The Heavens Declare!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br8JVRQAe9E&t=780s

Professor David Block's lecture, "The Heavens Declare The Glory Of God," explores the harmony between the "book of nature" (science and the cosmos) and the "book of scripture" (the Bible), a concept he attributes to Galileo Galilei (1:05-2:20). He emphasizes that both books share the same author, God, ensuring no contradiction between them.

The lecture covers several key points:

• The Beginning of the Universe (2:27-11:20): Professor Block asserts that the universe, like the creation story in Genesis 1:1, had a definite beginning in both space and time, approximately 12 billion years ago. He references scientific discoveries from the COBE (Cosmic Microwave Background Explorer) and WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) spacecraft (5:14-8:27), which captured images of the universe's initial state, flooded with light but without stars or galaxies. He connects this to Genesis 1, where light is created before the sun and moon. He also explains that the "Big Bang" theory aligns perfectly with the idea of a universe having a beginning, not implying a universe without God.

• Galaxies and Cosmic Dust (11:40-27:12): The professor showcases images from the Hubble Space Telescope, revealing over 10,000 galaxies, each containing billions of stars. He details features like stellar maternity wards (15:36-16:28) and explains that cosmic dust, studied extensively in his research, is the material from which humans are made, drawing a parallel to Genesis 2:7, "the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground" (21:03-22:48). He shares personal anecdotes about God guiding his research, linking it to Isaiah 45:3 about finding "treasures of darkness" (27:14-28:21).

• Our Solar System and Human Perspective (30:03-54:28): He then zooms into our solar system, discussing the vastness of the sun compared to Earth (30:05-31:47), Galileo's observations of sunspots (33:17-34:40), and his personal, transformative experience observing Saturn through his telescope (34:40-38:46). He highlights the rings of Saturn as billions of icy particles (38:17-38:46). The lecture proceeds to Mars, showcasing its features like volcanoes, polar caps, and the Curiosity rover (46:13-48:40), and the moon landing (49:15-51:02). He concludes this section with images of the aurora borealis from Norway (51:17-53:57), emphasizing God's awesome celestial artistry and the divine perspective that God holds the universe in His hand, having planned human existence billions of years ago.

• The Heart of Flesh (54:45-59:00): Professor Block concludes by posing the question, "Is it well with your soul?" (55:01-55:04). He connects the physical phenomenon of a small moon eclipsing the sun to the metaphorical idea that a "hard-hearted stone" can eclipse the face of Jesus (56:04-57:10). He emphasizes the need for a "heart of flesh" to embrace God's plan, referencing Ezekiel 36:26, "I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh" (57:47-58:40), thereby encouraging spiritual renewal and faith.

• God and Gelileo by Pro. David Block

God and Gelileo by Pro. David Block

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32rHF2MyXb0&t=23s

Professor David Block's sermon, "God and Galileo: The Battle for the Soul of the World," explores the supposed conflict between faith and science, asserting their harmony. He highlights Galileo's belief that God reveals himself through two "books": nature (science) and Scripture (faith) (11:42).

Key points from the sermon include:

