release your faith...

for the love of money.

2012-01-31T15:58:00.001-08:00

how come, out of everyone here, something has to be "wrong" with me?

what's this notion that someone who's trying to find the right way to live and who respects that life and earth are gifts from God, is "always" a "recovering victim"?

after all the things most of you have said and done, i'm the weird one for "not trusting men"? that's not "daddy issues", that's reasonable deduction if you have any brain at all or access to current affairs.

and women are so not the only ones with trust issues.

i haven't even come close to giving up on love, it's just that there are very few people who deserve your love, and so you need to choose carefully.

there's no specific list of ingredients denoting the person that's deserving of love. you might look at someone and think that everything about the way they are means that they are perfect when it comes to love, and then realize they're not even close, and then you can look at someone else who you think could never love and yet they're the most loving of all.

and even vice versa, you might think someone's totally wrong for you and be right about that.

it's not a simple thing, that's why it's so powerful.

if everyone knew what to look for, we'd all be in perfect relationships that last forever.

everybody has trust issues because of satan's influence in this world, and weak people who succumb to him.

however, God deserves praise and respect for every good thing that exists on earth, He's not just someone Christians run to because of bad things. if you spent any significant time at all living the right way, God would make Himself known to you and you would never be able to deny He exists. so that tells me all i need to know about people who don't believe in Him.

it's actually the opposite sometimes, usually people whose lives have been heavily influenced by satan, possibly during their youth by forces they could not control, who have the hardest time believing in God. sometimes, they know He's there but they hate Him and won't admit it, because their pain has become an excuse for their evil ways and they start to love that darkness and what's given to them through it: the money, the infidelity etc. etc.

speaking of money, i really think if it was actually about using it to improve the quality of one's life and of others through generosity, it wouldn't be so frowned upon in the Bible, but what most people consider quality is just more ugliness.

there is a Bible passage where God tells the jews that when He brings them the prosperity He promised them, that they "should not forget Him." that's what happens when even believers are given trust, they betray it, because once they get there, the temptations are greater. this is why God says to be patient in this life, and wait on Him for the reward of the next life. because if we go astray with our prosperity and free will, we may be gone forever.

but we ask and we ask, and we make Him all these promises, and He has pity on us. and then we are lost. we take our liberties too far and go down from the Holy Mountain and we cannot re-ascend.

ya'll need to take a good look at yourselves, the way you act, the way you think and the way you put money before God, His creation, and love, before you start judging.

how to pray...

2012-01-28T09:15:00.001-08:00

prayer

and when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
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but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, Who is unseen. then your Father, Who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
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and when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
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this, then, is how you should pray:
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Our Father,
Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Will be done on earth
as it is in Heaven
please give us this day,
our daily bread,
and please forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
please save us from temptation
and deliver us from all evil.
for Thine is the Kingdom,
the Power and the Glory
forever and ever.
we ask this,
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
amen.
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for if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. but if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
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(matthew 6)

the love one gives will return..

2012-01-22T19:03:00.001-08:00

"for My thoughts
are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways,"
declares the LORD.
"as the heavens
are higher than the earth,
so are My ways
higher than your ways
and My thoughts than your thoughts.
as the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower
and bread for the eater,
so is My word
that goes out from My mouth:
It will not return to Me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose
for which I sent it.
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(GOD Almighty via isaiah, the prophet)
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looking at His disciples, He said:
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"blessed are you
who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of GOD.
blessed are you
who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
blessed are you
who weep now,
for you will laugh.
blessed are you
when people hate you,
when they exclude you
and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
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"rejoice in that day and leap for joy,
because great is your reward in heaven.
for that is how their ancestors
treated the prophets.
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"but woe to you
who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
woe to you
who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
woe to you
who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
woe to you
when everyone speaks well of you,
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for that is how their ancestors
treated the false prophets.
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"but to you who are listening I say:
love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
if someone slaps you on one cheek,
turn to them the other also.
if someone takes your coat,
do not withhold your shirt from them.
give to everyone who asks you,
and if anyone takes what belongs to you,
do not demand it back.
do to others
as you would have them do to you.
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"if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
even sinners love those who love them.
and if you do good
to those who are good to you,
what credit is that to you?
even sinners do that.
and if you lend to those
from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
even sinners lend to sinners,
expecting to be repaid in full.
but love your enemies,
do good to them,
and lend to them
without expecting to get anything back.
then your reward will be great,
and you will be children of the Most High,
because He is kind
to the ungrateful and wicked.
be merciful,
just as your Father is merciful.
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"do not judge,
and you will not be judged.
do not condemn,
and you will not be condemned. forgive,
and you will be forgiven.
give,
and it will be given to you.
-
a good measure,
pressed down,
shaken together
and running over,
will be poured into your lap.
-
for with the measure you use,
it will be measured to you."
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(Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD via luke, the apostle)

the indispensable man..

2012-01-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

sometime when you're feeling important,
sometime when your ego's in bloom,
sometime when you take it for granted,
you're the best qualified in the room.

take a bucket and fill it with water,
put your hand in it up to the wrist,
pull it out and the hole that's remaining,
is the measure of how you'll be missed.

(kessinger)

the cords of orion...

2012-01-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

most humans (if not all to some degree) have a tendency to collect rare, and/or beautiful, and/or unusual objects and animals, and to call them their own, and to put them on display, for profit and/or personal amusement. and in many cases, to discard or store them rashly, after their use is no longer warranted.
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but let it be known, that we do as such to our own kind as well..
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"for there is reason to fear, that this unnatural abuse may extend from beasts of different kinds to men, though it takes its first rise from evil practices about such smaller things."

time will surely testify...

2011-12-28T01:17:00.001-08:00

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so much good could've been done by now... true goodness, and not vain goodness. when one ignores their true calling, many suffer unnecessarily for a time, but the ignorant forsake only themselves in the end, as that time will surely testify against them. and when the time comes, they too will be left out in the cold.

mark 10...

2011-12-27T18:21:00.001-08:00

the book of mark, chapter 10...
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divorce
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1 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of judea and across the jordan. again crowds of people came to Him, and as was His custom, He taught them.

2 some pharisees came and tested Him by asking, "is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

3 "what did moses command you?" He replied.

4 they said, "moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."

5 "it was because your hearts were hard that moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. 6 "but at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 7 'for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.' so they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

10 when they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, "anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."
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the little children and Jesus
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13 people were bringing little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 when Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 and He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them and blessed them.
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the rich and the Kingdom of God
-
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17 as Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him. "good Teacher," he asked, "what must i do to inherit eternal life?"

18 "why do you call Me good?" Jesus answered. "no one is good—except God alone. 19 you know the commandments: 'you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.'"

20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these i have kept since i was a boy."

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "one thing you lack," He said. "go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. then come, follow Me."

22 at this the man's face fell. he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

24 the disciples were amazed at His words. but Jesus said again, "children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

26 the disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "who then can be saved?"

27 Jesus looked at them and said, "with man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

28 then peter spoke up, "we have left everything to follow You!"

29 "truly I tell you," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for Me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 but many who are first will be last, and the last first."
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Jesus predicts His death a third time
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32 they were on their way up to jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. again He took the twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to Him. 33 "we are going up to jerusalem," He said, "and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the gentiles, 34 who will mock Him and spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him. three days later He will rise."
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the request of james and john
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35 then james and john, the sons of zebedee, came to Him. "Teacher," they said, "we want You to do for us whatever we ask."

36 "what do you want Me to do for you?" He asked.

37 they replied, "let one of us sit at Your right and the other at Your left in Your glory."

38 "you don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

39 "we can," they answered.

Jesus said to them, "you will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at My right or left is not for Me to grant. these places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."

41 when the ten heard about this, they became indignant with james and john. 42 Jesus called them together and said, "you know that those who are regarded as rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 not so with you. instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."
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blind bartimaeus receives his sight
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46 then they came to jericho. as Jesus and His disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, bartimaeus (which means "son of timaeus"), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

48 many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

49 Jesus stopped and said, "call him."

so they called to the blind man, "cheer up! on your feet! he's calling you." 50 throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51 "what do you want Me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.

the blind man said, "Rabbi, i want to see."

52 "go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

the power of love...

2011-12-26T20:58:00.001-08:00

maybe when someone falls in love, their heart inspires them to do unusual things. things against their own norm.

and others respond in a dramatic way, sometimes highly positive.. but yet others, in a highly negative way. perhaps the latter are jealous of the positive response from the former...

but maybe even more so, they can't find that inspiration in themselves to use, and they don't understand where it's coming from or how to capture it.

for that God is love, love is the most powerful of all.

the importance of jews...

2011-11-28T13:31:00.001-08:00

while rifling through all the garbage that exists on the internet in relation to my last 2 posts, i came across these words, supposedly spoken by a former israeli prime minister:
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start quote
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""our race is the master race. we jews are divine gods on this planet. we are as different from the inferior races as they are from insects. in fact, compared to our race, other races are beasts and animals, cattle at best. other races are considered as human excrement. our destiny is to rule over the inferior races. our earthly kingdom will be ruled by our leader with a rod of iron. the masses will lick our feet and serve us as our slaves."
- israeli prime minister menachem begin in a speech to the knesset quoted in "begin and the beasts," new statesman, june 25, 1982 by amnon kapeliouk
- from countercurrents website.
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end quote
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and i'd like to add a few words to the misinformed.
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when GOD created adam and eve, they transgressed the good will of GOD and broke the ONE rule He set unto them. however, God being all-merciful, and knowing they were tricked into doing so by the fallen angel we know as satan, but nevertheless also knowing they chose to follow satan's word by free will, brought upon them a righteous punishment.
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that is, they were removed from the garden of eden where they were immortal, and brought to mortality. but He promised them, that after a time, they and their righteous descendants would return to the garden, after Jesus Christ came to earth a first time to redeem them, and a second and final time to bring them back to immortality.
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more on adam and eve: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/vida_alien/alien_watchers09b.htm
(the first book of adam and eve)
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after becoming "flesh" and "animal" in nature, adam and eve then populated the world. many, many things took place that i won't shed light on here, because of the specific purpose of this post.
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now as concerning the "jews" and their being the "chosen race".
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one of the civilizations that came to exist on earth, were the egyptians, a name we are all familiar with. these egyptians took a tribe of people, and made them their SLAVES. and God looked upon this tribe of slaves and had pity on them, and called them to Him, to make His Word known on earth through them. He was about to send His Son, Jesus Christ, and chose this particular people whom He called the chosen, that is the jews. they were chosen because of their HUMILITY, not their superiority.
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we know that Jesus Christ was born into a humble life and this is what God wished for His people the jews to be like.
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but just as adam and eve believed that satan would make them divine and powerful, so to did the jews (not all, but most) become power-hungry and forsook the ways of God, and used their being "chosen" against God and to oppress others. case in point, the prime minister's quote above.
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start quote
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"and the word of the Lord came unto me (esdras), saying,
go thy way, and shew My people their sinful deeds, and their children their wickedness which they have done against Me; that they may tell their children's children:
because the sins of their fathers are increased in them: for they have forgotten Me, and have offered unto strange gods.
am not I even He that brought them out of the land of egypt, from the house of bondage? but they have provoked Me unto wrath, and despised My counsels."
http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/2esdras.html
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end quote
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God blessed the jews and saved them from their slavery and comforted them, and made them the people through whom He would send His Word (His Son). yet they were ungrateful to Him and put Jesus to death, and to this day, the believing jews and gentiles (other tribes) are called Christians and judaism STILL does not recognize Jesus as the Son of God.
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and just like i explained in a previous post called "levels of the game", this is why the Bible says that judgment will come first to the jew and then to the gentile, because the jews first and foremost, know the will of God and will thereby be punished (or rewarded) based on the "level" of their knowledge.
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ROMANS 1:16 "for i am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the jew, then to the gentile."
http://mobile.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans1:16&version=NIV
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ROMANS 2:9-11 "there will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the jew, then for the gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the jew, then for the gentile. for God does not show favoritism."
http://mobile.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans2:9-11&version=NIV
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levels of the game post:
http://alookintofaith.blogspot.com/2011/10/levels-of-game_669.html
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so to all, who like the jews were shown incredible mercy by God, by being rescued from slavery, and yet choose not to show mercy and forgiveness to others, while knowing we are all sinners and all are unworthy, yet God loves us, and gives us continuous mercy and time to repent, i leave you with this:
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MATTHEW 18:21-35
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the parable of the unmerciful servant
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then peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall i forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? up to seven times?"
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Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
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"therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. as he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
"at this the servant fell on his knees before him. 'be patient with me,' he begged, 'and i will pay back everything.' the servant's master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.
but when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. he grabbed him and began to choke him. 'pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
his fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'be patient with me, and i will pay it back.'
but he refused. instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. when the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
"then the master called the servant in. 'you wicked servant,' he said, 'i cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as i had on you?' in anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
"this is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart."
http://mobile.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew18:21-35&version=NIV
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sheep not of this pen, part 2...

2011-11-26T21:59:00.001-08:00

"the first war..."
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from frank e. stranges letter:
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"these craft which they designed are still seen from time to time in areas of south america where some of those involved in the original plans still reside. these should not be confused with the spacecraft originating from other worlds or those coming from the INTERIOR of this planet. nor should the occupants of craft originating from other worlds be confused with those "evil messengers" who do not originate from earth but were cast INTO it after the first "war" ever recorded."
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http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/bb/stranges.htm
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from the Bible:
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"then war broke out in heaven. michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. but he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. the great dragon was hurled down — that ancient serpent called the devil, or satan, who leads the whole world astray. he was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
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then i heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of His Messiah.
for the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
they triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
but woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
he is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short."
(from the book of revelation, chapter 12)

sheep not of this pen...

2011-11-26T21:37:00.001-08:00

"I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me — just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father — and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and One Shepherd.
(Jesus Christ via the book of john chapter 10) -
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aliens, man... aliens..
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read: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/bb/stranges.htm
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more to come.. lots more.

Edom..

2011-10-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

on my facebook app, my profile picture which says "the freedom campaign" only shows a portion of these words when i look at my albums.
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the word "edom" stands out to me clearly, and i believed it was time to post an article regarding "edom".
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being the Bible student that i am, means i am aware that "edom" is the kingdom of esau, jacob's twin (older) brother. jacob went on to become "israel" as esau sold his rights as the elder son, to jacob.
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some look at the passage, where jacob then goes to claim these rights, by fooling his blind father into thinking that he is in fact esau, as representative of some evil streak in jacob.
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the events that take place, however, are God-willed. there are many passages that reflect this was meant to happen, such as "see that no one is godless like esau, who for a single meal, sold his inheritance as the first born son".
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the way in which it happened may not come across as perfect, but we see in later times, that the descendants of israel are not all perfect, which may serve some understanding of the instance, and the flaws of all humans, even those who are called to God.
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i went on to search for evidence of good edomites. i found some interesting stuff, some of which i'm posting here:
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start of quoted article..
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- EDOM: Good Edomites -
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There were good Edomites in the Bible.
Obadiah the Edomite saved the lives of the Prophets who king Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 18:3) were trying to kill.
He hid them and fed them. According to tradition he is the same individual as the prophet who wrote the Biblical Book of Obadiah against Edom.
We were commanded to respect Edomite converts:
Deuteronomy 23:7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.
Deuteronomy 23:8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation.
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- EDOM: Rulers and Leaders -
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Before Jacob and Esau were born, it was predicted:
"And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in your womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from your bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger [Genesis 25:23] .
The Translation, "the elder shall serve the younger" is not correct. The Hebrew may preferably be understood to say: One will serve the other, meaning that at times the elder would have predominance and at other times the younger.
Nevertheless Jacob was later promised that he would eventually rule over both Ishmael and Esau [Genesis 27:29].
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Genesis (36:15) speaks of the 'Dukes of Esau".
Duke in Hebrew is Aluph meaning general or commander.
"Aluph" is from the root "aleph" connoting train, teach, assist. The English word "help" may come from this root.
Traditionally part of Edom would have rulers who were not really hereditary. Edom is identified with Rome and Germany and other places in Europe.
The leaders of Edom are called "Aluphim" (singular: Aluph) in Hebrew. This is translated as Duke.
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- EDOM: Intellect -
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Job lived in the Land of UZ that belonged to Edom.
The chief friend of Job was Eliphaz the Temanite.
One of the clans of Edom was Teman.
Jeremiah (49:7) asks, IS WISDOM NO MORE IN TEMAN?
Edomites were known for their intellect.
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- EDOM: Caucasian Prototype -
Genesis 25:24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau.
Esau was Edmoni or reddish. The association with "red" is repeated later in his life. King David was also described in the same way, with the same adjective. Esau was the son of Isaac and Rebecca and twin brother to Jacob. The same genes were possessed by them both. The Ancient Hebrews contained amongst them several different physical types amongst which were to be found blond and redheads as well as darker types. We have an article on this matter as well as illustrations.
THE PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE HEBREW PEOPLES
Nevertheless, with Edom the fact of being white is considered intrinsic and prototypical even though in practice it is not necessarily predominantly evident.
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end of quoted article.
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i find this last bit interesting for many reasons, one is that i recently had a dream, before reading this article, in which the word, "prototype" stood out clearly.
the other reason, is that there are three main groups of skull types: "caucasian, mongoloid and negroid", for some reason, we have defined caucasian based on skin colour, when in fact, its basis lies in skull shape.
therefore, jews (descendants of jacob, son of isaac, abraham's second born) and arabs (descendants of ishmael, abraham's first born) both fall into the category of "caucasian skull type" (before any mixing with other skull types) regardless of skin colour.
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(footnotes)
ishmael and isaac are half brothers.
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jacob (israel) and esau (edom) are twin brothers, sons of isaac.
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(links)
http://www.britam.org/Edom/3EsauCharacteristics.html
http://www.ehow.com/m/list_6807001_types-human-skull-shapes.html

Levels of the Game...

2011-10-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

Let's talk a bit about the knowledge of God and what it means.
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I've said before, that "all this life is about is how you would act if you thought no one was looking" and generally that's true for most, if not all.
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Even for those who know, other than the personal miracles we experience, that only we would understand, God still remains invisible, and the Bible says, "now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)"
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So those who have no faith in God are being watched for their actions, in the frame of not knowing, or not accepting, that He exists and that He sees all and knows all.
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However, what does this say about those who have faith, who do know that God is watching.. well, let's start with how we "know".
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Since I cannot say why others know, I will talk about why I think I know. To say that I live, and have always lived, a sin-free life, and always believed in Jesus, is very inaccurate, and to say I am more worthy of knowing is probably also not true.
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There is a possibility that there are some people, both good and evil, who know of God. In the Bible we see that the demon spirits in this verse expressly recognized Jesus as the Son of God.. "When He arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met Him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" (Matthew 8:28-29)".
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Maybe to be more accurate, the evil spirits all know, but have kept their evil human counterparts from knowing. This I cannot be sure of.
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I believe I credit my knowing to the animals. It consumed me day and night for a very long time, and it still does in a different manner, that such innocent and fragile beings, could be left at the mercy of such cruel humans. I believe I wondered over and over and over again, if the evil in the world was just there, and there was nothing anyone could do about it, and that one day you die, and the rest of life goes on and that's that. And I believe God answered me.
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I mean, people hear a few things here and there, but I don't think most people really ponder the gravity of the situation, of thousands of great and small animals, hidden from the public view, in the backs of warehouses, in boxes and cages, in scientific research, in the most invasive and painful procedures and daily routines, in chains, worse than the holocaust and any human slavery combined. This is no joke.
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The worst part of this, is that most of the people who do care about animal welfare, are fragile themselves and cannot even bear to think about it, much less put themselves in an environment to help, especially because they view the situation to be hopeless in the first case. What's more, I've watched people who claim to be animal lovers, treat their own animals as property, use them for profit and punish them HARSHLY for not being more human-like and not doing what they want them to do. So it does in fact, seem hopeless, if even these so-called animal lovers think it's okay to be that way.
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I believe amid all these feelings of hopelessness that I went searching for answers, and that my actions and thoughts led God to have mercy on me, and provide me some comfort, because He helps all those who cry out for Truth and who show that they are willing to hear it, and furthermore, use the knowledge wisely. Yes, He speaks to everyone who asks, but many are not willing to listen.
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To be honest, I think there are people who believe I just latched on to a belief that helps me cope, whether it is true or not.
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But, how did I start to believe this faith was even the answer? I have believed for years now, has the cruelty stopped? Has it subsided and lessened? The Bible says one is more likely to grow old and die before seeing any Promise fulfilled. And think of how many, many years, decades, centuries, have passed and not one Promise fulfilled. Think of Abraham, Noah, Jacob (Israel), all dead for thousands of years and their souls still awaiting Heaven. The Bible states that Jesus Christ is the only man to have died and gone to heaven.
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For someone who bears the burden of knowing the pain of animals, who wants them all to stop hurting right this instant, is this a faith that fixes all right away?
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Now it gets even harder, now we look at a new level of the game and what having this faith, this knowledge of God, means to a person. Let's see if it's easier just to know, instead of not knowing.
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The Bible says, "That servant WHO KNOWS his Master's Will and does not get ready or does not do what his Master wants will be beaten with MANY blows. But the one WHO DOES NOT KNOW and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with FEW blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:47-48)"
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And what does God consider "much given" is it gold, money? "Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. (Proverbs 8:10-11)"
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He judges those who know at a higher level than those who don't. Many of you know the saying, "With great power comes great responsibility." God now expects more from us. Here we are, still sinners, still "corruptible men", still weak for the pleasures of this world..
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And in my case, have I only chosen this faith for the sake of animals? for the sake of their welfare? for those can do nothing for me? (I say it this way because this is how the average human mind thinks) for an elephant in India, or a bear in China, or a lion in Vietnam, for even those in this land? and with no guarantee that I will ever live to see things change, with in fact the Biblical references that they will not change in this world, that it will only get worse, that I will be witness to "even greater evils" and that to top it off I will now be judged more harshly for my humans ways, and that I have a greater chance at Hell than those same cruel people, simply because I should know better than them, knowing that all sin is sin in the eyes of God, regardless of the nature. This doesn't sound to me like an "easy way out".
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I liken this level of the game, with this "knowing and punishment", to a 5 year old who takes something that does not belong to him, chances are he will be forgiven with no severe punishment, if a 15 year old does it, in the proper process of things, he will be punished more heavily, and if a 30 year old takes something that is not his, he may end up in jail for a long time.
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And God is a God of proper process, when He is ready to judge mankind, it will be done according to His perfection. Those of little or no faith (the so-called 5 year olds of faith) will be judged accordingly and those who God has placed more responsibility on, will also be judged accordingly when that Day comes. "The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. (Revelation 20:13)" and more about Hades "In this region there is a certain place set apart, as a lake of unquenchable fire, whereinto we suppose no one hath hitherto been cast; but it is prepared for a day afore-determined by God, in which one righteous sentence shall deservedly be passed upon all men. (Josephus)"
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But there is another thing, just as important, the "5 year old faith" may receive a more lenient sentence, but his reward will also be small. Those who reach the level of knowing, some will fail, and fall short, but those who overcome, those who carry out their responsibility in a way that is pleasing to God, may receive an even larger reward. They will be "put in charge of many things".
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So is this why I believe, is this why I wanted to know, for a reward, a reward of "things", whose details I know nothing of... We see that I may grow old and see millions more animals suffer, this can in turn weaken my Spirit and lead me to evil and excuses for evil, I may become angry with God, knowing He exists and is not more swift, I may question my faith, I may then be judged more harshly because I have been given things by Him to do good with but may not have, after I am judged I may end up in Hell (and I know it exists) and also, I have no idea of what this reward is, and I am assured it is nothing at all like the rewards of this world, some of which I actually still yearn for. Well, this is great. What do I do now?
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I continue to have faith. Why? Because when you know, when the Blessed Almighty touches your heart and says "I AM here". It's not the reward, it's the relationship with Him continually as you go through this life, that astounds you in ways that nothing can match. He answers in part that all too common question of "why?", so many would give up so much to know why. That makes you take up that proverbial sword and pledge allegiance*, He doesn't even have to ask you to. You don't know why you do it, or why it feels like a second skin, or why it makes so much sense to you. You just feel it. You trust it. You're at this level. This is faith.
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So... Is it better not to know? Do you prefer to continue playing at the lower levels of the game? Or were you made to conquer?
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(footnotes)
*I'm not speaking of 'religious war' and killing yourself and other people for God. One needs to familiarize themselves with the time before Jesus came to the time after Jesus came. The Old Testament (equally as informative) vs. The New Testament (His current expectations). Don't let a bad Christian or other people who claim to be of the Book, decide your fate, you must seek the Truth on your own. And if you're capable, you will find it.

rejoice!

