The Temptation of Jesus

^4:1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit³ in⁴ the wilderness,⁵ ^4:2 where for forty days he endured temptations⁶ from the devil. He ate nothing⁸ during those days, and when they were completed, he was famished. ^4:3 The devil said to him, “If¹⁰ you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”  ^4:4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man¹² does not live by bread alone.’”¹³

^4:5 Then the devil led him up¹⁶ to a high place¹⁷ and showed him in a flash all the kingdoms of the world. ^4:6 And he¹⁸ said to him, “To you¹⁹ I will grant this whole realm²⁰ – and the glory that goes along with it,²¹ for it has been relinquished²² to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. ^4:7 So then, if²³ you will worship²⁴ me, all this will be²⁵ yours.” ^4:8 Jesus answered him,²⁷ “It is written, ‘You are to worship²⁸ the Lord²⁹ your God and serve only him.’”³⁰

^4:9 Then the devil brought him to Jerusalem,  had him stand³⁴ on the highest point of the temple,³⁵ and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ^4:10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’³⁷ ^4:11 and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”³⁸ ^4:12 Jesus answered him,⁴⁰ “It is said, ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’”⁴¹ ^4:13 So when the devil⁴³ had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time.⁴⁴

The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

^4:14 Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit,⁴⁶ returned to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the surrounding countryside. ^4:15 He began to teach in their synagogues⁵¹ and was praised⁵² by all.

Quote on suffering

“To be a follower of the Crucified Christ means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. – Elisabeth Elliot

Is it a Sacrifice?

People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply acknowledging a great debt we owe to our God which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny? It is emphatically no sacrifice. Rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, danger, foregoing the common conveniences of this life—these may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing compared with the glory which shall later be revealed in and through us. I never made a sacrifice. Of this we ought not to talk, when we remember the great sacrifice which He made who left His Father’s throne on high to give Himself for us. – David Livingstone

Some times the Spirit will lead us into the desert. Life is not always going to be filled with roses and problem free. It is our understanding of why these hard events happen to us that are of significant importance to us to understand, any such understanding will help us to be equipped in how best to deal with them.

• Often people will start doubting God’s love for them when confronted with problems, but as with the natural process of growing in our understanding when looking at a small child and then examining his attitude once he is fully grown up, they will tell us from their experience of hardship that it was good for them. That unless they encounter some difficulties in their lives they would be ill prepared and would not know how best to learn to overcome problems and they will most certainly never learn the meaning of growing up in wisdom.
• When I broke my thigh bone, I had to work hard to strengthen it which involved many tears and much frustration. But the whole process including the accident has taught me a great lesson. We should therefore embrace the problems, not avoid them. I was told before that one of the reasons that the Church does not engage the world is simply because it is too much trouble, and we in church prefer to live lives full of joy and peace and will by all means do our utmost to avoid any problems.

Removal of some necessities may cause us a great deal of disturbance.

• We accept psychological assertions – It is not surprising to find where our church standards seem to come from today. Our church ideas of our wellbeing are not in accordance with the Bible. After all don’t we say that according to  psychological theories (that which modern church has so readily embraced) we should prioritise our needs. According to “Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs” first we start from physiological needs that consist of hunger, thirst, sex (relationships) and sleep and if any of those are displaced in our lives it would cause any individual to be tested severely. God on the other hand is challenging this assertion in this text by saying there are other more important things, “Man does not live by bread alone”.
• We pay therefore our dues to teachings that are not Biblical; Francis Schaeffer in his book “How should we then live” mentions this idea of Personal Peace and Affluence that seem to be our main preoccupation. By this he means as long as we today don’t lack anything and we live in a peaceful environment we are not concerned with anything else that may be going on that may have troubled Jesus, but today we will not consider this to be our problem. In fact we see this clearly demonstrated by our actions. Our actions today which may cause hardship for the next generation that follows us and this irreparable damage to our environment will possibly have permanent negative effects on their environment and may as a result leave our next generations in a dire situation. When the big picture is taken into account this may change our willingness to accept hard work and hard times. They become worthwhile goals when we start to look outside of ourselves and when serving is more important and more rewarding then being served.

Problems come when you least need them.

