Many people do not know that there are hundreds of planets beyond our solar system. These planets beyond our solar system are commonly called exo-planets as they orbit a star other than our own sun. Most people are familiar with the planets in our solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – Pluto is not a planet anymore!) but not exo-planets. Amazingly by February 2012 there have been 758 exo-planets that have been discovered.

The number of discovered exo-planets has rapidly increased with advancements in astronomy, and the number will just continue to rise and rise. I think that there are probably trillions of exo-planets in the universe, but who I am to speculate the total number.

To discover an exo-planet one of two things can happen[1]:

1. The mass of the planet makes the star wobble slightly. Astronomers can detect this for large planets. So far all the planets found have been much bigger than the earth and close to the star.
2. The planet can go in front of the star and eclipse it. The light from the star dims slightly, and this tiny change in light level can be measured.

I find that we learn two lessons from exo-planets.

1. God has made a very, very big universe to help us realise how utterly small and insignificant we are.
2. Despite us being really, really small He cares deeply about us. He cares about the entire little thing that go on in our lives – the number of hairs we have, our wounds and joys. 

The Creator is an amazingly big God that can create galaxies and exo-planets…..yet also care about you so much that He made you in His image.

I think that’s an awesome God to worship!

The last supper is famous for being Christ’s last meal with his disciples before his crucifixion. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take eat; this is My body.” Then he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sin”. (Matt 26: 26-28).

Perhaps less famously known is that Jesus Christ not only broke Holy Communion before His crucifixion but again after He resurrected from the dead. “Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.” (Lk 24: 30)

This giving of His Holy Body after His resurrection was what it took for the disciples’ eyes to be opened to know that it was Jesus Christ who was speaking to them.

I often feel that we can relate to these disciples. Despite them having great faith in God and knowing Him, it was all forgotten in a quick space of time. When the chips were really down (i.e. when Christ was arrested) practically all of His disciples fled for their lives in fear.

We fall easily into the misconception that Christianity brings easy glory, but it really tests your character and faith. Some say that they follow Christ, but when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble because they do not have any strong root.

Christ gives us warnings after warnings. He sends messages to us continually, even though we consistently ignore his messages. We should be thankful that he never leaves us, even though we leave him. We are fortunate that Christ not only broke bread before his crucifixion but after his death as well. I wonder what would have eventuated for His disciples if He did not give His bread a second time?

It’s probably more worthwhile focusing on his kindness and saying thank you for not ignoring us.

Thus we can appropriately say this lovely hymn (Somatos) after partaking Holy Communion in weekday Lent.

For the Body and Blood of the only Begotten God: of which we have partaken, we give thanks

Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

For the Body and Blood of the only Begotten God: of which we have partaken, we give thanks

Now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen  

The controversy surrounding the theory of evolution is no longer a secret to scientists. The theory has come under criticism, and many scientists have said that the theory of evolution is inadequate in explaining what it claims to explain.

On this blog I have tried to touch some of the aspects to this theory, but ultimately I have found it extremely difficult to cover what I initially intended to investigate. This evolution topic is so broad and diverse, that covering the topic fully is beyond the scope of a simple blog website. Besides which the scientists who analyse evolution and write books/articles about it, are much smarter than I am. They are professors who have multiple PH.D’s in their respective fields of science.

In just a few years I have learned an incredible amount of information on evolutionary theory. I have read numerous books, watched several videos/debates, and looked into several websites for and against the theory. I will list the resources that have helped the most below, but before that I would like to review the last book I read on the evolution topic.

In 2009 Richard Dawkins launched a book titled, The Greatest Show on Earth: the evidence for evolution. The launch was coincided to mark the 200^th anniversary of Darwin’s birth, and 150^th anniversary of his book The Origin of Species. This book is touted as an unanswerable challenge to those who believe in divine creation[1].

In 2010 Jonathan Sarfati launched a book in response titled, The Greatest Hoax on Earth? Refuting Dawkins on Evolution. The book was probably the most important that I have read to learn about the evolutionary theory. Sarfati quotes heavily from Dawkins’ book, and then supplies a response in the text below. He employs countless references in his objections; a rough count would be over 1000 citations from various sources. He never, surprisingly, is rude in his criticisms or is disrespectful. He seriously tries to explain the problems of evolutionary theory in a fair and objective way.