2011-10-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

rejoice in the Lord always,
i will say it again, rejoice!
(philippians4:4)

http://reverendfun.com

knowing..

2011-09-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

when i didn't know the Truth about God, Jesus, heaven and Christianity.. i really didn't know. and that was for a longer time, a much longer time, than the time i've spent knowing.

i grew up in a very multicultural society, and had friends and family who held many different beliefs and some who held none. of those that did have, a few would talk about it, but hardly anyone ever really tried to convince me of anything, though it did happen once or twice to no effect. other than those times, it seemed more like a family tradition they had and i would go over to friends' houses for "religious" ceremonies and eat, chill and have fun with my friends while their parents took the occasions much more seriously.

i attended both catholic elementary and high schools, where every morning we had group prayer. in elementary school i would pray catholic prayers every morning in assembly, out of routine, not knowing what they meant and i would attend church through the school when catholic holidays were being celebrated. in high school, even though it was a catholic school, we split up into groups for morning prayer depending on beliefs, and generally i would attend the catholic prayer group, but once in a while i'd go with different friends to their assembly.

i considered myself to have "no religion", i was an academic, and i assumed there were so many possibilities that we were never meant to know. i found religion rather weird, yet i did my best to have respect for it during assemblies, not really knowing why, i suppose i was just never the sort of person to act like an idiot during prayer time.

i can remember going to the school chapel a few times, alone, just because it was mostly empty and comfortable.

so, i know what it's like to not know.. it's just such a foreign idea.

if someone had come up to me with a Christian fact, and said, "nobody has died and gone to heaven except Jesus, and everyone else who died, has their soul waiting in some place." i wouldn't even know what to say, i wouldn't agree or disagree. many, many people think when you die, you go straight to heaven or hell and many, many people believe something else, and many, many people have no idea what to believe about that.

but...

now that i know what i know...

it is so very different. it is so very real.

even people who say they are Christian, come up to me now with all kinds of random ideas that the Bible expressly says something else regarding. and when i attempt to correct them, they sound like me in the old days, they come up with a bunch of ideas, and are completely unable to agree with me, even though they claim to believe in Jesus. not that they don't believe me, they are just incapable of understanding. it's very weird.

the thing that i know, about not knowing, is that God doesn't want them to know, if He wanted them to know, they would know. that's the only way, someone like me, knows, because He made it known to me, for whatever wonderful reason, i cannot fathom.

but other people not knowing, is sort of scary to me, because it is not a good thing to not know. it is in fact, a rather bad thing considering what happens to such people in the end.

i... suppose.. that's all i want to say for now.

finding You, finding me...

2011-09-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

i found God,
on the corner of 1st and amistad..
where the west
was all but won..
all alone,
smoking His last cigarette..
i said, "where You been?"
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He said.. the same thing.

(edited/the.fray)

La Vista..

2011-07-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

June 15th, 2011 Lunar Eclipse, Toronto
captured by SCE Photo

La Vista Church of Christ
http://lavistachurchofchrist.org

I tend to come across writings by this church in Nebraska a lot. It seems to share my view of the correct, Biblical, New Testament Church of Christ.

La Vista Church of Christ
http://lavistachurchofchrist.org

the art of shunning evil..

2011-06-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

There's this animal rights issue I have to address, but I have no idea where to start..

How do you address a change in routine or measures at a place, to facilitate the lack of "parental" concern in order to protect the "pet" (because if the parent was present the change would be unnecessary..) but because you've witnessed a situation in which a "parent" wasn't present and although you didn't witness anything, and although perhaps nothing bad took place then..

Perhaps you just knew the situation was just designed badly and needed to be altered, but you knew that once you said something it would be interpreted to the extreme, especially because you need to suggest it in order to avoid an extreme... and if you don't say anything, nobody's feelings are hurt but animals could be in grave danger... or you say something, and everybody's feelings are hurt and animals are now safer or in even greater danger, when there may have been no danger to begin with and stupid parents need to just ******* get with it.

I don't usually question if I should say something, but there's a verse I came across in the Bible the last time a similar situation presented itself.. but I only found it after I had said the something in that case..

"Do not accuse your neighbour
when he has done you no wrong."

Actual verse:
PROVERBS THREE (VERSES 27-30)
"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor,
'Come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you'—
when you already have it with you.
Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm."

Good Friday..

2011-04-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

be not afraid..

2011-04-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

you shall cross the barren desert
but you shall not die of thirst
you shall wander far in safety
though you do not know the way
you shall speak your words to foreign men
and they will understand
you shall see the face of God and live..

be not afraid
I go before you always
come follow Me
and I will give you rest..

if you pass through raging waters
in the sea, you shall not drown
if you walk amidst the burning flames
you shall not be harmed
if you stand before the power of hell
and death is at your side
know that I am with you, through it all..

be not afraid
I go before you always
come follow Me
and I will give you rest..

blessed are your poor
for the Kingdom shall be theirs
blessed are you who weep and mourn
for one day, you shall laugh
and if wicked men insult and hate you
all because of Me
blessed, blessed are you..

be not afraid
I go before you always
come follow Me
and I will give you rest..

#thejoyisintheride..

2011-04-07T15:05:00.001-07:00

The Wise-Woman's Prophecy..

2011-02-08T19:46:00.001-08:00

One might ask why I would post this on a Christian blog, but if one were to read the Bible, and especially the Book of Genesis and the Second Book of Esdras, as well as read the entire Poem below, one would verily see that this has a place here.

Biblical References of Interest/Relation:

Ephesians6:12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Psalm 82:1 - God presides in the great assembly; He renders judgment among the “gods”: 2 “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?

AntiquitiesOfTheJews - For many angels of God accompanied with women, and begat sons that proved unjust, and despisers of all that was good, on account of the confidence they had in their own strength; for the tradition is, that these men did what resembled the acts of those whom the Grecians call giants. But Noah was very uneasy at what they did; and being displeased at their conduct, persuaded them to change their dispositions and their acts for the better: but seeing they did not yield to him, but were slaves to their wicked pleasures, he was afraid they would kill him, together with his wife and children, and those they had married; so he departed out of that land. - 1.72-75

The Poetic Edda
Volume 1
VOLUSPO
The Wise-Woman's Prophecy

1. Hearing I ask | from the holy races,
From Heimdall's sons, | both high and low;
Thou wilt, Valfather, | that well I relate
Old tales I remember | of men long ago.

2. I remember yet | the giants of yore,
Who gave me bread | in the days gone by;
Nine worlds I knew, | the nine in the tree
With mighty roots | beneath the mold.

(Genesis6:4 - The Nephilim (giants) were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.)

(John10:15 - Jesus: just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice,..)

3. Of old was the age | when Ymir lived;
Sea nor cool waves | nor sand there were;
Earth had not been, | nor heaven above,
But a yawning gap, | and grass nowhere.

4. Then Bur's sons lifted | the level land,
Mithgarth the mighty | there they made;
The sun from the south | warmed the stones of earth,
And green was the ground | with growing leeks.

5. The sun, the sister | of the moon, from the south
Her right hand cast | over heaven's rim;
No knowledge she had | where her home should be,
The moon knew not | what might was his,
The stars knew not | where their stations were.

6. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats,
The holy ones, | and council held;
Names then gave they | to noon and twilight,
Morning they named, | and the waning moon,
Night and evening, | the years to number.

7. At Ithavoll met | the mighty gods,
Shrines and temples | they timbered high;
Forges they set, and | they smithied ore,
Tongs they wrought, | and tools they fashioned.

8. In their dwellings at peace | they played at tables,
Of gold no lack | did the gods then know,--
Till thither came | up giant-maids three,
Huge of might, | out of Jotunheim.

9. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats,
The holy ones, | and council held,
To find who should raise | the race of dwarfs
Out of Brimir's blood | and the legs of Blain.

10. There was Motsognir | the mightiest made
Of all the dwarfs, | and Durin next;
Many a likeness | of men they made,
The dwarfs in the earth, | as Durin said.

11. Nyi and Nithi, | Northri and Suthri,
Austri and Vestri, | Althjof, Dvalin,
Nar and Nain, | Niping, Dain,
Bifur, Bofur, | Bombur, Nori,
An and Onar, | Ai, Mjothvitnir.

12. Vigg and Gandalf) | Vindalf, Thrain,
Thekk and Thorin, | Thror, Vit and Lit,
Nyr and Nyrath,-- | now have I told--
Regin and Rathsvith-- | the list aright.

13. Fili, Kili, | Fundin, Nali,
Heptifili, | Hannar, Sviur,
Frar, Hornbori, | Fræg and Loni,
Aurvang, Jari, | Eikinskjaldi.

14. The race of the dwarfs | in Dvalin's throng
Down to Lofar | the list must I tell;
The rocks they left, | and through wet lands
They sought a home | in the fields of sand.

15. There were Draupnir | and Dolgthrasir,
Hor, Haugspori, | Hlevang, Gloin,
Dori, Ori, | Duf, Andvari,
Skirfir, Virfir, | Skafith, Ai.

16. Alf and Yngvi, | Eikinskjaldi,
Fjalar and Frosti, | Fith and Ginnar;
So for all time | shall the tale be known,
The list of all | the forbears of Lofar.

17. Then from the throng | did three come forth,
From the home of the gods, | the mighty and gracious;
Two without fate | on the land they found,
Ask and Embla, | empty of might.

(adam and eve)

18. Soul they had not, | sense they had not,
Heat nor motion, | nor goodly hue;
Soul gave Othin, | sense gave Hönir,
Heat gave Lothur | and goodly hue.

19. An ash I know, | Yggdrasil its name,
With water white | is the great tree wet;
Thence come the dews | that fall in the dales,
Green by Urth's well | does it ever grow.

Yggdrasil is not necessarily the tree of life, but I'm posting this reference here.. ( Genesis21:22 - “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.)

(Fraxinus / Ash Tree: The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name originated in Latin. Both words also meant "spear" in their respective languages. /wikipedia)

20. Thence come the maidens | mighty in wisdom,
Three from the dwelling | down 'neath the tree;
Urth is one named, | Verthandi the next,--
On the wood they scored,-- | and Skuld the third.
Laws they made there, and life allotted
To the sons of men, and set their fates.

21. The war I remember, | the first in the world,
When the gods with spears | had smitten Gollveig,
And in the hall | of Hor had burned her,
Three times burned, | and three times born,
Oft and again, | yet ever she lives.

22. Heith they named her | who sought their home,
The wide-seeing witch, | in magic wise;
Minds she bewitched | that were moved by her magic,
To evil women | a joy she was.

23. On the host his spear | did Othin hurl,
Then in the world | did war first come;
The wall that girdled | the gods was broken,
And the field by the warlike | Wanes was trodden.

24. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats,
The holy ones, | and council held,
Whether the gods | should tribute give,
Or to all alike | should worship belong.

(here the fallen angels question whether they should give praise to God, or if they should be praised themselves i.e. satan)

25. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats,
The holy ones, | and council held,
To find who with venom | the air had filled,
Or had given Oth's bride | to the giants' brood.

26. In swelling rage | then rose up Thor,--
Seldom he sits | when he such things hears,--
And the oaths were broken, | the words and bonds,
The mighty pledges | between them made.

27. I know of the horn | of Heimdall, hidden
Under the high-reaching | holy tree;
On it there pours | from Valfather's pledge
A mighty stream: | would you know yet more?

28. Alone I sat | when the Old One sought me,
The terror of gods, | and gazed in mine eyes:
"What hast thou to ask? | why comest thou hither?
Othin, I know | where thine eye is hidden."

(note the unusual phrasing of the entire poem and how it greatly differs from the Old One's way of speaking, which happens to be exactly like the written style of the King James Bible, also note the capitalization of "Old One" and the non-capitalization throughout the passage of "gods".. these "gods" are fallen angels who consider themselves "gods", but as the Bible says, they are no "gods" at all..)

29. I know where Othin's | eye is hidden,
Deep in the wide-famed | well of Mimir;
Mead from the pledge | of Othin each mom
Does Mimir drink: | would you know yet more?

30. Necklaces had I | and rings from Heerfather,
Wise was my speech | and my magic wisdom;
.    .    .    .    .        .    .    .    .    .
Widely I saw | over all the worlds.

31. On all sides saw I | Valkyries assemble,
Ready to ride | to the ranks of the gods;
Skuld bore the shield, | and Skogul rode next,
Guth, Hild, Gondul, | and Geirskogul.
Of Herjan's maidens | the list have ye heard,
Valkyries ready | to ride o'er the earth.

32. I saw for Baldr, | the bleeding god,
The son of Othin, | his destiny set:
Famous and fair | in the lofty fields,
Full grown in strength | the mistletoe stood.

33. From the branch which seemed | so slender and fair
Came a harmful shaft | that Hoth should hurl;
But the brother of Baldr | was born ere long,
And one night old | fought Othin's son.

34. His hands he washed not, | his hair he combed not,
Till he bore to the bale-blaze | Baldr's foe.
But in Fensalir | did Frigg weep sore
For Valhall's need: | would you know yet more?

35. One did I see | in the wet woods bound,
A lover of ill, | and to Loki like;
By his side does Sigyn | sit, nor is glad
To see her mate: | would you know yet more?

36. From the east there pours | through poisoned vales
With swords and daggers | the river Slith.
.    .    .    .    .        .    .    .    .    .
.    .    .    .    .        .    .    .    .    .

37. Northward a hall | in Nithavellir
Of gold there rose | for Sindri's race;
And in Okolnir | another stood,
Where the giant Brimir | his beer-hall had.

38. A hall I saw, | far from the sun,
On Nastrond it stands, | and the doors face north,
Venom drops | through the smoke-vent down,
For around the walls | do serpents wind.

39. I saw there wading | through rivers wild
Treacherous men | and murderers too,
And workers of ill | with the wives of men;
There Nithhogg sucked | the blood of the slain,
And the wolf tore men; | would you know yet more?

40. The giantess old | in Ironwood sat,
In the east, and bore | the brood of Fenrir;
Among these one | in monster's guise
Was soon to steal | the sun from the sky.

41. There feeds he full | on the flesh of the dead,
And the home of the gods | he reddens with gore;
Dark grows the sun, | and in summer soon
Come mighty storms: | would you know yet more?

42. On a hill there sat, | and smote on his harp,
Eggther the joyous, | the giants' warder;
Above him the cock | in the bird-wood crowed,
Fair and red | did Fjalar stand.

43. Then to the gods | crowed Gollinkambi,
He wakes the heroes | in Othin's hall;
And beneath the earth | does another crow,
The rust-red bird | at the bars of Hel.

44. Now Garm howls loud | before Gnipahellir,
The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run free;
Much do I know, | and more can see
Of the fate of the gods, | the mighty in fight.

45. Brothers shall fight | and fell each other,
And sisters' sons | shall kinship stain;
Hard is it on earth, | with mighty whoredom;
Axe-time, sword-time, | shields are sundered,
Wind-time, wolf-time, | ere the world falls;
Nor ever shall men | each other spare.

(Esdras2:15 - Woe to the world and them that dwell therein! 15 For the sword and their destruction draweth nigh, and one people shall stand up and fight against another, and swords in their hands. 16 For there shall be sedition among men, and invading one another; they shall not regard their kings nor princes, and the course of their actions shall stand in their power. 17 A man shall desire to go into a city, and shall not be able. 18 For because of their pride the cities shall be troubled, the houses shall be destroyed, and men shall be afraid. 19 A man shall have no pity upon his neighbour, but shall destroy their houses with the sword, and spoil their goods, because of the lack of bread, and for great tribulation.)

46. Fast move the sons | of Mim, and fate
Is heard in the note | of the Gjallarhorn;
Loud blows Heimdall, | the horn is aloft,
In fear quake all | who on Hel-roads are.

47. Yggdrasil shakes, | and shiver on high
The ancient limbs, | and the giant is loose;
To the head of Mim | does Othin give heed,
But the kinsman of Surt | shall slay him soon.

48. How fare the gods? | how fare the elves?
All Jotunheim groans, | the gods are at council;
Loud roar the dwarfs | by the doors of stone,
The masters of the rocks: | would you know yet more?

49. Now Garm howls loud | before Gnipahellir,
The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run free
Much do I know, | and more can see
Of the fate of the gods, | the mighty in fight.

50. From the east comes Hrym | with shield held high;
In giant-wrath | does the serpent writhe;
O'er the waves he twists, | and the tawny eagle
Gnaws corpses screaming; | Naglfar is loose.

51. O'er the sea from the north | there sails a ship
With the people of Hel, | at the helm stands Loki;
After the wolf | do wild men follow,
And with them the brother | of Byleist goes.

(John 10:11 - Jesus: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.)

52. Surt fares from the south | with the scourge of branches,
The sun of the battle-gods | shone from his sword;
The crags are sundered, | the giant-women sink,
The dead throng Hel-way, | and heaven is cloven.

53. Now comes to Hlin | yet another hurt,
When Othin fares | to fight with the wolf,
And Beli's fair slayer | seeks out Surt,
For there must fall | the joy of Frigg.

54. Then comes Sigfather's | mighty son,
Vithar, to fight | with the foaming wolf;
In the giant's son | does he thrust his sword
Full to the heart: | his father is avenged.

55. Hither there comes | the son of Hlothyn,
The bright snake gapes | to heaven above;
.    .    .    .    .        .    .    .    .    .
Against the serpent | goes Othin's son.

56. In anger smites | the warder of earth,--
Forth from their homes | must all men flee;-
Nine paces fares | the son of Fjorgyn,
And, slain by the serpent, | fearless he sinks.

57. The sun turns black, | earth sinks in the sea,
The hot stars down | from heaven are whirled;
Fierce grows the steam | and the life-feeding flame,
Till fire leaps high | about heaven itself.

(Revelation6:12 - I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.)

(Revelation 8:7 - The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. 12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.)

58. Now Garm howls loud | before Gnipahellir,
The fetters will burst, | and the wolf run free;
Much do I know, | and more can see
Of the fate of the gods, | the mighty in fight.

59. Now do I see | the earth anew
Rise all green | from the waves again;
The cataracts fall, | and the eagle flies,
And fish he catches | beneath the cliffs.

60. The gods in Ithavoll | meet together,
Of the terrible girdler | of earth they talk,
And the mighty past | they call to mind,
And the ancient runes | of the Ruler of gods.

61. In wondrous beauty | once again
Shall the golden tables | stand mid the grass,
Which the gods had owned | in the days of old,
.    .    .    .    .        .    .    .    .    .

62. Then fields unsowed | bear ripened fruit,
All ills grow better, | and Baldr comes back;
Baldr and Hoth dwell | in Hropt's battle-hall,
And the mighty gods: | would you know yet more?

(AntiquitiesOfTheJews, Genesis: God said, "I had before determined about you both (adam and eve), how you might lead a happy life, without any affliction, and care, and vexation of soul; and that all things which might contribute to your enjoyment and pleasure should grow up by My providence, of their own accord, without your own labor and pains-taking; which state of labor and pains-taking would soon bring on old age, and death would not be at any remote distance..)

63. Then Hönir wins | the prophetic wand,
.    .    .    .    .        .    .    .    .    .
And the sons of the brothers | of Tveggi abide
In Vindheim now: | would you know yet more?

64. More fair than the sun, | a hall I see,
Roofed with gold, | on Gimle it stands;
There shall the righteous | rulers dwell,
And happiness ever | there shall they have.

(Revelation 21:10, 18 - 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.)

65. There comes on high, | all power to hold,
A mighty Lord, | all lands He rules.
.    .    .    .    .        .    .    .    .    .
.    .    .    .    .        .    .    .    .    .

66. From below the dragon | dark comes forth,
Nithhogg flying | from Nithafjoll;
The bodies of men on | his wings he bears,
The serpent bright: | but now must I sink.

