Re: Scripture of the Day

**Admin** Fri Apr 01, 2016 10:47 am

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON MODERN BIBLE TRANSLATIONS. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 86A]

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. Romans 7:14 – 15, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, we have all inherited sin from Adam who disobeyed Almighty God (YHWH), and this is testified to at Romans 5:12, [AV]`” Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Therefore, we need a perfect man to give his human life as a ransom to remove this inherited from mankind. This removal of inherited sin from all of obedient mankind was accomplished by Almighty God’s (YHWH’s) only begotten son, Jesus (Yeshua) as shown at Romans 5:14 – 17, [AV] “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”

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Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] DISCOURSE ON MODERN BIBLE TRANSLATIONS:

Most translators of today carefully compare the base text they are using for their translation carefully against many different manuscripts, codex's, papyruses, etc. to to cross check and weed out textural errors. Of course they do NOT put their hands on the original manuscripts as these are under cover of an inert gas to preserve them in most cases. However, photocopies of the original manuscripts are available to modern translators to check and weed out textural errors. Some of the readily available photocopies are the Codex Alexandrinus in the same British Museum as the Codex Sinaiticus, the Codex Ephraemi rescriptus in Paris, the Bezae Codices at Cambridge England, the Papyrus Chester Beatty collections at Dublin, Papyrus Bodmen at Geneva, various copies/versions of the Septuagint, etc. For example, the translational team that translated T"he New English Bible" consulted about 2,000 of these, and the same is true of the New World Translation, An American Translation, American Standard Version, La Biblica (Spanish), etc.

Here is a statement on The New English Bible (NEB):

"A presbytery in the Church of Scotland in 1946 recommended to the General Assembly that a translation of the Bible be made in the language of the present day because the language in the Authorized Version [Authorized King James Bible] was archaic and less generally understood. The General Assembly approached other churches. There was a desire that a completely new translation rather than a revision and for a contemporary idiom rather than a traditional Biblical English be used.

It was planned and directed by representatives of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland, the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Congregational Church in England and Wales, the Council of Churches for Wales, the Irish Council of Churches, the London Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends, the Methodist Church of Great Britain, the Presbyterian Church of England, the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the National Bible Society of Scotland. The Roman Catholic Church in England and Scotland sent representatives as observers.

The translating was done by three panels drawn from scholars of British universities to deal, respectively, with the Old Testament, the Apocrypha, and the New Testament. A fourth panel of trusted literary advisers was to scrutinize the translation for English style" [source - Oxford and Cambridge Universities Presses (1970]).

Let's look at a comparison between Bible translations of one scripture, "Genesis 1:1-2 in several Bibles and brief comments on these Bibles so all can gain a better understanding of what sources are used and how translating is done

Genesis 1:1-2 in An American Translation, by Beck: (ATT)

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was desolate and uninhabitable, and it was dark on the deep sea, but God's Spirit hovered over the waters."

Comments on this translation, "This is the work of Dr. William F. Beck, whose cause was to simplify the English Bible for people of all ages. There are almost 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament all over the earth, plus many thousands of the Latin, Syraic, and other translations. Dr. Beck felt that God wants us to have a passion for the truth; to use all the best evidences from the manuscripts, dictionaries, and grammars as light on the text; and to search with burning hearts for its exact meaning.

The translator did his utmost to make both the Old Testament and the New Testament the most accurate on the market, in regard to the best text, the most thorough lexiographical, grammatical, and archaeological evidence. His goal was to have God talk to the hearts of people in their language of today and tomorrow.

The main purpose of the Bible is its saving doctrine. The translator felt that the Revised Standard Version undermines the Heilsplan (plan of salvation) by cutting down the prophecies of the coming Savior in the Old Testament and the important truths about Christ in the New Testament. The section "What Does the Text Say?" at the back of this Bible gives examples of these changes in the Revised Standard Version and the New English Bible and how they differ from the renderings in An American Translation.
This translation has been acclaimed as the most significant Lutheran contribution in the span of some 450 years since Martin Luther translated the Bible into German. However, it is a Bible not only for Lutherans but also for every English-speaking person. It is a faithful translation, not a paraphrase.

As no translation is perfect, this third edition took into consideration helpful suggestions, which were evaluated. These created further demand for expertise in the original languages. Numerous changes have been made as a result.
The New Testament in the Language of Today was first published in 1963 by Concordia Publishing House.
Leader Publishing Company (1976)

Genesis 1:1-2, in Darby Holy Bible. (DHB)

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was waste and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

Comments on this translation. "This translation of the Old Testament has been derived from a study of the common Hebrew text, and represents at the same time a collation of the late J. N. Darby's German and French Versions, he having himself revised the first few books within a short time of his decease. Those who use this English translation may accordingly expect to find incorporated with it whatever is of special value in the above-mentioned Versions, particularly the French, where the common English Bible is defective.

The purpose of this translation is not to offer to the man of letters a learned work, but rather to provide the simple and unlearned reader with as exact a translation as possible. To this end, all available helps have been used. The work is not a revision of the Bible in common use. The style of the Authorised Version [KJV] has been retained as far as possible within the purpose of the translation.

Poetical parts are distinguished from the rest by a metrical arrangement to which those are accustomed who use Paragraph Bibles. However, this has been abandoned in the Prophets where the poetical form is often complicated.

Elohim will in the text appear only in the name Jehovah Elohim; moreover, when Elohim following immediately on Jehovah has a grammatical adjunct, its place will be taken by the English word "God." For the meaning of Jehovah, Yahweh or Yehveh, see Exodus 3:14,15; Isaiah 40:28; for Jah, see Exodus 25:2. Ordinary spelling of proper names has been adhered to, subject to numerous and necessary corrections. Italics indicate emphasis.
In the first edition of the New Testament, the translator used the Textus Receptus. But the Textus Receptus was itself often changed in the text of the work. He decided to adopt its reading, not attempt to make a text of his own. His object was a more correct translation: only there was no use in translating what all intelligent critics held to be a mistake in the copy.

Since the first edition, various new helps became available. However, there has been little change in the actual translating. There have been changes involving clarity, inaccuracies, and uniformity. [source - G. Morrish (1923), (Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom]

Genesis 1:1-2, in An American Translation by Dr. Edgar J. Goodspeed and a committee. (SGAT)

"When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was a desolate waste, with darkness covering the abyss and a temptuous wind raging over the surface of the waters."

Comments on this translation. "The Old Testament was translated by Alexander R. Gordon (McGill University), Theopile J. Meek (University of Toronto), Leroy Waterman (University of Michigan), and J. M. Powis Smith (University of Chicago). The last person named was also the editor. The New Testament was translated by Edgar J. Goodspeed (University of Chicago)
.
There were basic reasons for the need of this translation of the Old Testament. The control of the Hebrew vocabulary and syntax available to the scholar at this time was vastly greater than that at the command of the translators of the Authorized Version or of its revisers. The science of textual criticism had made great progress in recent years, and no translation of the Old Testament could afford to ignore its results. There had developed a great interest in the stylistic qualities of Hebrew poetry. The English of King James's day was not wholly natural or clear to the average person at this time.
The official Massoretic text was used as a guide. When it was necessary to check elsewhere, a substitute along generally approved lines was used.

Hebrew poetry was presented in poetic lines. Archaic pronouns (except when used in addressing God), verb forms, and adjectives were made more modern. The Tetragammatron was rendered as LORD or GOD in small capital letters.
The New Testament was written in everyday Greek. It, thus, was translated into everyday English.

The translator used helps made available in recent years, including Greek papyri, grammatical works, lexicons, and lexical studies. He followed the Greek texts of Westcott and Hort, except in a very few verses. In one of these, he followed the suggestion of Rendel Harris that by an error of the eye the name of Enoch has dropped out of the text of 1 Peter 3: 19. [source - University of Chicago Press (1931)]

Genesis 1:1-2, in the Lamsa Bible (LBP)

"God created the heavens and the earth in the very beginning.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water."

