Because He Lives - song
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
THE FOOLISHNESS OF AN EBOLA DOCTOR
http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2014/08/the-foolishness-of-an-ebola-doctor
GOD CHOSE WHAT IS FOOLISH IN THE WORLD by Collin Garbarino
About 15,000 people are murdered in the U.S. every year. More than 38,000 die of drug overdoses, half of them from prescription drugs. More than 40 percent of babies are born out of wedlock. Despite the runaway success of “midnight basketball,” a healthy chunk of those children go on to murder other children, rape grandmothers, bury little girls alive—and then eat a sandwich. A power-mad president has thrown approximately 10 percent of all Americans off their health insurance—the rest of you to come! All our elite cultural institutions laugh at virginity and celebrate promiscuity.
Wouldn’t the wiser thing have been to stay home and work for good here? If Dr. Brantly could have “turned one single Hollywood power-broker to Christ, he would have done more good for the entire world than anything he could accomplish in a century spent in Liberia.” Of course Coulter is right.
But Coulter is only right if speaking from the human perspective. She talks about wisdom and foolishness, but she doesn’t seem to understand that God has his own definition of these terms. A long time ago, another missionary once wrote some words that Coulter might want to consider.
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God,righteousness and sanctification and redemption,so that, as it is written,“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
So maybe Coulter’s right. Maybe Dr. Brantly wasn’t “wise by worldly standards.” Maybe he was on a fool’s errand in his mission to demonstrate Christ’s love in Liberia. Christ crucified is folly to the Gentiles.
Christianity has always been a little topsy-turvy. The mightiest king in the universe was born in a lowly stable. The second person of the Godhead “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant.” “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” He had “no place to lay his head,” and he surrounded himself with a rag-tag group of fishermen and tax collectors. Jesus could stand as a righteous judge, but he allowed himself to die a sinner’s death. Through sacrifice God saved his people. Through death death is conquered. What’s more foolish than dying in order to live? Christ calls his people to do just that. Take up your cross and follow him.
God uses weakness in order to show his own power, and in spite of his habit of using the lowly, he’s still managed to turn the world upside down. When people start thinking that they need the clout of a “Hollywood power-broker” to do God’s work, they’ve abandoned the gospel. If we attempt to convert the mighty so that we can use their resources, we’re telling the world that God’s power is insufficient. Does God need the rich and powerful to change the world? May it never be. God is sufficient in himself to do all he sets out to do.
Am I suggesting that Christians ought only to minister to the poor and the rich be damned? Of course not. The greater point is that from God’s perspective, all people, rich and poor, are bankrupt and all people, healthy or sick, are dead. In comparison to the omnipotence of God, there is no other power or resource. So let all Christians follow God’s call wherever and to whomever because God will supply what’s needed. And when we sacrifice greatly for no reason other than to save someone lowly, we are more closely imitating Christ who died for us, the lowest of the low.
Coulter says, “America is the most consequential nation on Earth, and in desperate need of God at the moment. If America falls, it will be a thousand years of darkness for the entire planet.” I think she overestimates America’s consequentialness. Of what consequence is America compared to the riches of God? A thousand years of darkness? God does not plan to bring light to the world through America. Jesus is the light of the world. God brings light to the world through his Church, and his Church will never fall.
If “wise” Americans think that Christ’s Church is wasting its time and money on a fool’s errand, then chances are guys like Dr. Brantly are doing something right.
GOD CHOSE WHAT IS FOOLISH IN THE WORLD by Collin Garbarino
7 . 14
Ann Coulter thinks that Kent Brantly, the American doctor who contracted Ebola and now receives treatment in Atlanta, is an idiot. She has much to say regarding the foolishness of this situation.
Whatever good Dr. Kent Brantly did in Liberia has now been overwhelmed by the more than $2 million already paid by the Christian charities Samaritan’s Purse and SIM USA just to fly him and his nurse home in separate Gulfstream jets, specially equipped with medical tents, and to care for them at one of America’s premier hospitals.
Dr. Brantly’s work in Africa cost too much, and it wasn’t worth the risk. She’s right. It was expensive, and it was risky. She also correctly notes that there’s much work to be done in America. Why did he have to go to Liberia?
Ann Coulter thinks that Kent Brantly, the American doctor who contracted Ebola and now receives treatment in Atlanta, is an idiot. She has much to say regarding the foolishness of this situation.
Whatever good Dr. Kent Brantly did in Liberia has now been overwhelmed by the more than $2 million already paid by the Christian charities Samaritan’s Purse and SIM USA just to fly him and his nurse home in separate Gulfstream jets, specially equipped with medical tents, and to care for them at one of America’s premier hospitals.
Dr. Brantly’s work in Africa cost too much, and it wasn’t worth the risk. She’s right. It was expensive, and it was risky. She also correctly notes that there’s much work to be done in America. Why did he have to go to Liberia?
About 15,000 people are murdered in the U.S. every year. More than 38,000 die of drug overdoses, half of them from prescription drugs. More than 40 percent of babies are born out of wedlock. Despite the runaway success of “midnight basketball,” a healthy chunk of those children go on to murder other children, rape grandmothers, bury little girls alive—and then eat a sandwich. A power-mad president has thrown approximately 10 percent of all Americans off their health insurance—the rest of you to come! All our elite cultural institutions laugh at virginity and celebrate promiscuity.
Wouldn’t the wiser thing have been to stay home and work for good here? If Dr. Brantly could have “turned one single Hollywood power-broker to Christ, he would have done more good for the entire world than anything he could accomplish in a century spent in Liberia.” Of course Coulter is right.