MMXI: Psalm 90..

2011-01-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, you mortals."

A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

Yet You sweep people away in the sleep of death — they are like the new grass of the morning:

In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.

We are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your indignation.

You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.

All our days pass away under Your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.

Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

If only we knew the power of Your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is Your due.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Relent, LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants.

Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.

May Your deeds be shown to Your servants, Your splendour to their children.

May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us — yes, establish the work of our hands.

(a prayer of moses, the man of God.)

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Dance..

2010-11-27T03:13:00.000-08:00

i hope you never lose that sense of wonder,
get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger,
may you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leaves you empty-handed..

i hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
whenever one door closes, i hope one more opens,
promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
and when you get the choice,
to sit it out or dance..

i hope you dance..

i hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
never settle for the path of least resistance,
living might mean taking chances, but they're worth taking,
loving might be a mistake, but it's worth making..

don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter,
when you come close to selling out, reconsider..
give the heavens above, more than just a passing glance,
and when you get the choice,
to sit it out or dance..

i hope you dance..

time,
is a wheel in constant motion,
always rolling us along..
tell me who,
wants to look back on their years and wonder..
where those years have gone..

("i hope you dance" - lee ann womach)

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A Christmas Guide..

2010-11-19T16:44:00.001-08:00

How to transition your kids into understanding the Holy Bible...

WARNING: THIS POST IS RATED PG-13!!

The REAL Santa is God Almighty..

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town..

Oh! You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why:

Santa Claus is coming to town!

He's making a list,
He's checking it twice,
He's gonna find out
who's naughty or nice.

Santa Claus is coming to town!

He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake.
He knows when you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!

So...You better watch out,
You better not cry
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

-and-

The REAL Rudolph is Jesus Christ..

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer..

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright,
won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
you'll go down in history!

the end.

see? isn't it obvious??

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The "Authorities"..

2010-11-03T13:22:00.001-07:00

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, His anger is not turned away, His hand is still upraised.

God's Judgment on Assyria

"Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of My wrath! I send Him against a godless nation, I dispatch Him against a people who anger Me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. But this is not what He intends, this is not what He has in mind; His purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations. 'Are not My commanders all kings?' He says. 'Has not Kalno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus? As My hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria — shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?'"

When the Lord has finished all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, "I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says: "'By the strength of my hand i have done this, and by my wisdom, because i have understanding. i removed the boundaries of nations, i plundered their treasures; like a mighty one i subdued their kings. As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so i gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.'"

Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!

Therefore, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon His sturdy warriors; under His pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame.

The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume His thorns and His briers.

The splendor of His forests and fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick person wastes away. And the remaining trees of His forests will be so few that a child could write them down.

The Remnant of Israel

In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob, will return to the Mighty God.

Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return.

Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous.

The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land.

Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: "My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod, and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction."

The LORD Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and He will raise His staff over the waters, as He did in Egypt. In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat.

They enter Aiath; they pass through Migron; they store supplies at Mikmash. They go over the pass, and say, "We will camp overnight at Geba." Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.

Cry out, Daughter Gallim! Listen, Laishah! Poor Anathoth! Madmenah is in flight; the people of Gebim take cover.

This day they will halt at Nob; they will shake their fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.

See, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low. He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.

(Isaiah 10)

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Like the Wind.. (Part II)

2010-09-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

Zechariah 2:6
"Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD, "for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven," declares the LORD.

Zechariah 5:9
Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

Matthew 7:25
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Matthew 7:27
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

Matthew 8:26
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

Matthew 8:27
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Matthew 11:7
As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?

Matthew 14:24
but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Matthew 14:30
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Matthew 14:32
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

Matthew 24:31
And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Mark 4:39
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Mark 4:41
They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Mark 6:48
He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,

Mark 6:51
Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,

Mark 13:27
And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

Luke 7:24
After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?

Luke 8:25
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

Luke 12:55
And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is.

John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

John 6:18
A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.

Acts 2:2
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Acts 27:4
From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

Acts 27:7
We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

Acts 27:13
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.

Acts 27:14
Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the "northeaster," swept down from the island.

Acts 27:15
The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.

Acts 27:40
Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach.

Acts 28:13
From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli.

Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

Hebrews 1:7
In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire."

James 1:6
But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

James 3:4
Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.

Jude 1:12
These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.

Revelation 6:13
and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.

Revelation 7:1
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.

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Like the Wind.. (Part I)

2010-09-28T13:45:00.001-07:00

Genesis 8:1
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.
Genesis 41:6
After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind.
Genesis 41:23
After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind.
Genesis 41:27
The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
Exodus 10:13
So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts..
Exodus 10:19
And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.
Exodus 14:21
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided..
Numbers 11:31
Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction.
2 Samuel 22:11
He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
1 Kings 18:45
Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.
1 Kings 19:11
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful 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.
2 Kings 3:17
For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.
Job 1:19
when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!
Job 6:26
Do you mean to correct what I say, and treat the words of a despairing man as wind?
Job 8:2
How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind.
Job 15:2
Would a wise man answer with empty notions or fill his belly with the hot east wind?
Job 21:18
How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale?
Job 27:21
The east wind carries him off, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.
Job 28:25
When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters..
Job 30:22
You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm.
Job 37:9
The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds.
Job 37:17
You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind.
Job 37:21
Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean.
Job 38:24
What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
Psalm 1:4
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Psalm 11:6
On the wicked He will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.
Psalm 18:10
He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
Psalm 18:42
I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.
Psalm 35:5
May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away.
Psalm 48:7
You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind.
Psalm 68:2
As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
Psalm 78:26
He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power.
Psalm 83:13
Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind.
Psalm 103:16
the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
Psalm 104:3
and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.
Psalm 104:4
He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
Psalm 135:7
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses.
Psalm 148:8
lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do His bidding.
Proverbs 11:29
He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.
Proverbs 25:14
Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.
Proverbs 25:23
As a north wind brings rain, so a sly tongue brings angry looks.
Proverbs 27:16
restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.
Proverbs 30:4
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and the name of His son? Tell me if you know!
Ecclesiastes 1:6
The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
Ecclesiastes 1:14
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:17
I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 2:11
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:17
So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:4
And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:6
Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:16
There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 5:16
This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind?
Ecclesiastes 6:9
Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 8:8
No man has power over the wind to contain it ; so no one has power over the day of his death. As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
Ecclesiastes 11:4
Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
Song of Solomon 4:16
Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.
Isaiah 7:2
Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
Isaiah 11:15
The LORD will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that men can cross over in sandals.
Isaiah 17:13
Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale.
Isaiah 24:20
The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls—never to rise again.
Isaiah 26:18
We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth; we have not given birth to people of the world.
Isaiah 27:8
By warfare and exile you contend with her—with his fierce blast he drives her out, as on a day the east wind blows.
Isaiah 28:2
See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
Isaiah 29:6
the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.
Isaiah 32:2
Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
Isaiah 41:16
You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 41:29
See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion.
Isaiah 57:13
When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.
Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Jeremiah 2:24
a wild donkey accustomed to the desert, sniffing the wind in her craving— in her heat who can restrain her? Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will find her.
Jeremiah 4:11
At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, "A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse;
Jeremiah 4:12
a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them.
Jeremiah 5:13
The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them.
Jeremiah 10:13
When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Jeremiah 13:24
I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.
Jeremiah 18:17
Like a wind from the east, I will scatter them before their enemies; I will show them my back and not my face in the day of their disaster.
Jeremiah 22:22
The wind will drive all your shepherds away, and your allies will go into exile. Then you will be ashamed and disgraced because of all your wickedness.
Jeremiah 30:23
See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a driving wind swirling down on the heads of the wicked.
Jeremiah 49:32
Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be booty. I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places and will bring disaster on them from every side, declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 49:36
I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the heavens; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam's exiles do not go.
Jeremiah 51:16
When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Ezekiel 1:4
I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,
Ezekiel 5:2
When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair with fire inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword.
Ezekiel 5:10
Therefore in your midst fathers will eat their children, and children will eat their fathers. I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds.
Ezekiel 5:12
A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword.
Ezekiel 12:14
I will scatter to the winds all those around him—his staff and all his troops—and I will pursue them with drawn sword.
Ezekiel 13:11
therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth.
Ezekiel 13:13
Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury.
Ezekiel 17:10
Even if it is transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?
Ezekiel 17:21
All his fleeing troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken.
Ezekiel 19:12
But it was uprooted in fury and thrown to the ground. The east wind made it shrivel, it was stripped of its fruit; its strong branches withered and fire consumed them.
Ezekiel 27:26
Your oarsmen take you out to the high seas. But the east wind will break you to pieces in the heart of the sea.
Ezekiel 37:9
Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' "
Daniel 2:35
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
Daniel 7:2
Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.
Daniel 8:8
The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
Daniel 11:4
After he has appeared, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.
Hosea 8:7
They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour. Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up.
Hosea 12:1
Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence. He makes a treaty with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.
Amos 1:14
I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day.
Amos 4:13
He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth—the LORD God Almighty is his name.
Jonah 1:4
Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.
Jonah 4:8
When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."
Habakkuk 1:9
they all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand.
Habakkuk 1:11
Then they sweep past like the wind and go on—guilty men, whose own strength is their god.

Sent from Mika Emme's BlackBerry device | Web: http://modelmayhem.com/modelemme

Revelation/Eden Study (Part II)

2010-09-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Location Studies: "Sodom & Egypt" and the Garden of Eden...

(a) "Sodom & Egypt"

Revelation 11

The Two Witnesses

I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

Where was Jesus crucified?

Golgotha (Calvary)... the place of the skull... Jerusalem..

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_Tomb
(Skull Hill, north of Damascus Gate, Northwest of Temple Mount)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount

Why is it called "Sodom & Egypt"? the "great city"?

to be continued...

map of israel..

"In fact, Josephus refers to the Dead Sea as Lake Asphaltites. [7] It is of interest to note that Josephus writes that the Lake Asphaltites was formed as a result of the devastation that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah." via http://www.aish.com/ci/sam/48931527.html

Directly between the Dead Sea (where Sodom formerly existed) and Egypt is the "great city" of Israel... but after so many references to Israel in the Bible, why not call it Israel? why is it "figuratively" called "Sodom and Egypt" and "the land where also their Lord was crucified..".. it seems the land being called Sodom and Egypt may be referred to in this way, due to its location directly between former Sodom and Egypt, but also possibly due to other factors...

It has always been said that Jesus took the cross to Calvary or Calvary Hill.. other references call it "the place of the skull".. this area is supposedly somewhere in Jerusalem..

interesting to note:

map of ancient palestine (philistine)

The name "Palestine" is the cognate of an ancient word meaning "Philistines" or "Land of the Philistines"... Other terms for the same area include Canaan, Zion, the Land of Israel, and the Holy Land. via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine

to be continued...

(b) the Garden of Eden

Genesis (Antiquities of the Jews)

Now the garden was watered by one river, which ran round about the whole earth, and was parted into four parts. And Phison, which denotes a multitude, running into India, makes its exit into the sea, and is by the Greeks called Ganges. Euphrates also, as well as Tigris, goes down into the Red Sea. Now the name Euphrates, or Phrath, denotes either a dispersion, or a flower: by Tiris, or Diglath, is signified what is swift, with narrowness; and Geon runs through Egypt, and denotes what arises from the east, which the Greeks call Nile.
(http://alookintofaith.blogspot.com/2009/10/josephus-and-bible.html)

map showing the joined continents

at the beginning of the world

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangaea

Phison = Ganges (India)

Tigris (swift & narrow) & Euphrates (flower, dispersion) = flow DOWN into Red Sea

Geon = Nile (Egypt)

to be continued...

Facts about the Garden of Eden:

Genesis 3 (Holy Bible)

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Possible locations of the Garden of Eden:

"would North be true?" (sting)

(1) near heat source: volcano..

(2) the arctic..

Study finds Arctic seabed afire with lava-spewing volcanoes..
The Arctic seabed is as explosive geologically as it is politically judging by the "fountains" of gas and molten lava that have been blasting out of underwater volcanoes near the North Pole.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=81bb2fd3-63f1-476f-b0be-f48c0dc90304

Tree Rings Tell a Story..
One way that paleoclimatologists unlock the secrets of ancient climates is by studying the rings in certain types of trees, such as the redwoods and giant sequoias found in California and different varieties of pines.
In 1964, before there were environmental laws to protect ancient trees, a particular bristlecone pine named Prometheus was cut down. After analyzing the tree's rings, scientists determined that the tree had been 4,862 years old—the oldest living thing on Earth.
Paleoclimatologists can learn more than just the age of a tree by studying its rings. They can determine what sort of climate conditions existed during its life by analyzing the thickness of each tree ring. Thick rings are a sign of favorable climate, abundant rainfall, and good growing conditions. Thin rings indicate poor growing conditions and lack of rain, as well as natural disasters such as droughts, floods, and volcanoes.
Samples from trees can be obtained in several different ways. Scientists do not want to needlessly destroy living trees, so they cut cross sections only from dead trees, logs, or stumps. These can be found intact on the ground, buried deep in the ground, or submerged in water.
http://www.scienceclarified.com/scitech/Global-Warming/The-Study-of-Climate-Change.html

Arctic Plants..
Trees cannot grow in the Arctic, but in its warmest parts, shrubs are common and can reach 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height; sedges, mosses and lichens can form thick layers. In the coldest parts of the Arctic, much of the ground is bare; nonvascular plants such as lichens and mosses predominate, along with a few scattered grasses and forbs (like the arctic poppy).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic

Thoughts:
What about trees, buried deep in the ground, submerged in water...
High volcanic activity on the arctic seabed, means heat not too cold..
Trees buried under the seabed?
God can do anything..
Oldest living anything on earth, probably not yet found..
The way to the tree of life is guarded, not discovered, difficult to discover..
There is oil in the arctic, fossil fuels...
There must have been rich vegetation, trees, plants and animals to produce the oil over time..
Caves under the seabed..
Think deep, like the marianas trench..

to be continued..

Revelation Study.. (Part I)

2010-09-21T22:29:00.001-07:00

The Revelation..

Prologue:

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Greetings and doxology:

John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia
(Asia Minor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatolia):

Grace and peace to you from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne (or the sevenfold Spirit), and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Look, He is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see Him,
even those who pierced Him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him.
So shall it be! Amen.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty."

One like a Son of Man:

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patmos) because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

photo: "seven churches" & patmos island

shown on map of modern day turkey.

To the church in Ephesus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus

"To the angel (messenger) of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
-
-
To the Church in Smyrna
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smyrna

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of Him Who is the First and the Last, Who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
-
-
To the Church in Pergamum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergamon

"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live — where satan has his throne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergamon_Altar). Yet you remain true to My name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of balaam, who taught balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
-
-
To the Church in Thyatira
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyatira

"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am He who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come. To him who overcomes and does My will to the end, I will give authority over the nations — 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; He will dash them to pieces like pottery' — just as I have received authority from My Father..I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches
-
-
To the Church in Sardis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardis

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God (or the sevenfold Spirit) and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of My God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
-
-
To the Church in Philadelphia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaşehir

"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars — I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My God; and I will also write on him My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
-
-
To the Church in Laodicea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laodicea_on_the_Lycus

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of My mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Interesting Facts about Turkey (wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey

(1) The Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey has thousands of historical mosques. Turkey is a secular state with no official state religion; the Turkish Constitution provides for freedom of religion and conscience. Islam is the dominant religion of Turkey with 99 percent described as Muslim by the government, though research firms suggest the actual Muslim figure is lower.A nationwide survey in 2007 showed that 96.8% of Turkish citizens have a religion, while 3.2% are irreligious and atheists. There are less than 100,000 people following religions other than Islam, mainly Christians, mostly Armenian Apostolic, Assyrian Church of the East and Greek Orthodox (64,000 people) and Jews, mainly Sephardi (26,000 people).

(2) Turkey's varied landscapes are the product of complex earth movements that have shaped the region over thousands of years and still manifest themselves in fairly frequent earthquakes and occasional volcanic eruptions. The Bosporus and the Dardanelles owe their existence to the fault lines running through Turkey that led to the creation of the Black Sea. There is an earthquake fault line across the north of the country from west to east, which caused a major earthquake in 1999.

(3) The Turkish Armed Forces is the second largest standing armed force in NATO, after the U.S. Armed Forces, with a combined strength of 1,043,550 uniformed personnel serving in its five branches. Every fit male Turkish citizen otherwise not barred is required to serve in the military for a time period ranging from three weeks to fifteen months, dependent on education and job location. Turkey does not recognise conscientious objection and does not offer a civilian alternative to military service. Turkey is one of five NATO member states which are part of the nuclear sharing policy of the alliance, together with Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. A total of 90 B61 nuclear bombs are hosted at the Incirlik Air Base, 40 of which are allocated for use by the Turkish Air Force.

to be continued..

Godly Sorrow & Giving..

2010-09-21T13:43:00.001-07:00

Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it — I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this Godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged.

He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honour.

A wise man attacks the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.

Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.

Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.

Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.

Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.

Just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."

(2 Corinthians & Proverbs)

On being lukewarm..

2010-08-14T07:56:00.001-07:00

To the Church in Laodicea:

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!

So, because you are lukewarm —neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of My mouth.

You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'

But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on HIS throne.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

(revelation3:14-22)

True love..

2010-08-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

i've seen the seven wonders of the world

i've seen the beauty of diamonds and pearls

but they ain't nothing

Your love amazes me..

don't You ever doubt this love of mine

You're the Only One for me

You give me hope, You give me reason

You give me something to believe in

forever faithfully..

i've seen a sunset that would make you cry

the colours of a rainbow reach across the sky

the moon in all its phases, but

Your love amazes me..

i've prayed for miracles that never came

i got down on my knees out in the pouring rain

but only You could save me

Your love amazes me..

oh...

i've been praying for so long

Your love amazes me..

don't You ever doubt this love of mine

You're the Only One for me

You give me hope, You give me reason

You give me something to believe in

forever faithfully

Your love amazes me..

i've prayed for miracles that never came

i got down on my knees out in the pouring rain

but only You could save me

Your love amazes me..

i've been praying for so long

Your love amazes me..

i got down on my knees out in the rain
Your love amazes me..

i've been praying for so long

Your love amazes me.

Whatever happens..

2010-08-08T10:42:00.001-07:00

1 Peter 2
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
As you come to Him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame."
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble because they disobey the message — which is also what they were destined for.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
Submission to Rulers and Masters
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the King.
Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth."
When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Judge, Lawgiver & King..

2010-08-07T11:36:00.001-07:00

Isaiah33:22 - for the LORD is our (A) Judge (Judges2:16); the LORD is our (B) Lawgiver (James4:12); the LORD is our (C) King (1Samuel12:13); He will save us.
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----- (A) Judges2:16 - (a) then the LORD raised up judges, (b) who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
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----------- (a) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges3:9,15;1Sam12:11;Acts13:20&version=ESV
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----------- (b) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges3:31;10:1,12,13;12:2,3;13:5;Judges3:9;Neh9:27&version=ESV
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----- (B) James4:12 - there is only (a) one Lawgiver and (b) Judge, He who is able to save and (c) to destroy. but (d) who are you to judge your neighbor?
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----------- (a) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2033:22&version=ESV
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----------- (b) James5:9 do not grumble against one another, brothers, (i) so that you may not be judged; behold, (ii) the Judge is standing (iii) at the door.
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-------------- (i) Matthew7:1 (1) judge not, that you be not judged.
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------------------ (1) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ForMatthew7:1-5,Luke6:37,38,41,42;Rom14:13;1Cor4:5;James5:9&version=ESV
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-------------- (ii) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Pet4:5;Rev22:12&version=ESV
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-------------- (iii) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt24:33;Mark13:29;1Cor4:5&version=ESV
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----------- (c) Matthew10:28 and (i) do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. rather fear Him (ii) who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
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-------------- (i) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isa8:12,13;51:12,13;Jer1:8;1Pet3:14&version=ESV
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-------------- (ii) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James4:12&version=ESV
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----------- (d) Romans14:4 - (i) who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? it is before his own master that he stands or falls. and he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
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--------------- (i) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James4:12&version=ESV
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------ (C) 1Samuel12:13 - and now (a) behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, (b) the LORD has set a king over you.
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----------- (a) 1Samuel10:24 and Samuel said to all the people, "do you see him (i) whom the LORD has chosen? there is none like him among all the people." and all the people shouted, (ii) "long live the king!"
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-------------- (i) 2Samuel21:6 let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the LORD at (1) Gibeah of Saul, (2) the chosen of the LORD." and the king said, "I will give them."
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------------------ (1) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Sam10:26;11:4&version=ESV
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------------------ (2) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Samuel10:24&version=ESV
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-------------- (ii) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Sam16:16;1Kgs1:25,39;2Kgs11:12;2Chr23:11&version=ESV
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----------- (b) http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Samuel9:16,17;Hos13:11&version=ESV
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(credit: The Holy Bible, english standard version)
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The Great (acrostic) Psalm..