The book contains the following chapters:

1. Bait and switch – (i.e. switching the meaning of the word evolution part-way through an argument)
2. Species and kinds
3. Natural selection
4. Evolution before our very eyes? – e.g. antibiotic resistance
5. Embryos and self-assembly
6. Common ancestry or common design?
7. Where are the transitional fossils?  
8. The links are still missing
9. Ape men
10. Geographical distribution
11. Is the Earth ancient?
12. Young world evidence
13. Origin of life
14. Lost structures: evolution or devolution?
15. ‘Bad design’: evidence for evolution?
16. “Nature, red in tooth and claw”
17. Evolution, science, history and religion

For many the book will be challenging to understand, even if you have a scientific background. Thankfully though, Sarfati has a simple summary of the key points at the conclusion of every chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and appreciated how informative it was.

Other books that I have read on the topic and would recommend include:

-          Refuting Evolution (Jonathan Sarfati)

-          The Creation Answers Book (David Catchpoole, Jonathan Sarfati and Carl Wieland)

-          Darwin’s Black Box (Michael Behe)

-          The Lie: Evolution (Ken Ham)

-          The Natural Sciences Know Nothing of Evolution (A.E Wilder-Smith)

-          The Creation of Life: A Cybernetic Approach to Evolution (A.E Wilder-Smith)

-          Man’s Origin, Man’s Destiny (A.E Wilder-Smith)

-          Icons of Evolution (Jonathan Wells)

Videos that I have watched and recommend include:

-          Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Ben Stein)

-          Icons of Evolution (Narrated by Gregory Eagles)

-          The Origin Series: How the World Came to Be (A.E Wilder-Smith)

-          Unlocking the Mystery of Life (Written by W. Peter Allen & Stephen C. Meyer)

-          The Case For A Creator (Lee Strobel)

If you are hungry to learn about this topic, there are thousands of resources. It is important that every Christian is informed, at least to a basic level of evolutionary knowledge, to give an answer to anybody that questions you.

I will aim to continue to post on this topic, but don’t expect me to reach the level of the expert professors above…   

The bible never commands us to give thanks for everything but rather to give thanks in everything “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. (1 Thess 5: 18). There is a big difference between the two, and it is pretty difficult to be thankful for many things. For example, if someone gets into a car accident do you give thanks for the car accident? Do you say “thank you God for smashing my car”. No. But do you give thanks in the car accident? Yes. Why?

A – It could have been worse, you could have died

B – You still have God’s love

C – You thank God that no-one else was injured (if it was a solo crash)

D – Maybe this accident is a wakeup call to your spiritual life? Often you later realise that there are several reasons you should be thankful in a car accident  

You may not be able to thank God for losing your job, but certainly even when you have lost your job you can still thank God in that situation. Why? You thank him that the green money you earn from a job is not what makes you rich in the end. You can still be rich even when you don’t have any green money.  

If nothing else we thank God that despite all the unpreparedness, all the unrighteousness, all the bitterness, resentment, anger and wickedness that we have towards God, that he still comes and invites us to the thanksgiving meal of Holy Communion.  

Remember your focus is on heaven, not on earth. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matt 6: 19-20). With this focus it does not matter what my boss, neighbour or any human being says to me. No-one can take away my treasure in heaven.

Make sure that you have a heart of thankfulness, no matter what the external circumstances present.

My beloved children in the lands of immigration, clergy and laity.

My greetings and love to you, wishing you all goodness from the Lord. Hoping that you are all growing in grace and in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I congratulate you on the Feast of the Nativity and for the beginning of a New Year, may it be new for you in all things and especially for your spirituality. Amongst the words that I remember on the occasion of the Feast of the Nativity, is what was said about Him during His Incarnation, that He “went about doing good.” (Acts 10:38)

It is a lesson to us in our lives, to be like Him, going about doing good.

Goodness is not only leaving sin, for this is only the negative aspect. The most important aspect however, is the positive side. That is, doing good with everyone, in order that everyone who meets us on the path of life will gain goodness, by any means. The Bible said about this positive goodness, that, “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

Hence, sin is not merely committing evil or impurity, but not doing good also is a sin. This is not the case in the New Testament only, but also in the Old Testament, for the Bible says “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you.” (Proverbs 3:27-28)

Goodness is not only in materialistic giving, but in spiritual giving also: in the ministry, in a good word, in a word of advice, in a word of benefit, in a word of sympathy, in a word of kindness and compliment by which you gain friends. Doing good is leading people to goodness, and in the soft answer, which “turns away wrath.” (Proverbs 15:1)

You can do good by comforting wearisome souls, as the Lord said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). You can do good by having a happy and smiling appearance. By this, people will be pleased when they see you.

You do good if you are able to share in mission work, or by conveying the word of God to those who do not know it, or by conveying the faith to unbelievers.

Ministry in the Church is doing good, there do not let Satan plant tares in it by the way of division and love of the self.

My beloved children, place this principle in front of you in this New Year: that every day you do not do good, do not count this day as day as a day of your life.

God created you in His image and God is the Beneficent One. So you also be likewise, in the image of Your Heavenly Father, beneficent as He is. Let this not only be when people ask from you to do good to them, but rather do not wait for them to ask. May you possess the sensitivity by which you can comprehend what will make people happy and try to make them joyful. In this manner, you will go about doing good.

May the Lord be with you, and may He make us always hear all good about you.

Pope Shenouda III

Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, Feast of Nativity 2012

We thank You dear Lord for preserving our life for another year

We thank You for kindness, compassion and love for not just the last 12 months, but over our whole lifetime

We thank You for keeping us strong and faithful, by realising that we need to depend and totally trust in You

We thank You for all the successes and failures over the last year

We thank You for all the problems You have solved, and also for all problems that You have prevented from reaching us. You protect and care for us, even when we do not appeal to You for preservation

We ask You dear Lord, to make 2012 a blessed year …

A pure year to please You…

A year in which Your Spirit prevails and joins in working with us….

Hold our hands and guide our thoughts from the beginning of the year till its end…

Let the year 2012 be Yours, to please You….

It is a New Year, spotless; let us not tarnish it with our sins or impurities…

Lord, be with us in every work we intend to do this year….

Let this year, O Lord, be a happy year…

Put a smile on each face and gladden every heart…

Let Your grace emerge in our trials and help those who are tempted…

Grant us peace and quietness of mind…

Give to those who are in need, cure the sick and console the grieved…

We ask that Your word may reach every Church, mission and heart…

We ask You to guide our country and its leader the honourable Prime Minister Julia Gillard…

We ask You for the world’s peace that Your Kingdom may be everywhere…

Let it be a fruitful  year, full of goodness…

Everyday and every hour has its own work…

Do not allow a futile moment….but productivity in Your Kingdom

Fill our life with activity, work, production and the blessing of a holy toil

Let the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with us in all our deeds…

Remove pride, arrogance, lust, envy, bitterness, and the love of sin in our lives…

Remove bitterness and promote forgiveness between all people

Give joy to the face of the Earth

Help us to love everybody unconditionally and to never hold a grudge on any man

Help us to be a new creation in 2012 and to look favourably upon all people, regardless of anybody’s past

Promote positive relationships between brother to brother and sister to sister

Help us to shift our focus to You at all times, and to not be engrossed in materialistic or political issues….

We look forward to a blessed 2012 year, filled with Your Spirit

Recently I was told that I would be out of my full time job. My contract was coming to an end at the conclusion of the year, and I was told that it would not be renewed for two main reasons. The first is that the teacher that I was replacing over the past year was coming back, and the second is that the school wanted to go with a more experienced teacher who had joined shortly after my appointment. But interestingly as I learned before, God has usually very different ways than man.

When I first found out that I would be leaving, I was disappointed. This is mainly because the new teacher that had joined after me was not a qualified science teacher, but maths trained. I initially thought about complaining and even appealing as to why the school would take preference with a non-science trained teacher over a trained science teacher, but after some consideration I decided not to. I recalled the saying, “Do all things without complaining and disputing” (Phil 2:14). It appeared to me that complaining would do more harm than good, and you have to respect people who are in authority anyway. 

With the news that I was on my way out, I was advised to apply for jobs. I thought that since I now had experience, surely it would be easy to obtain employment in a job that is in demand. In total I probably applied for at least 30 jobs and this resulted in three job interviews. In the end, all of the three interviews were unsuccessful. One of the interview panel group members said that “they were very impressed with my application”, but ultimately they were not impressed enough. After my third unsuccessful interview, I applied for jobs with less pursuance and motivation and I started to give up and focus on studying again.

Towards the end of my contract I was still taking my job seriously, even though I was on my way out. In fact a couple of friends told me to stop preparing lessons because you don’t have a job there anyway. I told them that regardless of the situation you must work to the best of your ability at all times.

In the final week of the school year God opened a door. The maths teacher I mentioned earlier who took preference over my position was applying for maths positions in other schools. She ended up receiving two interviews at different schools, right at the end of the school year. I wished her well but said to her “that even if you get one of the two jobs, there is no guarantee that I will take your position”. The very next day I was told that if she got any of the positions I would take her job.

I began to realise that it was all in God’s hand, I had no control of the outcome. I worked diligently up until my final day, still unsure if I was back next year. I spent a lot of free time cleaning classrooms, always trying to be as honest as possible in my work. I also recalled Pope Shenouda’s response when he was asked about what made him so successful in life. He said “be earnest in everything that you do. You must work to the best of your ability in every job, regardless of the situation and circumstances”. It is selfish if you only look after yourself saying “I’m not going to be here next year so it’s not my problem”.

After the maths teacher had her interviews we both wished each other well regardless of the final outcome. I continually thanked her for her support throughout the year, and said that I would miss her either way. We left on very good terms……..and within a week God responding by granting the maths teacher her most preferred school for employment.

God taught me again to rely on Him, and not on myself. I learned to pray for others first, rather than become self-centred in my requests. I learned that no man can take control of his life, without the ball being in God’s court. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord’ (Isa 56: 7)

Once again “it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Ps 118: 8). Do not worry or be disappointed when things don’t go your way. They will go God’s way, in the end…..and always for the better….

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish some place you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than 3 billion people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than 2 billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

(Taken from the Spring of Love, Issue No: 1128, pg 9, author anonymous)

I would encourage everybody to learn about Islam, and comparative theology for that matter, in order to give an answer to anybody that questions you about your faith.

Enjoy the debates attached and spread them. You would be suprised how many people are willing to listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svXK_pFwMNg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwk0oYag4_k

Jupiter is so vast that it exerts an enormous gravitational pull on things around it. This makes Jupiter like a gigantic vacuum cleaner. Asteroids and meteoroids that come near it are sucked up into its atmosphere. Jupiter is the largest planet. It weighs three hundred times more than Earth, and is more than twice as heavy as all the other planets added together! Over 1,400 earths could fit inside it. The core of Jupiter is rock and metal, possibly the size of the planet Earth. If it were possible to drive around Jupiter’s equator in a car, the trip would take six months of nonstop 24 hour a day travel! A similar trip around the earth’s equator would only take two weeks[1].

Jupiter is the fastest spinning of the planets. The fast rotation stirs the atmosphere and clouds into dark and light coloured stripes called belts and zones. In 1995, the space probe Galileo sent a mini probe down into the atmosphere and found that the winds on Jupiter blew far stronger than any winds on Earth. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot extends more than three times the Earth’s diameter. The Great Red Spot lies across Jupiter’s southern end. The spot is a giant storm that has been raging for over one hundred years.

Galileo Galilei was the first scientist to see any of Jupiter’s moons. Using a telescope, he spied Ganymede, Europa, Callisto and Io. Scientists have found a dozen more moons since Galileo discovered the first four. One of Jupiter’s moons, Ganymede, is the solar system’s largest moon. It has a diameter of 3,210 miles. It is larger than the planet Mercury. Ganymede’s core takes up half its diameter. Another moon, Callisto, has the most cratered surface of any moon in the solar system. This moon is made up of water, ice, and rock which give it its dark colour. Jupiter’s moon, Io has about 80 volcanoes. NASA’s spacecraft Galileo found numerous volcanoes shooting 50 miles above Io’s surface. Billions of years ago, Earth probably had as much volcano activity as Io has now. By studying Io, scientists hope to learn more about how Earth was formed.