But Coulter is only right if speaking from the human perspective. She talks about wisdom and foolishness, but she doesn’t seem to understand that God has his own definition of these terms. A long time ago, another missionary once wrote some words that Coulter might want to consider.
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God,righteousness and sanctification and redemption,so that, as it is written,“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
So maybe Coulter’s right. Maybe Dr. Brantly wasn’t “wise by worldly standards.” Maybe he was on a fool’s errand in his mission to demonstrate Christ’s love in Liberia. Christ crucified is folly to the Gentiles.
Christianity has always been a little topsy-turvy. The mightiest king in the universe was born in a lowly stable. The second person of the Godhead “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant.” “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” He had “no place to lay his head,” and he surrounded himself with a rag-tag group of fishermen and tax collectors. Jesus could stand as a righteous judge, but he allowed himself to die a sinner’s death. Through sacrifice God saved his people. Through death death is conquered. What’s more foolish than dying in order to live? Christ calls his people to do just that. Take up your cross and follow him.
God uses weakness in order to show his own power, and in spite of his habit of using the lowly, he’s still managed to turn the world upside down. When people start thinking that they need the clout of a “Hollywood power-broker” to do God’s work, they’ve abandoned the gospel. If we attempt to convert the mighty so that we can use their resources, we’re telling the world that God’s power is insufficient. Does God need the rich and powerful to change the world? May it never be. God is sufficient in himself to do all he sets out to do.
Am I suggesting that Christians ought only to minister to the poor and the rich be damned? Of course not. The greater point is that from God’s perspective, all people, rich and poor, are bankrupt and all people, healthy or sick, are dead. In comparison to the omnipotence of God, there is no other power or resource. So let all Christians follow God’s call wherever and to whomever because God will supply what’s needed. And when we sacrifice greatly for no reason other than to save someone lowly, we are more closely imitating Christ who died for us, the lowest of the low.
Coulter says, “America is the most consequential nation on Earth, and in desperate need of God at the moment. If America falls, it will be a thousand years of darkness for the entire planet.” I think she overestimates America’s consequentialness. Of what consequence is America compared to the riches of God? A thousand years of darkness? God does not plan to bring light to the world through America. Jesus is the light of the world. God brings light to the world through his Church, and his Church will never fall.
If “wise” Americans think that Christ’s Church is wasting its time and money on a fool’s errand, then chances are guys like Dr. Brantly are doing something right.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Are You an OSAS Person? Once Saved Always Saved?
Recently I found out that I am one of those OSAS people. What is an OSAS person? It is a person who believes that Once they are Saved, they are Always Saved. The termed was used quite derogatorily and I was surprised that it was. Religious people can be so condescending.
It was back in November 1971, that I said the salvation prayer and asked Jesus into my heart. I felt as if I had finally come home and found the truth. One of the first classes I attended at the Institute for Evangelism was called “Eternal Salvation.” The professor explained that if eternal salvation could be lost, then it was not eternal. Something that is eternal does not get lost. If my sins could cause me to lose my salvation, then I was not saved in the first place. What kind of eternal salvation could be lost so easily?
I want to spend a few minutes looking at the Bible with you at passages and verses that seem to indicate that our salvation is indeed eternal and Once Saved Always Saved applies. Here we go.
“Truly I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”[1]
“He that believes on the Son has everlasting life.”[2] It seems to me that Jesus and John are saying eternal salvation is something we possess the minute we believe.
Later Jesus said, “All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.”[3] Further on he says, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”[4]
Again it seems to indicate that our salvation cannot be lost once we come unto Jesus, once we hear His voice and follow Him. If no man can pluck us out of his hand, then not even our own sins can cause us to lose our salvation.
Let’s look at some other examples. Did David lose his salvation when he fell for Bathsheba, committed adultery, murdered her husband in order to be able to marry her? He certainly lost the blessing of God, but I contend that his salvation was never lost. God even called him a man after his own heart. When David prays his prayer of repentance in the Psalm, he asks God to “restore unto me the joy of my salvation.”[5] He may have lost his joy, but not his salvation.
What about King Saul? His disobedience made him lose the blessing of God. He was troubled with an evil spirit. God judged him severely for his sins because he had known so much truth. But I do not believe he lost his salvation.
In Chronicles we read, “So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; and inquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.”[6]
Did Jonah lose his salvation when he disobeyed God and goes the other way? No, again he loses the blessing of God and finally gets into a situation where he needs to renew his relationship with the Lord. In desperation he cries out to the Lord making an affirmation of faith, “Salvation is of the Lord.”[7]He was not getting re-saved, but casting off the condemnation that the enemy was using to get him down and defeated.
The devil tempts us to sin and then condemns us for sinning. Jonah had been observing lying vanities by listening to the devil’s lies and thus forsaking God’s mercy. “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.”[8] He finally realizes he needs to give thanks unto God even for the horrible situation he finds himself in. Once he makes his declaration of faith the Lord has the whale spit Jonah up on dry land?
Did Samson lose his salvation when he fell for Delilah and ended up losing his sight and being captured by his enemies? In Judges we read that Delilah “pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; that he told her all his heart.”[9] She in turn reveals Samson’s secret to the Philistines who capture him and put out his eyes.
Apostle Paul tells us, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”[10] In another letter he writes, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”[11]
Did God actually let Samson go through those hardships for our learning? When Samson does finally call upon the Lord to judge his enemies, the Lord hears him and answers. “And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”[12] I contend that Samson had not lost his salvation. He may have gotten his eyes off the Lord. He may have lost the blessing of God, but even then when he cried with all his heart unto the Lord with all his heart, the Lord heard and answered.
Did Peter lose his salvation when he denied the Lord three times in one night even cursing to save his own neck? He may have fallen into condemnation because of it. But he didn’t lose his salvation. In fact, an angel tells Mary at the time of Jesus’ resurrection to explicitly tell Peter. We read, “But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goes before you into Galilee.”[13] Jesus is concerned that Peter is suffering condemnation for the denials he had spoken, so the angel says, “and Peter.” The enemy of our soul tempts us to sin and then tries to condemn us for sinning. He knows that once we accept Christ we are his forever, so he tries to condemn us for our errors in order to stop our usefulness.
But Paul tells us it should not be the case with us. He says, “There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”[14] He goes to say, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”[15] “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”[16] In other words, nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God. God’s love is greater than our error. God’s love shall overcome.
The overcoming power of God’s love manifested in the love of Jesus is love enough to forgive. The all compassing message of the Bible is that God is love and in him there is no shadow of darkness. All that come to him, he will not cast out. He will in fact draw all men unto him. Ultimately he says, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Behold, I make all things new.”[17]
God is drawing us to Himself. He asks us to draw nigh to Him, and He will draw nigh to us.[18]Even "if we believe not," as Paul writes, even if we have fallen into unbelief, "yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself."[19]Call upon Him and He will answer you.[20] He "is the same yesterday, today and forever."[21]He loves you no matter what wrong you have done or how far from Him you have gone astray. Like the old song says, The Love of God is Greater Far:
1
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair (Adam and Eve), bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
2
When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
3
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky. [22]
Footnotes:
[1] John 5:24
[2] John 3:36a
[3] John 6:37
[4] John 10:28, 29
[5] Psalm 51:12
[6] 1Chronicles 10:13,14
[7] Jonah 2:9
[8] Jonah 2:8
[9] Judges 16:16,17
[10] 1Corinthians 10:11
[11] Romans 15:4
[12] Judges 16:28
[13] Mark 16:7
[14] Romans 8:1
[15] Romans 8:33-35
[16] Romans 8:37-39
[17] Revealtion 21:4,5
[18] James 4:8a
[19] 2Timothy 2:13
[20] Jeremiah 33:3
[21] Hebrews 13:8
[22] Words & Music © 1923, Ren. 1951 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Microchips Will Be Implanted Into Healthy People Sooner Than You Think
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/microchips-implanted-healthy-people-sooner-152916800.html
By Dina SpectorAugust 8, 2014 11:29 AM
View gallery.
Mark Gasson
In March 2009, British researcher Mark Gasson had a chip injected under the skin of his hand. The chip, a slightly more advanced version of the tags used to track pets, turned Gasson into a walking swipe-card. With a wave of his wrist, he could open security doors at the University of Reading laboratory, where his experiment was being conducted, and he could unlock his cell phone just by cradling it.
A year later, Gasson infected his own implant with a computer virus, one that he could pass on to other computer systems if the building's networks were programmed to read his chip. As Gasson breezed around the the workplace, spreading the virus and corrupting computer systems, certain areas of the building became inaccessible to his colleagues.
At the time of the experiment, theoretical physicist and author of "The Future of the Mind" Michio Kaku told FOX News that demonstrating the ability to spread infection was an "important point" because "we're going to have more chips in our body and clothing."
Thousands of Americans already have implanted medical devices, including pacemakers, which are inserted into the chest to treat abnormal heart rhythms, and cochlear implants, which help deaf people to hear.
But the future, Gasson says, is going to focus on implantable technology for healthy people. Part of the reason is that we continually look for ways to make our lives easier. The question is whether we're willing accept both the unintended and unknown consequences that come with giving up partial control of our bodies to technology.Human vs. Machine
Implantable microchips provide a more intimate connection with technology than that of any other portable electronic device, like a cell phone or iPod, because the tag becomes a direct part of us when it's inserted into our body. Implants "have the potential to change the very essence of what it is to be human," Gasson said at a 2012 TEDX Talk.
The susceptibility of human microchips to cyber attacks is one worry, but Gasson wanted to explore issues beyond common concerns related to privacy and security.
That's why he conducted the experiment in two stages: A surgeon initially inserted a clean computer chip into his hand, and the computer virus was unleashed a little over a year later. During that time, Gasson and his team were particularly interested in studying the psychological implications of implanted devices.
"There's an underlying feeling that [having an implantable device] is an alien phenomenon," said Gasson, a cybernetics expert. The only way to properly explore the psychological aspect was to have the device himself, he said.What is an RFID implant?
View gallery.
Mark Gasson
A close-up of the implant device next to a match stick. The microchip, encased in glass, is about the size of a grain of rice.
RFID stands for radio frequency identification. The chip doesn't have its own battery, powered instead by a reader that pulls information out of the chip. The reader gets the chip's unique ID number and then cross references it to a database. RFID chips are found in lots of things we use every day, including credit cards.
Similar, if not creepier, technology is currently at work in things like Disney World's MagicBand, which tracks a wearer's location within the park and connects to that person's accounts, according to a recent Medium post. These technologies have been useful not just for the company but for park guests — it makes their experience seamless.
These technologies are also being used for payment services: Some people use Google Wallet and Tap-To-Pay services to pay using their phones at stores and in cabs, instead of whipping out their wallet or carrying all their cards with them. The Hilton just recently announced a feature to replace keycards at its hotels. Guests will use an app to access their room.
As these technologies get more advanced and their uses get more varied, why would we be carrying a phone around when we could do all these things with a swipe of the hand?Why an implant?
View gallery.
Vimeo/DangerousThings
The chip implanted in Gasson's thumb, which is roughly the shape and size of a grain of rice, functions "like a tiny computer." It can store information like a small USB memory stick.
The chip appears as an extremely small, though visible, bump on the side of his finger. "It does freak people out quite a bit," Gasson said. "But it doesn't look grotesque."
Unsurprisingly, Gasson says the chip did not immediately feel like part of his body. But the distinction faded over time as he used the chip more and more. "Unlike keys or a phone, you don't have to think about carrying this type of device, and then you seamlessly use it and forget about it."
Gasson has no plans to remove the chip.
View gallery.
Mark Gasson
Mark Gasson from the University of Reading holding the computer chip that was injected into his hand.
Gasson's research in human microchips parallels the work of a growing community of people, so-called biohackers, who view microchipping as the next form of human evolution. Hacking tends to have a negative connotation, but this new group of technology enthusiasts offers a different meaning. In their world, the goal of hacking is not to inflict harm, but to transform something from its original purpose into something more useful.
The human body has limitations, but biohackers are constantly thinking of how those limitations can be overcome — how life can be made better or more convenient (like removing the need to carry around keys all the time) through the use of technology.
And the desire for these technologies is there. The company Dangerous Things has developed the first DIY kit for implantable devices, which back in December raised more than $30,000 from it's $8,000 Indiegogo goal. The package comes with everything you need to insert the chip yourself. The chip allows you to interact with other devices by waving your hand or entering a room. You can buy one now for $99.
View gallery.
Vimeo/Dangerous Things
Dangerous Things founder Amal Graafstra.
In the accompanying video, Dangerous Things founder Amal Graafstra describes how he uses his implant:
The primary use is to be able to program a tag with a url or information you want to share. I use my implants to get into my house, I use it for access control solutions, to get into my back door every day after I get home. I use it get access to my car; I can unlock my car and get in. I use it to log into my computer. I also use it to share contact details with people.Challenges Ahead
The Dangerous Things kit isn't the first commercially available RFID microchip — a company called VeriChip actually got FDA approval to market an implant back in 2004. The implant was designed to carry a unique ID number that hospitals could use to pull up a patient's medical records if he or she were unconscious. But the chip was discontinued in 2010 over privacy concerns.
The failure of VeriChip, later rebranded as PositiveID, highlights the legal issues of microchipping people. Since 2009, at least nine states have either passed laws or proposed bills to prohibit the enforced implantation of chips.
Some states, including California, have enacted an "age of consent" clause, which allows parents to override the right of children under a certain age to decide if they want to be implanted. This inevitably kicks off the discussion of whether it's ethically sound to microchip one's child at birth. Supporters love the idea because they say it would prevent kidnappings. Critics worry that if a chip gave parents the ability to track their kids, then predators could, too.
But these ethical questions are not yet urgent. The technology is not yet useful or developed enough for everyone to have it, or even want it.
To start, there are several user-related misconceptions about RFID implants, namely the idea that these chips can be used to track one's location every second of the day. This is not yet possible, because today's RFID chips do not contain GPS trackers. Someone could track the computer systems that were accessed throughout the day (in the same way a credit card company can track purchases and where they were made), but the technology doesn't provide real-time location data.
Other people worry about chips being used to covertly access unauthorized systems. As with other smart cards, which are programmed to be read by specific systems, someone with an RFID implant can't just go about gaining entry to any old computer system. It takes a specialist reader to access a certain device.
"Anything that's useful is going to happen in the next 10 to 20 years," Gasson said, referring to a time in which we may start merging devices created by tech enthusiasts and medical-type technology to do things like store or download memories from the brain.
By Dina SpectorAugust 8, 2014 11:29 AM
View gallery.
Mark Gasson
In March 2009, British researcher Mark Gasson had a chip injected under the skin of his hand. The chip, a slightly more advanced version of the tags used to track pets, turned Gasson into a walking swipe-card. With a wave of his wrist, he could open security doors at the University of Reading laboratory, where his experiment was being conducted, and he could unlock his cell phone just by cradling it.
A year later, Gasson infected his own implant with a computer virus, one that he could pass on to other computer systems if the building's networks were programmed to read his chip. As Gasson breezed around the the workplace, spreading the virus and corrupting computer systems, certain areas of the building became inaccessible to his colleagues.
At the time of the experiment, theoretical physicist and author of "The Future of the Mind" Michio Kaku told FOX News that demonstrating the ability to spread infection was an "important point" because "we're going to have more chips in our body and clothing."
Thousands of Americans already have implanted medical devices, including pacemakers, which are inserted into the chest to treat abnormal heart rhythms, and cochlear implants, which help deaf people to hear.
But the future, Gasson says, is going to focus on implantable technology for healthy people. Part of the reason is that we continually look for ways to make our lives easier. The question is whether we're willing accept both the unintended and unknown consequences that come with giving up partial control of our bodies to technology.Human vs. Machine
Implantable microchips provide a more intimate connection with technology than that of any other portable electronic device, like a cell phone or iPod, because the tag becomes a direct part of us when it's inserted into our body. Implants "have the potential to change the very essence of what it is to be human," Gasson said at a 2012 TEDX Talk.
The susceptibility of human microchips to cyber attacks is one worry, but Gasson wanted to explore issues beyond common concerns related to privacy and security.
That's why he conducted the experiment in two stages: A surgeon initially inserted a clean computer chip into his hand, and the computer virus was unleashed a little over a year later. During that time, Gasson and his team were particularly interested in studying the psychological implications of implanted devices.
"There's an underlying feeling that [having an implantable device] is an alien phenomenon," said Gasson, a cybernetics expert. The only way to properly explore the psychological aspect was to have the device himself, he said.What is an RFID implant?
View gallery.
Mark Gasson
A close-up of the implant device next to a match stick. The microchip, encased in glass, is about the size of a grain of rice.
RFID stands for radio frequency identification. The chip doesn't have its own battery, powered instead by a reader that pulls information out of the chip. The reader gets the chip's unique ID number and then cross references it to a database. RFID chips are found in lots of things we use every day, including credit cards.
Similar, if not creepier, technology is currently at work in things like Disney World's MagicBand, which tracks a wearer's location within the park and connects to that person's accounts, according to a recent Medium post. These technologies have been useful not just for the company but for park guests — it makes their experience seamless.
These technologies are also being used for payment services: Some people use Google Wallet and Tap-To-Pay services to pay using their phones at stores and in cabs, instead of whipping out their wallet or carrying all their cards with them. The Hilton just recently announced a feature to replace keycards at its hotels. Guests will use an app to access their room.
As these technologies get more advanced and their uses get more varied, why would we be carrying a phone around when we could do all these things with a swipe of the hand?Why an implant?
View gallery.
Vimeo/DangerousThings
The chip implanted in Gasson's thumb, which is roughly the shape and size of a grain of rice, functions "like a tiny computer." It can store information like a small USB memory stick.
The chip appears as an extremely small, though visible, bump on the side of his finger. "It does freak people out quite a bit," Gasson said. "But it doesn't look grotesque."
Unsurprisingly, Gasson says the chip did not immediately feel like part of his body. But the distinction faded over time as he used the chip more and more. "Unlike keys or a phone, you don't have to think about carrying this type of device, and then you seamlessly use it and forget about it."
Gasson has no plans to remove the chip.
View gallery.
Mark Gasson
Mark Gasson from the University of Reading holding the computer chip that was injected into his hand.
Gasson's research in human microchips parallels the work of a growing community of people, so-called biohackers, who view microchipping as the next form of human evolution. Hacking tends to have a negative connotation, but this new group of technology enthusiasts offers a different meaning. In their world, the goal of hacking is not to inflict harm, but to transform something from its original purpose into something more useful.
The human body has limitations, but biohackers are constantly thinking of how those limitations can be overcome — how life can be made better or more convenient (like removing the need to carry around keys all the time) through the use of technology.
And the desire for these technologies is there. The company Dangerous Things has developed the first DIY kit for implantable devices, which back in December raised more than $30,000 from it's $8,000 Indiegogo goal. The package comes with everything you need to insert the chip yourself. The chip allows you to interact with other devices by waving your hand or entering a room. You can buy one now for $99.
View gallery.
Vimeo/Dangerous Things
Dangerous Things founder Amal Graafstra.
In the accompanying video, Dangerous Things founder Amal Graafstra describes how he uses his implant:
The primary use is to be able to program a tag with a url or information you want to share. I use my implants to get into my house, I use it for access control solutions, to get into my back door every day after I get home. I use it get access to my car; I can unlock my car and get in. I use it to log into my computer. I also use it to share contact details with people.Challenges Ahead
The Dangerous Things kit isn't the first commercially available RFID microchip — a company called VeriChip actually got FDA approval to market an implant back in 2004. The implant was designed to carry a unique ID number that hospitals could use to pull up a patient's medical records if he or she were unconscious. But the chip was discontinued in 2010 over privacy concerns.
The failure of VeriChip, later rebranded as PositiveID, highlights the legal issues of microchipping people. Since 2009, at least nine states have either passed laws or proposed bills to prohibit the enforced implantation of chips.
Some states, including California, have enacted an "age of consent" clause, which allows parents to override the right of children under a certain age to decide if they want to be implanted. This inevitably kicks off the discussion of whether it's ethically sound to microchip one's child at birth. Supporters love the idea because they say it would prevent kidnappings. Critics worry that if a chip gave parents the ability to track their kids, then predators could, too.
But these ethical questions are not yet urgent. The technology is not yet useful or developed enough for everyone to have it, or even want it.
To start, there are several user-related misconceptions about RFID implants, namely the idea that these chips can be used to track one's location every second of the day. This is not yet possible, because today's RFID chips do not contain GPS trackers. Someone could track the computer systems that were accessed throughout the day (in the same way a credit card company can track purchases and where they were made), but the technology doesn't provide real-time location data.
Other people worry about chips being used to covertly access unauthorized systems. As with other smart cards, which are programmed to be read by specific systems, someone with an RFID implant can't just go about gaining entry to any old computer system. It takes a specialist reader to access a certain device.
"Anything that's useful is going to happen in the next 10 to 20 years," Gasson said, referring to a time in which we may start merging devices created by tech enthusiasts and medical-type technology to do things like store or download memories from the brain.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Murdered for revealing the secrets of the Masonic Lodge: Captain William Morgan
http://www.padfield.com/1993/morgan.html
by David Padfield
In 1826, Captain William Morgan of Batavia, New York, wrote and printed a book titled: "Illustrations of Freemasonry, by one of the fraternity who has devoted thirty years to the subject."
"Morgan, it appears, was a Royal Arch Mason; and when the fact became known that he was preparing a work to reveal the secrets of Masonry, many of the Masonic fraternity became much excited, and appeared determined to put an end to his disclosures ... a Royal Arch Chapter was installed at Lewiston ... 20 or 30 persons came to the fort from Lewiston. About midnight, 7 persons, stated to be Royal Arch Masons, held a consultation on the plain near the graveyard, as to the manner in which Morgan should be disposed of. The prevailing opinion among them appeared to be, that Morgan had forfeited his life for a breach of his Masonic obligations, and that they ought to see the penalty executed by drowning him in the river." (Historical Collections of the State of New York, John W. Baker, 1842).
On October 7, 1827, a body was found on the beach of Lake Ontario. A coroner's inquest was held on October 17, 1827. The report states that "beyond any shadow of a doubt" the body was that of Capt. William Morgan. It further states that "he came to his death by suffocation by drowning."
In 1882 a large monument to Morgan was placed in the Batavia City Cemetery. It reads: "Sacred to the memory of Wm. Morgan, a native of Virginia, a Capt. in the War of 1812, a respectable citizen of Batavia, and a martyr to the freedom of writing, printing and speaking the truth. He was abducted from near this spot in the year 1826, byFreemasons and murdered for revealing the secrets of their order. The court records of Genesee County, and the files of the Batavia Advocate, kept in the Recorders office contain the history of the events that caused the erection of this monument."
The Religion Of The Masonic Lodge, avery detailed sermon outline which explains that the Masonic Lodge is a religion -- a religion that is not compatible with the religion of Jesus Christ. The lesson explores the "secret" ritual of the Blue Lodge and the barbaric oaths that are taken at the Masonic altar. Freemasonry is a pagan religion and Hiram Abiff is a false saviour (PDF file size: 292k).
You can also read the article on The Religion Of The Masonic Lodge.
See photographs of the Momument to William Morgan in the Batavia City Cemetery.
by David Padfield
In 1826, Captain William Morgan of Batavia, New York, wrote and printed a book titled: "Illustrations of Freemasonry, by one of the fraternity who has devoted thirty years to the subject.""Morgan, it appears, was a Royal Arch Mason; and when the fact became known that he was preparing a work to reveal the secrets of Masonry, many of the Masonic fraternity became much excited, and appeared determined to put an end to his disclosures ... a Royal Arch Chapter was installed at Lewiston ... 20 or 30 persons came to the fort from Lewiston. About midnight, 7 persons, stated to be Royal Arch Masons, held a consultation on the plain near the graveyard, as to the manner in which Morgan should be disposed of. The prevailing opinion among them appeared to be, that Morgan had forfeited his life for a breach of his Masonic obligations, and that they ought to see the penalty executed by drowning him in the river." (Historical Collections of the State of New York, John W. Baker, 1842).
On October 7, 1827, a body was found on the beach of Lake Ontario. A coroner's inquest was held on October 17, 1827. The report states that "beyond any shadow of a doubt" the body was that of Capt. William Morgan. It further states that "he came to his death by suffocation by drowning."
In 1882 a large monument to Morgan was placed in the Batavia City Cemetery. It reads: "Sacred to the memory of Wm. Morgan, a native of Virginia, a Capt. in the War of 1812, a respectable citizen of Batavia, and a martyr to the freedom of writing, printing and speaking the truth. He was abducted from near this spot in the year 1826, byFreemasons and murdered for revealing the secrets of their order. The court records of Genesee County, and the files of the Batavia Advocate, kept in the Recorders office contain the history of the events that caused the erection of this monument."
The Religion Of The Masonic Lodge, avery detailed sermon outline which explains that the Masonic Lodge is a religion -- a religion that is not compatible with the religion of Jesus Christ. The lesson explores the "secret" ritual of the Blue Lodge and the barbaric oaths that are taken at the Masonic altar. Freemasonry is a pagan religion and Hiram Abiff is a false saviour (PDF file size: 292k).
You can also read the article on The Religion Of The Masonic Lodge.
See photographs of the Momument to William Morgan in the Batavia City Cemetery.
The Religion Of The Masonic Lodge
http://www.padfield.com/1993/lodge.html
by David Padfield
The Masonic Lodge claims six million members worldwide. In its ranks you will find some of the greatest men in American history. Men like Henry Ford, General Douglas MacArthur, George Washington and 12 other U.S. presidents. You will also find doctors, lawyers, judges and, unfortunately, many Christians.
I have a great deal of respect for Freemasons as individuals. Many of my uncles are in the Lodge. While I respect these men, I hold their lodge in total abhorrence. It is an insidious evil for it duplicates the sin of Absalom when he "stole the hearts of the men of Israel" (2 Samuel 15:6). Masonry will steal the heart of a Christian. The Masonic temple is the temple of Baal, and at its altar unsuspecting men solemnly vow their lives to a pagan god.
If we can establish that Masonry is a religion, then surely any honest Christian would feel compelled to abandon the Lodge. God's prophet of old asked, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3). Can a man worship the God of Masonry and the God of the Bible at the same time? In Matthew 12:30 Jesus said, "He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."
Is Masonry A Religion?
The answer to this question depends upon whom you ask. The Grand Lodge of Indiana publishes a small tract titled Freemasonry, A Way Of Life. This tract, given to outsiders, says, "Though religious in character, Masonry is not a religion, nor a substitute for one." This would be good, except the story changes after a man has become a Mason. For example, the Indiana Monitor says, "Freemasonry is a charitable, benevolent, educational, and religious society." The Kentucky Monitor goes even further when it states, "...as Masons we are taught that no man should ever enter upon any great or important undertaking without first invoking the blessing of Deity. This is because Masonry is a religious institution..." Albert Pike (a 33rd Degree Mason), one of the most celebrated Masonic scholars, claims that "every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion." (Morals and Dogma, p. 213). This book was published under the auspices of the Supreme Council of the Thirty-Third Degree of the Scottish Rite.
The problem is that the Lodge lies to candidates before their initiation. "Masonry, like all the Religions, all the Mysteries, Hereticism and Alchemy, conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts and Sages, or the Elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled; to conceal the Truth, which it calls Light, from them, and to draw them away from it ... So Masonry jealously conceals its secrets, and intentionally leads conceited interpreters away." (Morals and Dogma, p. 105). Can you imagine a sane man joining any organization if he knew they were going to "intentionally" mislead him?
Another Masonic scholar, Albert Mackey (a 33rd Degree Mason), claims the only reason to defend Masonry is because of its religious element. "I contend, without any sort of hesitation, that Masonry is, in every sense of the word, except one, and that its least philosophical, an eminently religious institution that it is indebted solely to the religious element which it contains for its origin and for its continued existence, that without this religious element it would scarcely be worthy of cultivation by the wise and good." (Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, p. 727).
The Faith and Order Committee of the Methodist church has issued a report urging men not to join the Masonic Lodge since it is a "competitor of Christianity." The report also states, "There is a great danger that the Christian who becomes a Freemason will find himself compromising his Christian beliefs or his allegiance to Christ, perhaps without realizing what he is doing." (Evansville Courier, June 13, 1985). If the Methodist church can understand this, why can't some of my brethren? Listen to Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"
Attitude Towards The Bible
One of my greatest concerns about the Lodge is its attitude towards the Bible. "The Volume of the Sacred Law is an indispensable part of the furniture of a Lodge. In our jurisdiction it is usually the Bible, but any candidate not a Christian may have substituted for it any other volume which he considers sacred: e.g., the Old Testament, Koran, Vedas, or Laws of Confucius. In one lodge in China, there are three Sacred Books open on the altar at the same time, and the candidate elects one of the three on which he is obligated." (Indiana Monitor, p. 38). While the Bible might be described in various ways, it is not a piece of furniture! It is the source of all religious truth. It is the book of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
When a candidate bows before the Masonic altar he kisses the "Volume of Sacred Law." This volume can be any book he deems to be religious. "The explanation of the presence of the Holy Bible on the altar could not tell the whole story, although true in itself. It represents the Sacred Book of the Law, but has not exclusive rights as such on the altar of Freemasonry, for the supremely sane reason that no one religion has exclusive rights within the Fraternity. The Vedas of the Brahman, the Zend-Avesta of the Parsee, the Koran of the Mohammedan, have, among Masons of these faiths, as rightful a place upon our altar as the Holy Bible. In any faith, however, its Sacred Book of Law is the symbol of man's acknowledgement of and his relation to Deity. And in this universality of Masonry we find one of our greatest lessons: Toleration." (The Entered Apprentice, Grand Lodge of Indiana, p. 14). This toleration is too much for any man who claims to be a Christian.
Barbaric Oaths
If nothing else, the oath a man takes when he joins the Lodge ought to forever settle the question, "Can A Christian Be A Mason?" While blindfolded, half naked and kneeling at the altar, the candidate takes an oath swearing he will never reveal the "secrets of the Lodge." The oath ends with these words: "I furthermore promise and swear that I will not write, print, stamp, stain, cut, carve, hew, mark or engrave them on anything moveable or immovable, capable of receiving the least impression of a sign, word, syllable, letter or character, whereby they may become legible or intelligible to any person under the canopy of heaven, and the secrets of Masonry be thereby unlawfully obtained by my unworthiness. All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep the same, without the least equivocation, mental reservation or secret evasion whatsoever, binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots and buried in the sands of the sea at low water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I in the least, knowingly or wittingly, violate or transgress this my Entered Apprentice Obligation. So help me God and keep me steadfast." (King Solomon's Temple, Indiana edition, pp. 24, 25). What a contrast to our Lord who said "do not swear at all ... but let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.'" (Matt. 5:33-37).
To those who are in the Lodge, let me beg you to heed the words of Paul and "come out from among them and be separate" (2 Cor. 6:17).
The Religion Of The Masonic Lodge, a very detailed sermon outline which explains that the Masonic Lodge is a religion -- a religion that is not compatible with the religion of Jesus Christ. The lesson explores the "secret" ritual of the Blue Lodge and the barbaric oaths that are taken at the Masonic altar. Freemasonry is a pagan religion and Hiram Abiff is a false saviour (PDF file size: 292k).
This article is also available as a free Bible tract that you can reprint.
You can also read an article on Captain William Morgan, a man who was killed by Freemasons in Batavia, New York.
by David Padfield
The Masonic Lodge claims six million members worldwide. In its ranks you will find some of the greatest men in American history. Men like Henry Ford, General Douglas MacArthur, George Washington and 12 other U.S. presidents. You will also find doctors, lawyers, judges and, unfortunately, many Christians.
I have a great deal of respect for Freemasons as individuals. Many of my uncles are in the Lodge. While I respect these men, I hold their lodge in total abhorrence. It is an insidious evil for it duplicates the sin of Absalom when he "stole the hearts of the men of Israel" (2 Samuel 15:6). Masonry will steal the heart of a Christian. The Masonic temple is the temple of Baal, and at its altar unsuspecting men solemnly vow their lives to a pagan god.
If we can establish that Masonry is a religion, then surely any honest Christian would feel compelled to abandon the Lodge. God's prophet of old asked, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3). Can a man worship the God of Masonry and the God of the Bible at the same time? In Matthew 12:30 Jesus said, "He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."
Is Masonry A Religion?
The answer to this question depends upon whom you ask. The Grand Lodge of Indiana publishes a small tract titled Freemasonry, A Way Of Life. This tract, given to outsiders, says, "Though religious in character, Masonry is not a religion, nor a substitute for one." This would be good, except the story changes after a man has become a Mason. For example, the Indiana Monitor says, "Freemasonry is a charitable, benevolent, educational, and religious society." The Kentucky Monitor goes even further when it states, "...as Masons we are taught that no man should ever enter upon any great or important undertaking without first invoking the blessing of Deity. This is because Masonry is a religious institution..." Albert Pike (a 33rd Degree Mason), one of the most celebrated Masonic scholars, claims that "every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion." (Morals and Dogma, p. 213). This book was published under the auspices of the Supreme Council of the Thirty-Third Degree of the Scottish Rite.
The problem is that the Lodge lies to candidates before their initiation. "Masonry, like all the Religions, all the Mysteries, Hereticism and Alchemy, conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts and Sages, or the Elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled; to conceal the Truth, which it calls Light, from them, and to draw them away from it ... So Masonry jealously conceals its secrets, and intentionally leads conceited interpreters away." (Morals and Dogma, p. 105). Can you imagine a sane man joining any organization if he knew they were going to "intentionally" mislead him?
Another Masonic scholar, Albert Mackey (a 33rd Degree Mason), claims the only reason to defend Masonry is because of its religious element. "I contend, without any sort of hesitation, that Masonry is, in every sense of the word, except one, and that its least philosophical, an eminently religious institution that it is indebted solely to the religious element which it contains for its origin and for its continued existence, that without this religious element it would scarcely be worthy of cultivation by the wise and good." (Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, p. 727).
The Faith and Order Committee of the Methodist church has issued a report urging men not to join the Masonic Lodge since it is a "competitor of Christianity." The report also states, "There is a great danger that the Christian who becomes a Freemason will find himself compromising his Christian beliefs or his allegiance to Christ, perhaps without realizing what he is doing." (Evansville Courier, June 13, 1985). If the Methodist church can understand this, why can't some of my brethren? Listen to Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"
Attitude Towards The Bible
One of my greatest concerns about the Lodge is its attitude towards the Bible. "The Volume of the Sacred Law is an indispensable part of the furniture of a Lodge. In our jurisdiction it is usually the Bible, but any candidate not a Christian may have substituted for it any other volume which he considers sacred: e.g., the Old Testament, Koran, Vedas, or Laws of Confucius. In one lodge in China, there are three Sacred Books open on the altar at the same time, and the candidate elects one of the three on which he is obligated." (Indiana Monitor, p. 38). While the Bible might be described in various ways, it is not a piece of furniture! It is the source of all religious truth. It is the book of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
When a candidate bows before the Masonic altar he kisses the "Volume of Sacred Law." This volume can be any book he deems to be religious. "The explanation of the presence of the Holy Bible on the altar could not tell the whole story, although true in itself. It represents the Sacred Book of the Law, but has not exclusive rights as such on the altar of Freemasonry, for the supremely sane reason that no one religion has exclusive rights within the Fraternity. The Vedas of the Brahman, the Zend-Avesta of the Parsee, the Koran of the Mohammedan, have, among Masons of these faiths, as rightful a place upon our altar as the Holy Bible. In any faith, however, its Sacred Book of Law is the symbol of man's acknowledgement of and his relation to Deity. And in this universality of Masonry we find one of our greatest lessons: Toleration." (The Entered Apprentice, Grand Lodge of Indiana, p. 14). This toleration is too much for any man who claims to be a Christian.
Barbaric Oaths
If nothing else, the oath a man takes when he joins the Lodge ought to forever settle the question, "Can A Christian Be A Mason?" While blindfolded, half naked and kneeling at the altar, the candidate takes an oath swearing he will never reveal the "secrets of the Lodge." The oath ends with these words: "I furthermore promise and swear that I will not write, print, stamp, stain, cut, carve, hew, mark or engrave them on anything moveable or immovable, capable of receiving the least impression of a sign, word, syllable, letter or character, whereby they may become legible or intelligible to any person under the canopy of heaven, and the secrets of Masonry be thereby unlawfully obtained by my unworthiness. All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep the same, without the least equivocation, mental reservation or secret evasion whatsoever, binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots and buried in the sands of the sea at low water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I in the least, knowingly or wittingly, violate or transgress this my Entered Apprentice Obligation. So help me God and keep me steadfast." (King Solomon's Temple, Indiana edition, pp. 24, 25). What a contrast to our Lord who said "do not swear at all ... but let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.'" (Matt. 5:33-37).
To those who are in the Lodge, let me beg you to heed the words of Paul and "come out from among them and be separate" (2 Cor. 6:17).
The Religion Of The Masonic Lodge, a very detailed sermon outline which explains that the Masonic Lodge is a religion -- a religion that is not compatible with the religion of Jesus Christ. The lesson explores the "secret" ritual of the Blue Lodge and the barbaric oaths that are taken at the Masonic altar. Freemasonry is a pagan religion and Hiram Abiff is a false saviour (PDF file size: 292k).
This article is also available as a free Bible tract that you can reprint.
You can also read an article on Captain William Morgan, a man who was killed by Freemasons in Batavia, New York.
