraser',..... get over it.

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29. 

Four rules I've learned about life.......

Any ignoring or violation of these four rules in behavior/relationships will get you grief.

Wise, consistent, and constant use of them will amaze you.

Rule one: Respect for dignity. i.e. The ability/feeling to "stand up straight" and feel good about your[their]self at any given moment (From you or to you.)

Rule two: Respect of free-will. (From you or to you.)

Rule three: Awareness of all persons need to be worshiped.(more on this below) (Yours and/or others.) similar to rule 1, but profoundly deeper and more long-term

Rule four: A genuine, deep, heart-felt desire to see people be the best they can be. AKA Love. (see definition on this site, “uncommon definitions”)

If you take the time to examine every relationship you've ever been in, good or bad, you will see that these rules have dictated the outcome every time. Examine the last interaction you just had, maybe minutes ago, all 4 rules were there, in their good form or bad form, at one level or another. Oh yes they were.

4 simple rules, …... please, please, really think about these little rules. Teach and train yourself to become increasing aware of these little rules, the more aware you become the more amazed you'll be.

And yes, they all seem to overlap, but this really is just a reflection of the order of discovery in my personal journey. But each rule really does amplify a 'bright facet' that you can 'ignore only at your own peril'.

Just a note here, all four of these rules are sensed spiritually. Yah might wanna give that an extra thunk or two.

Hey, don't just zip by this, ….. it took me years to 'figgur' this stuff out.

And I've also learned that goldfish don't like jello, but you prolly already knew that.

And there are 2 Over-Arching Principles: Respect for Property Rights and Gratitude.

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30.

Worship.....

God created the whole Universe so that all creation would worship and praise him.

yuck......

Isn't that just a little disgusting ?

I'm just being honest here. (Ps. 15:2b)

If you had a friend or family member with that attitude you would rightly conclude that they had deep mental/emotional problems and avoid them as much as possible.

Ponder, ponder, hmmmmm......

One of the things I have learned on my spiritual “walkabout” is to give things 'a second look'....

So, let's give this a “second look”....

God claims to have made mankind 'in his image'. And in fact, whenever God deals with man he expects us to automatically by nature to understand where he's coming from, and no one ever questions that, think about that, really really think about that. Again, think, we're 'made in his image'.

Well, if we're made 'in his image' and he desires worship......

All this simply means, for Him and us, is that He/we have a desire/need to be Loved, appreciated, and it's built in us because we're made in his image !.

When a mother gives tender care to her children, doesn't she have the hope of receiving love from that child ? Doesn't she want her child to worth-ship her (which is the meaning of the word worship). No one thinks there is anything wrong with her, do they ?

God has the desire to be worshiped. We are made in his image, therefore: we have the desire to be worshiped, (worth-shipped). 
Once again, we are made in God's image, and we have the desire to feel noticed and appreciated, where does that need/desire come from ?.....  .....follow with me here.....

But......

But, when the desire to be shown “worth” becomes infected with greed... ahhhh...... yup, there's the trouble.....

as it always is....

(please see the monograph;“everything you need to know about life” here on this little website)

All of this reminds me of the time Huckleberry Finn waz tryin' ta be “sivilized” by the Widow Douglas.

     "Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn't. She said it was a mean practice and wasn't clean, and I must try to not do it any more. That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it. ….... And she took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself.”

So, just like the 'Widow Douglas', now that I know that the desire to be worth-shipped (worshiped) is in me too, I'll forgive God for wanting to be worshiped, 'cuz I done it myself.

Purdy sad....

Well, here's how it works:

God wants to be worshiped; he made us in his image; therefore.....

But, but, ...... if you live with an awareness of this, you will understand human behavior, and yourself, and God, much, much better.

(and see thoughtsherd 29, just above.)

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a simple request: if you share or use the information from this website, please, would you be so kind as to cite the source.... ? www.MusingsAboutGod.com

tanx eh ?

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