2010-08-01T14:22:00.001-07:00

Psalm 119
' Aleph
1 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart.
3 They do nothing wrong; they walk in His ways.
4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all Your commands.
7 I will praise You with an upright heart as I learn Your righteous laws.
8 I will obey Your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.
b Beth
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word.
10 I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands.
11 I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.
12 Praise be to You, O LORD; teach me Your decrees.
13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth.
14 I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.
16 I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word.
g Gimel
17 Do good to Your servant, and I will live; I will obey Your word.
18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.
19 I am a stranger on earth; do not hide Your commands from me.
20 My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times.
21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from Your commands.
22 Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep Your statutes.
23 Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your servant will meditate on Your decrees.
24 Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.
d Daleth
25 I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to Your word.
26 I recounted my ways and You answered me; teach me Your decrees.
27 Let me understand the teaching of Your precepts; then I will meditate on Your wonders.
28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word.
29 Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through Your law.
30 I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws.
31 I hold fast to Your statutes, O LORD; do not let me be put to shame.
32 I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free.
h He
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your word.
38 Fulfill Your promise to Your servant, so that You may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread, for Your laws are good.
40 How I long for Your precepts! Preserve my life in Your righteousness.
w Waw
41 May Your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, Your salvation according to Your promise;
42 then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in Your word.
43 Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in Your laws.
44 I will always obey Your law, for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out Your precepts.
46 I will speak of Your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame,
47 for I delight in Your commands because I love them.
48 I lift up my hands to Your commands, which I love, and I meditate on Your decrees.
z Zayin
49 Remember Your word to Your servant, for You have given me hope.
50 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.
51 The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from Your law.
52 I remember Your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them.
53 Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken Your law.
54 Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge.
55 In the night I remember Your name, O LORD, and I will keep Your law.
56 This has been my practice: I obey Your precepts.
x Heth
57 You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey Your words.
58 I have sought Your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise.
59 I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to Your statutes.
60 I will hasten and not delay to obey Your commands.
61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget Your law.
62 At midnight I rise to give You thanks for Your righteous laws.
63 I am a friend to all who fear You, to all who follow Your precepts.
64 The earth is filled with Your love, O LORD; teach me Your decrees.
X Teth
65 Do good to Your servant according to Your word, O LORD.
66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in Your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word.
68 You are good, and what You do is good; teach me Your decrees.
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep Your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in Your law.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees.
72 The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
y Yodh
73 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn Your commands.
74 May those who fear You rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in Your word.
75 I know, O LORD, that Your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76 May Your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant.
77 Let Your compassion come to me that I may live, for Your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on Your precepts.
79 May those who fear You turn to me, those who understand Your statutes.
80 May my heart be blameless toward Your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.
k Kaph
81 My soul faints with longing for Your salvation, but I have put my hope in Your word.
82 My eyes fail, looking for Your promise; I say, "When will You comfort me?"
83 Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your decrees.
84 How long must Your servant wait? When will You punish my persecutors?
85 The arrogant dig pitfalls for me, contrary to Your law.
86 All Your commands are trustworthy; help me, for men persecute me without cause.
87 They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken Your precepts.
88 Preserve my life according to Your love, and I will obey the statutes of Your mouth.
l Lamedh
89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; You established the earth, and it endures.
91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve You.
92 If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have preserved my life.
94 Save me, for I am Yours; I have sought out Your precepts.
95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder Your statutes.
96 To all perfection I see a limit; but Your commands are boundless.
m Mem
97 Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey Your word.
102 I have not departed from Your laws, for You Yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
n Nun
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow Your righteous laws.
107 I have suffered much; preserve my life, O LORD, according to Your word.
108 Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me Your laws.
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget Your law.
110 The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from Your precepts.
111 Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
112 My heart is set on keeping Your decrees to the very end.
s Samekh
113 I hate double-minded men, but I love Your law.
114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word.
115 Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God!
116 Sustain me according to Your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.
117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for Your decrees.
118 You reject all who stray from Your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain.
119 All the wicked of the earth You discard like dross; therefore I love Your statutes.
120 My flesh trembles in fear of You; I stand in awe of Your laws.
v Ayin
121 I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Ensure Your servant's well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, looking for Your righteous promise.
124 Deal with Your servant according to Your love and teach me Your decrees.
125 I am Your servant; give me discernment that I may understand Your statutes.
126 It is time for You to act, O LORD; Your law is being broken.
127 Because I love Your commands more than gold, more than pure gold,
128 and because I consider all Your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.
p Pe
129 Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.
130 The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commands.
132 Turn to me and have mercy on me, as You always do to those who love Your name.
133 Direct my footsteps according to Your word; let no sin rule over me.
134 Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey Your precepts.
135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant and teach me Your decrees.
136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for Your law is not obeyed.
c Tsadhe
137 Righteous are You, O LORD, and Your laws are right.
138 The statutes You have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy.
139 My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore Your words.
140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and Your servant loves them.
141 Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget Your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is everlasting and Your law is true.
143 Trouble and distress have come upon me, but Your commands are my delight.
144 Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live.
q Qoph
145 I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD, and I will obey Your decrees.
146 I call out to You; save me and I will keep Your statutes.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your word.
148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on Your promises.
149 Hear my voice in accordance with Your love; preserve my life, O LORD, according to Your laws.
150 Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from Your law.
151 Yet You are near, O LORD, and all Your commands are true.
152 Long ago I learned from Your statutes that You established them to last forever.
r Resh
153 Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten Your law.
154 Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to Your promise.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out Your decrees.
156 Your compassion is great, O LORD; preserve my life according to Your laws.
157 Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from Your statutes.
158 I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey Your word.
159 See how I love Your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to Your love.
160 All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal.
S Sin and Shin
161 Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at Your word.
162 I rejoice in Your promise like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood but I love Your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous laws.
165 Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
166 I wait for Your salvation, O LORD, and I follow Your commands.
167 I obey Your statutes, for I love them greatly.
168 I obey Your precepts and Your statutes, for all my ways are known to You.
t Taw
169 May my cry come before You, O LORD; give me understanding according to Your word.
170 May my supplication come before You; deliver me according to Your promise.
171 May my lips overflow with praise, for You teach me Your decrees.
172 May my tongue sing of Your word, for all Your commands are righteous.
173 May Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.
174 I long for Your salvation, O LORD, and Your law is my delight.
175 Let me live that I may praise You, and may Your laws sustain me.
176 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commands.
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Footnote:
This psalm is an acrostic poem; the verses of each stanza begin with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:RIjEedAFX-8J:www.wheaton.edu/Theology/faculty/hill/BibleEducation/Psalm119-1.doc
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Why art thou filled with greed?

2010-07-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

You are not to sow with seed a piece of land which is planted with vines, for it is enough that it supply nourishment to that plant, and be not harassed by ploughing also. You are to plough your land with oxen, and not to oblige other animals to come under the same yoke with them; but to till your land with those beasts that are of the same kind with each other. The seeds are also to be pure, and without mixture, and not to be compounded of two or three sorts, since nature does not rejoice in the union of things that are not in their own nature alike; nor are you to permit beasts of different kinds to gender together, for there is reason to fear that this unnatural abuse may extend from beasts of different kinds to men, though it takes its first rise from evil practices about such smaller things. Nor is any thing to be allowed, by imitation whereof any degree of subversion may creep into the constitution. Nor do the laws neglect small matters, but provide that even those may be managed after an unblamable manner.

Let not those that reap, and gather in the corn that is reaped, gather in the gleanings also; but let them rather leave some handfuls for those that are in want of the necessaries of life, that it may be a support and a supply to them, in order to their subsistence. In like manner when they gather their grapes, let them leave some smaller bunches for the poor, and let them pass over some of the fruits of the olive-trees, when they gather them, and leave them to be partaken of by those that have none of their own; for the advantage arising from the exact collection of all, will not be so considerable to the owners as will arise from the gratitude of the poor. And God will provide that the land shall more willingly produce what shall be for the nourishment of its fruits, in case you do not merely take care of your own advantage, but have regard to the support of others also. Nor are you to muzzle the mouths of the oxen when they tread the ears of corn in the thrashing-floor; for it is not just to restrain our fellow-laboring animals, and those that work in order to its production, of this fruit of their labors. Nor are you to prohibit those that pass by at the time when your fruits are ripe to touch them, but to give them leave to fill themselves full of what you have; and this whether they be of your own country or strangers, - as being glad of the opportunity of giving them some part of your fruits when they are ripe; but let it not be esteemed lawful for them to carry any away. Nor let those that gather the grapes, and carry them to the wine-presses, restrain those whom they meet from eating of them; for it is unjust, out of envy, to hinder those that desire it, to partake of the good things that come into the world according to God's will, and this while the season is at the height, and is hastening away as it pleases God. Nay, if some, out of bashfulness, are unwilling to touch these fruits, let them be encouraged to take of them (I mean, those that are Israelites) as if they were themselves the owners and lords, on account of the kindred there is between them. Nay, let them desire men that come from other countries, to partake of these tokens of friendship which God has given in their proper season; for that is not to be deemed as idly spent, which any one out of kindness communicates to another, since God bestows plenty of good things on men, not only for themselves to reap the advantage, but also to give to others in a way of generosity; and He is desirous, by this means, to make known to others His peculiar kindness to the people of Israel, and how freely He communicates happiness to them, while they abundantly communicate out of their great superfluities to even these foreigners also. But for him that acts contrary to this law, let him be beaten with forty stripes save one by the public executioner; let him undergo this punishment, which is a most ignominious one for a free-man, and this because he was such a slave to gain as to lay a blot upon his dignity; for it is proper for you who have had the experience of the afflictions in egypt, and of those in the wilderness, to make provision for those that are in the like circumstances; and while you have now obtained plenty yourselves, through the mercy and providence of God, to distribute of the same plenty, by the like sympathy, to such as stand in need of it.

(by Moses as documented by Josephus)

Revelations...

2010-07-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

- SIMPLE COMMANDMENTS, GREAT REWARD -
Do right to the widow, judge for the fatherless, give to the poor, defend the orphan, clothe the naked, heal the broken and the weak, laugh not a lame man to scorn, defend the maimed, and let the blind man come into the sight of My clearness. keep the old and young within thy walls. wheresoever thou findest the dead, take them and bury them, and I will give thee the first place in My resurrection.

- THE RIGHTEOUS HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR -
(1) Nourish thy children, O thou good nurse; stablish their feet. As for the servants whom I have given thee, there shall not one of them perish; for I will require them from among thy number. Be not weary: for when the day of trouble and heaviness cometh, others shall weep and be sorrowful, but thou shalt be merry and have abundance. The heathen shall envy thee, but they shall be able to do nothing against thee, saith the Lord. My hands shall cover thee, so that thy children shall not see hell. Be joyful, O thou mother, with thy children; for I will deliver thee, saith the Lord. Remember thy children that sleep, for I shall bring them out of the sides of the earth, and shew mercy unto them: for I am merciful, saith the Lord Almighty.

(2) Things present are for the present, and things to cometh for such as be to come. For thou comest far short that thou shouldest be able to love My creature more than I: but I have ofttimes drawn nigh unto thee, and unto it, but never to the unrighteous. In this also thou art marvellous before the most High: In that thou hast humbled thyself, as it becometh thee, and hast not judged thyself worthy to be much glorified among the righteous. For many great miseries shall be done to them that in the latter time shall dwell in the world, because they have walked in great pride. But understand thou for thyself, and seek out the glory for such as be like thee. For unto you is paradise opened, the tree of life is planted, the time to come is prepared, plenteousness is made ready, a city is builded, and rest is allowed, yea, perfect goodness and wisdom. The root of evil is sealed up from you, weakness and the moth is hid from you, and corruption is fled into hell to be forgotten: Sorrows are passed, and in the end is shewed the treasure of immortality. And therefore ask thou no more questions concerning the multitude of them that perish. For when they had taken liberty, they despised the most High, thought scorn of His law, and forsook His ways. Moreover they have trodden down His righteous, And said in their heart, that there is no God; yea, and that knowing they must die. For as the things aforesaid shalt receive you, so thirst and pain are prepared for them: for it was not His will that men should come to nought: But they which be created have defiled the name of Him that made them, and were unthankful unto Him which prepared life for them. And therefore is My judgment now at hand. These things have I not shewed unto all men, but unto thee, and a few like thee.

- EVIL IS NOW, GOOD IS TO COME -
For the first Adam bearing a wicked heart transgressed, and was overcome; and so be all they that are born of him. Thus infirmity was made permanent; and the law in the heart of the people with the malignity of the root; so that the good departed away, and the evil abode still. The more thou searchest, the more thou shalt marvel; for the world hasteth fast to pass away, and cannot comprehend the things that are promised to the righteous in time to come: for this world is full of unrighteousness and infirmities. But as concerning the things whereof thou askest me, I will tell thee; for the evil is sown, but the destruction thereof is not yet come. If therefore that which is sown be not turned upside down, and if the place where the evil is sown pass not away, then cannot it come that is sown with good. For the grain of evil seed hath been sown in the heart of Adam from the beginning, and how much ungodliness hath it brought up unto this time? and how much shall it yet bring forth until the time of threshing come? Ponder now by thyself, how great fruit of wickedness the grain of evil seed hath brought forth. And when the ears shall be cut down, which are without number, how great a floor shall they fill?
Then I answered and said, How, and when shall these things come to pass? wherefore are our years few and evil?
And he answered me, saying, Do not thou hasten above the most Highest: for thy haste is in vain to be above Him, for thou hast much exceeded. Did not the souls also of the righteous ask question of these things in their chambers, saying, How long shall I hope on this fashion? when cometh the fruit of the floor of our reward? And unto these things Uriel the archangel gave them answer, and said, Even when the number of seeds is filled in you: for He hath weighed the world in the balance. By measure hath He measured the times; and by number hath He numbered the times; and He doth not move nor stir them, until the said measure be fulfilled.

- COMPARING THE EARTH TO A WOMAN -
(1) Go thy way to a woman with child, and ask of her when she hath fulfilled her nine months, if her womb may keep the birth any longer within her.
Then said I, No, Lord, that can she not.
And he said unto me, In the grave the chambers of souls are like the womb of a woman: For like as a woman that travaileth maketh haste to escape the necessity of the travail: even so do these places haste to deliver those things that are committed unto them.

(2) I answered and said, Couldest thou not make those that have been made, and be now, and that are for to come, at once; that Thou mightest shew Thy judgment the sooner?
Then answered He me, and said, The creature may not haste above the Maker; neither may the world hold them at once that shall be created therein.
And I said, As Thou hast said unto thy servant, that Thou, which givest life to all, hast given life at once to the creature that Thou hast created, and the creature bare it: even so it might now also bear them that now be present at once.
And He said unto me, Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto her, If thou bringest forth children, why dost thou it not together, but one after another? pray her therefore to bring forth ten children at once.
And I said, She cannot: but must do it by distance of time.
Then said He unto me, Even so have I given the womb of the earth to those that be sown in it in their times. For like as a young child may not bring forth the things that belong to the aged, even so have I disposed the world which I created.

(3) And I asked, and said, seeing Thou hast now given me the way, I will proceed to speak before thee: for our mother, of whom Thou hast told me that she is young, draweth now nigh unto age.
He answered me, and said, Ask a woman that beareth children, and she shall tell thee. Say unto her, Wherefore are unto they whom thou hast now brought forth like those that were before, but less of stature? And she shall answer thee, They that be born in the strength of youth are of one fashion, and they that are born in the time of age, when the womb faileth, are otherwise. Consider thou therefore also, how that ye are less of stature than those that were before you. And so are they that come after you less than ye, as the creatures which now begin to be old, and have passed over the strength of youth.

- THE TIME -
(1) Shew me then whether there be more to come than is past, or more past than is to come. What is past I know, but what is for to come I know not.
And he said unto me, Stand up upon the right side, and I shall expound the similitude unto thee. So I stood, and saw, and, behold, an hot burning oven passed by before me: and it happened that when the flame was gone by I looked, and, behold, the smoke remained still. After this there passed by before me a watery cloud, and sent down much rain with a storm; and when the stormy rain was past, the drops remained still. Then said he unto me, Consider with thyself; as the rain is more than the drops, and as the fire is greater than the smoke; but the drops and the smoke remain behind: so the quantity which is past did more exceed.

(2) Then answered I and said, What shall be the parting asunder of the times? or when shall be the end of the first, and the beginning of it that followeth?
And he said unto me, From Abraham unto Isaac, when Jacob and Esau were born of him, Jacob's hand held first the heel of Esau. For Esau is the end of the world, and Jacob is the beginning of it that followeth. The hand of man is betwixt the heel and the hand: other question, Esdras, ask thou not.

(3) The world hath lost his youth, and the times begin to wax old. For the world is divided into twelve parts, and the ten parts of it are gone already, and half of a tenth part: And there remaineth that which is after the half of the tenth part.

- THE LORD'S WAY CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD BY MAN -
O Lord that bearest rule, of every wood of the earth, and of all the trees thereof, Thou hast chosen Thee one only vine: And of all lands of the whole world Thou hast chosen Thee one pit: and of all the flowers thereof one lily: And of all the depths of the sea Thou hast filled Thee one river: and of all builded cities Thou hast hallowed Sion unto Thyself: And of all the fowls that are created Thou hast named Thee one dove: and of all the cattle that are made Thou hast provided Thee one sheep: And among all the multitudes of people Thou hast gotten Thee one people: and unto this people, whom Thou lovedst, Thou gavest a law that is approved of all. And now, O Lord, why hast Thou given this one people over unto many? and upon the one root hast Thou prepared others, and why hast Thou scattered Thy only one people among many? And they which did gainsay Thy promises, and believed not Thy covenants, have trodden them down. If Thou didst so much hate Thy people, yet shouldest Thou punish them with Thine own hands.
The angel that came to me the night afore was sent unto me, And said unto me, Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken to the thing that I say, and I shall tell thee more.
And I said, Speak on, my Lord.
Then said he unto me, Thou art sore troubled in mind for Israel's sake: lovest thou that people better than He that made them?
And I said, No, Lord: but of very grief have I spoken: for my reins pain me every hour, while I labour to comprehend the way of the most High, and to seek out part of His judgment.
And he said unto me, Thou canst not.
And I said, Wherefore, Lord? whereunto was I born then? or why was not my mother's womb then my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of the stock of Israel?
And He said unto me, Number Me the things that are not yet come, gather Me together the dross that are scattered abroad, make Me the flowers green again that are withered, Open Me the places that are closed, and bring Me forth the winds that in them are shut up, shew Me the image of a voice: and then I will declare to thee the thing that thou labourest to know.
And I said, O Lord that bearest rule, who may know these things, but he that hath not his dwelling with men. As for me, I am unwise: how may I then speak of these things whereof thou askest me?
Then said he unto me, Like as thou canst do none of these things that I have spoken of, even so canst thou not find out My judgment, or in the end the love that I have promised unto My people.
And I said, Behold, O Lord, yet art Thou nigh unto them that be reserved till the end: and what shall they do that have been before me, or we that be now, or they that shall come after us?
And he said unto me, I will liken My judgment unto a ring: like as there is no slackness of the last, even so there is no swiftness of the first.

- THE LORD ALONE HATH BUILT, THE LORD ALONE SHALT DESTROY -
Then said I, Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favour in thy sight, shew Thy servant by whom Thou visitest Thy creature.
And He said unto me, In the beginning, when the earth was made, before the borders of the world stood, or ever the winds blew, Before it thundered and lightened, or ever the foundations of paradise were laid, Before the fair flowers were seen, or ever the moveable powers were established, before the innumerable multitude of angels were gathered together, Or ever the heights of the air were lifted up, before the measures of the firmament were named, or ever the chimneys in Sion were hot, And ere the present years were sought out, and or ever the inventions of them that now sin were turned, before they were sealed that have gathered faith for a treasure: Then did I consider these things, and they all were made through Me alone, and through none other: by Me also they shall be ended, and by none other.

-THE RIGHTEOUS BATTLE -
If the world now be made for our sakes, why do we not possess an inheritance with the world? how long shall this endure?
Then said he unto me, The sea is set in a wide place, that it might be deep and great. But put the case the entrance were narrow, and like a river; Who then could go into the sea to look upon it, and to rule it? if he went not through the narrow, how could he come into the broad?
There is also another thing; A city is builded, and set upon a broad field, and is full of all good things: The entrance thereof is narrow, and is set in a dangerous place to fall, like as if there were a fire on the right hand, and on the left a deep water: And one only path between them both, even between the fire and the water, so small that there could but one man go there at once. If this city now were given unto a man for an inheritance, if he never shall pass the danger set before it, how shall he receive this inheritance?
And I said, It is so, Lord.
Then said he unto me, Even so also is Israel's portion. Because for their sakes I made the world: and when Adam transgressed my statutes, then was decreed that now is done. Then were the entrances of this world made narrow, full of sorrow and travail: they are but few and evil, full of perils,: and very painful. For the entrances of the elder world were wide and sure, and brought immortal fruit. If then they that live labour not to enter these strait and vain things, they can never receive those that are laid up for them. Now therefore why disquietest thou thyself, seeing thou art but a corruptible man? and why art thou moved, whereas thou art but mortal? Why hast thou not considered in thy mind this thing that is to come, rather than that which is present?
Then answered I and said, O Lord that bearest rule, thou hast ordained in thy law, that the righteous should inherit these things, but that the ungodly should perish. Nevertheless the righteous shall suffer strait things, and hope for wide: for they that have done wickedly have suffered the strait things, and yet shall not see the wide.
And he said unto me. There is no judge above God, and none that hath understanding above the Highest. For there be many that perish in this life, because they despise the law of God that is set before them.
For God hath given strait commandment to such as came, what they should do to live, even as they came, and what they should observe to avoid punishment. Nevertheless they were not obedient unto Him; but spake against Him, and imagined vain things; And deceived themselves by their wicked deeds; and said of the most High, that He is not; and knew not His ways: But His law have they despised, and denied His covenants; in His statutes have they not been faithful, and have not performed His works. And therefore, Esdras, for the empty are empty things, and for the full are the full things.
While we lived and committed iniquity, we considered not that we should begin to suffer for it after death.
This is the condition of the battle, which man that is born upon the earth shall fight; That, if he be overcome, he shall suffer as thou hast said: but if he get the victory, he shall receive the thing that I say. For this is the life whereof Moses spake unto the people while he lived, saying, Choose thee life, that thou mayest live. Nevertheless they believed not him, nor yet the prophets after him, no nor Me which have spoken unto them, that there should not be such heaviness in their destruction, as shall be joy over them that are persuaded to salvation.

- THE RIGHTEOUS, AS RARE AS GOLD -
The most High hath made this world for many, but the world to come for few. I will tell thee a similitude, Esdras; As when thou askest the earth, it shall say unto thee, that it giveth much mould whereof earthen vessels are made, but little dust that gold cometh of: even so is the course of this present world. There be many created, but few shall be saved.

For as the husbandman soweth much seed upon the ground, and planteth many trees, and yet the thing that is sown good in his season cometh not up, neither doth all that is planted take root: even so is it of them that are sown in the world; they shall not all be saved.

There be many more of them which perish, than of them which shall be saved: Like as a wave is greater than a drop.