Comments on this translation. "This translation of the Old and New Testaments is based on Peshitta manuscripts which have comprised the accepted Bible of all those Christians who have used Syriac as their language of prayer and worship for many centuries. The Church of the East and some noted Western scholars dispute the belief of modern scholarship that the originals of the Four Gospels and other parts of the New Testament were written in Greek. In any case, Aramaic speech is an underlying factor and New Testament writers drew on documents written in Aramaic. Syriac is the literary dialect of Aramaic. From the Mediterranean east into India, the Peshitta is still the Bible of preference among Christians.

George M. Lamsa, the translator, devoted the major part of his life to this work. He was an Assyrian and a native of ancient Bible lands. He and his people retained Biblical customs and Semitic culture, which had perished elsewhere. With this background and his knowledge of the Aramaic (Syriac) language, he has recovered much of the meaning that has been lost in other translations of the Scriptures. There is a section on the problems of translating from the Aramaic to the Greek.

Manuscripts used were the Codex Ambrosianus for the Old Testament and the Mortimer-McCawley manuscript for the New Testament. Comparisons have been made with other Peshitta manuscripts, including the oldest dated manuscript in existence. The term Peshitta means straight, simple, sincere and true, that is, the original. Even the Moslems in the Middle East accept and revere the Peshitta text.

Although the Peshitta Old Testament contains the Books of the Apocrypha, this edition has omitted them. [source - A. J. Holman Company (1957), (Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom]

Genesis 1:1-2, the New World Translation (NWT)

"In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and there was darkness upon the surface of [the] watery deep; and God's active force was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters."

Comments on this translation. "It was translated from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages by a committee.

It was originally released in six volumes from 1950 to 1960. The originals contained marginal references and footnotes. The revised 1961 edition had neither. This 1984 edition has been expanded to include complete updating and revision of the marginal (cross) references of the original edition.

It was released by the committee to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania for printing, translation into other languages, and distribution. The translators felt responsible to God to transmit His thoughts and declarations as accurately as possible. [source - Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York (1984) ), (Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom]

Genesis 1:1-2, in the New Century Version (NCV).

"In the beginning God created the sky and the earth. The earth was empty and had no form. Darkness covered the ocean, and God's Spirit was moving over the water."

Comments on this translation. "This translation of God's Word was made from the original Hebrew and Greek languages. The translation team was composed of the World Bible Translation Center and fifty additional, highly qualified and experienced Bible scholars and translators. Some had translation experience on the New International, the New American Standard, and the New King James Versions. The third edition of the United Bible Societies' Greek text, the latest edition of Biblia Hebraica and the Septuagint were among texts used.

Several guidelines were used to make the language clear for any reader. The Living Word Vocabulary, the standard used by World Book Encyclopedia, was the basis for vocabulary. Concepts were put into natural terms -- modern measurements and geographical locations. Ancient customs were clarified in the text or footnotes. Rhetorical questions were stated according to the implied answers. Figures of speech and idiomatic expressions were translated according to their meanings. Obscure terms were clarified. An attempt was made to choose gender language that would convey the intent of the writers. The Tetragrammaton was indicated by putting LORD and GOD in capital letters. Hebrew parallelism in poetry and word plays were retained. Images of ancient languages were translated into equivalent English images, where possible. [source - Word Publishing (1987), (Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom]

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**Admin** Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:34 am

PART 2

A "faithless and twisted generation," egged on by its religious leaders, thus played a key part in bringing about the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Fifty days later, at Pentecost in 33 C.E., the disciples received holy spirit and started to speak in different tongues. Upon hearing the sound, "the multitude came together," and the apostle Peter addressed them as "men of Judea and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem," saying: "This man [Jesus] . . . you fastened to a stake by the hand of lawless men and did away with." How did some of those listeners react? "They were stabbed to the heart." Peter then called on them to repent. He "bore thorough witness and kept exhorting them, saying: 'Get saved from this crooked generation.'" In response, about three thousand "embraced his word heartily [and] were baptized."-Acts 2:6, 14, 23, 37, 40, 41.

"This Generation" Identified.

What, then, is the "generation" so frequently referred to by Jesus in the presence of his disciples? What did they understand by his words: "This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur"? Surely, Jesus was not departing from his established use of the term "this generation," which he consistently applied to the contemporary masses with their "blind guides" who together made up the Jewish nation. (Matthew 15:14) "This generation" experienced all the distress foretold by Jesus and then passed away in an unequaled "great tribulation" on Jerusalem.-Matthew 24:21, 34.

In the first century, Jehovah was judging the Jewish people. Repentant ones, who came to exercise faith in Jehovah's merciful provision through Christ, were saved out of that "great tribulation." True to Jesus' words, all things prophesied occurred, and then the "heaven and earth" of the Jewish system of things-the entire nation, with its religious leaders and wicked society of people-passed away. Jehovah had executed judgment!-Matthew 24:35; compare 2 Peter 3:7.

Those Jews who had paid attention to Jesus' prophetic words realized that their salvation depended, not on trying to calculate the length of a "generation" or of some dated "times or seasons," but on keeping separate from the evil contemporary generation and zealously doing God's will. Though the final words of Jesus' prophecy apply to the major fulfillment in our day, first-century Jewish Christians also had to heed the admonition: "Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that you may succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur, and in standing before the Son of man."-Luke 21:32-36; Acts 1:6-8.

Today, "the great day of Jehovah . . . is near, and there is a hurrying of it very much." (Zephaniah 1:14-18; Isaiah 13:9, 13) Suddenly, at Jehovah's own predetermined "day and hour," his fury will be unleashed upon the world's religious, political, and commercial elements, together with the wayward people who make up this contemporary "wicked and adulterous generation." (Matthew 12:39; 24:36; Revelation 7:1-3, 9, 14) How may you get saved out of "the great tribulation"? [source - WT 11/1/95, pages 10-15]

THE FACTS ON MATTHEW 10:23:

Matthew 10:23, " But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come." (ASV).

Now, "What is the meaning of the following statement, recorded at Matthew 10:23: "You will by no means complete the circuit of the cities of Israel until the Son of man arrives"?
Jesus said that in the year 31 (A.D.). This was when he was sending out his twelve apostles, in twos, to preach in all the cities of Israel. It may have been, as in the case of the seventy evangelizers whom Jesus also sent out to preach, that the apostles were sent in advance of Jesus and that Jesus would later come to the places where they had preached. (Luke 10:1) This, however, does not appear to be the thing referred to by Jesus in Matthew 10:23, namely, that he would personally, in the flesh, follow up his twelve apostles in the cities in which they had preached.

It is evident that when Jesus gave his twelve apostles these preaching instructions, he was doing so for the years that would follow his death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, never to come back again to the earth in the flesh. How is this evident? From the fact that Jesus spoke to the apostles about their being mistreated in the synagogues and being haled before governors and kings "for a witness to them and the nations." (Matt. 10:17, 18) There is no record that such things occurred during the short preaching campaign in which the apostles engaged in Israel exclusively, after which they returned to Jesus and made their reports. At the time that Jesus gave them the above instructions, he plainly told them not to go to the nations or even to the Samaritans on this preaching campaign, but only to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel."-Matt. 10:5, 6.

So it must have been because he looked ahead to their world-wide preaching among outside nations after his ascension to heaven that Jesus said to the apostles: "You will be objects of hatred by all people [not merely Israelites] on account of my name; but he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. When they persecute you in one city, flee to another; for truly I say to you, You will by no means complete the circuit of the cities of Israel until the Son of man arrives."-Matt. 10:22, 23.

On the occasion of saying those words, Jesus gave the apostles, for the immediate preaching campaign, a local territory assignment. It took in the territory of Israel in Palestine, namely, Judea, Galilee and Peraea, and did not include Samaria. By covering this they would "complete the circuit of the cities of Israel." So now Jesus used this temporary, limited territory assignment as an illustration of their final complete territory assignment. Before he ascended to heaven the resurrected Jesus made their territory assignment the entire world, for he said: "All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth. Go therefore [everywhere in the earth] and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit." (Matt. 28:18, 19) This enlarged their territory assignment beyond the borders of Israel, yes, beyond the borders of so-called Christendom and out into the so-called pagan world that does not belong to Christendom. Under Jesus' instructions, his disciples were to undertake to complete the circuit of the whole inhabited earth, preaching the good news of God's kingdom to all, to Jewish people, to professed Christian people and to all the pagan peoples.

