Astrology.

--Sermon by Dr. Bob Benchoff April 30, 2003

..."wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him."

--Gospel of Matthew Chapter 2 verses 1 and 2

Click here for new, 2004, math proof that God exists.

God has given us many signs to follow. As God does not cast pearls before swine, Christians of divers [various] areas of expertise can have various interpretations. God not only reveals signs according to appearance for lay people, God also reveals the deeper more complex meanings of these signs for experts. Yet moreover are the unfathomable works of God, yet to be pondered by us, as it is the glory of kings to reveal the once hidden greater glory of God, that God has prepared for us through his only begotten Son Jesus Christ.

Supportive of astrology are many other fields of expertise, such as the ones noted in Luke Chapter 2. Prophetess Anna (verses 36, 37, and 38) stayed in "the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day". "And coming up at that very hour [at the time of their purification] she gave thanks to God".

Similarly at the purification, devout Simeon, looking for the consolation of Israel, took the babe Jesus in his arms, calling Him "a light for revelation".

So to study astrology, let's start via studying the source of light, Jesus Christ. The star of Bethlehem could hardly be anywhere else, when Christ was born.

Lay people also participated, yet according to their expertise, tending sheep, there exists a devout connection. When an angel spoke to the shepherds telling them of the birth of Christ that day, a multitude of the heavenly host exclaimed:

"Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

You are possibly employed somewhere, and/or you possibly raise a family, and/or you possibly do what you do. To that extent, even if those things are complex and technical, that is only the extent of appearance: according to the law, and borderline grace at best.

Your job is not about you and/or your employer, it is about glorifying Jesus Christ; your family is not about you and/or your family, it is about glorifying Jesus Christ; the things you do are not about you and/or your activities, it is about glorifying Jesus Christ.

You can be a minister, yet even if you choose another profession, there is a Holy purpose for you.

Expand your expertise, develop new more profound meanings in all you do. Seek a higher purpose, reach for the stars. Ponder the purpose of the bright and morning star.

Solar wind carries cosmic dust. The Universe on an infinitely large scale, carries on an infinitely small scale, the seeds and/or code of life. We seek life on other planets, yet we precede ourselves, we are already there (Reference: Heisenburg Rule of Uncertainty).

If we humans can do that, how much more can God do? Even the very stars would move with the love of God: hence, astrology.

So what does that mean for us? Can we prophecy and/or predict the times and our daily routines? Yes.

Through Christ we can do much. Have you seen a horoscope that gave glory to Christ? Some likely exist, yet often we find they simply maintain their glory for themselves; just as people in your profession might only take credit for their works without giving credit to God.

Many ancient cultures worked to measure the heavens, to their understanding as they perceived them. Egyptians, for example, positioned pyramids on the earth to represent the positions of the stars of Orion, with the Nile River representing the Milky Way.

Ancient cultures knew of comets and of seasons [correlated] with the sun. They grasped alignments of planets and the eclipse of the sun.

You grasp the concept of day and night. So you know there is a thread of truth for the sun rises on the good as well as the unjust (Matthew 5.45).

So since God does not cast pearls before swine, and since God allows even the evil to know His laws of nature, what more would God cast before those who are good and faithful and glorify Christ?

Many churches (such as Presbyterian), particularly in times past, would work to have the wisest man in the community serve as the pastor of their church.

Wise men thought Christ's Star was important, so let's look at that. Christ had his start in the beginning, from the foundations of the heavens (Genesis 1.1). "I Jesus...am...the bright morning star." (Revelation 22.16).

So it seems that before Revelation was written, the wise men had made a mental connection between the astrology of stars (light), and the astrology of life (humans): of Christ.

According to an article titled The Psychedelic Tourist in a special edition of National Geographic's Adventure magazine, October 2002, page 44, there is a "world of spirits", and "living things...give off light", as "DNA emits photons".

"In [The Word] was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1.4).

Did the wise men, and/or did John have some sort of DNA / photon analyzer? No. They did have something else more reliable.

In Moroni Chapter 10 verse 34 we find Jesus Christ disclosing that He is going to rest in the paradise of God, until His "spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead."

In Moroni Chapter 10, we find the gifts of God (given unto men, to profit them) being discussed, the first being the ..."Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom." verses 8 and 9.

Relative to man in the image of God, light is energy that carries the smallest particles greatly significant to man.

We learn via God. In the image of God we learn mainly by doing, so when we do the will of God, we optimize our learning.

To a lesser extent we learn by our senses, especially seeing, and also hearing. So via looking at situations around us (personal) we learn, and we also learn via looking at pictures and symbols.