• Be aware and be prepared: A fact of life is that often when you are least able to deal with difficulties, problems will come. This may have several effects on us. It is therefore important to be prepared.
• First it may draw you closer to God and make you understand that without him you would be lost.
• Secondly this understanding will give you some extra warning time before things get completely out of control so get on your knees and pray, asking God for his strength. When you are relying on your own resources you will quickly find that you are not able to cope any more.
• One of the biggest problems we have today is our rigid desire to be self reliant. This needs to be understood.  One of the great Christian principles we should be aware of is the fact that we are called to support one another i.e. be joyful with those who rejoice and cry with those who are in pain. This will mean developing a deep relationship with each other. However, in this text we find that the main objective is to bring our attention to our dependence on God.
• Jesus was taken willingly to this place of testing. It is one thing for us to be in trouble and say we cope well because we have God on our side but it is completely different when you and I go to great deal of trouble because we feel lead to go there by God. Think of many missionaries who have left their comfortable lives in the prosperous west to go to places of poverty and insecurity due to wars, places like India and Africa and many other places where Christians are not welcomed. What motivates them is their love for  humanity that is God given to all who are born of Christ.

There are several categories that the Devil will attack and you should be aware of these. Let’s look at the problems that Jesus had to deal with and then we will separate them and try and see how he responded to them. This will be useful to all of us as we do indeed learn from the master.

“Full of the Holy Spirit”

• If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
• “To you I will grant this whole realm – and the glory that goes along with it,  for it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. ^4:7 So then, if you will worship me, all this will be yours.”
• ^4:9 Then the devil brought him to Jerusalem,  had him stand on the highest point of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ^4:10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ ^4:11 and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

What you see is the following:

• The Devil will tackle your pride and question your status in the world. He will use this in order to misdirect your actions. Note that how you deal with the problems that you face will reflect how you deal with most other issues. Do we simply close our eyes and hope for the best?  Are we avoiding difficult issues or are we happy to learn and then pass that knowledge to the next generation of worriers who will need our help?

Four Brothers Killed by the lion they created

In The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen retells a tale from ancient India: Four royal brothers decided each to master a special ability. Time went by, and the brothers met to reveal what they had learned.

“I have mastered a science,” said the first, “by which I can take but a bone of some creature and create the flesh that goes with it.” “I,” said the second, “know how to grow that creature’s skin and hair if there is flesh on its bones.” The third said, “I am able to create its limbs if I have the flesh, the skin, and the hair.” “And I,” concluded the fourth, “know how to give life to that creature if its form is complete.” Thereupon the brothers went into the jungle to find a bone so they could demonstrate their specialties. As fate would have it, the bone they found was a lion’s. One added flesh to the bone, the second grew hide and hair, the third completed it with matching limbs, and the fourth gave the lion life. Shaking its mane, the ferocious beast arose and jumped on his creators. He killed them all and vanished contentedly into the jungle. We too have the capacity to create what can devour us. Goals and dreams can consume us. Possessions and property can turn and destroy us—unless we first seek God’s kingdom and righteousness.

• You will be tempted to accept the easy way out. Satan will offer you escape by trying to deceive you that he has the easy way out which he does not. Lying that he has glory and authority which he does not. Remember that this was lost with his fall. So don’t buy into the lie!
• There will be times when the devil will tell you to test God and your faith in his word will be questioned. Note that all temptations use Biblical references out of context and your responsibility to discern will be needed in order to overcome these temptations. Questions will be raised such as “If you are a Christian why do you suffer?” etc. Or “Should you not be healed and be prosperous” as per the doctrine preached by the Prosperity Gospel teachers.

And now let’s look at the answers that Jesus Gives. Let’s look to the good book

• “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone.’” (Deuteronomy 8:3)
• “It is written, ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” (Deuteronomy 6:13-14)
• “It is said, ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’ (Deuteronomy 6:16)

Jesus uses the Bible to correct the deliberate misuse of the Biblical text given to him by the Devil. (See Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:13-14, and 6:16) If anyone needed to draw any parallels here just look at what is happening with “Educated” modern day Pharisees also known as Liberal Theologians. These are the very people who will try to take the Bible out of your hands and give you their interpretation. Now I don’t suggest that we should forget that there are parts of the scripture that will need some interpretation. And neither am I saying that only liberal theologians are educated, but note that there persists this lie, that only well informed people will disagree with Biblical truths is so prevalent amongst radical opposition that it is worth taking note of their tactics.

However what we find from the Bible is that when any possibility of confusion is encountered (through the use of parabolas) in the Bible, then the Bible explains itself, often within the very next paragraph of the text in question. Any cultural references and geographical illuminations to the text will only serve to enhance the text, not reduce its glory.

Your basic needs are known

If you ever doubted that God was interested in you and your situation then may I remind you that God constantly looks after us and is constantly encouraging us to trust in his Word. This does not mean that we will be problem free, but it does mean that you will have someone strong holding your hand as you go through the valley of the shadow of death.

Psalm 23: 4     Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for you are with me;

Jesus knows what you and I need. Just look at how Jesus expands on this by reading

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?