When I prepared the world, which was not yet made, even for them to dwell in that now live, no man spake against Me. For then every one obeyed: but now the manners of them which are created in this world that is made are corrupted by a perpetual seed, and by a law which is unsearchable rid themselves. So I considered the world, and, behold, there was peril because of the devices that were come into it. And I saw, and spared it greatly, and have kept Me a grape of the cluster, and a plant of a great people. Let the multitude perish then, which was born in vain; and let My grape be kept, and My plant; for with great labour have I made it perfect.
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The hands of man..

2010-07-17T11:20:00.001-07:00

they know nothing, they understand nothing, they rush not to the aid of the needy, it is as though their feet are set in quicksand. what a name, for there be nothing quick about it, except for the speed at which they waylay themselves.
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their eyes be not open, nor their minds, nor their hearts.. they tarry all the day in vain, seeking after vain things, and they know not their foolish ways.
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they thinketh themselves to be right, and are set in their course, while all the day long the righteous question themselves, unsure of every step, always seeing both sides, forgiving where forgiveness ought not to be spent, yet forgiveness shall never be in vain.
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the souls of the anguished cry out to me, i hear them though i see them not, vague images in my head of a gross reality. so many fall by the hands of man, so many the hands of man, that will fall.
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Writings 1

2010-07-15T11:59:00.001-07:00

Who endowed the heart with wisdom, and gave understanding to the mind?
yet there is no wisdom at all, and no understanding, for each day i seek, but i do not find.
how does one engage in righteous acts, when what is good, is dependent on what is evil.
each day, we feed the poor, with the meat of tortured animals, each day we clothe the needy with garments made by innocent children, each day we must heal the sick, yet with doctors, wealthy and faithless.
how can it be.. the evil seed hath been sown in all, with fore-knowledge, and we shall all be forgiven, for what purpose then, does this way serve?
there is a test, i see it, i see You in everything, still my heart aches, and i do not know wherefore. how does this reality exist, under Your infinite power?
how can the infinite be made finite? or appear so finite.. what You ask of me, Oh Lord, seemeth so impossible, to seek out a perfect way, amidst a permanent imperfection of this present world..
do You overlook the evil, that is hidden behind the good? is it possible to do no wrong? how did Jesus achieve this? His years would have been few after being born again, sacrificing all things, yet healing the sick.. and He made bread appear out of thin air, so there was no need for a crop grown by unjust means, can we do this? can we maketh bread to appear, and numerous fish? You say, "if one hath faith the size of a mustard seed, he shall say to a mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall surely remove."
what power do we hold, that we do not exercise, is it not only the heavenly beings that can perform such miracles? or doth man hold this power too?
if i shall say, no more will i buy the meat of tortured animals, and the bread made of wheat, grown by forcing the ground.. shall these appear, and from whence will they cometh? or shall i say, i will buy my own field, and grow righteously upon it, but those who love You, have not the means to purchase such a field, for we wander the earth with little..
and should i have the means to do such a thing, does not the misery and infirmity still exist, that will bring evil corruption, for whether it be less than another, it be still evil..
if there is no perfect way, what shall You save? for You art a God of perfection, Who turneth His face from all evil, no matter how small.
so it must mean then, to sacrifice all, and bring upon death with earnestness, forsaking all earthly ways..
for this way, we art created to choose death, our own death, as Jesus did..
we then let go of all family, all those which we ought not to care for, yet You call upon us to care..
what shall we do Father, to please You? condemn ourselves.. it by no means, maketh any sense..
we shall act over-righteous, and waiteth on man to kill us, yet You have rebuked over-righteousness in Your own words..
i am lost Father, i cannot comprehend Your will, it is a double-edged sword.
or perhaps, i understand too well, and my own stubborn heart and flesh craveth the things of this world, when it is best to sacrifice all that is earthly, to drink water, to eat only vegetables, to be alone all the days of my life, until this body doth perish, not to choose death, but instead a humble way of life, forsaking all but Your way.
for the honey, the milk, the water and the vegetables all be tainted in these end of days, and there exists nothing that is pure.
what a burden My Lord has laid upon me, what a heavy burden, and i feel as though.. i fear in all honesty, that i will not achieve such a thing, for my heart is set on the things of this world, no matter how basic, when will i find such strength, to let go of it all.
i do not know..
forgive me Father, for i am not worthy, and i see that now, i see the error in all my ways, and my complete lack of faith, and all my weakness hath been shown unto me this very night..
for it is not to ask why You hath prepared this world this way, but to acknowledge that it hath been prepared this way, and seek the way to overcome.
what will become of me? for both the fire and the empty life scare me, and more so the fire, yet i am in this life now, and not the fire, so my heart still seeketh the wrong way, and whence it should be that i am cast into the flames, then repentance will be too late, and i have the chance now, to change, but see that i am still very weak.
for love & marriage, i can rebuke, meat i may rebuke, wine, even so much more, but not enough..
oh Jesus, Thou art worthy of praise. at Your name, every knee should bow, for You hath overcome all sin of this world, only You, and no other.
i do not want to live, that my life shouldest be in vain, nor do i want to die, but seest now, that there be no righteous in between..
how shall i be My Lord? how shall i be?

Appreciating history..

2010-07-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

the following are a few of my favourite sections from:
the seven wonders of jewish history..
http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/the_seven_wonders_of_jewish_history1/
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"thus says God, 'Who establishes the sun to light the day, the laws of the moon and stars to light the night, Who stirs up the sea into roaring waves, Whose name is the Lord of Hosts.. if these natural laws should ever give away before Me,' says God, 'only then shall the offspring of Israel cease to be a nation before Me for all time.'" (Yirmiyahu 31:34-36)
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"among those nations, you shall find no respite, no rest for your foot, for there the Lord will give you an anguished heart and wasted eyes and a dismayed spirit. you will live in constant suspense, and stand in dread, both by day and by night, never sure of your existence." (Devarim. 28:65-67)
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"you will remain few in number, whereas you could have become as numerous as the stars of the heavens, because you would not obey the voice of God, your Lord." (Devarim 28:62)
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"thus says the Lord of Hosts: in those days, [the time that Messiah will come] ten men of every nationality, speaking different languages, shall take hold of every Jew by the corner of his garment, and say, let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." (Zecharia 8:23)
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"the uniqueness of anti-semitism lies in the fact that no other people in the world have ever been charged simultaneously with alienation from society and with cosmopolitanism, with being capitalistic exploiters and also revolutionary communist advocators. the Jews were accused of having an imperious mentality, and at the same time they're the people of the Book. they're accused of being militant aggressors, at the same time as being cowardly pacifists. with being a chosen people, and also having an inferior human nature. with both arrogance and timidity. with both extreme individualism and community adherence. with being guilty of the crucifixion of Jesus and at the same time held to account for the invention of Christianity… everything and its opposite becomes a reason for anti-semitism."
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There's a story about an old man who moves out to California. He gets ill and gets worse, and as he's on his last breath, he calls his friend in New York.
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"Irving," he says.
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"Yeh?"
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"This is Harold."
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"What is it, Harold?"
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"Come to California, Irving. I'm dying and I have something terrible to confess."
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So Irving flies out on the next flight and goes to see Harold on his deathbed.
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"Irving," Harold whispers, "I have a big confession to make."
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"Tell me, Harold, what is it?"
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"I converted."
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"You converted???"
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"Yeh, I converted."
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"I can't believe it, Harold. All your life you were a good Jew! And now, in the last few months of your life, you've converted?"
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"Well," he says, "I figured it out… You know how many Gentiles there are in the world? You know how many Jews there are in the world? Better one of them should die, than one of us…"
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Rabbi Motty Berger, a well-known Discovery lecturer, once had a young Chinese artist by the name of Jin Gan living in his house. Now Jin Gan was a very bright fellow who had come to America to study. He was very eager to learn the English language, so every day he read the entire front page of the New York Times. After a while, he began to notice that there were three countries that almost always made the headlines: The United States, the Soviet Union and Israel.
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Not being very familiar with Israel, Jin Gan asked Rabbi Berger where this country was. Rabbi Berger pulled out a map and pointed to the Middle East.
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"You see the brown space over there?"
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"Yeah."
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"Okay, that's Egypt. Now you see this country over here, the little green area?"
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"Yeah."
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"That's Syria. Now, come a little closer. You see this little thing over here, this dot on the map? The one that's so small, the cities have to be written out in the Mediterranean Sea? That dot there — that's Israel!"
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"That's Israel?" he says. "I can't believe it! That tiny dot is the country that makes the front page every day? How many people live there?"
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"Oh, about 5 million Jews."
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"Five million Jews? In a recent census conducted in China, there are now over one billion, one hundred million Chinese — with a statistical error of 48 million! That means," he said, "that there are 12 times as many people statistically unaccounted for in China as there are Jews in Israel!"
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If you want to read a story about China you have to turn to Page 17 in the New York Times. To get on the front page, they have to kill thousands of students in Tiananmen Square. For Israel to get on the front page, you need six kids throwing rocks at a Chevy. Why is this?
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This reminds me of a story. A new electronics store opened up in Texas and announced that it would be giving away free TV sets to the first hundred people who walked into the store. Already the night before, there were about three hundred people in line. At the front of the line was this huge Texan, so excited he could hardly wait. Suddenly this little Jew comes walking up from the back of the line and, without so much as a glance around, goes right up to the front.
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The Texan looks at him and says, "Where the heck do you think you're going?" The Jew says nothing; he just keeps walking. The Texan picks him up, punches him in the face and knocks him out on the floor. The poor little Jew struggles to his feet, dusts himself off and again starts walking towards the front. The Texan says, "I said, where do you think you're going?" The Jew doesn't say a word. The Texan picks him up and knocks him down again.
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Suddenly, a policeman comes by. "What's goin' on here?" he says to the Texan.
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And the Texan says, "Ah been waitin' heah all night. I'll be darned if I'm gonna let this little Jew get in front of me!"
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The cop turns to the Jew and says, "And what's your story?"
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The Jew says, "If this guy knocks me down vun more time, I don't open up de store."
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end quotes from..
the seven wonders of jewish history..
http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/the_seven_wonders_of_jewish_history1/
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Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the King of the Jews, the Son of God.
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(posted by a faithful Christian)
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The Power of the Cross..

2010-07-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

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when you love Someone
you'll do anything
you'll do all the crazy things
that you can't explain
you'll shoot the moon
put out the (sun)
when you love Someone
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you won't deny the Truth
and believe a lie
and there'll be times
that you'll believe
you can really fly
but your lonely nights
have just begun
when you love Someone
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when you love Someone
you feel it deep inside
and nothin' else..
could ever change your mind
when you want Someone
when you need Someone
when you love Someone..
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when you love Someone
you'll sacrifice..
give it everything you've got
and you won't think twice
you'll risk it all
no matter what may come..
when you love Someone
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you'll shoot the moon
put out the (sun)
when you love Someone.
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(edited lyrics / original song by bryan adams)

Your love..

2010-07-12T15:17:00.001-07:00

for all those times, You stood by me
for all the truth, that You made me see
for all the joy, You brought to my life
for all the wrong, that You made right
for every dream, You made come true
for all the love, i've found in You
i'll be forever thankful..
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You're the One who held me up
never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through
through it all..
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You gave me wings, and made me fly
You touched my hand, i could touch the sky
i lost my faith, You gave it back to me
You said no star, was out of reach
You stood by me, and i stood tall
i have Your love, i have it all
i'm grateful..
for each day You gave me
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maybe i don't know that much
but i know this much is true
i was blessed..
because i was loved by You
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You were my strength
when i was weak
You were my voice
when i couldn't speak
You were my eyes
when i couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
lifted me up, when i couldn't reach
You gave me faith, 'cause You believed
i'm everything i am
because You loved me
-
You were always there for me
the tender wind that carried me
a Light in the dark
shining Your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
through the lies, You were the Truth
my world is a better place
because of You..
-
i'm everything i am
because You loved me.
-
-
(from 'Because You Loved Me" by celine.dion)

Serving a miracle..

2010-07-11T23:24:00.001-07:00

i love how God takes a huge wrong, and makes it right. like when an evil person does harm, it somehow results in a miracle..
and then the person who was harmed, is ranting about it being 'a blessing in disguise'.
such an awful experience can take place, and they say, 'it made them stronger', and it did.
such an awful experience, and they're saying.. 'i wouldn't change it for the world'
and the evil person's scheme comes to no effect, not only that, but against their will they served a miracle.
it is of weak faith, to worry about anything.
how shall i say, that i believe in God, and what that really means.. His all encompassing power and will, and then turn around and fear something on earth.
perhaps in the heat of a moment, it is an unavoidable human tendency to worry, but how long i stay in that feeling, is key to understanding.
i can't begin to count the number of bad situations i have been in, only to realize months, even years later, that it was more than necessary.. yet still i find myself in the habit of worry & fear during new situations.
the Bible holds so much grief, it in turn acknowledges such tremendous evil, then commands you constantly to 'rejoice in God', to 'love your enemies', to 'not worry' and among other things, to have no fear beside 'the fear of God'.
who can understand this mystery? yet i know He is truth, and would not say such things, if it were not possible, relevant and worthwhile.
i feel as though these words do not even begin to describe what i feel..
His Majesty is full of grace & mercy, His power is beyond all imagination, His way is beyond all understanding..
why Jesus, why the cross, why then, why now.. so many questions i could ask..
but it would be in vain to wonder.
"trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path." (Holy Bible)
thank You Father, for the gift of Jesus Christ, You walked the earth in human skin, bringing life to the rule, 'do not judge a man until you have walked a day in his shoes' even so, Ye of all power showed humility amongst your own creation.. such perfect unfathomable love.

Be patient..

2010-07-01T20:27:00.001-07:00

Romans 12
Living Sacrifices
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Love
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
20 On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Psalm 88..

2010-06-30T18:44:00.001-07:00

1 O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.

2 May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.

3 For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.

4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.

5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.

6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.

7 Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah

8 You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;

9 my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you.

10 Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Selah

11 Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction?

12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

13 But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

14 Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me?

15 From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.

16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.

17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.

18 You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.

Be joyful always..

2010-06-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

1 Thessalonians 5

1 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,

2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Final Instructions

12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

16 Be joyful always;

17 pray continually;

18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire;

20 do not treat prophecies with contempt.

21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.

22 Avoid every kind of evil.

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

25 Brothers, pray for us.

26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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Born, again..

2010-06-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

Jesus teaches Nicodemus:

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.

2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'

8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?

11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven - the Son of Man.

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

The Book of John, Chapter Three, Verses 1 to 21.

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Where is the Lord?

2010-05-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

This is what the LORD says:

What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.

They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD?'

The priests did not ask, 'Where is the LORD?' Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.

Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But My people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols.

My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

The men of Memphis have shaved the crown of your head.

Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the LORD your God when He led you in the way?

Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of Me.

Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, 'I will not serve You!' Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute.

I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against Me into a corrupt, wild vine?

Although you wash yourself with soda and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me.

You are a swift she-camel running here and there, a wild donkey accustomed to the desert, sniffing the wind in her craving — in her heat who can restrain her? Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will find her.

Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry.

But you said, 'It's no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.'

They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave me birth.'

Why do My people say, 'We are free to roam; we will come to You no more'?

Does a maiden forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet My people have forgotten Me, days without number.

How skilled you are at pursuing love! Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.

On your clothes men find the lifeblood of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in. Yet in spite of all this you say, 'I am innocent; He is not angry with me.'

But I will pass judgment on you because you say, 'I have not sinned.'

Why do you go about so much, changing your ways?

You will be disappointed by Egypt as you were by Assyria.

You will also leave that place with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not be helped by them.

(from the Holy Bible)

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Weep not..

2010-05-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

And when I spake these things in my heart, I looked back with mine eyes, and I saw a woman, and, behold, she mourned and wept with a loud voice, and was much grieved in heart, and her clothes were rent, and she had ashes upon her head.

And said unto her, Wherefore weepest thou? why art thou so grieved in thy mind?

She said unto me, I thy servant have been barren, and had no child, though I had an husband thirty years..
.
And those thirty years I did nothing else day and night, and every hour, but make my prayer to the Highest.

After thirty years God heard me, looked upon my misery, considered my trouble, and gave me a son: and I nourished him with great travail.

So when he grew up, and came to the time that he should have a wife, I made a feast.

And it so came to pass, that when my son was entered into his wedding chamber, he fell down, and died.

Then left I the meditations wherein I was, and spake to her in anger, saying,

Thou foolish woman above all other, seest thou not our mourning, and what happeneth unto us?

Seeing we all mourn and are sad, for we are all in heaviness, art thou grieved for one son?

For ask the earth, and she shall tell thee, that it is she which ought to mourn for the fall of so many that grow upon her.

For out of her came all at the first, and out of her shall all others come, and, behold, they walk almost all into destruction, and a multitude of them is utterly rooted out.

Who then should make more mourning than she, that hath lost so great a multitude; and not thou, which art sorry but for one?

Now therefore keep thy sorrow to thyself, and bear with a good courage that which hath befallen thee.

For if thou shalt acknowledge the determination of God to be just, thou shalt both receive thy son in time, and shalt be commended among women.

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North vs. South

2010-05-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time.

25 With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him.

26 Those who eat from the king's provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle.

27 The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time.

28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.

29 At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before.

30 Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

31 His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.

32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.

33 Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.

34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them.

35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

The King Who Exalts Himself

36 The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place.

37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.

38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.

39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.

40 At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.

a revelation concerning the end of days.. taken from the book of daniel - chapter 11

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2 Esdras (6)

2010-04-25T11:22:00.001-07:00

4Ezra.6

[1] And he said unto me, In the beginning, when the earth was made, before the borders of the world stood, or ever the winds blew,
[2] Before it thundered and lightened, or ever the foundations of paradise were laid,
[3] Before the fair flowers were seen, or ever the moveable powers were established, before the innumerable multitude of angels were gathered together,
[4] Or ever the heights of the air were lifted up, before the measures of the firmament were named, or ever the chimneys in Sion were hot,
[5] And ere the present years were sought out, and or ever the inventions of them that now sin were turned, before they were sealed that have gathered faith for a treasure:
[6] Then did I consider these things, and they all were made through me alone, and through none other: by me also they shall be ended, and by none other.
[7] Then answered I and said, What shall be the parting asunder of the times? or when shall be the end of the first, and the beginning of it that followeth?
[8] And he said unto me, From Abraham unto Isaac, when Jacob and Esau were born of him, Jacob's hand held first the heel of Esau.
[9] For Esau is the end of the world, and Jacob is the beginning of it that followeth.
[10] The hand of man is betwixt the heel and the hand: other question, Esdras, ask thou not.
[11] I answered then and said, O Lord that bearest rule, if I have found favour in thy sight,
[12] I beseech thee, shew thy servant the end of thy tokens, whereof thou shewedst me part the last night.
[13] So he answered and said unto me, Stand up upon thy feet, and hear a mighty sounding voice.
[14] And it shall be as it were a great motion; but the place where thou standest shall not be moved.
[15] And therefore when it speaketh be not afraid: for the word is of the end, and the foundation of the earth is understood.
[16] And why? because the speech of these things trembleth and is moved: for it knoweth that the end of these things must be changed.
[17] And it happened, that when I had heard it I stood up upon my feet, and hearkened, and, behold, there was a voice that spake, and the sound of it was like the sound of many waters.
[18] And it said, Behold, the days come, that I will begin to draw nigh, and to visit them that dwell upon the earth,
[19] And will begin to make inquisition of them, what they be that have hurt unjustly with their unrighteousness, and when the affliction of Sion shall be fulfilled;
[20] And when the world, that shall begin to vanish away, shall be finished, then will I shew these tokens: the books shall be opened before the firmament, and they shall see all together:
[21] And the children of a year old shall speak with their voices, the women with child shall bring forth untimely children of three or four months old, and they shall live, and be raised up.
[22] And suddenly shall the sown places appear unsown, the full storehouses shall suddenly be found empty:
[23] And tha trumpet shall give a sound, which when every man heareth, they shall be suddenly afraid.
[24] At that time shall friends fight one against another like enemies, and the earth shall stand in fear with those that dwell therein, the springs of the fountains shall stand still, and in three hours they shall not run.
[25] Whosoever remaineth from all these that I have told thee shall escape, and see my salvation, and the end of your world.
[26] And the men that are received shall see it, who have not tasted death from their birth: and the heart of the inhabitants shall be changed, and turned into another meaning.
[27] For evil shall be put out, and deceit shall be quenched.
[28] As for faith, it shall flourish, corruption shall be overcome, and the truth, which hath been so long without fruit, shall be declared.
[29] And when he talked with me, behold, I looked by little and little upon him before whom I stood.
[30] And these words said he unto me; I am come to shew thee the time of the night to come.
[31] If thou wilt pray yet more, and fast seven days again, I shall tell thee greater things by day than I have heard.
[32] For thy voice is heard before the most High: for the Mighty hath seen thy righteous dealing, he hath seen also thy chastity, which thou hast had ever since thy youth.
[33] And therefore hath he sent me to shew thee all these things, and to say unto thee, Be of good comfort and fear not
[34] And hasten not with the times that are past, to think vain things, that thou mayest not hasten from the latter times.
[35] And it came to pass after this, that I wept again, and fasted seven days in like manner, that I might fulfil the three weeks which he told me.
[36] And in the eighth night was my heart vexed within me again, and I began to speak before the most High.
[37] For my spirit was greatly set on fire, and my soul was in distress.
[38] And I said, O Lord, thou spakest from the beginning of the creation, even the first day, and saidst thus; Let heaven and earth be made; and thy word was a perfect work.
[39] And then was the spirit, and darkness and silence were on every side; the sound of man's voice was not yet formed.
[40] Then commandedst thou a fair light to come forth of thy treasures, that thy work might appear.
[41] Upon the second day thou madest the spirit of the firmament, and commandedst it to part asunder, and to make a division betwixt the waters, that the one part might go up, and the other remain beneath.
[42] Upon the third day thou didst command that the waters should be gathered in the seventh part of the earth: six pats hast thou dried up, and kept them, to the intent that of these some being planted of God and tilled might serve thee.
[43] For as soon as thy word went forth the work was made.
[44] For immediately there was great and innumerable fruit, and many and divers pleasures for the taste, and flowers of unchangeable colour, and odours of wonderful smell: and this was done the third day.
[45] Upon the fourth day thou commandedst that the sun should shine, and the moon give her light, and the stars should be in order:
[46] And gavest them a charge to do service unto man, that was to be made.
[47] Upon the fifth day thou saidst unto the seventh part, where the waters were gathered that it should bring forth living creatures, fowls and fishes: and so it came to pass.
[48] For the dumb water and without life brought forth living things at the commandment of God, that all people might praise thy wondrous works.
[49] Then didst thou ordain two living creatures, the one thou calledst Enoch, and the other Leviathan;
[50] And didst separate the one from the other: for the seventh part, namely, where the water was gathered together, might not hold them both.
[51] Unto Enoch thou gavest one part, which was dried up the third day, that he should dwell in the same part, wherein are a thousand hills:
[52] But unto Leviathan thou gavest the seventh part, namely, the moist; and hast kept him to be devoured of whom thou wilt, and when.
[53] Upon the sixth day thou gavest commandment unto the earth, that before thee it should bring forth beasts, cattle, and creeping things:
[54] And after these, Adam also, whom thou madest lord of all thy creatures: of him come we all, and the people also whom thou hast chosen.
[55] All this have I spoken before thee, O Lord, because thou madest the world for our sakes
[56] As for the other people, which also come of Adam, thou hast said that they are nothing, but be like unto spittle: and hast likened the abundance of them unto a drop that falleth from a vessel.
[57] And now, O Lord, behold, these heathen, which have ever been reputed as nothing, have begun to be lords over us, and to devour us.
[58] But we thy people, whom thou hast called thy firstborn, thy only begotten, and thy fervent lover, are given into their hands.
[59] If the world now be made for our sakes, why do we not possess an inheritance with the world? how long shall this endure?