• Galileo's Trial and Persecution (14:50): Professor Block discusses Galileo Galilei's trial by the Roman Inquisition for heresy for asserting that the Earth revolves around the Sun. Despite scientific evidence from his telescope, Galileo was forced to recant his views and lived under house arrest.
• The Church's Error in Biblical Interpretation (21:15): The speaker argues that the Church's literal interpretation of the Bible regarding the Earth's stationary position was a significant error. He emphasizes that the Bible's intent is to teach "how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go" (22:41).
• The Danger of Scientism (25:50): Professor Block warns against "scientism," which he defines as atheism masquerading as science, citing Stephen Hawking as an example. He argues that scientism aims to undermine faith by claiming there is no God.
• The Harmony of Science and Faith (26:49): The professor concludes by reiterating that science and faith are not in conflict but rather complement each other, describing them as two "cathedrals" (31:21) that offer a complete understanding of truth. He calls for individuals to recognize and receive the "living water" of spiritual truth to overcome the despair spread by scientism.
• Galileo's letter, dated 1615, was incredibly impactful because it was perceived as a profound articulation of the harmony between science and faith (20:19). Although it was secretly circulated among Galileo's friends and copied extensively due to the Inquisition's efforts to ban such writings, it wasn't officially published until over 20 years later (20:43). The letter's core message, explaining that there could be no contradiction between the "book of nature" (science) and the "book of Scripture" because both were authored by God, spread widely and challenged the prevailing views that kept the masses in "total ignorance" (32:41
• How did Galileo save his life?
• During his trial at the age of 70, Galileo was found "vehemently suspect of heresy" and ordered to recant his ideas on his knees (15:40). Although he was sentenced to house arrest until his death in 1642 and his books were banned, his recantation likely saved him from a more severe punishment, such as being burned at the stake, which was the fate of others accused of heresy during that period (16:32, 15:13-15:22).</
• What did Inquisition torture entail?
• The video states that during the time of Galileo, torture was "unspeakable" and involved "atrocities" (15:13-15:14). The speaker mentions that people like William Tyndale were burned at the stake, sometimes with gunpowder (15:19-15:25). Heresy meant a person's life was on the line, and they would either be burned at the stake or tortured first and then burned (15:28-15:32). However, the speaker explicitly states, "I'm not going to go into details" (15:34).
• Why does the speaker use "wells"?
• The speaker uses the term "living water" metaphorically to represent spiritual truth, joy, and the presence of God that can "unstop" the "wells" of individuals' souls (39:29). He connects it to overcoming feelings of hopelessness, despair, betrayal, and anger (37:52-39:06). He emphasizes that this "living water" is a gift from Jesus, leading to eternal life and a continuous wellspring of joy (39:53-40:04). The speaker's prayer at the end of the sermon is for rivers of this "living water" to flow out of the wells of the audience, setting them free (40:09-40:26)
• How did copies of Galileo's letter spread?
• Galileo's letter spread because his friends made copies of it, and then their friends would make copies, and so on. This allowed the letter to spread like "wildfire" or "bushfire" from one reader to the next, even though the Inquisition was ready to ban anything like it (20:20-20:46).

Understanding the great composer Antonin Dvorak

 

The Story Of Dvorak in Words & Music

Dvořák & Suk: A Journey with Jakub Hrůša

https://houstonsymphony.org/dvorak-symphony-7/

Cultural background of Dvorak's times!

Feb 05, 2018

Do You Hear the People Sing? Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7

Culture wars, political dysfunction and rising ethnic tensions—these were the problems that plagued Austria-Hungary in the 1880s, and the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák would be caught in the cross-hairs. The immediate problems of the 1880s had deep roots, however; for centuries, Czech lands had been ruled by the Austrian Hapsburg monarchy, and Czech peoples were often relegated to second-class status within the empire...

Austro-Hungarian Empire 1880 奧匈帝國 

"BY the Water of Babylon" with lyrics

Magdalena Kožená - Antonín Dvořák Biblical Songs

Lyric based on Psalm 137 reflecting the homesickness of Dvorak!

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
    when we remembered Zion.
2 There on the poplars
    we hung our harps,
3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
    our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
    they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord
    while in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
    may my right hand forget its skill.
6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
    my highest joy.

Dvorak 9th symphony "From the New World"

Ode to the Dandelion

For All Who Are Oppressed

By Biho Hong

They say, “You don’t belong here.

You’re growing in the wrong place!"

Yet you had no choice where you were born.

Perhaps a gust of wind carried you,

Dropping you on someone’s lush, green lawn. 

And so, they pull you up by the roots—with anger.

Cursing you for stealing their precious weekend time,

Though you have done no wrong.

It’s an unfathomable mystery to you:

Why are chrysanthemums,

Especially the rare varieties,

Treated with such reverence and care?

While you—a simple dandelion—

Experience such scorn?

They spend money on chrysanthemums,

Displaying them like precious objects in their halls

And replenishing them when the flowers fade.

But you, because you’re free, are considered worthless.

It’s like how people reject God’s grace.

How dare they call you a wildflower, a weed,

And try to deny your right to exist?

You pay no attention to their harsh words,

Their jeers and laughter.

Instead, as long as you live,

You will strive to bloom beautifully.

Because you know your mission in life—

Given to you by your loving Creator.

Maybe tomorrow, or even in the next hour,

You will be uprooted and cast away.

