Let me make you a hypothetical offer.

Let's suppose for the sake of argument , I am a famous robotic scientist , and I have manufactured the perfect android...

One of todays best- known fictional androids is Lt. Commander Data ,
a character on the weekly television series Star Trek: The Next Generation ,
Data is a highly advanced , top of the line android.

Except for his yellowish skin tone and computer simulated manner of speech , no one would suspect that he is a robot and not composed of flesh and blood.

But my android technology is even more advanced. My androids are in ever respect totally indistinguishable from human beings...

Million- Dollar Proposition..
So here is my offer: For one million dollars , would you allow me to subsitute
one of my androids for one of your loved ones ?

Someone you deeply care about. You may decide whom to substitute...
But remember.. You will never see the real person again.
Don't be too concerned however , because the android will look,
act and feel exactly like your loved one.


It will be a perfect replica in every way..
Etched into the androids brain will be all your loved ones memories.
The android will be programmed to respond to you exactly as your
loved one would...


And the astroid is designed to age along with you as the years go by.
In short , if you were not informed of the subsititution , there would
be no clues to suggest that a replacement had been made.


Would you except a robot as a replacement for your loved one ?

In defense of my offer , let me ask this : In what way would this
android not be human ?

After all , science tells us that a human being is nothing more then
a biological machine , an assemblage of specialized tissue and organs
functioning according to the same principles that govern the actions
of other machines.

What difference would it make , then , weither your loved one was
a biological machine or an electronic machine--as long as the two
are totally indistinguishable ?

So again I ask: Why is my proposition so unreasonable ?

Why not accept the android ?

You'll never recoginze the difference--- and you'll be considered
richer in the bargain.

To return to reality , I think we all know why we wouldn't consider
such a swap. Deep down we all recognize there is something more
to being human than outword form and functioning--- something
that goes deeper than performance and apperance.


But what is that something that makes us human ?

Is a person with a prosthetic leg less human then a person with
two biological legs..

Is a person with a mechanical heart less human then those of us
with hearts of flesh ?

Of course not. Replace as many organs and appendages as you'd like.
The essence of ones humanity remains untouched..
So if the substance of humanity is not found in theses physical
aspects of the body , then where ?


Where does our humanity begin-- and end ?

Instictively , all of us realize our real self-- our inner being--
is something more than our body ,
Something that goes beyond the material......

Mind-- the conscious I- is central to the definition of being human,
or as stated collectively , man.

After all , the scientific name for the human species is Homo sapiens,
Latin for " wise man " or " thinking man. "

Yes, mind is at the core of being human.
And it is our mind that eventually can be connected to God.

The mind is unique in all creation.
Intellect is embodied in the human species..

Men and women are endowed with minds inspired by
incredible intelligence, imagination and creativity....

The human asks questions , speculates, investigates ,
reasons , draws conclusions.....

Humans have the ablility to learn from expirence and respond to
new challenges....

Our minds give us a unique perspective on the world.
We humans exhibt an abiding interest in our orgins and purpose..

We wonder at our own existence.....
We have the ambition to be more then we are, to elevate our lives.

Deep inside , we all instinctively reach out for something higher and
greater then ourselves....

We are inherently dissatisfied with mere mortality and the confines
of our terrestrial domain.

We are not automatons.
We can consciously decide how to respond to stimuli , and excercise will to act according to a thought -out plan.

And most importantly, we can enter into a spiritual relationship with God.

God and Humankind....

Humans are unique.. The book of Genesis reveals that God personally
formed the first man " of the dust of the ground , and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life ( Genesis 2:7 , New King James throughout )


And significantly , God created man and women , " in his own image "

( Genesis 1:27 )

Only humans were made in the image of God...
Thus from the beginning , the Bible shows that man and women were
designed to have the capacity to have a special relationship with God.

This capacity sets humans apart from the rest of creation...

From a purely physical stand point , human life is no different from that of animals..
( Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 )

Humans and animals have a transient biochemical existence..
But in humans there is a significant added dimensions..

God endowed human beings with minds..
That makes us unique almong all creatures...

That's why we need and yearn for a relationship with God...
What makes this connection possible is a dimension of reality that
is not physical at all..

It is the realm of spirit..

The Scriptures explain that human beings posses a spiritual componet
that confers upon them a unique intellectual dimension..