continues to 2 Esdras 15:
http://earlyjewishwritings.com/text/2esdras.html

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2 Esdras (4-5)

2010-04-25T11:17:00.001-07:00

4Ezra.4

[1] And the angel that was sent unto me, whose name was Uriel, gave me an answer,
[2] And said, Thy heart hath gone to far in this world, and thinkest thou to comprehend the way of the most High?
[3] Then said I, Yea, my lord. And he answered me, and said, I am sent to shew thee three ways, and to set forth three similitudes before thee:
[4] Whereof if thou canst declare me one, I will shew thee also the way that thou desirest to see, and I shall shew thee from whence the wicked heart cometh.
[5] And I said, Tell on, my lord. Then said he unto me, Go thy way, weigh me the weight of the fire, or measure me the blast of the wind, or call me again the day that is past.
[6] Then answered I and said, What man is able to do that, that thou shouldest ask such things of me?
[7] And he said unto me, If I should ask thee how great dwellings are in the midst of the sea, or how many springs are in the beginning of the deep, or how many springs are above the firmament, or which are the outgoings of paradise:
[8] Peradventure thou wouldest say unto me, I never went down into the deep, nor as yet into hell, neither did I ever climb up into heaven.
[9] Nevertheless now have I asked thee but only of the fire and wind, and of the day wherethrough thou hast passed, and of things from which thou canst not be separated, and yet canst thou give me no answer of them.
[10] He said moreover unto me, Thine own things, and such as are grown up with thee, canst thou not know;
[11] How should thy vessel then be able to comprehend the way of the Highest, and, the world being now outwardly corrupted to understand the corruption that is evident in my sight?
[12] Then said I unto him, It were better that we were not at all, than that we should live still in wickedness, and to suffer, and not to know wherefore.
[13] He answered me, and said, I went into a forest into a plain, and the trees took counsel,
[14] And said, Come, let us go and make war against the sea that it may depart away before us, and that we may make us more woods.
[15] The floods of the sea also in like manner took counsel, and said, Come, let us go up and subdue the woods of the plain, that there also we may make us another country.
[16] The thought of the wood was in vain, for the fire came and consumed it.
[17] The thought of the floods of the sea came likewise to nought, for the sand stood up and stopped them.
[18] If thou wert judge now betwixt these two, whom wouldest thou begin to justify? or whom wouldest thou condemn?
[19] I answered and said, Verily it is a foolish thought that they both have devised, for the ground is given unto the wood, and the sea also hath his place to bear his floods.
[20] Then answered he me, and said, Thou hast given a right judgment, but why judgest thou not thyself also?
[21] For like as the ground is given unto the wood, and the sea to his floods: even so they that dwell upon the earth may understand nothing but that which is upon the earth: and he that dwelleth above the heavens may only understand the things that are above the height of the heavens.
[22] Then answered I and said, I beseech thee, O Lord, let me have understanding:
[23] For it was not my mind to be curious of the high things, but of such as pass by us daily, namely, wherefore Israel is given up as a reproach to the heathen, and for what cause the people whom thou hast loved is given over unto ungodly nations, and why the law of our forefathers is brought to nought, and the written covenants come to none effect,
[24] And we pass away out of the world as grasshoppers, and our life is astonishment and fear, and we are not worthy to obtain mercy.
[25] What will he then do unto his name whereby we are called? of these things have I asked.
[26] Then answered he me, and said, The more thou searchest, the more thou shalt marvel; for the world hasteth fast to pass away,
[27] And cannot comprehend the things that are promised to the righteous in time to come: for this world is full of unrighteousness and infirmities.
[28] But as concerning the things whereof thou askest me, I will tell thee; for the evil is sown, but the destruction thereof is not yet come.
[29] If therefore that which is sown be not turned upside down, and if the place where the evil is sown pass not away, then cannot it come that is sown with good.
[30] For the grain of evil seed hath been sown in the heart of Adam from the beginning, and how much ungodliness hath it brought up unto this time? and how much shall it yet bring forth until the time of threshing come?
[31] Ponder now by thyself, how great fruit of wickedness the grain of evil seed hath brought forth.
[32] And when the ears shall be cut down, which are without number, how great a floor shall they fill?
[33] Then I answered and said, How, and when shall these things come to pass? wherefore are our years few and evil?
[34] And he answered me, saying, Do not thou hasten above the most Highest: for thy haste is in vain to be above him, for thou hast much exceeded.
[35] Did not the souls also of the righteous ask question of these things in their chambers, saying, How long shall I hope on this fashion? when cometh the fruit of the floor of our reward?
[36] And unto these things Uriel the archangel gave them answer, and said, Even when the number of seeds is filled in you: for he hath weighed the world in the balance.
[37] By measure hath he measured the times; and by number hath he numbered the times; and he doth not move nor stir them, until the said measure be fulfilled.
[38] Then answered I and said, O Lord that bearest rule, even we all are full of impiety.
[39] And for our sakes peradventure it is that the floors of the righteous are not filled, because of the sins of them that dwell upon the earth.
[40] So he answered me, and said, Go thy way to a woman with child, and ask of her when she hath fulfilled her nine months, if her womb may keep the birth any longer within her.
[41] Then said I, No, Lord, that can she not. And he said unto me, In the grave the chambers of souls are like the womb of a woman:
[42] For like as a woman that travaileth maketh haste to escape the necessity of the travail: even so do these places haste to deliver those things that are committed unto them.
[43] From the beginning, look, what thou desirest to see, it shall be shewed thee.
[44] Then answered I and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, and if it be possible, and if I be meet therefore,
[45] Shew me then whether there be more to come than is past, or more past than is to come.
[46] What is past I know, but what is for to come I know not.
[47] And he said unto me, Stand up upon the right side, and I shall expound the similitude unto thee.
[48] So I stood, and saw, and, behold, an hot burning oven passed by before me: and it happened that when the flame was gone by I looked, and, behold, the smoke remained still.
[49] After this there passed by before me a watery cloud, and sent down much rain with a storm; and when the stormy rain was past, the drops remained still.
[50] Then said he unto me, Consider with thyself; as the rain is more than the drops, and as the fire is greater than the smoke; but the drops and the smoke remain behind: so the quantity which is past did more exceed.
[51] Then I prayed, and said, May I live, thinkest thou, until that time? or what shall happen in those days?
[52] He answered me, and said, As for the tokens whereof thou askest me, I may tell thee of them in part: but as touching thy life, I am not sent to shew thee; for I do not know it.

4Ezra.5

[1] Nevertheless as coming the tokens, behold, the days shall come, that they which dwell upon earth shall be taken in a great number, and the way of truth shall be hidden, and the land shall be barren of faith.
[2] But iniquity shall be increased above that which now thou seest, or that thou hast heard long ago.
[3] And the land, that thou seest now to have root, shalt thou see wasted suddenly.
[4] But if the most High grant thee to live, thou shalt see after the third trumpet that the sun shall suddenly shine again in the night, and the moon thrice in the day:
[5] And blood shall drop out of wood, and the stone shall give his voice, and the people shall be troubled:
[6] And even he shall rule, whom they look not for that dwell upon the earth, and the fowls shall take their flight away together:
[7] And the Sodomitish sea shall cast out fish, and make a noise in the night, which many have not known: but they shall all hear the voice thereof.
[8] There shall be a confusion also in many places, and the fire shall be oft sent out again, and the wild beasts shall change their places, and menstruous women shall bring forth monsters:
[9] And salt waters shall be found in the sweet, and all friends shall destroy one another; then shall wit hide itself, and understanding withdraw itself into his secret chamber,
[10] And shall be sought of many, and yet not be found: then shall unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied upon earth.
[11] One land also shall ask another, and say, Is righteousness that maketh a man righteous gone through thee? And it shall say, No.
[12] At the same time shall men hope, but nothing obtain: they shall labour, but their ways shall not prosper.
[13] To shew thee such tokens I have leave; and if thou wilt pray again, and weep as now, and fast even days, thou shalt hear yet greater things.
[14] Then I awaked, and an extreme fearfulness went through all my body, and my mind was troubled, so that it fainted.
[15] So the angel that was come to talk with me held me, comforted me, and set me up upon my feet.
[16] And in the second night it came to pass, that Salathiel the captain of the people came unto me, saying, Where hast thou been? and why is thy countenance so heavy?
[17] Knowest thou not that Israel is committed unto thee in the land of their captivity?
[18] Up then, and eat bread, and forsake us not, as the shepherd that leaveth his flock in the hands of cruel wolves.
[19] Then said I unto him, Go thy ways from me, and come not nigh me. And he heard what I said, and went from me.
[20] And so I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, like as Uriel the angel commanded me.
[21] And after seven days so it was, that the thoughts of my heart were very grievous unto me again,
[22] And my soul recovered the spirit of understanding, and I began to talk with the most High again,
[23] And said, O Lord that bearest rule, of every wood of the earth, and of all the trees thereof, thou hast chosen thee one only vine:
[24] And of all lands of the whole world thou hast chosen thee one pit: and of all the flowers thereof one lily:
[25] And of all the depths of the sea thou hast filled thee one river: and of all builded cities thou hast hallowed Sion unto thyself:
[26] And of all the fowls that are created thou hast named thee one dove: and of all the cattle that are made thou hast provided thee one sheep:
[27] And among all the multitudes of people thou hast gotten thee one people: and unto this people, whom thou lovedst, thou gavest a law that is approved of all.
[28] And now, O Lord, why hast thou given this one people over unto many? and upon the one root hast thou prepared others, and why hast thou scattered thy only one people among many?
[29] And they which did gainsay thy promises, and believed not thy covenants, have trodden them down.
[30] If thou didst so much hate thy people, yet shouldest thou punish them with thine own hands.
[31] Now when I had spoken these words, the angel that came to me the night afore was sent unto me,
[32] And said unto me, Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken to the thing that I say, and I shall tell thee more.
[33] And I said, Speak on, my Lord. Then said he unto me, Thou art sore troubled in mind for Israel's sake: lovest thou that people better than he that made them?
[34] And I said, No, Lord: but of very grief have I spoken: for my reins pain me every hour, while I labour to comprehend the way of the most High, and to seek out part of his judgment.
[35] And he said unto me, Thou canst not. And I said, Wherefore, Lord? whereunto was I born then? or why was not my mother's womb then my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of the stock of Israel?
[36] And he said unto me, Number me the things that are not yet come, gather me together the dross that are scattered abroad, make me the flowers green again that are withered,
[37] Open me the places that are closed, and bring me forth the winds that in them are shut up, shew me the image of a voice: and then I will declare to thee the thing that thou labourest to know.
[38] And I said, O Lord that bearest rule, who may know these things, but he that hath not his dwelling with men?
[39] As for me, I am unwise: how may I then speak of these things whereof thou askest me?
[40] Then said he unto me, Like as thou canst do none of these things that I have spoken of, even so canst thou not find out my judgment, or in the end the love that I have promised unto my people.
[41] And I said, Behold, O Lord, yet art thou nigh unto them that be reserved till the end: and what shall they do that have been before me, or we that be now, or they that shall come after us?
[42] And he said unto me, I will liken my judgment unto a ring: like as there is no slackness of the last, even so there is no swiftness of the first.
[43] So I answered and said, Couldest thou not make those that have been made, and be now, and that are for to come, at once; that thou mightest shew thy judgment the sooner?
[44] Then answered he me, and said, The creature may not haste above the maker; neither may the world hold them at once that shall be created therein.
[45] And I said, As thou hast said unto thy servant, that thou, which givest life to all, hast given life at once to the creature that thou hast created, and the creature bare it: even so it might now also bear them that now be present at once.
[46] And he said unto me, Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto her, If thou bringest forth children, why dost thou it not together, but one after another? pray her therefore to bring forth ten children at once.
[47] And I said, She cannot: but must do it by distance of time.
[48] Then said he unto me, Even so have I given the womb of the earth to those that be sown in it in their times.
[49] For like as a young child may not bring forth the things that belong to the aged, even so have I disposed the world which I created.
[50] And I asked, and said, Seeing thou hast now given me the way, I will proceed to speak before thee: for our mother, of whom thou hast told me that she is young, draweth now nigh unto age.
[51] He answered me, and said, Ask a woman that beareth children, and she shall tell thee.
[52] Say unto her, Wherefore are unto they whom thou hast now brought forth like those that were before, but less of stature?
[53] And she shall answer thee, They that be born in the the strength of youth are of one fashion, and they that are born in the time of age, when the womb faileth, are otherwise.
[54] Consider thou therefore also, how that ye are less of stature than those that were before you.
[55] And so are they that come after you less than ye, as the creatures which now begin to be old, and have passed over the strength of youth.
[56] Then said I, Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favour in thy sight, shew thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature.
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2 Esdras (1-3)

2010-04-25T11:13:00.001-07:00

4Ezra.1

[1] The second book of the prophet Esdras, the son of Saraias, the son of Azarias, the son of Helchias, the son of Sadamias, the sou of Sadoc, the son of Achitob,
[2] The son of Achias, the son of Phinees, the son of Heli, the son of Amarias, the son of Aziei, the son of Marimoth, the son of And he spake unto the of Borith, the son of Abisei, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar,
[3] The son of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi; which was captive in the land of the Medes, in the reign of Artexerxes king of the Persians.
[4] And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
[5] Go thy way, and shew my people their sinful deeds, and their children their wickedness which they have done against me; that they may tell their children's children:
[6] Because the sins of their fathers are increased in them: for they have forgotten me, and have offered unto strange gods.
[7] Am not I even he that brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage? but they have provoked me unto wrath, and despised my counsels.
[8] Pull thou off then the hair of thy head, and cast all evil upon them, for they have not been obedient unto my law, but it is a rebellious people.
[9] How long shall I forbear them, into whom I have done so much good?
[10] Many kings have I destroyed for their sakes; Pharaoh with his servants and all his power have I smitten down.
[11] All the nations have I destroyed before them, and in the east I have scattered the people of two provinces, even of Tyrus and Sidon, and have slain all their enemies.
[12] Speak thou therefore unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord,
[13] I led you through the sea and in the beginning gave you a large and safe passage; I gave you Moses for a leader, and Aaron for a priest.
[14] I gave you light in a pillar of fire, and great wonders have I done among you; yet have ye forgotten me, saith the Lord.
[15] Thus saith the Almighty Lord, The quails were as a token to you; I gave you tents for your safeguard: nevertheless ye murmured there,
[16] And triumphed not in my name for the destruction of your enemies, but ever to this day do ye yet murmur.
[17] Where are the benefits that I have done for you? when ye were hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, did ye not cry unto me,
[18] Saying, Why hast thou brought us into this wilderness to kill us? it had been better for us to have served the Egyptians, than to die in this wilderness.
[19] Then had I pity upon your mournings, and gave you manna to eat; so ye did eat angels' bread.
[20] When ye were thirsty, did I not cleave the rock, and waters flowed out to your fill? for the heat I covered you with the leaves of the trees.
[21] I divided among you a fruitful land, I cast out the Canaanites, the Pherezites, and the Philistines, before you: what shall I yet do more for you? saith the Lord.
[22] Thus saith the Almighty Lord, When ye were in the wilderness, in the river of the Amorites, being athirst, and blaspheming my name,
[23] I gave you not fire for your blasphemies, but cast a tree in the water, and made the river sweet.
[24] What shall I do unto thee, O Jacob? thou, Juda, wouldest not obey me: I will turn me to other nations, and unto those will I give my name, that they may keep my statutes.
[25] Seeing ye have forsaken me, I will forsake you also; when ye desire me to be gracious unto you, I shall have no mercy upon you.
[26] Whensoever ye shall call upon me, I will not hear you: for ye have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit manslaughter.
[27] Ye have not as it were forsaken me, but your own selves, saith the Lord.
[28] Thus saith the Almighty Lord, Have I not prayed you as a father his sons, as a mother her daughters, and a nurse her young babes,
[29] That ye would be my people, and I should be your God; that ye would be my children, and I should be your father?
[30] I gathered you together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings: but now, what shall I do unto you? I will cast you out from my face.
[31] When ye offer unto me, I will turn my face from you: for your solemn feastdays, your new moons, and your circumcisions, have I forsaken.
[32] I sent unto you my servants the prophets, whom ye have taken and slain, and torn their bodies in pieces, whose blood I will require of your hands, saith the Lord.
[33] Thus saith the Almighty Lord, Your house is desolate, I will cast you out as the wind doth stubble.
[34] And your children shall not be fruitful; for they have despised my commandment, and done the thing that is an evil before me.
[35] Your houses will I give to a people that shall come; which not having heard of me yet shall believe me; to whom I have shewed no signs, yet they shall do that I have commanded them.
[36] They have seen no prophets, yet they shall call their sins to remembrance, and acknowledge them.
[37] I take to witness the grace of the people to come, whose little ones rejoice in gladness: and though they have not seen me with bodily eyes, yet in spirit they believe the thing that I say.
[38] And now, brother, behold what glory; and see the people that come from the east:
[39] Unto whom I will give for leaders, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Oseas, Amos, and Micheas, Joel, Abdias, and Jonas,
[40] Nahum, and Abacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zachary, and Malachy, which is called also an angel of the Lord.

4Ezra.2

[1] Thus saith the Lord, I brought this people out of bondage, and I gave them my commandments by menservants the prophets; whom they would not hear, but despised my counsels.
[2] The mother that bare them saith unto them, Go your way, ye children; for I am a widow and forsaken.
[3] I brought you up with gladness; but with sorrow and heaviness have I lost you: for ye have sinned before the Lord your God, and done that thing that is evil before him.
[4] But what shall I now do unto you? I am a widow and forsaken: go your way, O my children, and ask mercy of the Lord.
[5] As for me, O father, I call upon thee for a witness over the mother of these children, which would not keep my covenant,
[6] That thou bring them to confusion, and their mother to a spoil, that there may be no offspring of them.
[7] Let them be scattered abroad among the heathen, let their names be put out of the earth: for they have despised my covenant.
[8] Woe be unto thee, Assur, thou that hidest the unrighteous in thee! O thou wicked people, remember what I did unto Sodom and Gomorrha;
[9] Whose land lieth in clods of pitch and heaps of ashes: even so also will I do unto them that hear me not, saith the Almighty Lord.
[10] Thus saith the Lord unto Esdras, Tell my people that I will give them the kingdom of Jerusalem, which I would have given unto Israel.
[11] Their glory also will I take unto me, and give these the everlasting tabernacles, which I had prepared for them.
[12] They shall have the tree of life for an ointment of sweet savour; they shall neither labour, nor be weary.
[13] Go, and ye shall receive: pray for few days unto you, that they may be shortened: the kingdom is already prepared for you: watch.
[14] Take heaven and earth to witness; for I have broken the evil in pieces, and created the good: for I live, saith the Lord.
[15] Mother, embrace thy children, and bring them up with gladness, make their feet as fast as a pillar: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord.
[16] And those that be dead will I raise up again from their places, and bring them out of the graves: for I have known my name in Israel.
[17] Fear not, thou mother of the children: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord.
[18] For thy help will I send my servants Esau and Jeremy, after whose counsel I have sanctified and prepared for thee twelve trees laden with divers fruits,
[19] And as many fountains flowing with milk and honey, and seven mighty mountains, whereupon there grow roses and lilies, whereby I will fill thy children with joy.
[20] Do right to the widow, judge for the fatherless, give to the poor, defend the orphan, clothe the naked,
[21] Heal the broken and the weak, laugh not a lame man to scorn, defend the maimed, and let the blind man come into the sight of my clearness.
[22] Keep the old and young within thy walls.
[23] Wheresoever thou findest the dead, take them and bury them, and I will give thee the first place in my resurrection.
[24] Abide still, O my people, and take thy rest, for thy quietness still come.
[25] Nourish thy children, O thou good nurse; stablish their feet.
[26] As for the servants whom I have given thee, there shall not one of them perish; for I will require them from among thy number.
[27] Be not weary: for when the day of trouble and heaviness cometh, others shall weep and be sorrowful, but thou shalt be merry and have abundance.
[28] The heathen shall envy thee, but they shall be able to do nothing against thee, saith the Lord.
[29] My hands shall cover thee, so that thy children shall not see hell.
[30] Be joyful, O thou mother, with thy children; for I will deliver thee, saith the Lord.
[31] Remember thy children that sleep, for I shall bring them out of the sides of the earth, and shew mercy unto them: for I am merciful, saith the Lord Almighty.
[32] Embrace thy children until I come and shew mercy unto them: for my wells run over, and my grace shall not fail.
[33] I Esdras received a charge of the Lord upon the mount Oreb, that I should go unto Israel; but when I came unto them, they set me at nought, and despised the commandment of the Lord.
[34] And therefore I say unto you, O ye heathen, that hear and understand, look for your Shepherd, he shall give you everlasting rest; for he is nigh at hand, that shall come in the end of the world.
[35] Be ready to the reward of the kingdom, for the everlasting light shall shine upon you for evermore.
[36] Flee the shadow of this world, receive the joyfulness of your glory: I testify my Saviour openly.
[37] O receive the gift that is given you, and be glad, giving thanks unto him that hath led you to the heavenly kingdom.
[38] Arise up and stand, behold the number of those that be sealed in the feast of the Lord;
[39] Which are departed from the shadow of the world, and have received glorious garments of the Lord.
[40] Take thy number, O Sion, and shut up those of thine that are clothed in white, which have fulfilled the law of the Lord.
[41] The number of thy children, whom thou longedst for, is fulfilled: beseech the power of the Lord, that thy people, which have been called from the beginning, may be hallowed.
[42] I Esdras saw upon the mount Sion a great people, whom I could not number, and they all praised the Lord with songs.
[43] And in the midst of them there was a young man of a high stature, taller than all the rest, and upon every one of their heads he set crowns, and was more exalted; which I marvelled at greatly.
[44] So I asked the angel, and said, Sir, what are these?
[45] He answered and said unto me, These be they that have put off the mortal clothing, and put on the immortal, and have confessed the name of God: now are they crowned, and receive palms.
[46] Then said I unto the angel, What young person is it that crowneth them, and giveth them palms in their hands?
[47] So he answered and said unto me, It is the Son of God, whom they have confessed in the world. Then began I greatly to commend them that stood so stiffly for the name of the Lord.
[48] Then the angel said unto me, Go thy way, and tell my people what manner of things, and how great wonders of the Lord thy God, thou hast seen.