TO BE CONTINUED IN VOL 88A

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**Admin** Sun Apr 03, 2016 6:57 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] WHEN GOD'S (YHWH'S) KINGDOM STARTS RULING: PART 2 OF SERIES [PRESENTED AS A SERIES].
. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 88A]

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Hebrews 2:9, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Here we see that Jesus (Yeshua) was to “taste death” for every man as his sacrifice, his perfect human life would serve as a ransom to lift inherited sin off of all obedient mankind – those striving to live their life in accordance with his Father’s Book of Guidance, the Bible. This was necessary as shown by Romans 5:12, [AV] “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Romans continues at 5:14 – 15, [AV] “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO,

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To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] WHEN GOD'S (YHWH'S) KINGDOM STARTS RULING: PART 2 OF SERIES [PRESENTED AS A SERIES]

By our consideration of Bible prophecy and modern events we discern that the Lord Jesus Christ, in company with Jehovah God, came to the spiritual temple in the spring of 1918. It was after that year, particularly from 1919 forward, that the remnant of Christ's anointed disciples began preaching the good news of God's kingdom as having been established in the heavens in 1914. How long after the Lord's coming to the temple must this preaching continue? Until the "Son of man arrives" for the execution of Jehovah's judgment. This will be in the "war of the great day of God the Almighty," at Armageddon. In connection with that arrival Jesus said, in Revelation 16:15: "Look! I am coming as a thief. Happy is the one that stays awake and keeps his outer garments, that he may not walk naked and people look upon his shamefulness."

Accordingly, by means of his instructions to his twelve apostles Jesus was prophetically telling us today that his anointed disciples or the remnant of spiritual Israel would not complete the circuit of the entire inhabited earth with the preaching of the message of God's established kingdom before the glorified heavenly King Jesus Christ would arrive as Jehovah's executional officer in the battle of Armageddon. This means that Jehovah's servants today, who now include hundreds of thousands of the "other sheep" or earthly companions of the spiritual remnant, will not be able to reach personally all parts of the earth with the Kingdom message before the battle of Armageddon breaks out. [source - WT 06/15/1907, page 184.]

THE FACTS ON MATTHEW 26:64:

Matthew 26:64 says, "Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." (ASV).

"What is "the sign of the Son of man"?

However, there is evidently another major reason for Jesus' frequent use of the expression "Son of man" as applying to himself. This is with regard to the fulfillment of the prophecy recorded at Daniel 7:13, 14. In vision, Daniel saw "someone like a son of man" coming with the clouds of the heavens, gaining access to "the Ancient of Days," and being granted "rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him," his Kingdom being an enduring one.

Because the angelic interpretation of the vision in Daniel 7:18, 22, and 27 speaks of "the holy ones of the Supreme One" as taking possession of this Kingdom, many commentators have endeavored to show that the "son of man" is here a 'corporate personality,' that is, 'the saints of God in their corporate aspect, regarded collectively as a people,' 'the glorified and ideal people of Israel.' This reasoning, however, proves superficial in the light of the Christian Greek Scriptures. It fails to consider that Christ Jesus, God's anointed King, made a 'covenant for a kingdom' with his followers that they might share with him in his Kingdom, and that, while they are to rule as kings and priests, it is under his headship and by his grant of authority. (Lu 22:28-30; Re 5:9, 10; 20:4-6) Thus, they receive ruling authority over the nations only because he has first received such authority from the Sovereign God.-Re 2:26, 27; 3:21.

The correct understanding is made more evident by Jesus' own statements. Regarding "the sign of the Son of man," he stated that "they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Mt 24:30) This was clearly a reference to Daniel's prophecy. So, likewise, was his answer to the high priest's interrogation, saying: "I am [the Christ, the Son of God]; and you persons will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven."-Mr 14:61, 62; Mt 26:63, 64.
Therefore the prophecy of the coming of the Son of man into the presence of the Ancient of Days, Jehovah God, clearly applies to an individual, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The evidence is that it was so understood by the Jewish people. Rabbinic writings applied the prophecy to the Messiah. (Soncino Books of the Bible, edited by A. Cohen, 1951, commentary on Da 7:13) It was doubtless due to wanting some literal fulfillment of this prophecy that the Pharisees and Sadducees asked Jesus to "display to them a sign from heaven." (Mt 16:1; Mr 8:11) After Jesus had died as a man and had been resurrected to spirit life, Stephen had a vision in which "the heavens opened up" and he saw "the Son of man standing at God's right hand." (Ac 7:56) This shows that Jesus Christ, although sacrificing his human nature as a ransom for mankind, rightly retains the Messianic designation "Son of man" in his heavenly position.

The first part of Jesus' statement to the high priest about the coming of the Son of man spoke of him as "sitting at the right hand of power." This is evidently an allusion to the prophetic Psalm 110, Jesus Christ having earlier shown that this psalm applied to him. (Mt 22:42-45) This psalm, as well as the apostle's application of it at Hebrews 10:12, 13, reveals that there would be a waiting period for Jesus Christ before his Father would send him forth to "go subduing in the midst of [his] enemies." It therefore appears that the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 7:13, 14 comes, not at the time of Jesus' resurrection and ascension to heaven, but at the time of his being authorized by God to take action against all opposers in vigorous expression of his kingly authority. The 'coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of Days,' then, apparently corresponds in time to the situation presented at Revelation 12:5-10, when the symbolic man-child is brought forth and caught up to God's throne. Then war breaks out in heaven, and the cry goes up: "Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ."
Further prophetic visions in Revelation (17:12-14; 19:11-21) show the exercise of full regnal power by the Messianic King over "peoples, national groups and languages" (Da 7:14), and hence the one "like a son of man" at Revelation 14:14 undoubtedly also represents Jesus Christ, as does the one so described at Revelation 1:13.-Compare Re 14:14-20; 19:15; and 1:13-18; see KINGDOM OF GOD ("Kingdom of Our Lord and of His Christ").

As to the 'Son of man's coming on the clouds' and being seen by "every eye" (Mt 24:30; Re 1:7), see CLOUD (Illustrative Usage); EYE; PRESENCE. [source - Son of Man, page 1002-1003].

And,

"Shortly before his death, Jesus told the Jewish religious leaders: "From henceforth you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matt. 26:64) What did Jesus mean by this?
He was referring to the Bible prophecy of Daniel about the promised "son of man" who was brought before "the Ancient of Days," Jehovah God. "To him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom," the prophecy says, "that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him." (Dan. 7:13, 14) This shows that the resurrected Jesus Christ would rule in heaven, and that the whole earth will be the territory over which he exercises authority as king.

But since God's kingdom is heavenly-its ruler Jesus Christ now being invisible-many persons do not consider it to be a real government. Yet, as we have seen, there is sound reason to believe that it is. [source - WT 01/15/1979, pages 4-5]

THE FACTS ON 1 CORINTHIANS 10:11:

1 Corinthians 10:11, "Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come." (ASV).

"Completion of the Foretold "Sign" Nears

WE TODAY can be thankful that the apostles of Jesus Christ asked him the question: "Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?" (Matthew 24:3) Their question led to his giving a lengthy, detailed prophecy the accuracy of which leaves us amazed as we see the progress of its fulfillment in this eventful twentieth century. This aids us in determining with certainty where we are in the outworking of God's purpose toward suffering mankind. We are strengthened in our belief that we are actually living during the invisible "presence" of Christ in the spirit and in the "conclusion of the system of things," inasmuch as we do see "the sign" that he foretold.
The "sign" in all its details is nearing its stage of complete clarity with no room for any watching observers to be mistaken. The "sign" has many features, as set out in Matthew's account, chapters twenty-four and twenty-five, Mark's account, chapter thirteen, and Luke's account, chapter twenty-one; and it has been almost the lifetime of a generation of mankind for all the features of the "sign" to become manifest in their fullness. In preceding chapters we have considered those features of the sign as described in Matthew's account, chapter twenty-five. Now we consider those features set out in chapter twenty-four, along with the comparative accounts given by Mark and Luke.