This is not to say that we should ignore our needs. What is clear is that God wants you to do your best and then leave the rest to him. We are not told to be ignorant of our physical needs as the Bible clearly states that “he that does not work should not eat” but our priorities should be set and we should act accordingly.

What do you worship?

Today we are bombarded with many sources of information, and misinformation with the media truly being multi media. With TV, Radio, Internet and use of mobile technology we are surrounded 24 hours a day with adverts and external influences upon our lives. We have moved on from the age of optimism and the age of reason in our philosophical views to the views of despair which are separation of reason and faith. Today many will tell us that if you believe something you do not need to understand it.

Examples of reasonable faith can be found in very simple situations e.g. when you are waiting for the bus: Note that our faith is reasonable even when the world tries to persuade us that we should separate our faith and reason. I’m always reminded of the good example of what constitutes Christian faith. Faith can sometimes mean putting our trust in the unseen, but this is not true of anything and everything we do, if you wait for a bus at the bus stop you know that it will come as your previous experiences and your understanding both contribute to cognitively understand that the bus will come. Perhaps you have a timetable and you know that with great regularity it will turn up. Therefore your faith is not illogical as it is based on reason. With a modern move away from reason to modern art and music we have witnessed despair and a fragility of the human mind.

Eventually in our 21^st century world we live in a world that is preoccupied with the here and now. We want instant gratification; we want this pleasure as all other meaning to our life is lost; we have rejected God and any positive meaning that the Bible may bring to us today. Our music and art has become less complicated and our philosophical world view has changed. As long as we are living in peace and have enough worldly goods with the latest gadgets filling our houses we are happy.

We need this in order to suppress all the problems that we may face elsewhere. With many work uncertainties and a significant proportion of countries that have suffered great economic turmoil in the early 21^st century, people are looking for their personal safety. All this is accompanied with questionable actions of some superpowers and our feeble attempts at achieving peace around the world through questionable methodology. Often the only reason we get involved is because we are either affected economically or because disturbance to our state security is shattered. This was one of the main objections by many millions of demonstrators in the UK when the war in Iraq was announced.

Things to notice as we go through same events:

1. Preparation is the key to success: Jesus was at the very beginning of this story full of the Holy Spirit (Jesus often prayed in solitude). Having adequate knowledge and understanding comes from time spent on our knees and in front of the Word of God. The Apostle James was known to have rough knees like a camel due to many hours of prayer. Martin Luther used to say that he was going to be very busy tomorrow and that he had to get up extra early to spend more time not less in prayer.
2. Obedience to the calling: Jesus was led to temptation and was forced to endure temptation from the Devil not God. This was a voluntary action often forgotten by many Christians. How many times did you hear how someone has left the church because they felt that had allowed a calamity to come upon their family.
3. Total dependence on God: Jesus didn’t have even the most basic of needs met and no help was available to him which forced him to look beyond his visible needs and run towards God to satisfy his inner desire to find God. In other words, this world often masks our real needs with peripheral needs which are already provided for us whenever we obey God’s law. There is only so much we can do and the rest is inevitably up to God. It is our reluctance to let go that leads us to a false sense of self dependency and self reliance. All the available resources we have today are gifts to us and should never be taken for granted.
4. Satan tempted Jesus to satisfy his basic needs by breaking God’s law, but if we are agreeing to such an act Jesus would have been wrong as it would have been contrary to the way God has ordained this process to unravel in our lives. We should not make choices that will clearly be breaking God’s law. In order to stay righteous we need to understand God’s law. The easy way out that is not going to cost us anything is often riddled with lies and self obsession.
5. Respites will come after our tests: When you have victories you will not be free from attack forever as the Devil will be back “until a more opportune time” as the Bible says but it is nevertheless part of our life strategy that during a time of calm we should continue to be equipping ourselves with the armoury provided by God.
6. Training before Power: Before you have the Power of the Holy Spirit you will have to go through a training programme. Please note that at the beginning of this story Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and by the end of it and the beginning of his ministry we find him in the Power of the Holy Spirit. To go from fullness to the power we will just have to accept that the process of strengthening will involve some fire. I am reminded of the workmanship that goes into building the Samurai sword: soft metal is mixed with hard metal and over many hours they are moulded in the fire until the mixture is complete. What you are left with at the end of this process is not a brittle sword but a flexible and very strong weapon.
7. Your faith has a price: it’s free to receive everlasting life but it will cost you everything to follow God. I am reminded of this every time I am ridiculed for my faith in him, but the reward is incredible and worth every little bit of irritation we may come across.
8. 8. God will send his angels to look after our needs.  We are not neglected as all the basics will be covered by God. If we look at the same story recorded in the Gospel of Matthew we find that God continues to be Christ’s provider. Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.
9. Don’t worry, trust in God as his Holy Spirit will guide you in times of need. We need to have a good grounding but once we do our part God will not let us battle on without his help.  Luke 12:11 But when they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you should make your defense or what you should say, ^12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you must say.” 

