Posted by Steven Benjamin on June 27, 2009, 6:58 am, in reply to "I was told to note this to you..."
This week in private correspondance, I shared a previous Sabbath Study posted on this board last year with another. It was more of an essay, actually it was origninally just that, an essay more on life skills than it was an expounding of Scripture. As it was emphasized to me again this week, I will let serve you likewise to be this weeks Sabbath Study.
COLD READING
(Originally posted as A Sabbath Study about 2/29/08 by Steven Benjamin)
Beware of False Prophets.
We are warned in the Bible to beware of false prophets...we are also told of a time when there would be many
false Christs...and many false prophets...This weekend, pehaps millions of people around the globe will be exposed to many false Christs and many false Prophets. Across this Globe on Sunday and maybe...maybe even on Saturday people will gaher seemingly united in the worship of "the Christian God..Jesus" Upon close examination of these groups you will find that at face value The adventists Jesus looks much the same as the Baptist Jesus, likewise the Baptist Jesus looks much the same as the Pentecostal Jesus, the Pentecostal Jesus in turn looks much the same as the Presbyterian Jesus and the the Presbyterian the Lutheran, the Lutheran the Methodist and so on, and so on. You will find some of these groups clustering together You have protestants, Catholics, Baptists...who by the way are not protestants...the Baptist can trace their Lineage back to the days of John whom baptized Jesus...but even still..you have several groups of baptists, The Southern Baptist, the Freewill Baptist, The Independant Fundamental Baptist, lately in the last few years you now have the Seventh Day Baptists who keep the Sabbath. Most or all of these people in these groups will indeed share one common experience this weekend...they will each worship a different Christ...each Christ having different attributes and quatlities than the other...while all looking the same...all worshipped by masses who a moved by thier emotions, political agendas, business motivated networking and a host of other reasons to embrace each one thier own brand of Messiah, most of whom doing the embracing, doing so blindly having done no real examination, nor exercised no real faith in their pursuits of things Holy.
A time of Many False Prophets...preachers across this land will not only embrace many versions of false Christs...worshipping a dead image...but as well they will embark upon a more unified effort of preaching and teaching a false doctrine...in the form of the ecclesiastical mainstream embracement of the "rapture/great triblutation" doctrines.
That is not to say that such doctrines were not founded in truth at one time, nor that there are not such events in the scriptures...it is saying that the mainstream teaching of such is false...has been pointed out as such, and yet those having it pointed out to them continue to embrace and promote such out of a sense of keeping tradition and seeking the security of acceptance.
So when the teachers of this world teach of things they openly call prophetic, and do so falsely...what else can they be? Do we not find ourselves in an age of many false prophets?
A more natural supernatural kind of false prophet....working miracles at least seemingly so is told of in Revelations 13 to rise. He will perform his miracles in the sight of men...this is a very important point...
Some attention has been given to the recent lunar eclipse...some seem to have been anticipating my own observations of such. Well, first I noticed that a partial lunar eclipse occurred the following night after the total lunar eclipse. Later something came up about the "Blood Moon" as well. You may recall my having been called to pay a visit to the local SDA here last Sabbath. Well while there...amongst the things discussed was the "Blood Moon". It was pointed out to my as a humorous subnote that Christopher Columbus had once used his knowledge of astrological events to solicit aid from natives who were ignorant of the timelines of such events. I found that statement quite interesting. It seems that Christopher Columbus presented himself as some sort of Miracle worker.
Columbus...and the blood moon....
http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/news/lunareclipse/
In a time where we may well encounter many false prophets...there is another kind of false prophet we should be aware of...to be savvy to the wiles of such individuals.
These come in the form of hustlers, con artists.
During my studies with Martial arts, I came across a book covering some unlikely topics.
The book was "Skills of the Vagabonds: Behind the Incredibles" By Dr. Leung Ting.
In the world of the martial arts much mystery surrounds a phenomenon called "Chi".
Chi, in Chinese basically has two meanings, Air, and Energy. Some also equivalate the term with "lifeforce", I don't see this as unacceptable, try cutting off your oxygen for 20 minutes or so (please don't, I am being facetious) and you will see what I mean.
I began studying Kung Fu in 1988, quit for a while, started again, quit again, and finally have been training faithfully now since 2003. I can tell you that the science of Chi is not without merit, proper breathing is essential to the performance of many techniques. I can break many concrete blocks with a slap...have done so on many occasions, and I can tell you one of the first things I was taught in doing so, and one of the fundamental things to succeeding in such is breathing. Most strikes, punches, kicks, whatever are delivered on the exhale. Breathing is fundamental to many other aspects of training as well.
But likewise, in my pursuit of Martial arts, I have encountered fascinating stories about those exhibiting a seemingly supernatural ability and attributing the same to "chi".
There is a form of brick breaking which is a hustle...not true Iron Palm. There are those who walk on hot coals of fire..., beds of broken glass, those who let cars run over their chests, bend swords against their throats, and allow people to break cinder blocks with a sledge hammer across their torso as they lay on a bed of nail...all of these things are mere illusions, tricks of confidence and not actually requiring anything more than the knowledge of the forces at work to the same. A prime example of such is walking on coals, which many a shaman has used to gain the confidence of those he would proselyte to his ends. Coals are a poor retainer of heat. The outer edges of a brickette of coal is covered in layers of ash, and much cooler than the center of the coal, where the real heat source is. As long as the coal bed is built to certain specifications, and the person walking across the bed does so with evenly spaced foot steps, not staying upon any coals more than a second or so, the ashes on the outer layer of the coals act as insulators keeping the person from actually burning themselves.
Dr. Ting in his book, expounds upon these, and more to present that those who would promote the science of "Chi" as some sort of supernatural ability, often do so with parlour tricks and are merely, hucksters, albeit sometimes, very adept, skilled hucksters.
Dr. Ting goes into other areas as well, beyond those exhibiting supernatural feats, to explain those producing supernatural "presence" and powers of mind as well.
Such things as people bending spoons using only their minds...(and a specially treated soft metal spoon) as well as proported exorcists using "Mou Shan" witchcraft...which is again a hustle. The practitioner of this is not a witch but a con artist and their power is in deception...once again using parlour tricks to make tables float in the air, thrust their hands into apparantly boiling water and so forth to convince others of the presence of spirits...upon which having successfully done so...the practitoner goes to leave...but not before offering to "exorcise the demon." Sort of an intellectual hustling...perhaps stealing would be a better word.
Dr. Ting in his book expounds on those who would show themselves to be "psychics" as well. One of the skills these people aquire and use to thier ends to promote themselves as such is called Cold reading.
The following is an essay composed last semester to a group of Advertising students in NC who were in a group project I was chosen to lead, I was addressing the subject of public speaking and in the closing segment of such, addressed cold reading.
Cold Reading: or the art of forecasting the history of a complete stranger.
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