When Christ's apostles opened up their inquiry by saying, "Tell us, When will these things be?" they were referring to the things that Jesus had said prophetically that same day of Tuesday, Nisan 11, of the year 33 C.E. In Jerusalem's temple, after denouncing the hypocritical religious scribes and Pharisees, Jesus went on to say: "Here I am sending forth to you prophets and wise men and public instructors. Some of them you will kill and impale, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city; that there may come upon you all the righteous blood spilled on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I say to you, All these things will come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her,-how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks together under her wings! But you people did not want it. Look! Your house is abandoned to you. For I say to you, You will by no means see me from henceforth until you say, 'Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah's name!'"

Before Jesus left the temple or house of worship, he added further words of solemn prophecy, concerning which we read: "Departing now, Jesus was on his way from the temple, but his disciples approached to show him the buildings of the temple. In response he said to them: 'Do you not behold all these things? Truly I say to you, By no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.'"-Matthew 23:34 to 24:2.

Just two days previously, on Sunday, Nisan 9, he had paused in his triumphal ride toward Jerusalem and wept over her because of her coming destruction. Predicting her terrible destruction by the Romans in 70 C.E., he said: "Because the days will come upon you when your enemies will build around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you and distress you from every side, and they will dash you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave a stone upon a stone in you, because you did not discern the time of your being inspected."-Luke 19:41-44.

For natural, circumcised Jews, such as Christ's apostles were, those were disturbing predictions. Upon the generation of which they were a part, the innocent blood spilled in the course of Jewish history and earlier was to be visited. Exactly when would these things be fulfilled? They wanted to know. They believed and confessed Jesus to be the Messiah or Anointed One, the Christ. But Jerusalem's predicted destruction indicated that he would not set up his Messianic kingdom in that doomed city. He spoke of his not being seen "from henceforth," but also of his coming "in Jehovah's name." When would he be present again to carry out his Messianic role? The coming destruction of Jerusalem and her temple must certainly spell the end of the Jewish system of things. With no holy city and no holy temple the Jewish priesthood of the family of Aaron the Levite might be among those of Jerusalem's "children" who would be dashed "to the ground" or would at least be put out of their temple service. No wonder the apostles asked, not only about the destruction of Jerusalem and her temple, but also: "What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?"

Their questions were on proper points of inquiry, for Jesus did come in the "conclusion" of the Jewish system of things. Other scriptures speak of the situation in that same sense. Hebrews 9:26-28 shows that Jesus did not need to make repeated sacrifices of himself and says: "Otherwise, he would have to suffer often from the founding of the world. But now he has manifested himself once for all time at the conclusion of the systems of things to put sin away through the sacrifice of himself. . . . so also the Christ was offered once for all time to bear the sins of many." Also, 1 Corinthians 10:11 says: "Now these things went on befalling them as examples, and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have arrived." Counted from the year of Jesus' prophecy on the subject, the Jewish system of things had thirty-seven years yet to go, less than a generation with a life-span of forty years. Jerusalem was taken and destroyed by the Romans on Elul 7 (or, August 30, 70 C.E., Gregorian calendar time). How many of Christ's apostles escaped martyrdom and survived till that horrible event, the Bible record does not say.

A TIME OF TESTING AND DISASTERS

In answer to the inquiry of his apostles, Jesus described first the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem within that generation. "And in answer Jesus said to them: 'Look out that nobody misleads you; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will mislead many. You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet.'"-Matthew 24:4-6.

Jews would arise, not claiming to be Jesus returned in the flesh, but claiming to be the promised Messiah or Christ. But neither the apostles nor their fellow disciples should be misled by such self-styled Messiahs or Christs, for their operations would not betoken the "presence" or parousia of Jesus Christ nor bring deliverance to the Jewish nation. The Jewish revolt against the Romans in the year 66 C.E. was to be such a Messianic effort, but it led to Jerusalem's destruction and the scattering of the Jewish nation. The Messianic hopes of these misled people were bitterly disappointed.
During this thirty-seven-year period there were to be a number of wars, within earshot of the disciples or merely reported to them in the news. But those wars, while affecting the situation of the Jewish nation, were not the ones that directly brought on the end of the Jewish system of things. So the disciples were not to be terrorized into taking any premature action. "The end is not yet."

"For," said Jesus in enlarging upon what he had just said about wars and reports of war, "nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress."-Matthew 24:7, 8. Also, Mark 13:8.
Such calamities being merely a "beginning of pangs of distress," the end was "not yet." Those calamities were merely indications, not the final death throe. These things would affect the people in general, but there were things that would come specifically upon Jesus' disciples because they announced the true Messiah or Christ and followed in his footsteps. Hence, Jesus went on to say:

"Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. Then, also, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off. But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come."-Matthew 24:9-14. Compare Mark 13:9-13.

The Bible book entitled "Acts of Apostles" testifies to the fulfillment of those prophetic words of Jesus Christ even within that generation, for this book was written by the medical doctor Luke about the year 61 C.E. Other Bible books, inspired letters written by apostles and other disciples before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., confirm the account in Acts of Apostles and add to the record of Christian suffering under persecution and international hatred toward Christianity. The good news of God's kingdom had penetrated beyond the Middle East into Asia Minor, Continental Asia, Africa, Europe and the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. The preaching of the Kingdom message was being carried on in all the inhabited earth. Although not resulting in world conversion to Christianity, a thing it was never purposed to accomplish, it resulted in a witness to all the nations. (Colossians 1:6, 23) Before this praiseworthy exploit was accomplished by outspoken Christian witnesses, the calamitous end could not come upon Jerusalem and the Jewish system of things.

JERUSALEM'S SECOND DESTRUCTION INDICATED AS AT HAND

Having shown in considerable detail the preliminaries that were to precede "the end," Jesus now specified the particular thing that would indicate the close nearness of the end of Jerusalem and the system of things that was centered in her and her temple. He said: "Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, (let the reader use discernment,) then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains. Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house; and let the man in the field not return to the house to pick up his outer garment. Woe to the pregnant women and those suckling a baby in those days! Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime, nor on the sabbath day."

Why the great need for the Christian Jews and proselytes in the Roman province of Judea to get out of it at top speed, with no unnecessary burdens, by direct route, at the opportune time, and take refuge in the mountains outside the mentioned province? "For then," Jesus continues on to say, "there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short."-Matthew 24:15-22.

This counsel of Jesus the apostles and other disciples should not forget nor disregard. If any of them delayed their flight out of Judea after seeing the disgusting thing standing in a holy place, it might cost them their lives; they might not be among those comparatively few who are spoken of as "flesh" that is saved only because the days of tribulation are cut short. But what is the "disgusting thing" the sight of which standing in the holy place would certify that not much time was left now before the devastating "great tribulation" was right at hand?

Jesus left no doubt as to what it was. He said it was the disgusting thing "as spoken of through Daniel the prophet." (Matthew 24:15) The "disgusting thing" that is foretold by the prophet Daniel in connection with the second destruction of Jerusalem is the one described in Daniel 9:26, 27 (especially according to the Greek Septuagint Version of the Hebrew Bible text). Secular history reveals that "disgusting thing" to be the pagan Roman armies under their "leader." That this is the proper explanation of the prophecy is borne out by a comparison of Matthew's account of Jesus' prophecy at this place with Luke's account at the corresponding place in Jesus' prophecy. Luke 21:20-24 says:

"Furthermore, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. Then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her withdraw, and let those in the country places not enter into her; because these are days for meting out justice [or, days of vengeance], that all the things written [including Daniel 9:26, 27] may be fulfilled. Woe to the pregnant women and the ones suckling a baby in those days! For there will be great necessity upon the land and wrath on this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled."-Compare also with Mark 13:14-20.