4Ezra.3

[1] In the thirtieth year after the ruin of the city I was in Babylon, and lay troubled upon my bed, and my thoughts came up over my heart:
[2] For I saw the desolation of Sion, and the wealth of them that dwelt at Babylon.
[3] And my spirit was sore moved, so that I began to speak words full of fear to the most High, and said,
[4] O Lord, who bearest rule, thou spakest at the beginning, when thou didst plant the earth, and that thyself alone, and commandedst the people,
[5] And gavest a body unto Adam without soul, which was the workmanship of thine hands, and didst breathe into him the breath of life, and he was made living before thee.
[6] And thou leadest him into paradise, which thy right hand had planted, before ever the earth came forward.
[7] And unto him thou gavest commandment to love thy way: which he transgressed, and immediately thou appointedst death in him and in his generations, of whom came nations, tribes, people, and kindreds, out of number.
[8] And every people walked after their own will, and did wonderful things before thee, and despised thy commandments.
[9] And again in process of time thou broughtest the flood upon those that dwelt in the world, and destroyedst them.
[10] And it came to pass in every of them, that as death was to Adam, so was the flood to these.
[11] Nevertheless one of them thou leftest, namely, Noah with his household, of whom came all righteous men.
[12] And it happened, that when they that dwelt upon the earth began to multiply, and had gotten them many children, and were a great people, they began again to be more ungodly than the first.
[13] Now when they lived so wickedly before thee, thou didst choose thee a man from among them, whose name was Abraham.
[14] Him thou lovedst, and unto him only thou shewedst thy will:
[15] And madest an everlasting covenant with him, promising him that thou wouldest never forsake his seed.
[16] And unto him thou gavest Isaac, and unto Isaac also thou gavest Jacob and Esau. As for Jacob, thou didst choose him to thee, and put by Esau: and so Jacob became a great multitude.
[17] And it came to pass, that when thou leadest his seed out of Egypt, thou broughtest them up to the mount Sinai.
[18] And bowing the heavens, thou didst set fast the earth, movedst the whole world, and madest the depths to tremble, and troubledst the men of that age.
[19] And thy glory went through four gates, of fire, and of earthquake, and of wind, and of cold; that thou mightest give the law unto the seed of Jacob, and diligence unto the generation of Israel.
[20] And yet tookest thou not away from them a wicked heart, that thy law might bring forth fruit in them.
[21] For the first Adam bearing a wicked heart transgressed, and was overcome; and so be all they that are born of him.
[22] Thus infirmity was made permanent; and the law (also) in the heart of the people with the malignity of the root; so that the good departed away, and the evil abode still.
[23] So the times passed away, and the years were brought to an end: then didst thou raise thee up a servant, called David:
[24] Whom thou commandedst to build a city unto thy name, and to offer incense and oblations unto thee therein.
[25] When this was done many years, then they that inhabited the city forsook thee,
[26] And in all things did even as Adam and all his generations had done: for they also had a wicked heart:
[27] And so thou gavest thy city over into the hands of thine enemies.
[28] Are their deeds then any better that inhabit Babylon, that they should therefore have the dominion over Sion?
[29] For when I came thither, and had seen impieties without number, then my soul saw many evildoers in this thirtieth year, so that my heart failed me.
[30] For I have seen how thou sufferest them sinning, and hast spared wicked doers: and hast destroyed thy people, and hast preserved thine enemies, and hast not signified it.
[31] I do not remember how this way may be left: Are they then of Babylon better than they of Sion?
[32] Or is there any other people that knoweth thee beside Israel? or what generation hath so believed thy covenants as Jacob?
[33] And yet their reward appeareth not, and their labour hath no fruit: for I have gone here and there through the heathen, and I see that they flow in wealth, and think not upon thy commandments.
[34] Weigh thou therefore our wickedness now in the balance, and their's also that dwell the world; and so shall thy name no where be found but in Israel.
[35] Or when was it that they which dwell upon the earth have not sinned in thy sight? or what people have so kept thy commandments?
[36] Thou shalt find that Israel by name hath kept thy precepts; but not the heathen.
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The Good Shepherd...

2010-02-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

The Shepherd and His Flock
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Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
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"I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
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"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep."
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"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
-
the Words of Jesus Christ
documented in the Book of John
Chapter 10
-
-
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
-
"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."
-
"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."
-
the Words of Jesus Christ
documented in the Book of Matthew
Chapter 18
-
-
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Recognizing God..

2010-02-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God:

Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.

We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

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Making Money..

2010-02-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.

At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table.

Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.

The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'

from the teachings of Jesus Christ
documented in the Book of Luke
Chapter 16 Verses 19 to 31

more about Hades:
http://alookintofaith.blogspot.com/2009/11/gates-of-hades.html

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A Powerful Delusion..

2010-02-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Man of Lawlessness

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.

Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.

They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

The Holy Bible
2nd letter to the Thessalonians
Verse 2 (New International Version)

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Fellow Muslims...

2010-01-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

ACTS 2:4-11

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

-

Allah is God. God is the Father of all goodness. He is our Father, yours and mine. He is also the Father of Jesus Christ to whom we are all brothers and sisters. Those who believe in good works, have been shamed, for our brother Jesus Christ was without sin, and our Heavenly Father said to us, for all your days to come, you will not surpass the goodness that is in My Son Jesus, therefore, all your good works are futile.

Our Father appointed Jesus Christ, from among all His sons and daughters to rule creation under the Father. He said, "If you love Me, you will accept My Son, your Brother, who died for you, as your Leader."

If you will not, you will be judged according to the law for your goodness and for your sins, but should you accept Jesus, then you are no longer under the law, but under grace.

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"Because it's an exception.."

2009-12-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

It's a basic law of physics that the colder something is, the denser it becomes and therefore the heavier. Heat causes molecules to expand and therefore become lighter. For example, hot water rises and cold water, being heavier, falls to the bottom.

If you stand in a bathtub, for instance, you'll notice that the warmer water is at the top and your toes are probably colder because the cold water has sunk to the bottom.

What's the coldest water possible? Ice. Take a look at the cup of soda when you put ice cubes in. Have you ever wondered why the ice flows to the top? Of course not. It just does.

What happens in the winter when a lake freezes over? Where does the ice form? At the top! Isn't that strange? If ice is the coldest form of water, it should naturally be more dense and sink to the bottom.

Ask any physicist, why is it that ice floats? And he will tell you that it's a fundamental law of physics. The molecules in water become denser as they get colder, until they reach a degree and a half above freezing, whereupon the molecules suddenly start to expand and get lighter. So when it turns to ice, it naturally floats.

But why does the law of physics work that way? Why does water suddenly become lighter when it was previously getting heavier?

And your friendly physicist has an explanation for that too. He will say, "Because it's an exception."

We have a different answer. The physicist didn't create the laws of physics. God did. Now, God may not care if ice floats to the top of your soda cup, but he does care that ice floats to the top of a lake.

What would happen if all the ice sunk to the bottom? All plant and animal life in the seas and oceans would freeze and die, and when the ice defrosted in the spring, the waters of the earth would be putrid and vile. So God says, "I did not make a world to be uninhabited. In the case of ice, I'll just overturn the natural law."

excerpt from:
the seven wonders of Jewish history.
http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/the_seven_wonders_of_jewish_history1/
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Story of Love

2009-11-23T15:12:00.001-08:00

There was once a man named Boy, who was born into an angry, unhappy family. This made Boy very proud, very intelligent and very arrogant. He lived greedily off all he could afford, and women.

One day, a woman bore Boy a child called Niche. When Niche opened her eyes, all the evil that had before lived so happily within Boy, began to turn on him, and he called out to the Lord.

The Lord looked down on Boy, and had mercy on him. He sent a wave of disease over Boy, so fierce it caused Boy to curse the Lord. Little by little, the disease began to eat away at Boy's flesh, but what Boy didn't know, is that the disease only ate the flesh of his that was corrupted by evil.

The hero Boy, didn't know it, but his repentance spared his offspring to come, Niche was a little sick, but she overcame and gave birth, to Love.

The end.
-

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Science loves Jesus...

2009-11-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

Scientific Evidence

(1) In Genesis, I read about Adam and Eve.. Cain and Abel..

Proof found: Book by Jewish historian Flavius Josephus called the Antiquities of the Jews...

Link: http://alookintofaith.blogspot.com/2009/10/josephus-and-bible.html

(2) In Genesis, I read about Noah's Ark resting on the mountains of Ararat...

Proof found: NASA photographs of Mount Ararat, a mountain with two peaks, upon which sits the Ararat Anomaly...

Link: http://www.space.com/news/060309_ark_update.html

(3) In Genesis, I read about Sodom and Gomorrah...

Proof found: Archeological excavation of two cities on the coast of the Dead Sea, covered in spongy ash.

Link: http://alookintofaith.blogspot.com/2009/10/sodom-and-gomorrah.html

(4) In Genesis, I read about Lot's wife being turned into a pillar of salt...

Proof found: A pillar made of halite rock salt, standing on Mount Sodom, Israel.

Link: http://alookintofaith.blogspot.com/2009/10/story-of-lots-wife.html

(5) In Job, God says lightning reports to Him before being cast...

Proof found: Professor Ali Hussien of Ryerson University states, "lightning strikes are not random, instead very specific, it if were random we would not be able to study it."

Link: http://alookintofaith.blogspot.com/2009/10/lightning.html

(6) In Job, God says there is a fearsome creature yet uncaught nor sold nor handled by man...

Proof found: Proof of large animals still being found as late at the 1970s (ie. Megamouth Shark) and the study of sonar readings of large 20ft - 30ft animals living at the bottom of Loch Ness, Scotland.

Links: http://www.nessie.co.uk/htm/the_nessie_hunters/hunter1.html &
http://www.lochnessproject.org/adrian_shine_archiveroom/loch_ness_archive_timeline.htm

(7) In Kings, I read about King Solomon's Gates...

Proof found: Archeological excavation of three gates built in King Solomon's era, in the exact cities they are named to be in, in the Holy Bible.

Link: http://alookintofaith.blogspot.com/2008/12/king-solomons-gates.html

(8) In Matthew, Jesus mentions the Gates of Hades...

Proof found: a discourse written to the Greeks about Hades, describing a certain fiery worm...

Link: http://alookintofaith.blogspot.com/2009/11/gates-of-hades.html

The Gates of Hades...

2009-11-06T10:42:00.000-08:00

Peter's Confession of Christ

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

- taken from Matthew 16 -

Josephus's Discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades

1. NOW as to Hades, wherein the souls of the, of the good things they see, and rejoice in the righteous and unrighteous are detained, it is necessary to speak of it. Hades is a place in the world not regularly finished; a subterraneous region, wherein the light of this world does not shine; from which circumstance, that in this region the light does not shine, it cannot be but there must be in it perpetual darkness. This region is allotted as a place of custody for souls, in which angels are appointed as guardians to them, who distribute to them temporary punishments, agreeable to every one's behavior and manners.

2. In this region there is a certain place set apart, as a lake of unquenchable fire, whereinto we suppose no one hath hitherto been cast; but it is prepared for a day afore-determined by God, in which one righteous sentence shall deservedly be passed upon all men; when the unjust, and those that have been disobedient to God, and have given honor to such idols as have been the vain operations of the hands of men, as to God himself, shall be adjudged to this everlasting punishment, as having been the causes of defilement; while the just shall obtain an incorruptible and never-fading kingdom. These are now indeed confined in Hades, but not in the same place wherein the unjust are confined.

3. For there is one descent into this region, at whose gate we believe there stands an archangel with an host; which gate when those pass through that are conducted down by the angels appointed over souls, they do not go the same way; but the just are guided to the right hand, and are led with hymns, sung by the angels appointed over that place, unto a region of light, in which the just have dwelt from the beginning of the world; not constrained by necessity, but ever enjoying the prospect of the good things they see, and rejoice in the expectation of those new enjoyments which will be peculiar to every one of them, and esteeming those things beyond what we have here; with whom there is no place of toil, no burning heat, no piercing cold, nor are any briers there; but the countenance of the fathers and of the just, which they see always, smiles upon them, while they wait for that rest and eternal new life in heaven, which is to succeed this region. This place we call The Bosom of Abraham.

4. But as to the unjust, they are dragged by force to the left hand by the angels allotted for punishment, no longer going with a good will, but as prisoners driven by violence; to whom are sent the angels appointed over them to reproach them and threaten them with their terrible looks, and to thrust them still downwards. Now those angels that are set over these souls, drag them into the neighborhood of hell itself; who, when they are hard by it, continually hear the noise of it, and do not stand clear of the hot vapor itself; but when they have a near view of this spectacle, as of a terrible and exceeding great prospect of fire, they are struck with a fearful expectation of a future judgment, and in effect punished thereby: and not only so, but where they see the place [or choir] of the fathers and of the just, even hereby are they punished; for a chaos deep and large is fixed between them; insomuch that a just man that hath compassion upon them cannot be admitted, nor can one that is unjust, if he were bold enough to attempt it, pass over it.

5. This is the discourse concerning Hades, wherein the souls of all men are confined until a proper season, which God hath determined, when he will make a resurrection of all men from the dead, not procuring a transmigration of souls from one body to another, but raising again those very bodies, which you Greeks, seeing to be dissolved, do not believe [their resurrection]. But learn not to disbelieve it; for while you believe that the soul is created, and yet is made immortal by God, according to the doctrine of Plato, and this in time, be not incredulous; but believe that God is able, when he hath raised to life that body which was made as a compound of the same elements, to make it immortal; for it must never be said of God, that he is able to do some things, and unable to do others. We have therefore believed that the body will be raised again; for although it be dissolved, it is not perished; for the earth receives its remains, and preserves them; and while they are like seed, and are mixed among the more fruitful soil, they flourish, and what is sown is indeed sown bare grain, but at the mighty sound of God the Creator, it will sprout up, and be raised in a clothed and glorious condition, though not before it has been dissolved, and mixed [with the earth]. So that we have not rashly believed the resurrection of the body; for although it be dissolved for a time on account of the original transgression, it exists still, and is cast into the earth as into a potter's furnace, in order to be formed again, not in order to rise again such as it was before, but in a state of purity, and so as never to be destroyed any more. And to every body shall its own soul be restored. And when it hath clothed itself with that body, it will not be subject to misery, but, being itself pure, it will continue with its pure body, and rejoice with it, with which it having walked righteously now in this world, and never having had it as a snare, it will receive it again with great gladness. But as for the unjust, they will receive their bodies not changed, not freed from diseases or distempers, nor made glorious, but with the same diseases wherein they died; and such as they were in their unbelief, the same shall they be when they shall be faithfully judged.

6. For all men, the just as well as the unjust, shall be brought before God the word: for to him hath the Father committed all judgment: and he, in order to fulfill the will of his Father, shall come as Judge, whom we call Christ. For Minos and Rhadamanthus are not the judges, as you Greeks do suppose, but he whom God even the Father hath glorified: concerning whom we have elsewhere given a more particular account, for the sake of those who seek after truth. This person, exercising the righteous judgment of the Father towards all men, hath prepared a just sentence for every one, according to his works; at whose judgment seat when all men, and angels, and demons shall stand, they will send forth one voice, and say, just is thy judgment; the rejoinder to which will bring a just sentence upon both parties, by giving justly to those that have done well an everlasting fruition; but allotting to the lovers of wicked works eternal punishment. To these belong the unquenchable fire, and that without end, and a certain fiery worm never dying, and not destroying the body, but continuing its eruption out of the body with never-ceasing grief: neither will sleep give ease to these men, nor will the night afford them comfort; death will not free them from their punishment, nor will the interceding prayers of their kindred profit them; for the just are no longer seen by them, nor are they thought worthy of remembrance. But the just shall remember only their righteous actions, whereby they have attained the heavenly kingdom, in which there is no sleep, no sorrow, no corruption, no care, no night, no day measured by time, no sun driven in his course along the circle of heaven by necessity, and measuring out the bounds and conversions of the seasons, for the better illumination of the life of men; no moon decreasing and increasing, or introducing a variety of seasons, nor will she then moisten the earth; no burning sun, no Bear turning round [the pole], no Orion to rise, no wandering of innumerable stars. The earth will not then be difficult to be passed over, nor will it be hard to find out the court of Paradise, nor will there be any fearful roaring of the sea, forbidding the passengers to walk on it; even that will be made easily passable to the just, though it will not be void of moisture. Heaven will not then be uninhabitable by men, and it will not be impossible to discover the way of ascending thither. The earth will not be uncultivated, nor require too much labor of men, but will bring forth its fruits of its own accord, and will be well adorned with them. There will be no more generations of wild beasts, nor will the substance of the rest of the animals shoot out any more; for it will not produce men, but the number of the righteous will continue, and never fail, together with righteous angels, and spirits [of God], and with his word, as a choir of righteous men and women that never grow old, and continue in an incorruptible state, singing hymns to God, who hath advanced them to that happiness, by the means of a regular institution of life; with whom the whole creation also will lift up a perpetual hymn from corruption to incorruption, as glorified by a splendid and pure spirit. It will not then be restrained by a bond of necessity, but with a lively freedom shall offer up a voluntary hymn, and shall praise him that made them, together with the angels, and spirits, and men now freed from all bondage.

7. And now, if you Gentiles will be persuaded by these motives, and leave your vain imaginations about your pedigrees, and gaining of riches, and philosophy, and will not spend your time about subtleties of words, and thereby lead your minds into error, and if you will apply your ears to the hearing of the inspired prophets, the interpreters both of God and of his word, and will believe in God, you shall both be partakers of these things, and obtain the good things that are to come; you shall see the ascent unto the immense heaven plainly, and that kingdom which is there. For what God hath now concealed in silence [will be then made manifest] what neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him.

8. In whatsoever ways I shall find you, in them shall I judge you entirely; so cries the end of all things. And he who hath at first lived a virtuous life, but towards the latter end falls into vice, these labors by him before endured shall be altogether vain and unprofitable, even as in a play, brought to an ill catastrophe. Whosoever shall have lived wickedly and luxuriously may repent; however, there will be need of much time to conquer an evil habit, and even after repentance his whole life must be guarded with great care and diligence, after the manner of a body, which, after it hath been a long time afflicted with a distemper, requires a stricter diet and method of living; for though it may be possible, perhaps, to break off the chain of our irregular affections at once,--yet our amendment cannot be secured without the grace of God, the prayers of good men, the help of the brethren, and our own sincere repentance and constant care. It is a good thing not to sin at all; it is also good, having sinned, to repent,--as it is best to have health always, but it is a good thing to recover from a distemper. To God be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.

The Portuguese visionary Lúcia Santos reported that

Our Lady of Fatima had given her a vision of Hell

as a sea of fire:

"Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear."

----

thoughts & possibilities...

is it possible that there is an undiscovered lake of fire (or magma) in a cave where no sunlight reaches, somewhere on earth....

from above:
"a certain fiery worm never dying, and not destroying the body, but continuing its eruption out of the body with never-ceasing grief: neither will sleep give ease to these men, nor will the night afford them comfort; death will not free them from their punishment, nor will the interceding prayers of their kindred profit them"

the medina worm description from wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracunculiasis

Dracunculiasis, more commonly known as Guinea worm disease (GWD), Dracontiasis, or Medina Worm, is a parasitic infection caused by the nematode Dracunculus medinensis.

The guinea worm is one of the best documented human parasites, with tales of its behaviour reaching as far back as the second century BC in accounts penned by Greek Chroniclers. The name dracunculiasis is derived from the Latin "affliction with little dragons".

The painful, burning sensation experienced by the infected patient has led to the disease being called "the fiery serpent".

There is no animal or environmental reservoir of D.medinensis. The infection must pass through humans each year. (ie. humans are the only host for Guinea worm)

There is no vaccine or medicine to treat or prevent Guinea worm disease. Once a Guinea worm emerges a person must wrap the live worm around a piece of gauze or a stick to extract it from the body. This long, painful process can take up to a month. This is the same treatment that is noted in the famous ancient Egyptian medical text, the Ebers papyrus from 1550 B.C. Some people have said that extracting a Guinea worm feels like they are being stabbed or that the afflicted area is on fire.

The Creation...

2009-11-01T18:17:00.001-08:00

Which came first, the chicken or the egg.

Today I found my answer...

The chicken :)

When the universe first existed, it was complete chaos... No order, no form... Just a bunch of random matter flying about and bumping into each other.