But you don’t live in fear, anticipating that cruel fate,

Nor do you lament your “wrongful” place of birth.

For you know that

The true measure of life is not its length,

But how well it is lived.

Though people may despise you,

You have faith that

In the heart of the Creator,

Your place is assured.

If it were not so, He wouldn’t scatter your kind

Across every hill and every field.

People may try to erase you,

But you stand firm—

Secure in the knowledge that

You have many brothers, sisters, and descendants,

Who will continue to carry the torch of life.

You are not like the flowers in the greenhouse,

Hiding from wind and rain.

Instead, you have grown hardy and resilient,

Requiring no special care from the world.

The Creator has given you a tenacious life force,

Able to survive in harsh conditions,

Standing strong through the storms.

Dandelion, I salute and honor you.

For through you, the Creator shows me:

No matter who we are or the color of our skin,

No matter how insignificant we may seem in others’ eyes,

The Creator chose to sacrifice His only Son

To die for each of us on the cross.

God’s love affirms the value of our existence,

So we are not swayed by others’ praise or condemnation.

Lord, what are we that You care for us?

May we cherish every moment You give,

Living each day fully for You,

Knowing that even the wildflowers,

The small, scattered blooms and grasses,

Offer their sweet fragrance to You.

I pray that You teach us not to waste our time

Struggling and complaining about our worth.

Instead, let us offer ourselves as living sacrifices,

Scattered and blooming wherever we are—

For Your glory.

(Note: Consider the Lilies! Do not Worry! )

Matt 6: 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Genetic Virgin mother mouse & Jesus' Virgin Birth Debate

In the virgin birth, the immaterial (the Spirit) and the material (Mary’s womb) were both involved. Just as, at creation, “the earth was formless and empty” and dark (Genesis 1:2), Mary’s womb was an empty, barren place. And just as, at creation, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:2), the Spirit of God came upon Mary and the power of the Most High overshadowed her [like a cloud] (Luke 1:35). Only God can make something out of nothing; only God could perform the miracles of creation, the incarnation, and the virgin birth.

https://youtu.be/lGD0yzV8EH4?si=xrl52ymJCEkJksP7

Isaiah 7:14 the term “Almah” in Hebrews, The Septuagint translators translated to “parthenos,”

https://www.gotquestions.org/virgin-or-young-woman.html

The Hebrew word in Isaiah 7:14 is “almah,” and its inherent meaning is “young woman.” “Almah” can mean “virgin,” as young unmarried women in ancient Hebrew culture were assumed to be virgins. Again, though, the word does not necessarily imply virginity. There is no conclusive argument for “almah” in Isaiah 7:14 being either “young woman” or “virgin.” However, it is interesting to note, that in the 3rd century B.C., when a panel of Hebrew scholars and Jewish rabbis began the process of translating the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, they used the specific Greek word for virgin, “parthenos,” not the more generic Greek word for “young woman.” The Septuagint translators, 200+ years before the birth of Christ, and with no inherent belief in a “virgin birth,” translated “almah” in Isaiah 7:14 as “virgin,” not “young woman.” This gives evidence that “virgin” is a possible, even likely, meaning of the term. At first glance, Isaiah 7:14 has no connection with a promised virgin birth of the Messiah. However, Matthew, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, connects the virgin birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:23) with the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. Therefore, Isaiah 7:14 should be understood as being a “double prophecy,” referring primarily to the situation King Ahaz was facing, ( in that case, young woman) but secondarily to the coming Messiah(whose mom a virgin) who would be the ultimate deliverer.

You may not agree with the above arguments, simply from human logic?