So, mainly the collection of learning, wisdom, comes from the energy matter interface with activation of that matter. Secondly, wisdom comes from the ominous (especially threateningly) potentially impacting activity situation near and personal to the student, particularly inside the student (for instance, if a student suddenly can't breathe, that gets the student's attention, and the student remembers and learns).

More than astronomy, astrology focuses on divine influence(s) of the star(s) on human affairs. Given that life creates light, we conclude that energy gives knowledge to matter, absolutely. In relative terms, one might say that energy lends knowledge, with regard to every action having an equal and opposite reaction, yet we need to consider that the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. Therefore we have purpose in seeking the wisdom of God: ultimately the permanent glorification of Christ.

You are given the image of God and are to use that image to reach goodness, God. As such, you can work complex ideas to find (what after the solving seem to be) simple solutions. This is to the benefit of all if you give the credit to Christ.

Large energy wave forms (large wave lengths) can move stars. Smaller waves can move planets. Medium waves (subsonic sound) move people. Smaller waves move eardrums. Smaller waves move photons (positron + electron = photon). Smaller waves (faster than the speed of light) move subatomic particles.

In the range from the large waves that move stars, to the small waves that move photons, we find some of the major light considerations. The range from medium waves that move people, to small waves that move photons for optical perception, is generally where we find most human life considerations.

According to nature, humans tend to more highly value smaller than human wavelengths, as with natural development of optical and auditory sensory organs. Yet, if we don't always recognize that we always see and/or hear God, then perhaps we should investigate some of these other wavelengths, being those larger than humans and able to move stars, and those smaller than light waves even as nature has taught us; and logically we should likely rather or at least also more thoroughly investigate the source of light and those works.

If we do not have optical blindness, we typically call stars our source of light, and stars come from the Big Bang. This may have been the starting point of God's creation, that for the purposes of this sermon we can call one and the same. If so, then even if we do have optical blindness, it is the same source.

In seeking (or following) the wisdom of God, we find that matter and energy were in one place. Given Christ's doctrine with the explosion of creation, some energy dispersed and continues to disperse relatively uniformly, and some energy formed atypical pockets of memory called matter.

The dispersal energy and the matter each have their [personal] wisdom and glory. And if the memory [or memories] have wisdom and glory, how much more would the more active doings in wisdom changing from glory to glory (II Corinthians 3.18) have through the usage of the gift of Christ's Spirit in you?

In science and religion we see patterns emerge allowing us to reasonably predict the future. Astrologers now have computers readily available to make quick and easy calculations of astral studies as relating to humans and events.

While this can quickly indicate many myths are disproven, this can also quickly indicate patterns, tendancies, and events.

While astrophysics, astronomy, and general knowledge have corroborated certain areas of astrology for years, more recently greater precision in correlations are being detailed yielding conclusions that surprise many skeptics and/or heretics (compare word root heritage).

In the past, easy to discern events such as caused by the moon have been widely accepted. This includes such events as eclipses, light during night, applicable plate techtonics, and tides. Among living creatures the moon has seemingly signaled and triggered migrations, reproductive activities, and so on.

Today we find specific attributes among those heavenly realms previously considered less influential by the general bodies of science and religion. For instance as pointed-out last night on The Learning Channel, TLC, (no affiliation unless otherwise stated), strong correlations have been noted if certain objects are either in the horizon or the highest positions.

According to TLC (citing independent studies), if a person is born with mars positioned as described, it is likely the person may be a great athlete. If born with Saturn in position, the person may likely be a great scientist or writer.

TLC also discussed complex curvilinear [and/or complex Mobius strip] type recognition.

Known as fractals, these formulas include limited range variables, so as to cause repeated patterns at various levels of examination.

In nature you find geometric figures. You can see a small point, a straight stick is linear, a round stone is circular and spherical, a nautilus seashell is spiral, and so on.

These natural shapes are according to Christ's doctrine: logic of language: mathematics. Fractals have something known as nested sets. Nested sets are more than an atom shaped similarly to our solar system.

Nested sets are connected according to fractal formulas: if one part changes, the others are also changed (Reference Easter Sermon, string discussion).

We are all in this world together; planets, people, God.

In the name of Jesus Christ I send you out among the stars to preach His Holy Word, to work with Jesus Christ to create a New Universe with a New Jerusalem from God and for God; and I implore you and send you out to bring others to Christ through giving them help through giving them new knowledge and new hope in the doctrine of Jesus Christ; and if you do these things, may the peace and victory that is in Jesus Christ be yours as bountifully shared with you through Christ Jesus our Lord, for Christ's greater glory. Amen.

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