It was in the year 66 C.E. that the Christian Jews in Jerusalem and Judea began to see the "disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet," take a stand in a "holy place," namely, Jerusalem and its environs. It was in that year that the unchristianized Jews revolted with Messianic aspirations against further rule by the Roman Empire. In reaction to this, the Roman general, Cestius Gallus, came down from Syria and surrounded Jerusalem with "encamped armies." It was at the time that the Jews celebrated the Festival of Booths (or, Tabernacles) from Tishri 15 to 21, which in that year should have run for the seven days of October 22-28 (Gregorian calendar). General Cestius Gallus brought his armies up to within "fifty furlongs" of the celebrating city. The Jews, well armed, sallied forth in attack and inflicted some damage on the Romans.

There now followed a "wait for three days." Then General Gallus, forcing the Jews back to Jerusalem, brought his troops up close to the city. But it was first on the last day of the month Tishri (about November 5) that he got his troops into the city of Jerusalem. He was indeed now in a place considered "holy" to the Jews. For five days the Romans made an attack on the temple wall, and on the sixth day they undermined the wall. This certainly was an assailing of what the Jews considered most holy. Easily the Romans could have now captured the whole city, but then, suddenly, without any valid reason for doing so, General Gallus withdrew from the city and retreated. The elated Jews went in hot pursuit and harassed the retreating Romans and inflicted considerable harm, so that the retreat turned into a rout. This was a stinging blow at the pride of the world-conquering Romans. Jerusalem was liberated! And in commemoration the Jews coined some new silver shekels bearing on one side the inscription "Jerusalem the Holy."

Were the Christianized Jews in Jerusalem and in the province of Judea deceived by this reestablishing of the independence of this land of the Jews? Not those who took to heart Jesus' prophecy and his counsel. They had actually seen the holy city of Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies. They had seen the "disgusting thing that causes desolation," with its military standards that were idolized as gods by the soldiers, standing "in a holy place," "standing where it ought not." (Mark 13:14) From this they were to "know that the desolating of her [Jerusalem] has drawn near." (Luke 21:20) It was now high time either to get out of Jerusalem or not to enter into her but to flee from all the province of Judea to the mountains outside, for instance, eastward across the Jordan River to the province of Perea. There, outside the doomed territory, these Christianized Jews could continue their preaching of the good news of God's true Messianic kingdom, instead of perishing with the doomed unbelieving Jews.

The independence of the Jews in Judea proved to be of short duration. Roman General Vespasian succeeded to General Gallus and reached Palestine early in the following year, 67 C.E. His endeavors to get the rest of the country under control allowed for the Jews to strengthen their defenses. After the death of Emperor Nero in 68 C.E., Vespasian was elevated to imperial power. Leaving Palestine, he reached Rome about the middle of 70 C.E. He left his son General Titus in charge of Roman military forces in Syria. The Jewish Passover of the year 70 approached, and the non-Christian Jews flocked to the city of Jerusalem for the celebration. It was then that General Titus came with four legions and bottled up the celebrating Jews inside the city. To starve out the rebellious Jews, he did what Jesus had foretold, build a fortified stockade, "a fortification with pointed stakes," about five miles long all around the city, to prevent any Jews from escaping.
The straits of the cooped-up Jews inside Jerusalem became desperate. The first-century Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, in his writings, vividly describes the horrors resulting from the Roman siege. The loss of Jewish lives was mounting higher and higher. It appeared that, if the siege lasted too long, "no flesh" inside the besieged city would survive. It was as Jesus had foretold concerning this "great tribulation" upon Jerusalem and Judea: "In fact, unless Jehovah had cut short the days, no flesh would be saved. But on account of the chosen ones whom he has chosen he has cut short the days."-Mark 13:19, 20.
Providentially, the days of the siege proved to be relatively short, just 142 days, counted from Nisan 14 to Elul 7, or parts of six lunar months. That is to say, according to the Gregorian calendar, by August 30, 70 C.E., it was all over. Some Jewish flesh was permitted to survive, 97,000 Jews, according to Josephus' account, whereas he reports that 1,100,000 perished in the siege. Were those 97,000 survivors the "chosen ones" on account of whom Jehovah had cut short the days? Not unless you would call them chosen for captivity and enslavement. For it was just as Jesus had said: "There will be great necessity upon the land and wrath on this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled."-Luke 21:23, 24.

No! the "chosen ones" on account of whom the number of days of Jerusalem's "great tribulation" was cut short were not those 97,000 miserable Jewish captives, upon whom Jehovah's great "wrath" rested in those "days for meting out justice." Jehovah's "chosen ones" were the Christianized Jews, to whom he had given the signal to flee without delay from all of Judea, including its capital Jerusalem. He desired all of them to get safely out of the danger zone, by acting in faith on Jesus' counsel to flee promptly after seeing the "disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place." After Jehovah got all these "chosen" disciples of his Son Jesus Christ out of the place upon which divine justice was to be meted out, he could let the execution of his vengeance upon the rebellious Jews be of short duration. As it is written: "Jehovah will make an accounting on the earth, concluding it and cutting it short." (Romans 9:28; Isaiah 10:23) Rightly, then, "on account of the chosen ones" those days of great tribulation on Jerusalem were cut short.

Secular history records the accuracy of Jesus' prophecy. But with this account of the destruction of earthly Jerusalem the prophecy of Jesus does not end, for there is more to say concerning the "sign" of his presence and of the "conclusion of the system of things." He looks beyond the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., for he says, in Luke 21:24: "And Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled." Jesus looked to the fulfilled "end" of those appointed times of the nations, usually called the Gentile Times. That means that he looked forward to the year 1914 C.E., for in that year the right of Jerusalem to have a Messianic kingdom in the hands of the Permanent Heir of King David ceased being trampled on by the nations. Why do we say this, inasmuch as in the year 1914 the rebuilt city of Jerusalem over in the Middle East was still under control of the Mohammedan Turks? It is because, in that year, at the close of the Gentile Times, Jehovah God enthroned the Permanent Heir of King David, not in the Turk-controlled earthly Jerusalem, but in the heavenly Jerusalem.-Hebrews 12:22.

FULFILLMENT UPON ANTITYPICAL UNFAITHFUL JERUSALEM

It becomes plain that, in his prophecy, Jesus was using the city of Jerusalem not only in a literal sense but also in a typical sense, as prefiguring something else of greater proportions. Otherwise, he would not have said concerning her destruction in 70 C.E., "then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again." (Matthew 24:21; Mark 13:19) All informed persons know that Jerusalem's destruction in 70 C.E. was not the worst catastrophe since the world's beginning, for, what about the global deluge of Noah's day? And as for the equal of Jerusalem's destruction by the Romans never occurring after 70 C.E., what about World War I and World War II in this twentieth century? Jesus' language was not exaggerated, but evidently he was thinking of Jerusalem as a prophetic type, as a warning example of something that would embrace the whole world in a similar destruction. He was thinking of the antitypical unfaithful Jerusalem, namely, one of modern times. And what is that? It is Christendom with her hundreds of conflicting religious sects.-1 Corinthians 10:11.

This application of Jesus' prophecy holds true, not only as to Christendom's approaching destruction with all her political, commercial, military and judicial paramours, but also as to the world events that immediately lead up to her annihilation. Christendom now lives in a period of time that resembles in her twentieth-century experiences the period of time from Jesus' prophecy given on the Mount of Olives until the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and her temple in 70 C.E. This particular corresponding period of time for Christendom began at the close of the "appointed times of the nations" in the year 1914. Consider world happenings since then.

What things did Jesus say would be a "beginning of pangs of distress"? Were they not to be wars, food shortage, earthquakes, pestilences? (Matthew 24:7, 8; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:10, 11) What "wars" in the days of Christ's apostles in the first century can compare with World Wars I and II, not to speak of all the other wars since the close of World War II in 1945 C.E.? Did the famines, earthquakes, pestilences of the years 33 to 70 C.E. surpass the food shortages, earthquakes and pestilences Christendom and all the rest of the world have had since the end of the Gentile Times in 1914?