In fact, if we believe that God created the entire universe, and if Jesus Christ really has resurrected from the death 3 days after His crucifixion, wouldn’t it be a piece of cake for God to allow a Child to be born by a virgin? Joseph was a righteous man, but he was not a stupid foolish man to completely believed in Mary's innocence. In private, he did want to cancel his engagement with Mary. Well, the angel Gabriel told him the truth in a dream and told him the baby had to be named Jesus! Before Joseph’s dream, angel Gabriel also appeared to Mary in person and told her that she would have a virgin conception and the baby's name should be Jesus because He is going to save people from sins! So Mary & Joseph could have talked privately and discovered that the name of Baby Jesus the angel told them was same! This is amazing! Traditionally, when Jews name their children, they often commemorate the names of their ancestors and do not use a new unrelated name. Therefore, John the Baptist and Jesus were not existing names among their relatives and ancestors! It’s an unusual naming then! The birth of John the Baptist, the pioneer of Jesus, was a miracle, and it was a public event, because many witnesses were present at the time and discovered that his father, Zacharias the priest, did not believe in what Gabril told him that his old aged wife would bear him a son. So, Zechariah became mute and unable to talk! It wasn't until John the Baptist was born, whom he named John, that Zechariah regained his ability to speak! Angel Gabril also told Mary that her relative Elizabeth was much older and already in her sixth month of pregnancy, so Mary hurriedly visited Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and stayed with Elizabeth there for more than three months! Thus angel Gabriel’s predictions were completely confirmed! Occasionally, if they still had questions and doubts, they could surely get firm answers!

Of course, the birth of Jesus cannot be made public with great fanfare! Look at what King Herod did! He had killed all the babies in Bethlehem who were under two years old! Not one of those babies under two in Bethlehem were spared except Jesus. So for such an intimate private story, Luke might have personally heard the historical account that an angel Gabriel appeared to her through Mary herself! It was also possible that Luke had heard lis from what Mary’s family said, and of course the Holy Spirit certainly could simply have enlightened and inspired Luke to write down this intimate true story of Jesus’ birth.

All in all, “In God nothing is impossible!” ; “Is anything too hard for God?”

So many important figures in the Bible gave birth to sons because of God’s interventions. Their births indeed carry God’s special responsibilities and missions! Like Issac, Samuel, Samson and Baptist John…etc. God directly intervened in their births since their mothers were infertile or pretty old; they were not just like us ordinary people! These historical events, in fact, laid the foreshadowing of Mary's virgin birth. They tell us again and again that “ In God nothing is impossible” If Jesus were not God, He would not have been able to fulfill so many prophecies which had been from a long long time ago.

Nowadays, IVF artificial insemination and embryo transfer have become very common and well developed! Since Dolly the sheep was cloned, cloned monkeys and other animals are now being released one after another! Recently, there have been reports of mice being genetically modified to reproduce asexually. Even we humans have been able to create asexual reproduction in the laboratory, isn't it ironical to assume that the Almighty God Himself could not do it single handedly ?

Chinese Youtube below

John Lennox vs Peter Atkins - Can science explain everything? LIVE DEBATE

https://youtu.be/EER1-9nflJY

Can Science Explain Everything? ( only 2.49 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCe4HpjJQy4

Sigmund Frued and C.S. Lewis Debating "The Question of God"

The Question of God: C. S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi Jr., Robert Whitfield, et al.

( Click the following link for a complete interview from PBS)

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/questionofgod/program/int_nicholi.html

An Interview with Dr. Armand Nicholi Harvard University professor and author of The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life

Q: You have been teaching a popular Harvard course on the question of God for more than 30 years. What was it about the subject of faith versus science that originally sparked your interest?

A: As a practicing psychiatrist, I came to realize that one's worldview, or how one answers the basic questions concerning meaning, values, purpose, identity, motivation and destiny, influences not only who we are, but how we live our lives. Taking it to the next level, it was important for students, I felt, to have the opportunity to critically assess the arguments for both the worldview that they embrace and some form of the worldview they reject.

Q: Who are Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis, and why did you choose to focus on Freud and Lewis specifically?

A: The founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud's great impact on our culture has led historians to speak of the 20th century as the century of Freud. C.S. Lewis, a celebrated Oxford don whose literary and religious works, including the widely popular children's series The Chronicles of Narnia, is perhaps the 20th century's most popular proponent of faith based on reason. Together, Lewis and Freud, the believer and unbeliever, represent conflicting sides of ourselves. Both are eloquent and incisive spokespeople for the worldview the other attacks.

Q: You describe Lewis as a celebrated Oxford don, literary critic and perhaps this century's most influential and popular proponent of faith based on reason. What does it mean to base faith on reason?

A: Faith based on reason is faith based on critical assessment of evidence that leads one to a strong conviction. For example, assessing the historical authenticity of Biblical documents might strengthen one's conviction in what one believes is true or not true...