The price of following Jesus

Mark 8:34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and ^take up his cross and follow Me. 35 For ^whoever wishes to save his ^life will lose it, but whoever loses his ^{ }life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He ^comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

³ sn The double mention of the Spirit in this verse makes it clear that the temptation was neither the fault of Jesus nor an accident.

⁴ tc Most mss (A Θ Ξ Ψ 0102 f^{1, 13} 33 M lat) read εἰς τὴν ἔρημον (eis tēn erēmon, “into the wilderness”), apparently motivated by the parallel in Matt 4:1. However, the reading behind the translation (ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, en tē ejrēmō) is found in overall better witnesses (P^{4vid,7, 75vid} א B D L W 579 892 1241 pc it).

⁵ tn Or “desert.”

⁶ tn Grk “in the desert, for forty days being tempted.” The participle πειραζόμενος (peirazomenos) has been translated as an adverbial clause in English to avoid a run-on sentence with a second “and.” Here the present participle suggests a period of forty days of testing. Three samples of the end of the testing are given in the following verses.

⁸ sn The reference to Jesus eating nothing could well be an idiom meaning that he ate only what the desert provided; see Exod 34:28. A desert fast simply meant eating only what one could obtain in the desert. The parallel in Matt 4:2 speaks only of Jesus fasting.

¹⁰ tn This is a first class condition: “If (and let’s assume that you are) the Son of God…”

¹² tn Or “a person.” The Greek word ὁ ἄνθρωπος (ho anthrōpos) is used generically for humanity. The translation “man” is used because the emphasis in Jesus’ response seems to be on his dependence on God as a man.

¹³ tc Most mss (A [D] Θ Ψ [0102] f^{1, 13} 33 M latt) complete the citation with ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι θεοῦ (ajll’ ejpi panti rhēmati theou, “but by every word from God”), an assimilation to Matt 4:4 (which is a quotation of Deut 8:3). The shorter reading is found in א B L W 1241 pc sa. There is no good reason why scribes would omit the rest of the quotation here. The shorter reading, on both internal and external grounds, should be considered the original wording in Luke.

sn A quotation from Deut 8:3. Jesus will live by doing God’s will, and will take no shortcuts.

¹⁶ tc Most mss (א¹ A [D W] Θ Ψ 0102 f^{1, [13]} 33 700 2542 M it) refer to Jesus being taken up “to a high mountain” (with many of these also explicitly adding “the devil”) here in parallel with Matt 4:8, but both scribal harmonization to that text and the pedigree of the witnesses for the shorter reading (א* B L 1241 pc) is the reason it should be omitted from Luke.

¹⁷ tn “A high place” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied for clarity.

¹⁸ tn Grk “And the devil.”

¹⁹ sn In Greek, this phrase is in an emphatic position. In effect, the devil is tempting Jesus by saying, “Look what you can have!”

²⁰ tn Or “authority.” BDAG 353 s.v. ἐξουσία 6 suggests, concerning this passage, that the term means “the sphere in which the power is exercised, domain.” Cf. also Luke 22:53; 23:7; Acts 26:18; Eph 2:2.

²¹ tn The addendum referring to the glory of the kingdoms of the world forms something of an afterthought, as the following pronoun (“it”) makes clear, for the singular refers to the realm itself.

²² tn For the translation of παραδέδοται (paradedotai) see L&N 57.77. The devil is erroneously implying that God has given him such authority with the additional capability of sharing the honor.

²³ tn This is a third class condition: “If you worship me (and I am not saying whether you will or will not)…”

²⁴ tn Or “will prostrate yourself in worship before…” The verb προσκυνέω (proskuneō) can allude not only to the act of worship but the position of the worshiper. See L&N 53.56.

²⁵ tn One could translate this phrase “it will all be yours.” The sense is the same, but the translation given is a touch more emphatic and more likely to catch the force of the offer.

²⁷ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A Θ Ψ 0102 f¹³ M it), have “Get behind me, Satan!” at the beginning of the quotation. This roughly parallels Matt 4:10 (though the Lukan mss add ὀπίσω μου to read ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ [hupage opisō mou, satana]); for this reason the words are suspect as a later addition to make the two accounts agree more precisely. A similar situation occurred in v. 5.

²⁸ tn Or “You will prostrate yourself in worship before…” The verb προσκυνέω (proskuneō) can allude not only to the act of worship but the position of the worshiper. See L&N 53.56.