It endows men and women with the power to know and comprehend
human things-- to think, reason , decide and create in a distinctively
human way...


All of us was born with that spirit. It is an integral part of humans...

The apostle Paul said of this nonmaterial essence, " For what man
knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him ?
( 1 Corinthians , 2: 11)


The source of that spirit is revealed in Zechariah { 12:1 }.

It is of course, God who " forms the spirit of man within him..
The spirit is the activating principle in the life of humans,
the animating force that imparts intellectual and emotional life.

It is what enables human beings to comprehend-- in a way
that is uniquely human--the world around them...

This spiritual dimension explains a mystery that has baffled
thinkers for millennia.....

Have you ever wondered how physical brains -- a mere three pounds
of jello - like tissue in our skulls -- can contain a phenomenon such as consciousness--- awareness of self ???

Are mental states an attribute of matter ??

Are our thoughts and feelings--- our hopes and our dreams--
based solely in atoms and molecules ?

Even more remarkably, here is a mass of tissue that is the object
of it's own inquiry.

The brain is an organ that seeks to understand itself.
It almost sounds like magic.. And in a way it is.

For the explanation is, indeed , supernatural.

It is found , as we've seen, in the realm of spirit.

Some neurobiologists are called dualists because they
mantain that the mind and the brain or two different things,
that the qualitys that make us human --- our thoughts our feelings
cannot be explained by physical matter alone..

One of them is Sir John Ecceles , neuroscientist and noble laureate in medicine.
He offers this asssessment , based on a lifetime of brain study ;

" I do not believe that the mind has it's own existence , it's own independence , apart from the brain..
It works intimately with the brain, but it is superior to the brain..


There is something nonphysical and nonmaterial present within
the brain that produces mind and consciousness...

It is the human spirit... No other interpertation is logically defensible...

But the human spirit is not the answer to our need to connect
with God....

The Bible reveals we came to know God through the Holy Spirit..

The Holy spirit is the life and power of God..
It is the seed of enternal life, Where by we become..

" Children of God : { 1 John 3:1-2 }

God's Holy Spirit is the power that transforms a person through
repentence, baptism and continual renewal.

We are not born with the spirit of God. God gives it to thoses
who voluntarily turn from their sins and accept his rule over
their lives... { Acts 2:37-38 }

It is each person's free choice...........

The ability to recieve God's Holy Spirit is unique to human beings
among all creation..

By the Holy Spirit , eternal life is imparted as an ernest or pledge--
a guarantee that we will possess the fullness of salvation at
a future time... { Ephesians 1:13-14 }

But the gift of the Holy Spirit is also something more.
It is not only a pledge , God's spirit alllows us-------
while yet in human flesh-- to touch the eternal mind of
the creator..

It imparts to humans mind the comprehension of spiritual things..

Human beings are not naturally receptive to spiritual knowledge
from God.. " The natural man does not recieve the things
of the Spirit of God-- nor can he know them because they are not
spiritually discerned , " the apostle Paul tells us...

{ 1 Corinthians 2:14 }

The human spirit is incomplete without contact with it's creator...

But coupled with the added dimensions of God's Holy Spirit ,
we can communcate with God's mind , understand his thoughts
and cultivate a relationship with him..

As Paul wrote , " For what man knows the things of a man except
the spirit of the man which is in him ? Even so no one knows the
things of God except the spirit of God. " { verse 11 }

The Spirit of God allows us to share the mind of the Creator,
to participate in the divine nature , to see things from a higher
perspective--- God's perspective.

In addition to opening our minds to spiritual comprehension,
the Holy Spirit imparts to us God's spirtual characteristics
and attributes...

God acts upon and operates in receptive minds through his
Holy Spirit.. His Spirit within us creates internal changes that
bring about an entirely new outlook..


His Spirit flows through our minds and empowers us to live
good and Godly lives.. We become at one with the Creator
in Spirit and in purpose . " We become partakers of the
divine nature " { 11 Peter 1:4 }


In doing so.. We become a new creature.

Thats why the Bible describes conversion as being " born from above ".
or " born again ".


The apostle Paul entreats us to partcipate in this magnificent
expirence : Let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus "
{ Philippians 2:5 } and in { Romans 12:2 }

Do not be conformed by this world , but be transfered
by the renewing of your mind...

The Destiny of Mankind...

One futher question remains..
What will be the nature and the scope of the immortality God
offers us ??

The apostile Paul explained that Jesus Christ was the " Firstborn "
among many brethren ", { Romans 8:29 } that we are "children
of God " and heirs of God " versus 16-17 , that God is in the process
of bringing many sons to glory " { Hebrews 2-10 }, that we are
the offspring of God " { Acts 17:29 }

We are know children of God , born from above ,
and transformed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Jesus came in the flesh that we might eventually be like him..

" Beloved , know we are the children of God ; and it has not yet been revealed
what we shall be , be we know that when He is revealed , we shall be like
Him , for we shall see Him as He is " { 1 John 3:2 }

In this life we are given the mind of Christ { Philippians 2:5-8 }

through Jesus Christ liveing his life in us { Galatians , 2-20 }

At the resurrection , we will be like him and we will be glorified.
We will be immortal..

This in no way implies equality with God in all his attributes..
Imortalized human beings will never be equal to God.

He is forever the supreme creator and sustainer of the universe,
utterly sovereign in power and glory.

But we will be immortal children of God , shareing an internal
family relationship with him...

Inherit all Things...

God made us in his image for a purpose that goes far beyond
this physical existence. Not only may we have a relationship
with him now, but we can aspire to an enternal relationship
with him..

Our life on the earth is but a starting point of an infinite
adventure ..God offers us the wonderfull opportunity to
transcend the the limatations of physical reality..

He who overcomes , " God declares, " Shall inherit all things,
and I will be his God and he shall be my son"
{ Revelations 21:7 }

That is an incredible destiny of the human race..
And it is that great potential that makes us human...

Animals do not have it--- nor do androids....
God eagerly desires to give us eternal life.
And that day will come, God will embrace us,
and cherish us and welcome us.

And we will touch the stars..
Keith W Stump...

What is the Holy Spirit... In Jesus.. ???? As written..

Matthew 3 :13.. Then Jesus arrives from Galilee to the Jordan,
to John to be baptised by him..

14.... But John restrained Him, saying , I have need to be baptized
by You , and do you come to me ?

15.. But answering Jesus said to him, Allow ( it ) now ,
or it is becoming to us this way to fufill righteousness,
Then he allows him..

16... And haveing been baptized , Jesus went up immediately
from the water , and behold ? The Heavens were opened to Him,
and He saw the Spirit of God comeing down as a dove ,
and opening upon Him..

17.. And behold ! A voice out of the Heavens saying , This is My Son
the Beloved , in whom I have been delighted..
{ Ps, 2:7 }

{ Isa 42: 1 } Behold My Servant , I will uphold Him; My Elect in whom
My Soul delights ! I have put My Spirit on Him; He shall bring forth Justice
to the nations...

{ John 17:3 } And this is everlasting life that they may know You,
the only true God and Jesus Christ , whom you have sent....

I hope my posting's on this subject...
Has helped somebody out there giveing them positive renforcement
and hope... to help them through their pain and dilemma...

Life can be so tough sometimes indeed !

Yet, Even though.. There is Hope... ((( Smiles )))

Jesus knows what you are going through.
He's been there.
He knows how you feel.
He knows you.
Isn't it time you got to know him ?

He changed the course of history.
He changed millions of lives.
He died to change your life, too.
He died to give you eternal life.

" Now this is enternal life:
that they may know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent."
----------- John 17:3

The Plain Truth Issue
December 1995

The Miracle Of Jesus' Birth....
" The virgin will be with child
and will give birth
to a son, and they will call
him Immanuel."
---- Matthew 1:23

Isaiah 7:13---
10: And Jehovah spoke again to Ahaz...
13: And He said , Hear now , O house of David , is it too little
that you weary men, but will you also weary my God ?
14: So , the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold !
The virgin is with child and shall bring forth a son;
and she shall call His name Immanuel.
15: He shall eat curds and honey untill He knows to refuse the evil
and choose the good....

And is it weak to be gental ?? I don't think so for in weakness one can find strength..
And in sickness one can find health in many different ways in a gental whisper...

In A Gental Whisper..

Then a great and powerfull wind tore the mountains apart
and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not
in the wind...

After the wind there was an earthquake , but the Lord was not
in the earthquake.

" After the earthquake came a fire , but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it ,
he pulled his cloak over his face". { 1 Kings , 19:11-13 }...

This account of Elijah comeing into the presence of the Lord is
revealing. Elijah expected to find God in a windstorm , an earthquake,
or a fire. Why ?

Other servants of God who were allowed into his presence witnessed
dramatic displays of his power.

Moses recieved his mission directly from God, who spoke from a burning bush..
{ Exodus 3:2-4 }


More significantly, the account of God appearing to Moses, Aaron,
Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel { Exodus 24 } has
some remarkable similarities to Elijah's expirences.. { 1 Kings:19}


For example , in both accounts, Moses and Elijah eat special
meals. For Moses and the elders of Israel , the special meal
is a banquet.. { Exodus 24:9-11 }


Elijah eats two simple meals of bread and water supplied by an Angel
of the Lord { 1 Kings 19: 5-8 } The chart below lists more similarites
between the expirences of Moses and Elijah in God's presence..

Chart will be printed out below this post..
With theses parallels in mind , it is easy to understand why
Elijah expected God to reveal himself in clouds and smoke
and fire...

But instead, God spoke to Elijah in " a gental whisper ".

In A Gental Whisper...

What this means for today's Christian Community of faith is
important.. First, although God can and does still intervene
in human lives, that is not the primary way of communicating
with Christians..

Rather , he speaks to us through the " gental whisper " of
his Word, the Holy Bible. But an even more important lesson..
is that God cannot be constrained by human expectations..

God did not reveal himself in the way Elijah expected.
But God did reveal himself in a whisper..

And expecially during times of trail, when we struggle to see God,
we must remember this lesson: The reality of God's presence
doesn't have to be in the dramatic or the miracles..

God speakes to us through his clear and resolute Word,
The Holy Bible...

Parallel features of the story above..

Parallel Feature... Exodus 24 ..... 1 Kings 19
Special meals... Verses 9-11.. Verses 5-8
40 Days of Fasting Verses 18.... Verses 8
Theme of Covenant Verses 3-8... Verse 10, 14
Wind and Fire.... Verses 15, 18.. Verses 11-12

The Plain Truth August 1995..

There are people who are sick in this world who cannot travel or leave the house...
Weither because of hyperacusis or some other health problems..
Who feel so alone yet need to be feed and join with others in some way...
Though I do NOT belong to this Church I thought it was interesting the concept..
And of course that could be anywhere but when I found this site..
It tells a story of how it is for many others in this world.. It is so true...

There are people we serve who can't find a healthy, well-balanced church close to their home.
There are people who can't, for health reasons, leave their home.
There are people who find it difficult to find or pay for transportation to get to the church
they would like to attend. I've been an ordained minister for over 30 years --
why not reach those who cannot or will not attend church in a building?

A Church Without Walls.................

http://www.ptm.org/cwr/info/interviewCWR.htm

For thoses who are ill or disabled by age or condition or caretaking
or for other reasons but don't want to feel left out..

Getting in your car and driving to church, or taking the bus or train,
to worship God in a building is not critically important to one’s Christianity.
It may help or it may hinder your relationship with God.
Sitting in a building does not transform us into being Christian --
and it doesn't necessarily maintain our Christianity.

We “preach the Word” (2 Timothy 4:2).
We believe that this is a time when many “do not endure sound doctrine,
but with itching ears” gather around teachers that make them feel good (2 Timothy 4:3)

Just A Biological computer ? (((( Smiles )))

One of the most controversal issues of neuroscience is weither the mind is
simply a biological computer. In other words , can human consicious be explained entirely in terms of biochemistry ?

Many brain researchers assert that the mind is wholly a product of the brain
-- that all humans thought and activity is simply the result of on-off fireing
of neurons ( Nerve Cells ) in the brain , In short : " The mind is what the brain does . "

This is the logical and inevitable conclusion of materalist philosophy .
But is it correct ?

Contemporary science sees the universe as entirely material , and humans as exculsively physical beings.

In this context , the human mind is viewed as the end product of an evolutionary process spanning millions of years...

But can all human attributes be reduced to chemistry and biology ?

Is humanity to be defined soely by the chemical and electrical activites within our brains ?

This question carries profound implications for the human species.
And the answer matters deeply to us , weither we realize it or not.

Why ? Because it gets to the heart of what a human being is..
And in that process , it brings us face to face with the question
of the purpose of human life....

Written in 1992

By Keith W Stump...

And as being so.. The mysteries of the human brain is even more amazing in the discoveries of today....

Then it was back then at that time....