Jesus also told his apostles that his disciples would be sorely persecuted, being delivered up to tribulation and being killed, yes, of their becoming an object of hatred by all the nations; also, of the arising of false prophets, false Messiahs, and of the increasing of lawlessness toward God with a consequent cooling off of the quality of love on the part of the great majority of professed religionists; also, of the need of Christian endurance during such a time as that. (Matthew 24:9-13; Mark 13:9-13; Luke 21:12-19) Such developments marked apostolic times of the first century. And what about world developments since the Gentile Times ended in 1914? Has the world become so converted to Christianity that the persecution of Christ's true disciples has ceased? Is there any religious minority that is more the object of "hatred by all the nations on account of my [Christ's] name" than Jehovah's witnesses? Are there any religious persecutions greater than those heaped upon these Christian witnesses of Jehovah all the way from 1914 down to the present time? A record is there for all to consult.

There was another distinguishing feature about that apostolic period of the first century prior to 70 C.E. To his Jewish opposers in Jerusalem, Jesus said: "The kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits." (Matthew 21:43) Even with their false Messiahs the Jews were not producing the fruits of God's kingdom by proclaiming it to the Gentiles. Before Jerusalem's destruction, they did not take up the message of John the Baptist and proclaim that the kingdom of the heavens was at hand. No, for during his last visit to the temple in Jerusalem Jesus said to the religious scribes and Pharisees: "You shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for you yourselves do not go in, neither do you permit those on their way in to go in." (Matthew 23:13) To whom, then, goes the credit for a fulfillment before the year 70 C.E. of Jesus' dynamic words: "And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations"? (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10) It goes to those who were the "objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name"-his own disciples.

Similarly, in this corresponding period since the close of the Gentile Times in 1914 C.E., it is those who are outstandingly the "objects of hatred by all the nations on account of [Christ's] name" that are bringing about a modern-day fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy concerning the good news of God's kingdom. They are the ones who, despite hatred and persecution, have filled the inhabited earth with the preaching of the good news of God's Messianic kingdom for a witness to all the nations. This is not the message of God's kingdom such as Christendom has been preaching since the start of her existence in the days of Emperor Constantine in the fourth century-a kingdom within her hundreds of millions of church members, in their hearts, a kingdom that is finally realized by world conversion to Christendom's churches. In stark contrast, the kingdom preached by Jehovah's Christian witnesses since the end of the Gentile Times in 1914 is a real government that was born in the heavens in that year. It is the established kingdom of God in the hands of the Permanent Heir of King David, and it will put an end to all the political governments of this earth and bless earth's inhabitants with everlasting life, peace and happiness.

This remarkable accomplishment, the preaching of such good news in all the inhabited earth for an international witness, by Jehovah's Christian witnesses is significant. It is a brightly shining feature of the "sign" that was to mark the "presence" or parousia of the reigning King Jesus Christ in spirit. Since the year of his enthronement in the heavens at God's right hand that preaching from door to door and by all other means of modern communication has been carried on by Jehovah's Christian witnesses for well over half a century, notwithstanding world wars and other large-scale calamities. Evidently the completing of the witness to all the nations concerning God's Messianic kingdom that is about to take over all mankind's affairs must be very near. This worldwide Kingdom-preaching was to precede "the end." All the inhabited earth has now heard the Kingdom-preaching. No longer do "all the nations" remain without a witness to them. "And then the end will come," said Jesus, for this system of things! [source - Completion of the Foretold "Sign" Nears, pages 293-308]

THE FACTS ON 1 JOHN 2:18:

1 John 2:18, "Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour." (ASV).
By the last hour, John evidently meant that of the Apostolic age as he was very old and all the other apostles had died, and that there would be a falling away. John's statement shows that there are many individual antichrists, though all together they may form a composite person designated "the antichrist." Per 2 John 7, "For manydeceivers have gone forth into the world, persons not confessing Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist." (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures; KIT). However the expreeion 'hour' refers to a period of time of undetermined length. Thus, He thus did not restrict the appearance, existence, and activity of such antichrist to some future time only but showed that the antichrist was then present and would continue on per 1 John 4:3, and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already." (ASV).

And,

"The "last days" mentioned by Paul at 2 Timothy 3:1-7 refer to the time after the apostasy had had its long day under the "man of lawlessness" referred to at 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12. All the matters mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 are 'fruits' of apostasy that are grossly apparent in our time. This does not refer to the first century, as the "man of lawlessness" was not then evident. These "last days" are therefore different from the "last hour" mentioned at 1 John 2:18, which refers to the closing period of apostolic restraint against lawlessness. This "restraint" was taken away at the death of John, the last of the apostles.-2 Thess. 2:7." [source - WT 08/15/1976, page 512]
THE FACTS ON MATTHEW 23:26:

Matthew 23:26, "Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation." (ASV).

"When Jesus' apostles asked for a "sign" about his presence and the conclusion of the system of things, he gave his famous prophecy about coming wars, famines, earthquakes and the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom before the end. (Matt. 24, 25; Mark 13; Luke 21) He also said: "Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur."-Matt. 24:34

Based on the Bible and its fulfillment in history, Jehovah's Witnesses have often pointed out that Christ's prophecy was to have two applications: First, between 33 C.E. and the [minor fulfillment] destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.; second, a larger [or major fulfillment] fulfillment in this "time of the end" since 1914 C.E.

However, some Bible commentators have failed to appreciate the dual aspect of this prophecy. So they have held that by the term "generation" Jesus meant a race or people, such as the Jewish people or the class of wicked humans existing through the centuries. They might even refer to 1 Peter 2:9, which, in the Authorized Version, speaks of the anointed Christian congregation as "a chosen generation." However, Bible scholars now recognize that the Greek word in 1 Peter 2:9 should be rendered "race" and is different from the word rendered "generation" in Matthew 24:34.

Jesus was not referring to a race of people over the centuries or just to Christians. He was first of all referring to his listeners and other Jews at that time. An indication of this is the fact that earlier that day, when condemning the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus spoke of their murdering the prophets and said: "All these things will come upon this generation." (Matt. 23:36) These words came true on the contemporary generation when in 70 C.E. the Jews in Jerusalem faced its fiery destruction. (Luke 3:16, 17) That also marked the 'conclusion of the Jewish system of things' in the first fulfillment of Christ's prophecy.

This helps us to understand "generation" in Matthew 24:34. In common English usage today "generation" might be used for (1) all persons who were born and who live about the same time, or (2) the average span between the birth of parents and that of their children, usually 20 to 30 years. Which did Jesus mean? Obviously not the latter, for in its first application the "generation" ran from 33 C.E. until 70 C.E., or at least 37 years.

Also, it is evident that by the word "generation" Jesus did not mean just the Jewish children born in 33 C.E. Luke relates that after being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom was coming, Jesus told his disciples: "[The Son of man] must undergo many sufferings and be rejected by this generation." (Luke 17:20-25) That rejection certainly was not by newborn babies. Likewise, the way things worked out shows that the "generation" he spoke of in Matthew 24:34 included his listeners and others who could discern the fulfillment of his words from 33 C.E. onward until Jerusalem's destruction.

Thus, when it comes to the application in our time, the "generation" logically would not apply to babies born during World War I. It applies to Christ's followers and others who were able to observe that war and the other things that have occurred in fulfillment of Jesus' composite "sign." Some of such persons "will by no means pass away until" all of what Christ prophesied occurs, including the end of the present wicked system.

Jesus did not encourage his followers to try to calculate the exact length of this "generation." (Ps. 90:10) Instead of trying to figure how many more years, at the maximum, there may be until the end, Christians should remember Jesus' warning: "Keep on the watch . . . because at an hour that you do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming."-Matt. 24:42-44.

We have ample evidence that Matthew chapter 24 is being fulfilled now, during "the conclusion of the system of things." One proof is the earth-wide preaching of the good news of the established Messianic kingdom, which Jesus said must be done before the end comes. (Matt. 24:14) So, rather than being drawn into speculation about a date that we cannot know, let true Christians actively share in that important preaching, as they look forward confidently to the fulfillment of Jesus' words about "this generation" at Matthew 24:34. [source - WT 10/01/1978, page 31].