²⁹ tc Most later mss (A Θ 0102 M) alter the word order by moving the verb forward in the quotation. This alteration removes the emphasis from “the Lord your God” as the one to receive worship (as opposed to Satan) by moving it away from the beginning of the quotation.

sn In the form of the quotation in the Greek text found in the best mss, it is the unique sovereignty of the Lord that has the emphatic position.

³⁰ sn A quotation from Deut 6:13. The word “only” is an interpretive expansion not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT.

³⁴ tn Grk “and stood him.”

³⁵ sn The reference to the highest point of the temple probably refers to the one point on the temple’s southeast corner where the site looms directly over a cliff some 450 feet (135 m) high. However, some have suggested the reference could be to the temple’s high gate.

³⁷ sn A quotation from Ps 91:11 by the devil. This was not so much an incorrect citation as a use in a wrong context (a misapplication of the passage).

³⁸ sn A quotation from Ps 91:12.

⁴⁰ tn Grk “Jesus, answering, said to him.” This is redundant in English and has been simplified to “Jesus answered him.”

⁴¹ sn A quotation from Deut 6:16 used by Jesus in reply to the devil. The point is that God’s faithfulness should not be put to the test, but is rather a given.

⁴³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the devil) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴⁴ tn Grk “until a favorable time.”

sn Until a more opportune time. Though some have argued that the devil disappears until Luke 22:3, this is unlikely since the cosmic battle with Satan and all the evil angels is consistently mentioned throughout Luke (8:26–39; 11:14–23).

⁴⁶ sn Once again Jesus is directed by the Spirit. Luke makes a point about Jesus’ association with the Spirit early in his ministry (3:22, 4:1 [2x]; 4:18).

⁵¹ sn The next incident in Luke 4:16–30 is probably to be seen as an example of this ministry of teaching in their synagogues in Galilee. Synagogues were places for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3–4; m. Berakhot 2).

⁵² tn Grk “being glorified.” The participle δοξαζόμενος (doxazomenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. This is the only place Luke uses the verb δοξάζω (doxazō) of Jesus.

Posted in Apologetics, Archeology, Bible, Christ, Christianity, Church, Church History, Discernment, Evangelism, Faith, God, Hedonism, Jesus, News, Photography, Prayer, Prophecy, Religion, Theology, Videos ]]> http://defendtheword.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/full-of-the-holy-spirit-and-in-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit-2/feed/ 0 defendtheword Temptetion of Jesus More... http://defendtheword.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/the-historical-jesus-by-dr-craig-blomberg-2/ http://defendtheword.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/the-historical-jesus-by-dr-craig-blomberg-2/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:19:38 +0000 defendtheword http://defendtheword.wordpress.com/?p=1720 ]]>

Dr Craig Blomberg assesses the past and present scholarly trends in the search for the historical person of Jesus.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

What is Gospel? Do you still need it even after you dedicate your life to Christ? Is this good news still for you and me?  Where do you get your strength from and why are you being sent to the people who don’t know God? (John Piper)

Is evolution spectacular? Are we missing some or even significant  amount of the necessary information before we can make such bold claims? Are people that have doubts just too stupid and unable to understand what Evolution is?

And now for some more advertising for those who are truly interested in asking searching questions. I have found this post and as it very much brings same sentiments I have about the theory I though I will include small paragraph with link to the rest of the post and I would highly recommend that you should look at the other material linked to this blog.

By Dr  Cornelius Hunter

“Richard Dawkins’ new book about evolution is aptly titled The Greatest Show On Earth, for evolution is an incredible show. In fact it is a spectacle. Evolutionists routinely make false claims, commit logical fallacies, and contradict themselves, all with the air of absolute confidence. But this is not all. This spectacle has been on stage for centuries now, and the players have remained oblivious to their blunders. We may as well be watching a group of belligerent teenagers for some sign of intelligence. Here are some of the latest absurdities from this greatest show on earth”.

To get the full post go here;

http://darwins-god.blogspot.com/2009/10/richard-dawkins-and-spectacle-of.html

Kind regard

Defend the word

Brilliant exposition of his faith Dr Tim Keller visits Google’s Mountain View, CA, headquarters to discuss his book, “The Reason for God.” This event took place on March 5, 2008, as part of the Authors@Google series. reason for God

Brilliant as often he can be, touching upon the subject that many will ignore. Question is can we call ourselves Christians and at the same time miss on the fundamental teachings of Jesus? “What Is the Recession For?” 2  Corinthians 1:1-11

The exceptionally well-preserved fossil primate known as “Ida” is not a missing link as some have claimed, according to an analysis in the journal Nature.

The research is the first independent assessment of the claims made in a scientific paper and a television documentary earlier this year.

Dr Erik Seiffert says that Ida belonged to a group more closely linked to lemurs than to monkeys, apes or us.

His team’s conclusions come from an analysis of another fossil primate.

The newly described animal – known as Afradapis longicristatus – lived some 37 million years ago in northern Egypt, during the Eocene epoch. And the researchers say it was closely related to Ida.

This study would effectively remove Ida from our ancestry. Erik Seiffert, Stony Brook University

Ida lived some 47 million years ago and was given the scientific name Darwinius masillae.

Dr Seiffert and his colleagues say that both Afradapis and Darwinius were in a sister group to the so-called “higher primates”, which includes humans.

This extinct sister group, they say, was more closely related to lemurs and lorises.

For more information on this document go to BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8318643.stm

I have also included my old post that refers to the original claim that we have found the missing link.

Question: Is “Ida” a “missing link”we have all been waiting for? Good to hear Mr Attenborough make statements like “we are no longer missing the “missing link” finally there is open and frank admission only noted when supposed link was discovered. Makes you wander what made them come to their conclusions they had previously without this evidence, was it strong physical evidence or their faith in abstract pre supposition?

ANSWER:

Taken from: Answers in Genesis at http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/05/19/ida-missing-link

For all the headlines and proclamations, this “missing link” story includes an amazing amount of hot air.

A story we first previewed on May 16 has since rocketed to the heights of media hype as a team of scientists reveals “Ida,” the latest and greatest supposed missing link. But does Ida actually support “the evolution of early primates, and, ultimately, modern human beings,” as one news outlet reported?¹

Another reporter raved, “The search for a direct connection between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom has taken 200 years—but it was presented to the world today at a special news conference in New York.”²

Formally identified as Darwinius masillae (in honor of Charles Darwin), the fossil originated in Germany and is purportedly 47 million years old. One scientist gave the find the nickname Ida (after his daughter).

Atlantic Productions / revealingthelink.com

Despite the hype, Ida looks nothing like a transitional “apeman,” instead looking quite like a modern lemur.

As for a more level-headed explanation of the evolutionary excitement, the Wall Street Journal reports:

Anthropologists have long believed that humans evolved from ancient ape-like ancestors. Some 50 million years ago, two ape-like groups walked the Earth. One is known as the tarsidae, a precursor of the tarsier, a tiny, large-eyed creature that lives in Asia. Another group is known as the adapidae, a precursor of today’s lemurs in Madagascar.

Based on previously limited fossil evidence, one big debate had been whether the tarsidae or adapidae group gave rise to monkeys, apes, and humans. The latest discovery bolsters the less common position that our ancient ape-like ancestor was an adapid, the believed precursor of lemurs.

Thus, rather than an apeman-like missing link that some media sources have irresponsibly implied, the real story is quite underwhelming and should in no way faze creationists. Let’s first review the facts:

• The well-preserved fossil (95 percent complete, including fossilized fur and more) is about the size of a raccoon and includes a long tail. It resembles the skeleton of a lemur (a small, tailed, tree-climbing primate). The fossil does not resemble a human skeleton.
• The fossil was found in two parts by amateur fossil hunters in 1983. It eventually made its way through fossil dealers to the research team.
• Ida has opposable thumbs, which the ABC News article states are “similar to humans’ and unlike those found on other modern mammals” (i.e., implying that opposable thumbs are evidence of evolution). Yet lemurs today have opposable thumbs (like all primates). Likewise, Ida has nails, as do other primates. And the talus bone is described as “the same shape as in humans,” despite the fact that there are other differences in the ankle structure.³
• Unlike today’s lemurs (as far as scientists know), Ida lacks the “grooming claw” and a “toothcomb” (a fused row of teeth) In fact, its teeth are more similar to a monkey’s. These are minor differences easily explained by variation within a kind.

Haven’t heard the real story of this supposed scientific breakthrough? Read the criticisms other evolutionists have made of the “missing link” claims and the science behind them.

Given these facts, it may seem incredible that anyone would hail this find as a “missing link.” Yet British naturalist David Attenborough claims:

“Now people can say, ‘Okay, you say we’re primates . . . show us the link.’ The link, they would have said until now, is missing. Well, it is no longer missing.”

Unbelievably, Attenborough claims his interpretation is “not a question of imagination.”

From http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/05/21/ida-real-story

So-called “missing link” Ida hit the media in a major way on Tuesday of this week, with even search engine Google falling prey to the hype and modifying its search page banner to show Ida. We quickly responded with a full article, Ida: the Missing Link at Last?

Yet within a few hours of the unveiling of the fossil—coordinated to coincide with the publication of the scientific paper on Ida—some better media outlets began to report some worrying things about the research. It seems as though the scientific process had been rushed and the claims exaggerated in a bid to promote a new documentary and book on the fossil. Sadly, media pressures sometimes trump full research integrity (something we’ve seen before), and careless media sources reprint explosive (and unjustified) quotations without consulting as many scientists as they should. Thankfully, though, many in the scientific community are questioning the research and beginning to become more vocal about their concerns regarding how good science and media aren’t the best mix.

But don’t just take our word for it—read these amazing excerpts that reveal the Ida hype for what it truly is.

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Jørn Hurum, at the University of Oslo, the scientist who assembled the international team of researchers to study Ida is relaxed about using the phrase [“missing link” to describe Ida]. “Why not? I think we could use that phrase for this kind of specimen,” he said. “[People] have a feeling that if something is important it is a missing link.”

[I]n the paper published in PLoS ONE from the Public Library of Science on the fossil [the author] is more circumspect. “Darwinius masillae is important in being exceptionally well-preserved and providing a much more complete understanding of the paleobiology of an Eocene primate than was available in the past,” the authors wrote.

“[The species] could represent a stem group from which later anthropoid primates evolved [the line leading to humans], but we are not advocating this here.”

The paper’s scientific reviewers asked that they tone down their original claims that the fossil was on the human evolutionary line.

One of those reviewers, Professor John Fleagle at Stony Brook University in New York state said that would be a judgment for the scientific community. “That will be sorted out or at least debated extensively in the coming years once the paper is published,” he said.

“Is Fossil Ida a Missing Link in Evolution?”
James Randerson, The Guardian, May 19, 2009

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[D]espite a television teaser campaign with the slogan “This changes everything” and comparisons to the moon landing and the Kennedy assassination, the significance of this discovery may not be known for years. An article to be published on Tuesday in PLoS ONE, a scientific journal, will report more prosaically that the scientists involved said the fossil could be a “stem group” that was a precursor to higher primates, with the caveat, “but we are not advocating this.”

All of this seems a departure from the normal turn of events, where researchers study their subject and publish their findings, and let the media chips fall where they may.

“Seeking a Missing Link, and a Mass Audience”
Tim Arango, The New York Times, May 19, 2009

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University of New England paleoanthropologist Peter Brown remains skeptical. He pointed to a story in the Weekend Australian in which one of [coauthor Jørn] Hurum’s coauthors, University of Michigan paleontologist Philip Gingerich, said the team would have preferred to publish in a more rigorous journal such as Science or Nature.

Dr. Gingerich told the Wall Street Journal: “There was a TV company involved and time pressure. We’ve been pushed to finish the study. It’s not how I like to do science.”

“That rings all sorts of warning bells,” Professor Brown cautioned. He said that however it was prepared, the paper did not provide sufficient proof that Ida was the ancestral anthropoid.

“It’s nice it has fingernails, something we have, as do most primates . . . but they’ve cherry-picked particular character[istics] and they’ve been criticized (by other scientists) for doing that.”

“Scientists Divided on Ida as the Missing Link”
Leigh Dayton, The Australian, May 21, 2009

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“On the whole I think the evidence is less than convincing,” said Chris Gilbert, a paleoanthropologist at Yale University. “They make an intriguing argument but I would definitely say that the consensus is not in favor of the hypothesis they’re proposing.” . . .

“The PR campaign on this fossil is I think more of a story than the fossil itself,” said anthropologist Matt Cartmill of Duke University in North Carolina. “It’s a very beautiful fossil, but I didn’t see anything in this paper that told me anything decisive that was new.”

Most experts agree that the find is significant, if only for its impressive degree of completeness, but some were put off by the bells and whistles that went along with the publicity campaign around Ida. . . .

“It’s not a missing link, it’s not even a terribly close relative to monkeys, apes and humans, which is the point they’re trying to make,” [Carnegie Museum of Natural History curator of vertebrate paleontology Chris] Beard said.

“Amid Media Circus, Scientists Doubt ‘Ida’ Is Your Ancestor
Clara Moskowitz, LiveScience, May 20, 2009

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Many paleontologists are unconvinced. They point out that Hurum and Gingerich’s analysis compared 30 traits in the new fossil with primitive and higher primates when standard practice is to analyze 200 to 400 traits and to include anthropoids from Egypt and the newer fossils of Eosimias from Asia, both of which were missing from the analysis in the paper. “There is no phylogenetic analysis to support the claims, and the data is cherry-picked,” says paleontologist Richard Kay . . . of Duke University. Callum Ross, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago in Illinois agrees: “Their claim that this specimen should be classified as haplorhine is unsupportable in light of modern methods of classification.”

Other researchers grumble that by describing the history of anthropoids as “somewhat speculatively identified lineages of isolated teeth,” the PLoS paper dismisses years of new fossils. “It’s like going back to 1994,” says paleontologist K. Christopher Beard of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who has published jaw, teeth, and limb bones of Eosimias. “They’ve ignored 15 years of literature.”

“‘Revolutionary’ Fossil Fails to Dazzle Paleontologists”
Ann Gibbons, ScienceNOW, May 19, 2009

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Science is supposed to be methodical, and usually it is, sometimes to the point of being dull. But there are times when a little hoopla is called for. Major discoveries that rewrite the textbooks deserve big headlines and ubiquitous media coverage and lots of scientific slaps on the back and all that.

The discovery of the “Ida” fossil, announced this week as though the 47-million-year-old lemur-like female were a rock star, seemed at first like one to celebrate.

Today we know better. . . . [T]here are doubts about whether [humans are] really descended from Ida. Problem is, most of the coverage is done, and the public could be left with the impression that Ida is a rock-solid missing link in the human evolutionary chain. . . .

“It’s not a missing link, it’s not even a terribly close relative to monkeys, apes and humans, which is the point they’re trying to make,” said Chris Beard, a curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. . . .

The debacle started to unfold when the finding, cloaked in secrecy while a media engine was being primed, leaked out in The Wall Street Journal, and then in London’s Daily Mail. Then The New York Times wrote about the media circus that was to ensue. All this was published before anyone but the research team (and its tightly controlled media team) knew the details of the finding. . . .

Ida’s unveiling was highly scripted (with some “Barnum and Bailey aspects,” said paleontologist Richard Kay of Duke University). More important, it can now be said the findings may well have been significantly overstated. We won’t know for sure until further research is done. But if this event causes the public to distrust science and media, that distrust is well placed.

“Ida Fossil Hype Went Too Far”
Robert Roy Britt, LiveScience, May 20, 2009

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Dr Chris Beard, curator of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and author of The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey, said he was “awestruck” by the publicity machine surrounding the new fossil. . . .

But he added: “I would be absolutely dumbfounded if it turns out to be a potential ancestor to humans.”

“Scientists Hail Stunning Fossil”
Christine McGourty, BBC News, May 19, 2009

Ravi Zacharias responds to a student’s question about atheism, feminism, and the Bible at Penn State University. Ravi asks, “When someone denies the existence of God, what are they affirming in its place?” Watch as Ravi exposes how some atheists borrow from a Judeo-Christian worldview to debunk it.

I have just discovered that brilliant new resources are being made available by the Church of Tim Keller (Redeemer church) with 150 free sermons  and lectures available now. I will add this web page to my blog roll and for now just follow the link and make good use of great resources. Dr Keller is wonderful Christian, eloquent in his exposition and thought provoking when needed, it is hard to find anyone who can truly say they did not enjoy listening to his style. Even if you find minor theological disagreements, they are always on very minor issues, this may be on the style of worship or how we should evangelise but his message is solid and his arguments are strong. Please let the others know, thanks for your help in spreading the good news.

For more information on sermons go here:

http://sermons2.redeemer.com/

Kind regards

Defend the word

Cultural Relativism and the Emasculation of Truth The 19th century writer George Macdonald once said, “To give truth to him who loves it not is but to give him plentiful material for misinterpretation.” Indeed, Ravi argues that the ideas of rationalism and agnosticism and the institution of the media have altered our social landscape, such that belief in God’s revelation seems wholly implausible for many individuals. Without such an understanding, proclamation is pointless.

An armed robber in America turned to God mid-robbery in what investigators are calling the strangest case they have ever seen.

Gregory Smith, 23, walked into a store in an Indianapolis shopping centre brandishing a gun.

But instead of raiding the place, he started hugging his tearful victim, Angela Montez, telling her he hated what he was doing but had no choice.

The pair began discussing God and before long Smith was on his knees in tears, praying and being hugged by her.

He eventually stole only her mobile phone and $20 (£12).

For rest of the strory go here:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Armed-Robber-Prays-After-Turning-To-God-During-Hold-Up-In-Indianapolis-Shopping-Centre/Article/200910315410291?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_4&lid=ARTICLE_15410291_Armed_Robber_Prays_After_Turning_To_God_During_Hold-Up_In_Indianapolis_Shopping_Centre

Here are some interesting views by Dr Tim Keller on how best to engage modern atheist. there are many pitfalls but should we be afraid and ignore our calling or dare to something even when the possibility of making few errors is still there. question is what are we called to do? If we are to be called by the Name of Christ should we not also answer his call to go out and be his witnesses. As someone sad to me Church needs to stop preaching to the converted and engage these who need the good news of the salvation that Christ brings.