(The "big bang theory" suggests that some particles just one day hit all the right spots, and then spontaneously order, as well as millions of species came about..... Now I could see random banging, banging out one planet... but not a sun, moon, stars, 9 orbiting planets, with only one having life, but TONS of it, all different, the entire mechanism of our universe and how it seems that all it contains seem to solely exist for the power and protection it brings to the one planet... Earth. And not to mention, whatever is beyond what we see. Even if it was random creation, how do explain the extreme levels of order? Imagine ships at sea with no captains or crew, how many sail safely to shore? Not one. Yet the sun remains where it should be, the rain always comes from the same place.... etc.... just ask Professor Ali Hussein of Ryerson University about the specificity of lightning....)

So then God commanded that there be order, form and organization, and the earth's mechanisms are in complete routine and order, and have been that way, constantly for years. Like the internal components of a vaccum cleaner or a computer, that came about through knowledge, work and control to create working, functioning products, so to, did the earth, and the mechanisms surrounding all the functions of the universe come together through God's knowledge, work and control.

Now realize, that time did not exist without the creation of the sun, the planets and their routine, controlled motion. That is where we get time from, the rotations, bringing years, season, hours etc.

This means, our concept of time did not begin until God set the earth in motion.

"Wisdom" was there at the beginning before "Time".

I am not saying evolution didn't exist, what I am saying, is that everything... every mechanism that exists... birth, death, evolution, weather, time... they all came from God's wisdom, He that stood at the beginning of "time"... He stood there with "wisdom", and FORE-KNEW how to design it all and set it in motion. Yes, it could have been very different, but what we have works better than ANY idea, that any human could come up with to have it all start and continue for all this "time"....

He created all the living things, including man, in the ADULT form. They were OF AGE, though they were JUST created. Therefore, any carbon dating would show bones with years, though they were 1 day old.

So, as I started, the chicken came first.

This incomplete, yet more Godly understanding of time, explains why science cannot accurately claim that they know more about time than its Instigator.

Our understanding of creation, comes from Moses to whom God showed visions (in essence, a replay) of the creation. The Book of Genesis was written by Moses, long after Adam and Eve died. It is important to note that the Book of Genesis didn't just appear at the beginning of the Bible, it was revealed to Moses at a relevant time, but because it represented the beginning of creation where all starts, it was placed at the beginning of the Bible for organizational purposes. Genesis appears at the beginning of the Bible, but was really disclosed to and written by Moses, after the Isrealites escaped from Egypt. Therefore, when you read Genesis, you should understand, that God told this story to Moses, not to directly inform Him of all the attributes of creation, but as an example to explain to the people of Isreal where His reason for the Sabbath came about.

The point of the story of creation, was never meant to be information for scientists to scrutinize and disrespect God, and deny His ownership of the creation. It was God's way of showing His way of doing things and His desire for how time should be spent.

From Adam and until Moses, man had not seen God's process of making His creation, nor were they told of the Sabbath. Remember, if Adam and Eve had not eaten of the Tree of Knowledge, man never would have needed God's rules and commands.... by the time the flood had passed and AFTER God led Moses and the Isrealites out of Egypt, He THEN started to lay His laws that we now seemed to need, and He THEN showed Moses how He created the earth to illustrate how He spent His time with His work (ie. the creation), He showed Moses that He spent six days working and then He rested on the 7th, and that He wished us to do the same.

He didn't even have to give us such a wonderful explanation and example for the Sabbath, He could have just said "work 6 days and rest every 7th"... but so that Moses would know He was the Lord God, and so that people like me, who would have believed without even knowing how the earth and man were made, could know His Works one day, if they so desired.

(Sometimes people say, if He is so powerful and created it all, why did He not make it so that "evil" is not possible... but He did... humans can be very evil, and can be very savage... but humans are also the only species that can attain through life... perfect, Godly behaviour... we can actually adopt it... though we started off as savage, our knowledge of morality (ie. God's introduction of morality into our hearts) has made us closer to goodness than anything else in creation... and not just forced goodness... but chosen goodness... He gave us choice... It is such a great gift. Who is more blessed, someone who can only do good and does it, or someone who has the choice to do the opposite, and doesn't.... And this brings me back His Divine wisdom and FORE-knowledge, for whatever reason, God saw before time, that this was the way it should be, it was not a mistake, it was not random, He chose evolution as opposed to radical change, He chose birth as opposed to spontaneous creation, He caused evolution of one cell to lead to procreation through multicellular beings... He chose that there should be evil present at this time, but He knows what He is doing.)

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God lives.

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Josephus and the Bible

2009-10-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, my last post about "Sodom and Gomorrah"
made mention of a claim by Josephus.

So far, it seems to me that Josephus was a Jewish historian, though in other cases, I have seen him mentioned as a Palestinian, (or as Josephus refers to them, Philistim). After reading some of his texts, I am almost ashamed that this evidence exists and yet is hardly taken to heart, but it is interesting to note, that Josephus fore-mentioned people's inability to accept what is true.

From what I gathered, as an adult, Josephus became very interested in a certain Jewish war that was not in his time (Josephus was born in 37 AD, a few years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ), which led him to extensive research about this war, and after his findings, he found it impossible to not report his findings as a historian, since at the time, no formal texts on the war had been created.

"for since I was myself interested in that war which we Jews had with the Romans, and knew myself its particular actions, and what conclusion it had, I was forced to give the history of it, because I saw that others perverted the truth of those actions in their writings."

Josephus (Preface - Antiquities of the Jews)

Further, in-depth research about this Jewish war, led to the completion of many texts, but it seemed to Josephus at the time, that the world did not know their true origins, and that the Greeks were very curious about the origins of the Jews because of their piety (and forsaking it to be their own origin as well, by the One Creator), so Josephus undertook the study of ancient Hebrew Scriptures, and tried as best as possible to translate it into Greek.

Now I have undertaken the present work (Antiquities of the Jews), as thinking it will appear to all the Greeks worthy of their study; for it will contain all our antiquities, and the constitution of our government, as interpreted out of the Hebrew Scriptures... but because this work would take up a great compass, I separated it into a set treatise by itself, with a beginning of its own, and its own conclusion....

(Josephus, Preface - Antiquities of the Jews)

According to my research, the validity of Josephus' writings is still questioned by others. Especially because he is a Jew and a believer, his writings have been called biased. As well it is due to other factors that took place during his life.

A careful reading of Josephus' writings allowed Ehud Netzer, an archaeologist from Hebrew University, to discover the location of Herod's Tomb, after a search of 35 years — above aqueducts and pools, at a flattened, desert site, halfway up the hill to the Herodium, 12 kilometers south of Jerusalem — exactly where it should have been, according to Josephus' writings.

(Wikipedia)

I have so far read the first chapter of Antiquities of the Jews, regarding "The Creation to the death of Isaac", for anyone who has read the Book of Genesis in the Holy Bible. You will note, that Josephus' writings are in exact order, and in exact corroboration with the events described in Genesis. It is at current, impossible for me to say that the Bible (so far, the Old Testament) and the Antiquities of the Jews, did not originate from the same source (Hebrew Scriptures, some of which were written by Moses), however Josephus' writings offer so much more detail in some parts, I would consider his writings to be a required read for those who have an earnest interest in learning more detail behind some of the revelations in the Bible.

For example:

CONCERNING THE GARDEN OF EDEN, AND THE RIVER WITH FOUR HEADS THAT WATERED THE WHOLE EARTH.

Book of Genesis, Chapter Two, Verses 8 to 14

(The Holy Bible)

And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

Antiquities of the Jews, Chapter One, Section 3

(Writings of Josephus)

Moses says further, that God planted a paradise in the east, flourishing with all sorts of trees; and that among them was the tree of life, and another of knowledge, whereby was to be known what was good and evil; and that when he brought Adam and his wife into this garden, he commanded them to take care of the plants. Now the garden was watered by one river, which ran round about the whole earth, and was parted into four parts. And Phison, which denotes a multitude, running into India, makes its exit into the sea, and is by the Greeks called Ganges. Euphrates also, as well as Tigris, goes down into the Red Sea. Now the name Euphrates, or Phrath, denotes either a dispersion, or a flower: by Tiris, or Diglath, is signified what is swift, with narrowness; and Geon runs through Egypt, and denotes what arises from the east, which the Greeks call Nile.

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CONCERNING THE FALL OF MAN

Book of Genesis, Chapter Three, Verses 7 to 12

(The Holy Bible)

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Antiquities of the Jews, Chapter One, Section 4

(Writings of Josephus)

But when God came into the garden, Adam, who was wont before to come and converse with him, being conscious of his wicked behavior, went out of the way. This behavior surprised God; and he asked what was the cause of this his procedure; and why he, that before delighted in that conversation, did now fly from it, and avoid it. When he made no reply, as conscious to himself that he had transgressed the command of God, God said, "I had before determined about you both, how you might lead a happy life, without any affliction, and care, and vexation of soul; and that all things which might contribute to your enjoyment and pleasure should grow up by my providence, of their own accord, without your own labor and pains-taking; which state of labor and pains-taking would soon bring on old age, and death would not be at any remote distance: but now thou hast abused this my good-will, and hast disobeyed my commands; for thy silence is not the sign of thy virtue, but of thy evil conscience." However, Adam excused his sin, and entreated God not to be angry at him, and laid the blame of what was done upon his wife; and said that he was deceived by her

CONCERNING THE DEATH OF ABEL AT THE HAND OF HIS BROTHER CAIN AND WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO CAIN.

Book of Genesis, Chapter Four, Verses 1 to 17

(The Holy Bible)

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, "Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, "Where is Abel thy brother?" And he said, "I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" And he said, "What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth." And Cain said unto the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me." And the LORD said unto him, "Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

Antiquities of the Jews, Chapter Two, Sections 1 and 2

(Writings of Josephus)

ADAM and Eve had two sons: the elder of them was named Cain; which name, when it is interpreted, signifies a possession: the younger was Abel, which signifies sorrow. They had also daughters. Now the two brethren were pleased with different courses of life: for Abel, the younger, was a lover of righteousness; and believing that God was present at all his actions, he excelled in virtue; and his employment was that of a shepherd. But Cain was not only very wicked in other respects, but was wholly intent upon getting; and he first contrived to plough the ground. He slew his brother on the occasion following : - They had resolved to sacrifice to God. Now Cain brought the fruits of the earth, and of his husbandry; but Abel brought milk, and the first-fruits of his flocks: but God was more delighted with the latter oblation, when he was honored with what grew naturally of its own accord, than he was with what was the invention of a covetous man, and gotten by forcing the ground; whence it was that Cain was very angry that Abel was preferred by God before him; and he slew his brother, and hid his dead body, thinking to escape discovery. But God, knowing what had been done, came to Cain, and asked him what was become of his brother, because he had not seen him of many days; whereas he used to observe them conversing together at other times. But Cain was in doubt with himself, and knew not what answer to give to God. At first he said that he was himself at a loss about his brother's disappearing; but when he was provoked by God, who pressed him vehemently, as resolving to know what the matter was, he replied, he was not his brother's guardian or keeper, nor was he an observer of what he did. But, in return, God convicted Cain, as having been the murderer of his brother; and said, "I wonder at thee, that thou knowest not what is become of a man whom thou thyself hast destroyed." God therefore did not inflict the punishment [of death] upon him, on account of his offering sacrifice, and thereby making supplication to him not to be extreme in his wrath to him; but he made him accursed, and threatened his posterity in the seventh generation. He also cast him, together with his wife, out of that land. And when he was afraid that in wandering about he should fall among Wild beasts, and by that means perish, God bid him not to entertain such a melancholy suspicion, and to go over all the earth without fear of what mischief he might suffer from wild beasts; and setting a mark upon him, that he might be known, he commanded him to depart.

And when Cain had traveled over many countries, he, with his wife, built a city, named Nod, which is a place so called, and there he settled his abode; where also he had children. However, he did not accept of his punishment in order to amendment, but to increase his wickedness; for he only aimed to procure every thing that was for his own bodily pleasure, though it obliged him to be injurious to his neighbors. He augmented his household substance with much wealth, by rapine and violence; he excited his acquaintance to procure pleasures and spoils by robbery, and became a great leader of men into wicked courses. He (Cain) also introduced a change in that way of simplicity wherein men lived before; and was the author of measures and weights. And whereas they lived innocently and generously while they knew nothing of such arts, he changed the world into cunning craftiness. He first of all set boundaries about lands: he built a city, and fortified it with walls, and he compelled his family to come together to it; and called that city Enoch, after the name of his eldest son Enoch.

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more examples soon to come

Sodom and Gomorrah

2009-10-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Well I was looking at the picture I posted previously, concerning "the Story of Lot's wife".. and I noticed what looked like a man's face in the dirt, it really looked like he died, standing up as "fire and brimstone" burned him alive and preserved his remains... well it looked that way.. (see the close-up below)

the head seems a little large right?

So I decided to do some research, and came upon something pretty amazing. My last post about archeological evidence to support the Bible, was actually my first post, regarding "King Solomon's gates" and their excavations. This post, is in regard to the possible excavations of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as the three other cities... all of which are described in the Bible as "the five cities of the plain"..

The following notes are very interesting:

In the early part of the 20th century, the entire Biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah was doubted by many academicians. Not merely the part of the story of the supernatural destruction, but also any possible rule over the area by the Mesopotamians to the east.

However, in the early 1920s, Dr. Nelson Glueck discovered evidence of an ancient route between Mesopotamia and the Dead Sea area.

In the 1960s, a large cemetery was discovered near Bāb edh-Dhrāʻ.

Current estimates of the number of bodies occupying that cemetery is about a half million!

Between 1973 and 1979, four more "cities" to the south of Bāb edh-Dhrāʻ were found. Their Arabic names are Numeira, Safi, Feifa, and Khanazir.

As noted above, the cemetery of Bāb edh-Dhrāʻ is reported to contain the remains of 500,000 individuals. The cemetery in Safi seems to hold the same number of corpses, another 500,000. The grounds of Feifa hold another 500,000. The cemeteries of Numeria and Khanazir have yet to be located; however, the known number of burials in this relatively small area of the Dead Sea Desert -- 1,500,000 bodies -- indicates that this was once a thriving, heavily populated area.

(notes from Genesis 23, after Abraham's wife Sarah dies in Canaan, at Hebron, Abraham purchases a field and cave to bury his dead, indicating burial sites in the area, he is also noted as having many offspring, indicating large burial grounds.)

Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.
GEN 23:19

Paleoenthnobotanists found in Bab edh-Dhra traces of wheat, barley, dates, plums, peaches, grapes, figs, pistachio nuts, almonds, olives, pine nuts, lentils, chick peas, pumpkin, flax seed, and watermelon. It was a gourmand's delight. The healthy diet manifested itself in the physique of the inhabitants: skeletal remains indicate that a height of 5'9"-6'4" was quite normal. This is a rather tall figure for such an ancient culture.

(This would explain why the heads in the pictures look so large...)

Numeira was excavated for two seasons and the foundations of a few homes were uncovered. Perhaps the most interesting find was the remains of a winery with 4000-year-old whole grapes were still there, preserved by the arid desert climate. In latter years Moses referred to the vineyards of Sodom, For their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter.
DEUT 32:32

Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire - from the Lord out of heaven.
GEN 19:24

Upon excavation, it was discovered that, the entire areas of Bab edh-Dhra and Numeira are covered with a spongy ash. These two cities show clear signs of utter destruction. The layer of ash ranges from 4-20 inches in depth.

In fact, Josephus refers to the Dead Sea as Lake Asphaltites. It is of interest to note that Josephus writes that the Lake Asphaltites was formed as a result of the devastation that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Bitumen/asphalt is a naturally occurring, highly flammable substance found in the Dead Sea area.

Parallel to these five cities is fault line where two large plates of earth are exerting great pressure on each other. This tectonic feature has caused a number of earthquakes in the region. The pressure can also force subterranean matter, such as magma, or, in this case, bitumen into the air. Geologists suggest that, (when the time came for the destruction of Sodom), the earth spewed forth flammable hydrocarbons high into the atmosphere. These were ignited by lightning (funny, I just did a post a few days ago about lightning) or some other natural source and the flaming debris fell back to earth.

The Evidence

The Bible refers to a metropolis of five cities in the Dead Sea area, complete with kings.
GEN 14:1

Five, and only five ancient cities, have been found in the Dead Sea area.

Ancient Jewish Scripture refers to a conquest by the Mesopotamians.

The artifacts found in the Dead Sea area show a Mesopotamian influence.

The Bible describes the area as a thriving population.

The enormous number of burials in the large cemeteries attests to a great population.

The Bible describes the area as an agricultural wonderland.
(GEN 13:10 amd GEN 19:25)

The great diversity of agricultural products found in the ruins verify the lush produce enjoyed by the area's inhabitants.

In the Bible, there was a war in the area (GEN 14) and then ultimate destruction (GEN 19).

Devastation levels found in Numeira (Sodom) show results of a war and then years later, destruction by fire, and are consistent with the Bible's assertion.

The Bible attributes the destruction of the cities to a fiery storm that rained down from above.

Thick layers of burnt material covering the remains of the cities in the area support this claim.

You can read the full artcile here:

http://www.aish.com/ci/sam/48931527.html

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this section added on October 24, 2009

So then last night, I started thinking, if Numeira is the real Sodom, then what does the current Mount Sodom (Mount Sedom) have to do with this, since the original picture of skeletal remains I posted at the very top of this post, is from today's location of Mount Sodom, and then there's skeletal remains at Bāb edh-Dhrāʻ and Numeira as well.....

and then it clicked!

If Josephus states that the Dead Sea was formed as a result of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, then that means it didn't exist before the destruction, which would make the entire area a flat plain. There was no sea between Numeira (Sodom), Mount Sedom or even between Hebron (Mamre, Canaan) and Sodom.

Modern day Safi is possibly the city of Zoar, where Lot begged the angels to allow him to escape to before the destruction. It was close enough to Sodom and Gomorrah, that looking back just as they reached safety, caused Lot's wife to be cast into a pillar of salt (on Mount Sedom) on the other side of the newly formed Dead Sea (but south-west of where Abraham was in the mountains)

So looking at the map below, imagine there is no Dead Sea, just land, connecting all these cities.

Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities - and also the vegetation in the land.
GEN 19:25

Excavators found remains of alot of vegetation, but nothing grows there now because the area is uninhabitable due to heat, sulphur and acidic waters.

But Lot's wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt
GEN 19:26

Also of interest, when the angel found Lot, he was in Sodom (GEN 14:12), not Gomorrah, and they told him to flee to the mountains, which were west to Mamre (Hebron)

The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre.
GEN 18:1

By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land
GEN 19:23

Early the next morning Abraham got up AND RETURNED to the place where he had stood before the Lord (that is, Hebron). He looked DOWN (from the mountains?) toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward the land of the plain, and he saw a dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.
GEN 19:27

Remember Abraham and Lot were not together, and when Lot said,

"But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die."
GEN 19:19

if you look at the map, to get to where Abraham was, in the mountains, Lot would have had the newly forming Dead Sea at his heels, so instead they allowed him to go south to Zoar.

sources -
Bāb edh-Dhrāʻ
excavations in the cemetery
directed by Paul W. Lapp (1965-67)
written by Paul W. Lapp, R. Thomas Schaub, Walter E. Rast

Map of Israel

Sodom and Gomorrah and Biblical Archeology

BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER 19

Lightning...

2009-10-17T12:42:00.001-07:00

My friend asked me last night if I'd heard of 89.5FM, it's University of Toronto radio. This afternoon, I was just flipping through stations and landed on 89.7FM which was having a discussion with a professor about thunder and lightning. Apparently, if u know a bunch of specific values (such as air pressure, ground topology etc.), which are hard to find, u can directly pinpoint the location
of a strike. So the professor says "it's NOT random, if it were they couldn't study it". Which amazed me.
The radio host was running out of questions so she decided to take 2 calls, she took them and then she said she was running out of time, she had 2 more questions of her own and then end of show in a hurry. I then decided I really wanted to know what the professor thought after everything he knew about
lightning, why he thought God created it.
I called, a number of times, all busy, then I got through, I said what I wanted to ask and the operator told me my question might make the blog but they were out of time. Then the radio host was asking her last question about safety, what to do if you are in an open field, the professor said "crouch", the radio host laughed and said "pray", the professor said "that's really important, pray"....
At which point, I called the operator again, and said "they're talking about praying, you have to ask him why he thinks God created lightning!!!" She asks someone "if they want the call" and then she says to me, "you're going on air" at which point the radio host says that the clock she was checking was mysteriously FAST and she had time for one more call.
I got on, and I asked "Prof, after all your research and everything you know about lightning, that it is not random and instead specific, after knowing all this, why do you think God created it?" (I got to ask this LIVE ON AIR) and the professor said it would be a "ten minute conversation" but gave some examples about its importance to the earth, soil, plants, global battery and the ozone layer and said there were many, many more important reasons for lightning. In other words, we couldn't survive without it.
Turns out 89.7FM is just picking up reception from 89.5FM. The station
I found out about for the first time last night.

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

The story of Lot's wife...

2009-10-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

taken from the Book of Genesis

Chapter 19

And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my LORD: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

"Halite (rock salt) formation of Lot's wife on Mount Sodom, Isreal"

Links: Genesis 19 | Mount Sodom | Lot & his wife

Heaven...

2009-10-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 65

Judgment and Salvation

1 "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.'

2 All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations-

3 a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick;

4 who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat;

5 who say, 'Keep away; don't come near me, for I am too sacred for you!' Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.

6 "See, it stands written before me: I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps-

7 both your sins and the sins of your fathers," says the LORD. "Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains and defied me on the hills, I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds."

8 This is what the LORD says: "As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and men say, 'Don't destroy it, there is yet some good in it,' so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all.

9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my mountains; my chosen people will inherit them, and there will my servants live.

10 Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who seek me.

11 "But as for you who forsake the LORD and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,

12 I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me."

13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.

14 My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit.

15 You will leave your name to my chosen ones as a curse; the Sovereign LORD will put you to death, but to his servants he will give another name.

16 Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth; he who takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.

New Heavens and a New Earth

17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.

19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

20 "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach [a] a hundred will be considered accursed.

21 They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.

23 They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them.

24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD.