Posted by mandrake at 11:33 PM on September 21, 2009.
I was listening to Dr. John Patrick on Veritas and he mentioned this little anecdote. i didnt understand the context of the telegraph as well, and thus fell into the great majority that Dr. Patrick mentions in his talk who are now biblically illiterate.of course, S contends the term "illiterate"....but well. here it is:
But If Not
“The
decisive struggle is now upon us. Let no one be mistaken. It is no mere
territorial conquest that our enemies are seeking. It is the overthrow,
complete and final, of this Empire and of everything for which it
stands: and after that, the conquest of the World. It is a life and
death struggle for us all. And if their will prevails, they will bring
to its accomplishment all the hatred and cruelty which they have
already displayed. But confidence alone is not enough. It must be armed
with courage and resolution, with endurance and self-sacrifice. Keep
your hearts proud and your resolve unshaken. Let us go forward to that
task as one man, a smile on our lips, and our heads held high.”
In early 1940 the British and their allies sent a force of some 350,000
men into the low countries of Europe to stem the tide of German advance
into France, Belgium and Holland. Caught in a brilliant pincer movement
by the invading German forces the beleaguered British Expeditionary
Force was pushed back to the beaches of the small Belgian town of
Dunkirk. To everyone’s surprise the Germans halted their advance to
regroup. As England and the world waited for what appeared to be the
sure and certain annihilation of 350,000 men a three word message was
transmitted from the besieged army at Dunkirk. It read simply, "But if
not." The British people understood the biblical import of the cryptic
message. It was a reference to the Old Testament book of Daniel, where
Daniel and his friends chose death rather than worship an image of the
pagan king, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us
from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your
hand, O king. But if not, let
it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or
worship the golden image that you have set up" (Daniel 3:17-18). The
British Expeditionary Army, surrounded, cutoff and on the brink of
destruction was declaring to Britain and to the world that even in
apparent defeat they were, in fact, victorious. The message, more
eloquent than a sermon delivered in St. Paul’s Cathedral, galvanized
the British people. In a matter of hours thousands of boats of every
description headed across the dangerous waters of the English Channel
and, at the risk of their own lives from enemy fire, began the
evacuation of the heroic but beleaguered army in what historians now
refer to as "the miracle of Dunkirk."
Daniel 3:13-18 (King James Version) “13Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the
king. 14Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship
the golden image which I have set up? 15Now if ye be ready that at
what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut,
psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and
worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye
shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace;
and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O
Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the
burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy
gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
We believe in
Marxfreudanddarwin. We believe everything is OK as long as you don't hurt anyone, to the best of your definition of hurt, and to the best of your knowledge.
We believe in sex before during and after marriage. We believe in the therapy of sin. We believe that adultery is fun. We believe that sodomy's OK We believe that taboos are taboo.
We believe that everything's getting better despite evidence to the contrary. The evidence must be investigated. You can prove anything with evidence.
We believe there's something in horoscopes, UFO's and bent spoons; Jesus was a good man just like Buddha Mohammed and ourselves. He was a good moral teacher although we think his good morals were bad.
We believe that all religions are basically the same, at least the one that we read was. They all believe in love and goodness. They only differ on matters of creation sin heaven hell God and salvation.
We believe that after death comes The Nothing because when you ask the dead what happens they say Nothing. If death is not the end, if the dead have lied, then it's compulsory heaven for all excepting perhaps Hitler, Stalin and Genghis Khan.
We believe in Masters and Johnson. What's selected is average. What's average is normal. What's normal is good.
We believe in total disarmament. We believe there are direct
links between warfare and bloodshed. Americans should beat their guns into tractors and the Russians would be sure to follow.
We believe that man is essentially good. It's only his behaviour that lets him down. This is the fault of society. Society is the fault of conditions. Conditions are the fault of society.
We believe that each man must find the truth that is right for him. Reality will adapt accordingly. The universe will readjust. History will alter. We believe that there is no absolute truth excepting the truth that there is no absolute truth.
Something i heard Ravi Zacharias quote in one of his talks. quite entertaining..until one gets to the end. its true and not true at the same time. we do have gods....most often...its ourselves.
First dentistry was painless; Then bicycles were chainless And carriages were horseless And many laws, enforceless. Next, cookery was fireless, Telegraphy was wireless, Cigars were nicotineless And coffee, caffeineless. Soon oranges were seedless, The putting green was weedless, The college boy hatless, The proper diet, fatless, Now motor roads are dustless, The latest steel is rustless, Our tennis courts are sodless, Our new religions, godless.
It was quite amusing to me when this thought suddenly sprang into my mind: Why is the credit card service called "Mastercard"?
well...i thought.....its because once you are indebted to it, it truly becomes your master, something that you have to think about every month and make offerings to at your own expense.........
Truly the new slavery is to plastic, and what it embodies.
He came to my desk with quivering lip-- The lesson was done. "Dear Teacher I want a new leaf," he said,, "I have spoiled this one." I took the old leaf, stained and blotted, And gave him a new one all unspotted, And into his sad eyes smiled, "Do better now, my child." I went to the throne with a quivering soul-- The old year was done. "Dear Father, hast Thou a new leaf for me? I have spoiled this one." He took the old leaf, stained and blotted, And gave me a new one all unspotted, And into my sad heart smiled, "Do better now, My child."
-- Kathleen Wheeler
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