Down2Earth: 8. So Wonderfully Made

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Posted by Larry | Posted on 28-10-2007

Category : Bible, Down2Earth

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother�s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)

Itââ?¬â?¢s official ââ?¬â?? next year Iââ?¬â?¢m going to be a Grandad! Now I know what youââ?¬â?¢re thinking ââ?¬â?? that I look far too young to be a Grandad ââ?¬â?? but trust me, itââ?¬â?¢s really true. Iââ?¬â?¢ve already seen a picture of the scan (we didnââ?¬â?¢t have those in my day!) and at just 13 weeks you can already see thatââ?¬â?¢s itââ?¬â?¢s all there – head, body arms, legs and toes. The way God creates and grows this life from the moment of conception to a single cell and then through to a fully formed human body is just so amazing, such a miracle of design and function.

Some of the facts and figures relating to the human body are truly staggering. For example, the body contains 60,000 miles of blood vessels; the average human brain has about 100 billion nerve cells; an average human scalp has 100,000 hairs. (Iââ?¬â?¢m probably down to about half that!), thereââ?¬â?¢s about 9,000 taste buds on the tongue; it takes the interaction of 72 different muscles to produce human speech; the average human heart will beat 3,000 million times in its lifetime and pump 48 million gallons of blood; there are 45 miles of nerves in the skin of a human being; 15 million blood cells are destroyed in the human body every second; during a 24-hour period, the average human will breathe 23,040 times etc. etc. Iââ?¬â?¢ve often thought that it must be difficult to look at the true makeup of the human body and see it as just coming about by chance ââ?¬â?? even for an atheist that must be quite a challenge.

In this beautiful psalm, David writes in the context of his very life being in danger. He doesnââ?¬â?¢t know what the next day will bring ââ?¬â?? maybe life, maybe death. Itââ?¬â?¢s because of this that he feels compelled to declare the true reality of his life ââ?¬â?? that his existence is no twist of fate, no accident of circumstances but rather heââ?¬â?¢s been ââ?¬Ë?fearfully and wonderfully madeââ?¬â?¢; a definite decision by God to make him the way he is. And then he goes on to declare something about Godââ?¬â?¢s omniscience ââ?¬â?? not only has God created him, but He knew everything about him even while he was in his motherââ?¬â?¢s womb ââ?¬â?? physically, mentally, emotionally ââ?¬â?? God knew it all. David then proclaims this deeply profound statement, that ââ?¬Ë?all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to beââ?¬â?¢. Now much could be said about this statement but suffice to say that here David acknowledges that his life is completely in Godââ?¬â?¢s hands. God knows the end from the beginning ââ?¬â?? whatever happens to him, both good and bad, his life is secure and death wonââ?¬â?¢t come to him until God decrees it.

Personally, I know I�m not quite at that place of security yet although I think I�m gradually getting there. Hopefully, during my Grandad years, the reality of being a child of God will really sink in.

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Ezekiel was clearly on something

Posted by Rob Borley | Posted on 03-10-2007

Category : Bible, Ezekiel

Last night me and Jo had our “together God time” and we starting looking at the Book of Ezekiel. I don’t think I’ve read it before, at least not all the way through and it looks like it might prove to be something of a challenge.

It opens with possibly the most tripy part of The Bible. It actually makes Revelation seem quite tame.

As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf�s foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Ezekiel 1: 4-28

Errr…. right… *smile* And this bit I love.

After the vision he went off…

And I sat there overwhelmed; stunned for seven days.

Stunned, I’m not surprised…

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You must be starving by now….

Posted by Rob Borley | Posted on 01-10-2007

Category : Information, Lunch

The time for excuses is over. We suck…. Myself and Rich have made three attempts now (the third this evening) to try and record this thing and we just can’t manage it as stuff keeps coming up.

I think it’s safe to say that we want to take this forward but are finding it difficult to pin it down. We are still around, we are trying to get it back together, watch this space.

But don’t hold you breath…. *smile*

Oh, and please go eat without us.

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