{"id":20,"date":"2014-06-27T15:57:00","date_gmt":"2014-06-27T15:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/2014\/06\/27\/"},"modified":"2021-01-24T14:53:31","modified_gmt":"2021-01-24T14:53:31","slug":"20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/2014\/06\/27\/20\/","title":{"rendered":"Explorations in the Northern Baltic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some Modern Explorations in the Northern European Baltic Sea Area  <\/span>in 2014<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
Retracing some of our US Northern European ancestors\u2019 footprints, <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
cruising and touring where they settled and fought and studied the Bible and the life of Christ in the Baltic areas.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
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<\/a>Figure 1<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
A sailboat and four (out of about eighteen) new power grid augmenting windmills in Copenhagen bay (photo from the Holland America Eurodam\u2019s sail in to the port there)<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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” Ourselves and our people’s peace of mind and soul as the goal”<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b>
\n“The first experiment”<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“The program and machinery of Christianity”<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“The alchemy of influence”<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
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\nReflections on praying the famous prayer of St. Francis after praying it for about 30 years. <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
More prophetic thoughts from the past, present and for the future related to our previous discussion groups postings on how our Christian and Jewish religious doctrines of the Trinity, the importance of which language and sounds are used in mantra and Nada yoga as a Holy spirit, Hebrew Name of God (whether it can be just a Verb, or must be something more like a \u2018Subject, a Verb, and an Object\u2019), developed, half and half, out of the Old Testament prophets and the Greek Platonic, Neo-Platonic, and Aristotelian writers thinking.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b>
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\nReflections on how we are all reflected in Christ according to the liberal protestant Christian theology in Henry Drummond’s book (not the three chapter address), ‘The City Without a Church’.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b>
\nThis book contains a series of 10 beautifully written chapters in it about how serving and meditating on the Mind of God as Christ, our Messiah, transforms our souls not just when we die believing in him, but right now in the present moment. <\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b>
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What is Eternal Life? To know (by science and religion) Our God and to correspond, reflect in, with Him, is Life Eternal. summary of Henry Drummond’s book entitled Eternal Life
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\n“I saw no Temple there”<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“The changed life.”<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“The formula of sanctification”<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“The alchemy of influence”<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“The first experiment”<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“The program and machinery of Christianity (as a society of believers)<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“Effects require causes “<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n(He believed in the interaction of science and religion, and even defined several such laws or ways of possible interactions eg. the Law of Continuity, the Law of Biogenesis. All this is explained in more detail in his advanced theological work  ‘Natural Law’)<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“Our people’s peace of mind and soul as the goal”<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“What are yokes for?”<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n(Even though he believed that we need to participate in the world and act ourselves in order to help God to interact with us, he did not think we could force things through our own wills or asking through prayer to help our wills. He believed instead that we can encourage our spiritual growth together by letting God reflect himself in us through <\/span><\/em><\/strong>an easily managed process of carefully managed mindful and faithful growth in Christ.) <\/span><\/em><\/strong>
\n“How fruits grow”<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 Thoughts on how this relates to the mirror metaphor above of our souls’ transformations in Christ. as taught by Gwenfair Adams and David Cooper .<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Also, a discussion of some ways and the importance of chanting the Psalms as Christian\/Jewish Yoga.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
A special thanks to Dennis Hollinger, Scott and Rhonda Gibson of Gordon-Conwell, our brother\u2019s in Christ at the Monastery of the Desert in New Mexico, and Jonathan Harrell of Los Angeles, for praying with us during parts of this year. And, especially thanks to Megan-Burton Krieger of Vanderbilt Divinity for not only praying with us but visiting with us in March and Yolanda Horne of Vicksburg for praying and studying the Psalms and the Torah on a weekly basis with us in Hebrew during the Fall of last year.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
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\u2018Come unto me, all that are weary and heavy laden. And, I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me\u2026 for I AM meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.\u2019 Gospel of Matthew 11;12<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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  <\/span>These are Jesus Christ words as quoted by Henry Drummond in his book \u201cThe City Without a Church\u201d.   <\/span>It should be a reminder to us that Rest, Joy, Peace, Faith don\u2019t just drop into our souls like snow or rain. We have to practice relaxation, meditation, mindful breathing, along with scripture study, giving and praying for God’s and others sake, praise of God, on a regular basis in order for Christ\u2019s yoke to be able to do its work in order to help us.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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If you are reading parts of this posting why not take the time now to slow down yourself and study and read and pray the rest of it together with us.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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In my opinion what we need most now in order for God to hear our prayers and for us to be successful in supporting each other\u2019s goals and intentions is not monetary gifts to each other, but more people willing to answer individual prayers through discussions and posting and to register themselves with us our prayer forum support site at <\/span><\/span><\/b>http:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/prayers\/index.cgi<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/a><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
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And also at<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/u><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
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 <\/span><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span>http:\/\/www.ourprayergroup.blogspot.com<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/a> site<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/b><\/span> <\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
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This certifies that we have studied and prayed for goals of the other groups listed there, that we will check back from time to time in order to be witnesses to how God has answered the prayers there, and gives each other the gift of acknowledging that we both believe that our individual faiths are important and can make a difference.  <\/span>It guarantees that we both believe we can work put any doctrinal differences, or other misguided individual or group ego issues, aside and pray for the other\u2019s intentions.<\/span><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure <\/span>2<\/span><\/span> View out into the Baltic Sea from the stern of our Holland America cruise ship, the Eurodam, as it sails from one interesting port city to another.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
 Captain’s toast in the main dining room, second day out of port blessing his ship:<\/span><\/o:p><\/span>
\n“The Dam ships are the best dam[sic] ships, and may they always be so.”<\/o:p><\/span>
\nHere I assume he was referring to the Dutch\/English translation of the word dam when he spoke this.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Some study references on the history of the Baltic region during the last millenium amd before that:<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cAncient Powers of the Baltic Sea\u201d by Mayyi Klinge, Aspasia books.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cThe Teutonic Knights, a military history\u201d by William Urban, Frontline Books<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cThe Scandinavian Baltic Crusades, 1100-1500, by D. Lindhom and D. Nicolle, Osprey Publishing<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cThe Batic, a new history of the region and its people\u201d by Alan Palmer, The Overlook Press<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cDeep Ancestory, inside the genographic project\u201d, by Spencer Wells, National Geographic<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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The fascinating question of how much the Platonic, Aristotelian, Neo-Plationic philosophers influenced the development of our current Christian Jewish Theology is an important and deeply complicated study.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
For, Pythagoreas, Plato and Aristotle the being or what they called the \u201cdemiurge\u201d who was a being if not God, at least responsible for the initial cause of the creation of the World. For them (Plato and Pythagoreus at least) the \u2018integer numbers\u2019\u2026 \u2018One\u2019, \u2018Two\u2019, \u2018Three\u2019 and so on were real persons, as well as being part of a Divine Trinity of Pythagorean Arithmetric Creation. In the dialogue \u2018Timeaus\u2019 Plato first outlines for us the philosophical and geometrical and arithmetical details of how the Pythagoreans ( who were some of the most important early creators of mathematics) understood all of this. The Number One was what was called the \u2018demiurge\u2019  <\/span>the \u2018monad\u2019 the first form of forms for how the integers were created. Nowadays we use the mathematical discipline of \u2018set theory\u2019 in order to define the integers. There are several possible ways to do it.  <\/span>See the MAA book \u2018Which Numbers are Real\u2019 for an excellent modern day treatment of the various definitions and axioms required for the different methods and a short discussion of the mathematical implications of the different approaches.  <\/span>The philosophical and theological implications of the different approaches is a much more mathematically involved  <\/span>problem to understand.  <\/span>But, our human investigations into it go back to the Plato dialogues the Timaeus, the Parmenides, and Aristotle\u2019s books.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cWe all, with unveiled face,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
 <\/span>reflecting as a mirror,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
The Glory of the Lord,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Are transformed,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Into the same image,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
From Glory to Glory,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Even, as from the Lord,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
The Spirit.\u201d<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Here is a poem I wrote on this subject several years ago after studying Buddhist theology for a while:<\/span><\/o:p>
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Figure 2a  Bell Tower dominating the sky from a viewpoint of an island in the harbor of the city of Stockholm, Sweden.<\/span><\/div>\n

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“Effects require causes whether they are final or initial.<\/span><\/div>\n

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“The formula of sanctification”<\/p>\n

Daily Mindfulness Teaching for the One Human Holy Spirit who is God\u2019s Son,
\nChrist Jesus
\n(a poem written to tie us all in love and trust, for as long as we are true
\nto God and He to us)<\/p>\n

Awareness and faithfulness~ are reflections of two truths*.
\nTruth is a heart that listens** and is faithful and aware,
\nAlong with a mind that believes what is right for all of us.<\/p>\n

Goodness~~ is a heart that loves and gives
\nBeauty is a reflection of what is good
\nAnd a mind that is open***.<\/p>\n

~ God is a mind that is and knows no limits (is faithful toward our hopes and
\nprayers) yet still is what he or she or it is (aware) until that knowledge
\nblossoms (becomes true) in us.
\n~~ Jesus Christ is he or she who is the Prince of Peace, heals and saves us
\nall (being what we need him to be in order to do this) and sanctifies the
\nname of God. God has no Son or Daughter but him or her.
\n* or alternatively, toward two truths. \u201cJesus said, One person cannot ride
\ntwo horses at once, nor stretch two bows, nor can a man serve two masters, as
\nhe will respect one and despise the other. \u201c The Gospel of Thomas, verse 47
\nop. cit. Also he said,
\n\u201cDo not let your left hand know what your right is doing.\u201d Op. cit. verse 62.
\nSo, this said, if we are aware of our own shortfalls in this area and ask God
\nfor help. it is possible for the Holy Spirit and thus God in all of us to do
\nall of this for all of our benefit. \u201cJesus said, If two make peace with each
\nother in a single house, they will say to the mountain, \u2018Move from here!\u2019 and
\nit will move.\u201d Gospel of Thomas, verse 48, op cit.  
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7\/19\/2014   Another more recent and scientific\/religious viewpoint about the two ways the truth of love can express itself and reflect itself in us comes to us from the book ‘Ascent of Man’ by Henry Drummond:<\/span><\/div>\n

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 “In our lives there are two struggles…the struggle for life, and the struggle for the life of others ( which is love)” Henry Drummond<\/span><\/div>\n

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\n<\/span>
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\n<\/span> ** the Holy Spirit is a heart that listens, eyes and ears that see and hear <\/span>
\nwhat is good, a mouth that speaks what is true, and strong arms and legs that <\/span>
\nlift up the fallen, walks with them and leads them in the right direction. <\/span>
\n*** To say that it is a reflection means it does not have an independently <\/span>
\nexisting self. Two reflections can be an image (perceptive reflection) and a <\/span>
\nlikeness (conceptual reflection)making up the soul and the spirit of a human <\/span>
\nbeing. So, a reflection may or may not be a part of an independently existing <\/span>
\nobject or person. For instance, the heavens and the skies are beautiful. But, <\/span>
\nso can be a person, a woman for example.As Dr. Immanual Kant has said in his <\/span>
\nsection distinguishing the transcendental logic into a transcendental <\/span>
\nanalytic and a transcendental dialectic… ,”the conceptions of pure reason <\/span>
\nare not obtained by reflection…but by inference and conclusion.” The <\/span>
\nCritique of Pure Reason, Great Books # 42 edited by Dr. Mortimer Adler page <\/span>
\n112. Another definition of beauty is needed in this case.(added to copy <\/span>
\n11\/14\/07) Another definition of beauty is needed in this case. <\/span>
\nConsider, \u201cBeauty is controlled grace\u201d a definition due to Leonardo da Vinci. <\/span>
\nThis builds on the term grace which is sometimes defined as \u201cLove that <\/span>
\ngives\u201d. Also, I believe beauty may be due to an essential symmetry or a basic <\/span>
\neconomy of expression in a humanly constructed definition containing a <\/span>
\ncreative seed of truth or knowledge that can expand on itself growing into a <\/span>
\nmaterial, psychological entity or living being (yet start over from the <\/span>
\nbeginning or some midpoint along its path and reproduce itself if necessary). <\/span>
\nMathematical proofs, a set of physical concepts and axioms or a well written <\/span>
\nand designed computer program can fall in this category. These three or four <\/span>
\nexamples and definitions of beauty seem to me to fit well together into a <\/span>
\nshared human linguistic environment and belong to a common semantics or <\/span>
\ncontext that I commend unto you as part of a larger set of metaphysical <\/span>
\ndefinitions of heavenly terms. See www.ourprayergroup.blogspot.com blog for <\/span>
\nmore on this. <\/span><\/div>\n

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In order to have a theory of prophecy, a theory of salvation, redemption, justification, sanctification we<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
must have a theory of who we are and how we change or are transformed into something we are not.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Platonists, and Aristotle have as the core of their theories and philosophies a theory of transformation, or  <\/span>of motion, based on causes, of definitions of what a soul is, of what the intellect is, and what a body is.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
In order to have motion, we have to have first a body (or form), something that occupies space or place.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
We have to have a location where the form, being us starts and where it ends still being us and maybe something more. This location, being in us, involves the material or essential causes and components which are an initial cause of its motion. This is the motion’s demiurge or Number One Faith our God which dwells in us and is either self-existent mentally and materially and self-justifying or not. The reasons that give us knowledge of this initial cause are forward chained in our perceptive object oriented or material type thought. For, we know that all knowledge begins with but not necessarily ends with sense experience. And, as part of this, we have to have a final cause, which is our salvation and which is divine because this cause is formed through backward chained goal-oriented conceptual thought.  <\/span>If in our search for a self-existent and self-justifying being or object outside and inside of us we are fortunate enough through the Love inside of this Higher Power, and not through our own efforts, to discover a source of all our thought in this regard we will know that not only have we found God, but knowledge of ourselves dwelling inside of Him and with Him as a part of our minds and bodies forever. We cannot find this knowledge by asserting or demanding it to exist from ourselves outward. But, we have to Love this knowledge as Someone or Something more than us and which will always exists beyond and outside of us, even when it so dwells within us.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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 There are three ways God is involved with us as our souls are glorified and transformed as they dwell with Him eternally (this was explained to us by Proclus in his famous, but difficult to understand, philosophical book ‘Elements of Theology’<\/span><\/o:p><\/span>
\n<\/o:p><\/span>
\n1) God ‘participates in this world with us’ in this present moment now, while our souls are being so transformed and glorified.<\/o:p><\/span>
\n2) God remains as a fixed, self-sufficient, principle around which our souls travel experiencing repeated birth, death, rebirth (resurrection).<\/o:p><\/span>
\n3) God lives and dwells, ascended,  in a higher heaven than this present heaven we are blessed to have now in part to live in on earth. As our souls are glorified and transformed in Him from glory to glory His being is what the Platonists are calling an ‘archetype’ of creation. What St. Paul called ‘the form of our humanities first-born form of creation’. This third way differs from the second in that this archetype, being both an image and a principle and a somewhat changing truth, can itself experience some change, as explained philosophically above.<\/o:p><\/span>
\n<\/o:p><\/span>
\nAnd, since, so can our souls change with God’s help and Christ’s help in these ways, then so can our Christian Church change and evolve to be better throughout human history. Personally, being a liberal Protestant, I believe it is now changing in a direction toward more of a spiritual kingship and school of priesthood of all believers.<\/o:p><\/span>
\n<\/o:p><\/span>
\nThis viewpoint is consistent with the Throne of God prophesied in the Book of Revelations chapters 19,20,21 not being a place where we participate in a church up in heaven or down here on earth, but a spiritual and mental place which our God helps us each know and realize as Christ, His Son, enthroned in our hearts and our divine souls as being part of the glory of God dwelling with the individual humanities of each saved, redeemed, justified, sanctified man and women of God.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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There are many philosophical rewards and divine blessings of wisdom and spiritual understanding, I think,  <\/span>for theologians who keep trying to understand Aristotle\u2019s metaphysics and theories of religious causation over a long time period. Taking time to read  <\/span>commentaries like Proclus\u2019, Simplicitus\u2019, Taylor\u2019s and others on Aristotle can make the difference in being able to understand him.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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To help in this area there are also translations of Proclus\u2019 book, \u201cThe Theology of Arithmetic\u201d available.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure <\/span>3<\/span><\/span> In downtown Copenhagen the residents have learned the joys of bicycling in the cool Baltic May air to and from work. Automobiles have to share about a third of the streets with the cyclists and everyone else walking. The Palace Hotel rented me a bicycle for a day for one Danish Kronin. It was much more enjoyable than taking a taxi (which would cost as much as 50 to 60  <\/span>Kronin). However, you needed to watch where you were going in order not to have a collision and buy the bike for about $600.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Copenhagen is a wonderful city to walk in during cool windy May days. I took a free hop on and hop off canal boat around the harbor then walked to the Tivoli Gardens. The next day I awoke at 3 am and discovered it was light so I took another walk around the town before breakfast<\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 4<\/span> <\/span>Tivoli Gardens in downtown Copenhagen, It is centrally located in the city right across from the main square by the City Hall and the Palace Hotel where some of our cruise group stayed while in Copenhagen.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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In the last century,some of  <\/span>Professor Taylor’s arguments about the unity of Plato\u2019s and Aristotle\u2019s theology have been argued against by Francis Cornford, an  <\/span>English philosopher of the 1930s. His commentaries on Plato were the ones I studied at Vanderbilt in the late 1960s. It wasn\u2019t until 15 years or so, due to a deeper understanding of theology and philosophy that I started thinking about the details of Professor Taylor\u2019s commentaries. <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Once we admit, understand, realize,  <\/span>that there is such a things as an empty set ( which Aristotle did not believe and which took modern physicists centuries to prove using the Michaelson-Morley experiment) we can define the Number One as the Set whose only element is the empty set. But when we postulate this material and scientific definition of the Number One do we leave behind the idea of a theological number one which can be the rational beginning of our theology? Plato\u2019s monad is something quite different than the set whose only element is the empty set.  <\/span>It is more like a set with no elements, but with the form of a single difference rule. Dr. Conway of Oxford and Princeton has invented some algebraic rules of addition and subtraction which can be used to define integers as trees of thought or rules of thought in games more than sets and using the concept of a monad as the number One. Some of this is explained in the MAA book referenced.  <\/span>The philosopher Leibnitz who co-invented the modern calculus constructed a whole philosophy and theology based on postulating the fundamental elements of reality were not material elements but these theoretical \u2018monads\u2019. This led to some teachings such as our world is already the \u2018best of all possible worlds\u2019 and reactions from other enlightenment philosophers like Voltaire that \u2018No\u2019, ‘You must be crazy to say that’. But, I think just talking and discussing the possibility of it among ourselves and letting God have the final say on the question,  <\/span>had to be a help to humankind.   The celebrated <\/span>Voltaire claimed that \u201cGod is a hypothesis of which I have no need\u201d. I myself believe strongly that Voltaire was wrong. I believe we have a need of the hypothesis of God and the reason we have a need of the hypothesis of God is that he is our Fundamental Good that is \u2018sufficent in Himself or Itself\u2019. Perhaps Mr. Voltaire, if his spirit and soul is still listening, could explain to me what hypothesis he uses himself to help him understand what is good or sufficient unto itself in all of us and each of us. Or does he, after considering things both from and not from this point of view for a while, really think such a hypothesis is not necessary for our human thinking?<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 5<\/span> <\/span>The boat Lagoon in the crowded Tivoli Gardens. It cost about $30 for a day pass here and there were many sidewalk cafes with delicious Danish pastries to sample.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
When we speak about our various theories of the Bible and our reasons for believing them it is important to be aware of what we are and are not claiming to be true with regard to the continuing transformations of God\u2019s glory in our souls.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
If we say for instance, that we believe \u201cThings are not true because they are in the Bible, but they are in the Bible because they are true.\u201d : Then we are asserting that these truths, the birth, death, resurrection of Christ in us,  <\/span>have already happened and not prophesying them to happen in the future.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
If we say that we believe that verses in the Bible will not be fulfilled without future wars and suffering, then it\u2019s not so easy for God to make it happen without these tragedies happening (which in fact He does not will wishing only goodness and happiness to happen to us).<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Our purpose in Biblical preaching is both to be a \u201cwitness to the Truth\u201d as Jesus said his purpose was and also to be in some divine sense representing the part of Him that \u201cis the Truth\u201d.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Our purpose in helping to glorify God\u2019s name in the world, is also to glorify his Name dwelling in us. But, it is up to Him to fulfill the second part of this task eternally in our souls in what we call \u201cthe fullness of time\u201d. The fullness of time, is a sense or understanding of time that includes what is outside of time, that is eternity. Thus this view of time must be something more that time, but it also must be a more eternal viewpoint of things that do dwell in time. This viewpoint is a divine viewpoint that transforms itself inside us as we live in the world not being of it.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 6<\/span>  <\/span><\/span>One of the main canals that run through downtown Copenhagen, the beloved city of our long time studied theologian and philosopher friend Kierkegaard.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 7<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

Our group visited the partially reconstructed remains of the Rekvere castle run by the Teutonic Knights in the middle ages just North of Tallinin Estonia. It is built as a defensive fortress on a high embankment overlooking the area\u2019s terrain with interior buildings, courtyard, throne room, large dining hall, kitchen, and below the rooms a torture chamber where the grand master could sit on a throne while he interrogated those placed on the rack. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Figure 8<\/span> <\/span>Area inside of the reconstructed medieval castle used by the Teutonic Knights for martial arts training and competition in jousting. There is a viewing stand in the back. And, to the right of the picture was an area to keep farm animals for cooking in the castle kitchen shown further on that side of the photo. The Knights, with their limited number of men, made a point of dividing their raiding forces into small detachments\u2026 so that in case of defeat smaller losses would be suffered. Each man had to carry whatever he needed. \u201cDuring the early years of the Baltic crusades it was customary to slaughter all captives out of hand, with the exception of the peasants and laborers who were still required to cultivate the land for their new masters.\u201d During the period 1170 to 1198 Popes Alexander III and Innocent III authorized crusades against the pagan populations of the eastern Baltic.  <\/span>In 1226 10 1230 German Emperor Frederick and Pope Gregory IX further authorized the Teutonic Knights to conquer western tribes in this area.  <\/span>In 1291 the fall of crusader-held city of Acre in Palestine caused the transfer of their headquarters to Venice. It was later moved to Marienburg (now Malbork in Poland). In 1382 they seized the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius. In 1429 they were sent to defend Hungary against the Ottoman Turks.  <\/span>Lindhom and Nicole op. cit.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 9<\/span>   <\/span><\/span>These ancient graves hold the remains of some of the first northern European people to settle in this area, some 10,000 years ago. They brought a separate language, similar to Finnish, from Russian or German to the region. See the reference quoted above, \u201cDeep Ancestory\u201d for more on this.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 10<\/span>  <\/span><\/span>The Baltic port city of Tallinin Estonia.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Figure 11<\/span>  <\/span><\/span>Medieval mural on the wall inside of Rekvere Castle, Estonia. Notice the awful, miserable depiction of the pagan slaves who were considered servants of a higher organization of heaven on earth (our Christian Church at that time).<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 12<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
View from the top of Rekvere Castle overlooking the surrounding countryside. With the invention of cannons and artillery the castle became vulnerable to attack and being overrun. So, after this, it was no longer a strategic military center of operations for the whole Baltic area.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 13<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Some reconstructed figures used as bow and arrow targets for the archer\u2019s practice while living in the castle.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 14<\/span> <\/span>Russian Orthodox cathedral in downtown Tallinin<\/span>.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
 <\/a><\/span><\/o:p><\/div>\n
Figure <\/span>15<\/span><\/span> City streets from a typical Estonian village north of Tallinin, where our tour group had lunch.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Helsinki, Finland<\/span><\/o:p><\/div>\n

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Figure 16<\/span><\/span>Church organ used for worship inside of the Christian Lutheran (or should I say Lutheran Christian?) Church of the Rock. It is built inside of a rock from a large Baltic Sea geologic formation underlying the middle of downtown port city of Helsinki. Organs themselves can give our church\u2019s deeply satisfying and motivating resonances (I have a Hammond XK-7 in my home’s dining room). <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
When  <\/span>the Psalms are being chanted (not just read) in Christian churches, we  <\/span>know that is one sign that the Lord is with us, even, as another is that the Gospel is being blessed in us all by being  <\/span>preached and prayed and discussed evangelistically to all corners of the earth, as we try to do our best for God, living our lives, running the race to the finish line for our Father in Heaven and His Son, Our Christ, \u2018up the hill, every day, all the way\u2019 .  <\/span>If you preach that the Lord is mostly yet to come for believers, then you might want to withhold being able to sing and participate in this blessing of chanting the  <\/span>words of King David and Jesus Christ from your congregation. The basic chant for most congregations to sing is as in the Episcopal and Methodist Hymnals.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
The alternating versicles, cantor and responders, are marked with the point where the monotone  <\/span>switches to a canticle type of tone either up or down a full tone or half-tone. Because, King David\u2019s original (if there ever was in fact a single original King David other than the unique Holy Spirit of Our Lord\u2019s soul extending forward and backward through time even as we speak) intentions and notations for his music have been lost in time temporarily, there is the possibility of some variation in the specific  <\/span>tunes used at the end of the verse. Another way to mark the versicles for tonal shifts is according to the change in meaning of the verses. There are many, many different books of various Christian translations of the Hebrew words, without accompanying historical comments. But, for someone  <\/span>studying  <\/span>them it is important to understand the orally transmitted history of them through a book like the orthodox Jewish Artscroll Mesorah two volumes on the Psalms entitled \u2018Tehillim\u2019.  <\/span>And, also because for the reasons discussed  <\/span>below it makes sense to believe that Jesus studied them in Hebrew and had these same oral teachings, and the associations of the letters with metaphysical and philosophical concepts, embedded in Him as part of his studies.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 17<\/span>  <\/span><\/span>Nice flower stall, full of some beautiful plants enjoying a bright sunny and cool fresh harbor side morning, in the  <\/span>marketplace by the docks of the boat harbor in the bay of Helsinki.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 18<\/span><\/span>Parliament square in Helsinki. Finland has about 5.4 inhabitants, Helsinki 500,000. Its religion is 78% Lutheran, 1% Orthodox. And has a sovereign parliamentary republic government since 1917. Finland was part of the Swedish empire for about 800 years, then in the last century they fought two wars against Russia, the second allied with Hilter\u2019s Germany for a while. The first Finns settled here about 8000 years ago from Mongolia and modern day Finns share a language, which came from these people, with Estonia and Hungary. It is completely different than Russian or German.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 19<\/span> <\/span>Wind chapel sculpture, with someone, dressed like an organ pipe himself, standing in front. It is found in one of the many nice Helsinki town parks overlooking the harbor.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

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St. Petersburg, Russia<\/span><\/o:p><\/div>\n
Figure 20<\/span><\/span>Crowded scene of tourists walking along and viewing the art in one of the many lavishly decorated rooms in the world famous Hermitage art museum of St. Petersburg . In my opinion the Hermitage is a better art museum than the Louve, which I visited in the 1980s. Does that make it the best in the world?<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 21<\/span><\/span>A beautiful portrait in one of the Hermitage\u2019s display rooms. My own reflection can be seen in the glass admiring the young lady\u2019s portrayal by the artist (Rubens).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>
\n“The alchemy of influence” of two reflections in a mirror<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure <\/span>22<\/span><\/span> View from the outside of the world famous Hermitage art museum in St. Petersburg.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure <\/span>23<\/span><\/span> Church of the Weeping Tears built, by his son, on the spot where the Tsar Alexander I was assassinated in order to honor him.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure <\/span>24<\/span><\/span> The whole of the inside of the Church of the Weeping Tears is beautifully decorated with Russian Orthodox iconic paintings of angels, archangels, famous people in the Bible, and Church elders.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 25<\/span><\/span>An important area of the Church where the priest makes his entry through a door during the Church service.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 26<\/span>Picture of an archangel, perhaps Mikhael (or Michael as we English say to invoke him by his name\u2026 I think both pronunciations will work if you really need call upon him and to have his help). Archangel invocations are an important part of ourprayergroup\u2019s daily meditations and prayers.  <\/span>Rabbi David Cooper, following the early medieval Kabbalist Abulafa, has written some good books on the Kabbalah. But, in one of them he claim\u2019s \u2018God is a Verb\u2019. The reason he gives for this conclusion is that \u2018We can only know God as a process\u2026 and not a reality\u2019. I have tweeted out to David and posted a question to him on his website with the important disclaimer that \u2018I could be wrong, but I don\u2019t think so\u2019) \u201c<\/span><\/b>Because a verb by itself cannot be Truth in itself, the Name of God is something much more than a verb.\u201d <\/span><\/b><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/strong>
\n“Shema Israel: One way to meditate on the Greek\/Hebrew 4 Letter Name of God YHWH, Our Tetragrammaton as not being a Verb, but a Truthful Sentence is through its three letters… Yod is the Subject, Vav is the Verb, Heh the Object..”
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July 14, 2014 | \"UnregisteredAndrew W. Harrell <\/a><\/span><\/b><\/span>
\n                                <\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

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“Shema Israel: I bless God’s Holy Name through you and me by these postings. Friends, may I explain to you how God want’s us to bless His Name Together. I think you already know this if you have been bar-mitzvahed in the daily use of the Tefillim in our prayers…. Seven times mindfully, and from the top-knot of His Eternal Holy Spirit dweling as our knowledge of His soulful presence living and praying with us inside of us.”<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
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And while you are doing it thus seven days, seven times you might want to repeat or chant the following magical teaching which we will place as a precious cornerstone of Truth on a commemorative brick in several places:<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
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‘When God is One, His Truth is One, YHWH Christ.”<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/span> <\/b> <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Discussions > .<\/p>\n

I could be wrong, but it seems to me that since a verb by itself cannot be
\nTruth in Itself (which I believe God is), the Name of God has to be much more
\nthan ‘just a verb’. Any thoughts on these comments on this important subject?<\/p>\n

Shema Israel: One way to meditate on the Greek\/Hebrew 4 Letter Name of God
\nYHWH, Our Tetragrammaton as not being a Verb, but a Truthful Sentence is
\nthrough its three letters… Yod is the Subject, Vav is the Verb, Heh the
\nObject..<\/p>\n

Shema Israel: I bless God’s Holy Name through you and me by these postings.
\nFriends, may I explain to you how God want’s us to bless His Name Together. I
\nthink you already know this if you have been bar-mitvahed in the daily use of
\nthe Tefillim in our prayers…. Seven times mindfully, and from the top-knot
\nof His Eternal Holy Spirit dweling as our knowledge of His soulful presence
\nliving and praying with us inside of us.<\/p>\n

And while you are doing it thus seven days, seven times you might want to
\nrepeat or chant the following magical teaching which we will place as a
\nprecious cornerstone of Truth on a commemorative brick in several places: <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

‘When God is One, His Truth is One, YHWH Christ.”<\/p>\n

When Yod is the subject, Vav is the verb and Heh is the object there are five
\nways of knowing our Oneness with God’s Name YHWH.<\/p>\n

In Name of God, YHWH we are known ‘of God’ by YAH, and ‘by’ God by WEH.
\nAdding the Name Elohim we are known ‘with Him’ and Adonai ‘in Him’.<\/p>\n

When you call upon the angels Gabriel and Michael you get a team operating as
\nour Father in Heaven. Gabriel is the head, Michael the tail.<\/p>\n

Our Father is also an angel (Gabriel and Michael). His angelic Only Son is
\nJesus, an angel team with Ariel as the head and Raphael the tail.<\/p>\n

You can say Amen here if you believe.<\/p>\n

Jason’s reply on the blog: (since deleted by Rabbi Cooper on his new website)
\nOk ok… First of all a verb is an action… An action can be truth… Every
\naction is truth… Are you saying that your concept of God is that God is
\nabsolute truth…one then assumes that The truth you speak of is
\nabsolute…through living and life we are Verbs… All the names of God are
\nverbs in Hebrew …the concept of Goding has been lost in most western
\nreligions..the concept of truth… The ego… Is more than I can type … God
\nis not truth… The Verb allows us to experience truth and that my friend is
\nwhat defines who we are.. Buy the book God is a Verb by Rabbi Cooper and that
\nwill help explain a lot of the lithurgy of what you are talking about.<\/p>\n

May 11, 2015 | CommenterJason <\/p>\n

Hello Jason,<\/p>\n

Thanks so much for the discussion. I have some Good News for you which you
\nmay or may not already know:
\nGod’s Will (an Action…yes a verb..dwelling in us) and His Name dwelling in
\nus( I AM) are the Truth. You are and I AM the Truth. I AM that (in the past a
\nChristian and a Jew) who I AM (now) and will be (in the future), Jesus Christ
\nis, for you and I and all of humankind, the Truth of God’s Will and Name
\ndwelling in us (as salvation, redemption, sanctification, justification).
\nWith God’s help (as we faithfully and sincerely represent Him), we
\ncan “build the building” of our own salvation and redemption (inside of His
\nName, which is the Concept of a Concept…the way we Define the Divine Number
\nOne). even in ourselves and the boundaries of it all around us. If you have
\nbeen counting the Omer with me this year, Friday (Shavuos 2015) and the next
\nfew days leading up to it will be an especially good day for all of us to
\nparticipate in this process together.
\nHow would you like God to help you “build the building” of your salvation
\nand redemption this year?<\/p>\n

May 12, 2015 | CommenterDr. Andrew William Harrell  <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jason,in reply to your question about whether I was talking about absolute truth or relative truth <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

the answer is absolute Truth.<\/p>\n

How do I define absolute Truth? One way I believe is the way Jesus meant when He said,
\nI AM the Way, the Truth, the Life in the Gospel of John.<\/p>\n

Here is a little more clarification about what He meant in this Bible verse:
\n( It is the secret hide in the ages, Christ in you, that St. Paul talks about)<\/p>\n

Absolute Eternal Truth is something that appears in you after you listen for God to say It, then
\nyou say &do what you have heard Him say do.<\/p>\n

And, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus dwelling in you as God’s Holy Spirit, is someone Who appears
\nin you after you listen carefully to what God Says and you say and do what He(God speaking to
\nyou) says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Figure 27<\/span> <\/span>Boat canal where the Russian Tsars and other royal guests with favored privilege arrived on holiday from downtown to the Peterhof Palace.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>
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\nAll of this also relates to our earlier thoughts on how our souls’ are transformed in Christ like being reflected in a mirror.  A mirror transformation is like a verb’s transformation in a sentence.  So what I AM saying prophetically here is that our soul’s in order to be transformed into something that has its being in God’s name and in fact in the being of God’s Son’s name Jesus Christ have to be transformed not only as a verb transforms things, but as the Truth transforms things.  Ms Gwenfair Adams recent article, ‘Becoming ‘Brighter and more Beautiful’ in Gordon-Conwell’s Contact theological seminary’s magazine is an example of leaving out this deeper analysis when talking about how God’s Truth wants to grows in us. I hope you all agree with my analysis of this claim of his and will pray with me for David  and Gwenfair to understand things a little better. David <\/span><\/b>combines Michael and Gabriel into two larger and higher metaphysical order spiritual beings inside of God\u2019s Name. These beings are the angels’ Metatron (angel of intellect) and Sandalphon (angel of body). But, he, being a Jew more than a Christian, associates  <\/span>Michael with the attribute of compassion and loving kindness more than Gabriel, who he claims is more severe and judgmental to him.  <\/span>Being a liberal Protestant Christian I tend to claim Gabriel, the angel of divine prophecy to be more open to new ideas, like Christ, our Messiah, more liberal and kinder than Michael who watches more over our conservative believers. Although by saying this I wouldn\u2019t want to preclude Michael from being compassionate and kind if he wants to be.<\/span><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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Figure 28<\/span><\/span>More fountains in front of the Peterhof Palace. This Palace was the summer residence of the Tsars. It was destroyed in World War II<\/span> by Hilter. He believed that to destroy a nation you have to destroy its culture. To prove the contrary, it has been completely restored and has a magnificent restored interior as beautiful as then.  <\/span>When it was originally built Tsar Peter realized that he needed intelligent educated people to reform his country. They say Versailles has larger gardens but I have never seen to many extravagant fountains on a palace grounds as here. The figures for the statues are taken from Greek mythology.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure <\/span>29<\/span><\/span>  <\/span>Another view of the royal vacation barge arrival area at the Peterhof<\/span>.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Thoughts on Chanting the Psalms<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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After living like a monk for forty years, I truly believe, the Psalms were and still are the \u2018Prayerbook of Jesus\u2019. Why is this?  <\/span>Well first of all if you believe our God and our Lord His Only Son are real persons alive today inside of us, and their soul in us carries with it the remnants of its past, you have to believe the prayers he studied and carried out while he lived on this earth were not lost in the theological shift\/transition of Judaism to Christianity but are still living in us around us or in some book somewhere.   <\/span>What might this book be?  <\/span>And, where are they to be found in that book? I submit that his sayings are in the Greek New Testament that has come down to us, but his prayers are in the Hebrew Old Testament as the book of Psalms.  <\/span>As a practicing Yoga I teach to all those who ask that chanting or mantra yoga is the easiest way to use yoga to become enlightened as a Christian\/Jew as well as being important for other types of Christian Jewish prayer goals like intercessory and thematic prayer.  <\/span>So, chanting the Psalms should certainly be an important part of Christian\/Jewish studies by all of us. The next question might be, if so, how do you do it? <\/span><\/span><\/b>
\nThe Methodist hymnal has a set of modern day Psalm chanting tunes in it. Some of them are even designed for ‘transfiguration’ worship like that we have been discussing in the book by Henry Drummond.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Recently, our Christian Catholic Protestant leader Francis followed up on our older friend St. Benedict\u2019s visit to the Holy Land. What did the leader of Israel and one of the leader\u2019s of us Christians talk about? He asks the Pope whether he thinks the fact that Jesus was a Jew means he spoke Hebrew. The Pope, who is supposed to be infallible in this public situation of pronouncing on doctrine, gives in my opinion the wrong answer. The answer was, \u2018He was [therefore is sic] Aramaic\u2019 This seems like much to convenient an answer for a group that claims being under the \u2018our new covenant theology\u2019 is the reason why we don\u2019t need to practice Judaism anymore.  <\/span>I don\u2019t think anyone who has studied and tried to imitate our Jesus Christ of the Four Gospels over a long period of time would seriously think Jesus considered Himself  <\/span>or that God wanted him to be infallible at that time or even now.  <\/span>If so, he would have asked the many angels that surrounded Him then and now help Him. The person Jesus Christ considers infallible is His Father in Heaven who at any time, may be dwelling in Himself or in another. And, He says, doesn\u2019t He, that it\u2019s better to say the wrong thing and do the right than the opposite, doesn\u2019t he?  <\/span>In fact, it is for this reason that despite, saying the wrong thing in Israel, but doing the right thing by confronting and condemning the Mafia in Italy that we think the present Pope is overall doing a good job for us so far. <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
 <\/span>We know from verses in the Bible that Jesus, being divine, has a Holy Spirit which speaks all languages. Thus, whosoever says that Jesus spoke or speaks only Aramaic, is not representing Jesus but someone else.  <\/span>And, whoever says Jesus, the Christ, God\u2019s Son, is only Jewish, is making the same mistake of long ago before a new religion rose up to correct this mistake.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Here is one important passage in the Gospels that teaches us this:<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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Luke 4:16-20<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
New International Version (NIV)<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
16 <\/span><\/sup>He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 <\/sup>and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
18 <\/span><\/sup>\u201cThe Spirit of the Lord is on me,
\n    because he has anointed me
\n    to proclaim good news to the poor.
\nHe has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
\n    and recovery of sight for the blind,
\nto set the oppressed free,
\n19 <\/sup>    to proclaim the year of the Lord\u2019s favor.\u201d[<\/sup><\/span>a<\/span><\/sup><\/a>]<\/span><\/sup><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
20 <\/span><\/sup>Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Here are others:<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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Acts 26:14<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
King James Version (KJV)<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
14 <\/span><\/sup>And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
And so did the Apostles speak and study in Hebrew. The website hebrew4christians of Rev. Parsons, thanks to him for this reference,  <\/span>lists the following quote to show this:<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Acts 15:13-21<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
King James Version (KJV)<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
13 <\/span><\/sup>And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
14 <\/span><\/sup>Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
15 <\/span><\/sup>And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
16 <\/span><\/sup>After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
17 <\/span><\/sup>That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
18 <\/span><\/sup>Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
19 <\/span><\/sup>Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
20 <\/span><\/sup>But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
21 <\/span><\/sup>For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Clearly here the apostles were referencing the Hebrew words of the apostles.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 30<\/span><\/span>Extravangant, liberally pointed,  <\/span>fountain in the gardens on the opposite side of the Peterhof from the entrance canal.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Sailing Ship in the Baltic Ocean<\/span><\/div>\n
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\nFigure 31<\/span> A modern day 3-masted schooner that our more modern Holland America passenger ship sailed by on its route through the Baltic.<\/span><\/b><\/span>
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\nSo, for the reason that Jesus must have known Hebrew if he prayed the Psalms and if he studied it with the main Jewish priests in the Temple. For this reason, I tweeted the following thoughts and trusted in God and my many angels that follow me to convey an alternate theological answer for us all to give to Mr. Netanyahu:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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But, now, Jesus Christ speaks English ,also, as well as Hebrew…”Benjamin, if you want Peace in our Holy Land?…Tear down that wall!”<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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To answer the question, “Yes, Jesus would know Hebrew if he taught from the Jewish scriptures, because they were taught to Jews in Hebrew.”<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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So, if this is the case, that Jesus knew at least enough Hebrew to pray the Psalms in them. We might also want to know how did he sing or chant them? Is this to much to ask God to teach us? Well, I can\u2019t help you with the Hebrew chanting, because, what Jews call the Mesorah or how the verses were pointed for meaning and pronunciation is not now in any public books in a definitive and easily understandable form that I have been able to find. But, thanks to many Christian monasteries, the Methodist Hymnal (keyboard edition) and the Sounds True course by Ms Cynthia Bourgeault on \u2018How to Chant the Psalms\u2019 we do have some good methods for any one that wants to participate with us trying to be faithful to these ancient prayer intentions of Jesus in English.<\/o:p><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Stockholm, Sweden<\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 32<\/span><\/span><\/strong> <\/span>Interesting architectural design of a Museum in Stockholm facing the building housing a huge Viking ship which was rebuilt several hundred years after sinking in the Stockholm harbor. Whoever designed the ship made the mistake of ignoring mathematical design principles and placing too many cannons on its decks for the weight of the ships water displacement to support.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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“Our people’s peace of mind and soul as a final goal of the society”<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Here are some more twitter thoughts on Jesus\u2019 friend St. Francis\u2019 prayer related to the above theological teachings. It is the prayer I started this prayer blog talking about back in 2008.<\/o:p><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Praying with St. Francis that seeking more to love than be loved will help us find forgiveness and peace with God and each other long term.<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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The prayer of St. Francis<\/span><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
\nWhere there is hatred, let me sow love;
\nwhere there is injury, pardon;
\nwhere there is doubt, faith;
\nwhere there is despair, hope;
\nwhere there is darkness, light;
\nwhere there is sadness, joy; <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
\nto be understood as to understand;
\nto be loved as to love. <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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For it is in giving that we receive;
\nit is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
\nand it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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This prayer gives the program of Christianity as explained by Henry Drummond in his book \u2018City without a Church\u2019<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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\u201cTo bind up the broken-hearted as God makes us an instrument of their Peace.\u201d<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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\u201cTo comfort all that mourn (by explaining to them their liberty or salvation in Christ which enables them to overcome sin and mistakes).<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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To give unto them— beauty for ashes, faith for doubt, light for darkness, pardon for injury.<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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The Oil of Joy for mourning\u2026joy for sadness, love for hatred.<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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The Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness,  <\/span>hope for despair. <\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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Praying with St. Francis that we all seek to understand each other more than to have each other understand us… read more tweets than post<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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Praying with St. Francis that seeking more to love than be loved will help us find forgiveness and peace with God and each other long term.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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Peace has to start somewhere and that somewhere is us, and where it starts in us is God’s Truth of Himself dwelling in us.  So, if it is to last it has to start with Truth. But, what Truth, who’s Truth? Our Truth? or God’s Truth, or both? or neither? That is the most difficult question for us to understand. If we don’t take time to pray for help from others and God about how to know the Truth or who is the Truth, then how can we be the Truth to others.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/b>
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\nWhen we pray with God to be an instrument of His Peace we have a choice. We can pray for peace and justice. Or we can just pray to be an instrument of and for peace with God and let God be the instrument of justice.<\/span> <\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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If there were two more versicles I would add to St. Francis\u2019 intentions, that he may have unintentionally left out it might be:<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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Lord, wherever there is illusion, let it be transformed into what is good in our lives\u2019 experiences, and let there be in that place what is real.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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And, wherever there is untruth (in our lives’ experiences), let there be truth.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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For,<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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It is in this way that we with un-veiled faces allow our Lord\u2019s glory to transform His image in us (II Corinthians 3:18).<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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Figure 33<\/span><\/span><\/strong>A more built up and developed view of several of the islands and bridges running in the middle of downtown Stockholm. This close to the Arctic Circle, it is another 7 or 8 nautical degrees north of Copenhagen. In the summer you can use the daylight at night to work more, early in the morning if you want. In the winter there is so much of it, daylight that is, some people take a vacation in Spain or elsewhere closer to the equator.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 34<\/span><\/span><\/strong>Cycling, horse-riding trail in the beautiful downtown Stockholm royal park. <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Painted section of the Berlin Wall, near the former East Berlin railway station. Here we see that the residents of Berlin, have transformed with our and God’s help, a formerly sad dull gray wall, a wall which was blocking their liberty, to a colorful joyful and creatively artistic display of happiness. May there be more Divine Power and Help given to you in order to transform other parts of your live’s experiences, my friends. <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 35<\/span><\/span>Brandenburg Gate in downtown Berlin. It sits astride the remains of the route of where the former wall ran. This wall was built in 1961 by Soviet President and Communist Party Chairman Krushchev, convinced of the superiority of Marxist economic and political  <\/span>theory and causing the cold war \u2018Berlin Crisis\u2019. It encircled the western part of the city which he declared a \u2018bone in the throat of Communism\u2019. President Kennedy sent 1500 American troops to reinforce the city.  <\/span>And, here 25 years later our friend Ronald Reagan made his famous rhetorical challenge to another Russia leader, \u201cMr. Gorbachov\u2026tear down this wall\u201d. Thanks to the hard military preparedness and planning work of a lot of American and Nato people and thanks to his own inherent sense of righteousness, Mr. Gorbachov did.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 36<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Holocaust memorial in the middle of modern Berlin, right across the street from the bunker where Hilter shot himself.  <\/span>The city of Berlin around it, an important capital and center of the government of a large part of Europe, has made a remarkable and heartening recovery after being left in ruins at the end of the last world war. But, this memorial is designed to present those who explore it with a feeling of disorientation and stark despair. The human race needs to be vigilant to never forget our shortcomings and hatreds which led us all past the point of no return of war. May looking back on the remnants of this human destruction  <\/span>always keep us trying to protect ourselves against its return.  <\/span>It seems fitting that if Hilter\u2019s soul is still alive somewhere down in Hell and tries to come back to earth up from this point, that the souls of these martyrs should be on guard here in this part of Berlin in order to confuse and disorient him until he has to confess and atone for his mistakes in thinking and speaking, his purposeful and cruel, harmful, intentionally wrong crimes against the goodness in us all, for even some centuries and millennium more. .. or maybe not\u2026 what do you think?<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 37<\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/span>Group of a few walking tourists, local residents and bicylists who attended the \u2018One World Festival\u2019 that Sunday in the heart of the City of Berlin.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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Figure 38<\/span><\/span><\/strong>The worship area, beautiful wood pews, vaulted ceilings, white brick walls, of the interior of St. Mary\u2019s cathedral in the medieval island city of Lubeck in North Germany. Note the steel rod supports required to uphold the bending of its walls over the centuries. It was first constructed in about 1200 AD by the magistrate and merchants of the city. Its Romansque basilica was built of brick. From 1251 it was rebuilt as a Gothic cathedral in the high Gothic style of enormous dimensions. The vault of the interior of the church spans about 140 ft, and the twin spires outside are about 390 ft. tall. This \u2018mother of Gothic brick churchs\u2019 set the pattern for about 70 churchs in the Baltic region.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Figure 39<\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/strong>Exterior view from the courtyard outside of the church of St. Mary\u2019s cathedral of her spires, stone geometrical designed windows and crested doors, slate roof, bell tower with clock face, and red brick patchwork wall designs, in Lubeck, North Germany.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Some Modern Explorations in the Northern European Baltic Sea Area  in 2014 Retracing some of our US Northern European ancestors\u2019 footprints, cruising and touring where they settled and fought and studied the Bible and the life of Christ in the Baltic areas. Figure 1 A sailboat and four (out of about eighteen) new power grid augmenting … Continue reading “Explorations in the Northern Baltic”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7172,"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20\/revisions\/7172"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yhwhschofchrist.org\/yhwhschofchrist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

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