TO BE CONTINUED IN VOL 89A

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OMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] WHEN GOD'S (YHWH'S) KINGDOM STARTS RULING: PART 3 OF SERIES [PRESENTED AS A SERIES]. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 89A]

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:6 – 9, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, this describes some of the conditions that will exist under the Kingdom of God that the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua) will rule over and that we pray for at Matthew 6:9 – 10, [AV] “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Yes, and Isaiah 35:5 – 6, [AV] says, “ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. Indeed, the so called ‘golden rule’ will be the standard interpersonal operating way of life as it is given at Matthew 7:12, [AV] “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] WHEN GOD'S (YHWH'S) KINGDOM STARTS RULING: PART 3 OF SERIES [PRESENTED AS A SERIES]

THE FACTS ON LUKE 11:47 AND 51:

Luke 11:47, "Woe unto you! for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them" (ASV)..

And,

Luke 11:51, "from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary: yea, I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation." (ASV).

Here, Jesus explained to his disciples the reason for his coming John 14:2-3 " In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also." (ASV).

"Shortly before instituting the Lord's Evening Meal, Jesus told his faithful apostles that he had to go away. He meant, of course, that after he died later that day, he had to go his way to heaven. Peter reacted by asking to be allowed to follow him. Thereupon Jesus said: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Exercise faith in God, exercise faith also in me. In the house of my Father there are many abodes. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going my way to prepare a place for you. Also, if I go my way and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will receive you home to myself, that where I am you also may be."-John 14:1-3.

What "abodes" needed to be prepared for the apostles? Some Bible translators have rendered John 14:2 in a way that suggests that Jesus was talking about the apostles' needing "resting-places" on their way to heaven or their finding various rooms in heaven. Yet, W. E. Vine says about the Greek word involved: "There is nothing in the word to indicate separate compartments in Heaven; neither does it suggest temporary resting-places on the road." The word means simply a place to abide. So Jesus was promising abiding places in the spiritual heavens where he was going to be with his Father.-Ephesians 1:20; 1 Peter 1:4; 3:21, 22.

But in what way would Jesus prepare such abodes for his loyal followers? Having died a sacrificial death, Jesus went to heaven to present before God the value of his lifeblood. This would first benefit those who would be called to be joint heirs of heavenly life. The apostle Paul wrote: "Christ entered, not into a holy place made with hands, which is a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the person of God for us." (Hebrews 9:12, 24-28; Romans 6:5; 8:17) So when Jesus told the apostles that he was going to "prepare a place for" them, he certainly would have in mind his 'appearing before the person of God for' them. Only after he did that could they or other humans follow him to heaven.-Philippians 3:20, 21.

Did Jesus have to do other things to prepare a place for them? In time, he would assume kingly power and would war against Satan, casting him and his demons out of heaven. (Revelation 12:7-9) This would occur prior to the start of the heavenly resurrection of the apostles and other anointed ones sleeping in death. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) Whether Jesus' comment about 'preparing a place for' his followers included his casting Satan out of heaven, we cannot say.

Moreover, we do not know if Jesus had other assignments that had to do with preparing a place in heaven for anointed Christians. Yet, at least we can be sure that Jesus did prepare the way for his anointed followers by presenting to God the value of his "precious blood." (1 Peter 1:19) On the basis of that blood, the new covenant was established between Jehovah God and spirit-anointed Christians. [source - WT 05/15/1988 page 31].

"God's Kingdom Comes to Power in the Midst of Its Enemies

FOR thousands of years men of faith have lived in eager expectation of the day when God's kingdom would begin its rule. They have felt keenly the need for God to take a direct hand in earth's affairs. Does this mean that God has not been King during the centuries past? No, for Jehovah has always been the Supreme Ruler of the universe. (Jeremiah 10:10) But here at the earth his rulership has been challenged. And, as we have already seen, for sound reasons and with a loving purpose in view, God has allowed human governments under the influence of Satan to rule for a fixed period of time.

Jehovah promised, however, that at the end of that time he would take direct action against all rebels and opposers of his rule. And he would bring the earth and its inhabitants completely under his rule again. How? By the Kingdom, a new heavenly government under his Son Christ Jesus. So the coming of that kingdom to power means that great changes are near at hand. It means that Jehovah God has given to his Son "rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him."-Daniel 7:13, 14.

That event has already taken place in heaven. Kingdom authority has already been given to Jehovah's Son. Does that sound strange to you? It might, especially in view of the terrible conditions afflicting mankind. But, really, it is because of these very conditions that we can be certain that this is true. Why is this?

This is so because the coming to power of Jehovah's kingdom is not welcomed by all creatures. Not everyone wants to live under a government that insists on righteousness. (Luke 19:11-14) For this reason, Jehovah long ago recorded in his Word that when he 'begins ruling as king' toward the earth 'the nations would become wrathful.' (Revelation 11:17, 18) He foretold that, at the time of empowering his Son to act, it would be necessary for him to say: "Go subduing in the midst of your enemies."-Psalm 110:2 [109:2, Dy].

Christ Jesus would then oust Satan from heaven, the seat of government, hurling him down to the vicinity of the earth, in preparation for putting him completely out of action. In the heavens the grand announcement would then be made: "Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ." But for the earth, what? "Woe . . . , because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time." (Revelation 12:5, 7-10, 12) Full control of earth by God's kingdom must soon follow! However, the start of the rule by God's kingdom does not mean immediate peace and righteousness on earth. To the contrary, it triggers a period of unprecedented trouble for earth's inhabitants.

Realizing this, we can better understand the meaning of what Jesus told his followers about his second presence. They had asked him: "Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?" (Matthew 24:3) Jesus then described, for their benefit and ours, what would take place on earth when he would begin to rule in heaven. In this way, although the events in heaven would be invisible to human eyes, there would be visible proof that Christ was at last on the throne, taking action as king. It would be proof that the wicked system of things that has oppressed mankind for centuries had entered its "last days." (2 Timothy 3:1) Although it was foretold that there would be ridiculers that would try to belittle the facts, yet the evidence would be clear.-2 Peter 3:3, 4.

As we consider the evidence together, it is important to realize that Jesus did not say that any one event, such as threat of war or a terrible earthquake, would be the proof that "the end" was at hand. (Matthew 24:6) Rather, he said: "Note the fig tree and all the other trees: When they are already in the bud, by observing it you know for yourselves that now the summer is near. In this way you also, when you see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near." (Luke 21:29-31) If we see one tree put out its leaves in midwinter because the weather is warm for a few days, we do not reason that summer has come, do we? But when we see all the trees budding and the days growing longer we know that summer has to be near. Likewise, when all the things that Jesus described take place, we can know for sure that Christ is on his heavenly throne and that his kingdom has, indeed, begun active rule. When that happens, liberation is near!

FULFILLMENT OF "THE SIGN"

Exactly what did Jesus point to as marking his second presence and the "conclusion of the system of things"? He said: "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another." (Matthew 24:7) Here Jesus tells us to look for a new kind of warfare-total war! The war that began in 1914 fits his description. Not only did armies fight on the battlefields; civilian populations too were organized to give full support to the war. As Jesus foretold, entire nations and kingdoms were fighting against one another. For the first time in history the whole world was at war. Hence it is called "World War I." Of it the book World War I said:

"In its scope, its violence, and above all, in its totality, it established a precedent. World War I ushered in the century of Total War, of-in the first full sense of the term-global war.
"Never before 1914-1918 had a war absorbed so much of the total resources of so many combatants and covered so large a part of the earth. Never had so many nations been involved. Never had the slaughter been so comprehensive and indiscriminate."

The World Book Encyclopedia noted that the number of soldiers killed and wounded was over 37,000,000, and added:

"The number of civilian deaths in areas of actual war totaled about 5,000,000. Starvation, disease, and exposure accounted for about 80 of every 100 of these civilian deaths. Spanish influenza, which some persons blamed on the war, caused tens of millions of other deaths."

This was just as Jesus foretold. Put together, these facts mark 1914 as the beginning of the "last days" and the year that God's heavenly kingdom began its active rule.-See also Luke 21:10, 11.

Also, after 1914 a series of earthquakes rocked the earth, causing great damage. In 1915, in Italy, nearly 30,000 were killed. In 1920, in China, 180,000 died. In 1923, 143,000 died in Japan. And major earthquakes have continued to take place with unusual frequency since then. As Jesus foretold, they are another mark of the "last days."

However, Jesus said that the events that marked the beginning of the "last days" in 1914 were only the "beginning of pangs of distress." (Matthew 24: Greater trouble was to come. True to his prophecy, it did. The World Book Encyclopedia says: "World War I and its aftermath led to the greatest economic depression in history during the early 1930's. The consequences of the war and the problems of adjustment to peace led to unrest in almost every nation." This paved the way for World War II. And of that war the same source notes:

World War II killed more persons, cost more money, damaged more property, affected more people . . . than any other war in history. . . . It has been estimated that the number of war dead, civilian and military, totaled more than 22,000,000. The number of wounded has been estimated as more than 34,000,000."
Truly, the "pangs of distress" Jesus foretold have become greater as the "last days" move toward their climax.

During and after World War II widespread food shortages added to the distress. Shortly after the war Look magazine observed:

"A fourth of the world is starving today. Tomorrow will even be worse. Famine over most of the world now is more terrible than most of us can imagine. . . . There are now more people hunting desperately for food than at any other time in history."

More recent reports have shown that a constant lack of adequate food, resulting in chronic malnutrition, has become the "major world hunger problem today." The London Times reported:
"There have always been famines, but the scale and ubiquity [presence everywhere] of hunger today is on a totally new scale. . . . Today malnutrition is said to affect more than a thousand million people; perhaps as many as 400 million live constantly on the brink of starvation."-June 3, 1980.
Jesus also foretold the "increasing of lawlessness" as a mark of the "last days." (Matthew 24:12) And God inspired the apostle Paul to add: "In the last days . . . men will be lovers of themselves, . . . disobedient to parents, . . . without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, . . . lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, . . . wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse." (2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13) These are the conditions that have developed at an explosive rate since 1914! You have seen them with your own eyes, have you not? Throughout the world lawlessness is running wild. Said one lawyer: "Almost everywhere, including Soviet Russia, there appears to be an increase in crime, and particularly, alas, in juvenile crime." From nation after nation come reports such as the following:

"A wave of crime and rioting is sweeping across the United States . . . In many cities, women are afraid to go out after dark. And they have good reason. Rapes, assaults, sadistic outbursts of senseless violence are on the rise. Crimes often seem to be committed out of sheer savagery . . . Respect for law and order is declining."

As another feature of the "last days," Jesus spoke of great confusion and fear among the nations and their leaders. He foretold: "On the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out . . . men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth." (Luke 21:25, 26) The fulfillment of this prophecy is evident in the news of our time. U.S. News & World Report said:

"Is the world in greater tumult than before World War II? No doubt.
"Shooting troubles, on the average, erupt once a month. Counting out real wars like Korea and Vietnam, the record still shows over 300 revolutions, coups, uprisings, rebellions and insurrections worldwide since the end of World War II."

Added to all these things is the fear of being destroyed by the huge supply of nuclear weapons some nations possess. One news editor commented: "The fact is that today the biggest single emotion which dominates our lives is fear." It is just as Jesus foretold: mankind is fearful and the nations are in anguish.
All the foretold marks of the "last days" are here. They prove beyond a doubt that we have been in the "last days" since 1914. Hence it was in that year that God's heavenly kingdom came to power!-Revelation 11:17, 18.

It is true that in past generations there were periods marked by violence and much immoral conduct. The decline of the Roman Empire is an example. But never before in human history have all the conditions specified by Jesus been observed in the same generation. And never before have they existed at the same time in every nation of the earth. Today we live, not merely in the last days of one political empire, but in the "last days" of the entire wicked system controlled by Satan.

1914 A MARKED YEAR

Years in advance Bible scholars realized that 1914 was to be a year of great significance. Bible chronology specifically points to that year, and careful students of God's Word knew that. They expected great changes to take place, and the facts confirm that 1914 was, indeed, a marked year.

Others with knowledge of world affairs fully agree that 1914 was a marked year. The London Evening Star commented that World War I "tore the whole world's political setup apart. Nothing could ever be the same again. . . . some historian in the next century may well conclude that the day the world went mad was August 4, 1914." Of the great change 1914 made, the historian H. R. Trevor-Roper said:

"It is instructive to compare the first World War with the second . . . the first war marked a far greater change in history. It closed a long era of general peace and began a new age of violence in which the second war is simply an episode. Since 1914 the world has had a new character: a character of international anarchy. . . . Thus the first World War marks a turning point in modern history."

World leaders have also commented on the significance of the year 1914. Former chancellor of West Germany Konrad Adenauer spoke of the time "before 1914 when there was real peace, quiet and security on this earth-a time when we didn't know fear." Then he added: "Security and quiet have disappeared from the lives of men since 1914. And peace? Since 1914, the Germans have not known real peace nor has much of mankind," Note, too, the comment in the book entitled "1914." The author says: "In the year 1914 the world, as it was known and accepted then, came to an end. Far more than any year before or since was this the punctuation-mark of the twentieth century . . . from then on nothing could ever be the same."
Satan the Devil and his demons know they have only "a short period of time" left before their destruction. (Revelation 12:12) Even when Jesus was on earth, the demons knew that someday they would be destroyed. They showed a vicious disposition back then, and now that they know their time is short they are more vicious and desperate than ever. (Luke 8:27-33) They are out to stir up all the trouble that they can, in order to direct the attention of mankind away from the kingdom of God. That is why this wicked system of things has been behaving so crazily since 1914. It is behaving like a top, a child's toy, that wobbles crazily just before it tumbles to a complete stop.

Are we disheartened by this situation? Jesus said that his disciples would have reason to lift their heads up. Why? Because they realize the meaning of it all. They see in these events proof that deliverance is near! (Luke 21:28) And they do not keep this joyful news to themselves, but in all the earth they are preaching the thrilling news that the kingdom of God now rules. As Jesus foretold: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14) This, too, is part of the "sign." In North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the islands of the seas Jehovah's witnesses zealously keep proclaiming this urgent message. In both large cities and small villages you will find them, in all parts of the earth. Yes, this part of the "sign" is also being fulfilled.
Beyond all doubt, the evidence points to 1914 as the year when the kingdom of God went into operation, and that event is causing things to happen here on earth. In that same year "the present wicked system of things" entered its "last days." (Galatians 1:4) Soon, now, the prayer for God's kingdom to "come" will be answered, when it displays its great power by destroying Satan's entire wicked system. Then God's kingdom alone will operate as the one government to rule the earth throughout eternity. (Daniel 2:44) Taking direct control of all earth's affairs, it will shower down on obedient mankind blessings of peace, happiness and life. The prayer for 'God's will to take place, as in heaven, also upon earth,' will have had glorious fulfillment, for God's kingdom will have come to rule forever. And think of it! You may enjoy eternal life under the loving rule of that kingdom.-Matthew 6:9, 10. [source - The Truth, Chapter 10, pages 82-93]

CONCLUSION:
As can be seen, there is both a minor and a major fulfillment of all of these prophecies.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Tue Apr 05, 2016 5:08 pm

COMBINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES. With the Scripture of the Day first.
SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 90A]

And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. Isaiah 65:21 – 23, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

And in the New Testament this promise is once more stated at Revelation 21: 3 – 5, [AV] “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES:
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Cakile lacustris, Cakile maritima, Cakile edentula, Sea Rocket

Abundance: common
What: leaves, flowers, seed pods
How: cooked, raw
Where: sandy coastal beaches
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: minerals, vitamins, flavonoids, antioxidants
WARNING - DANGERS: WASH WELL BEFORE EATING TO REMOVE SAND, OLDER PLANTS MAY BE QUIT STRONGLY-FLAVORED

Growing out of the sand dunes at the high tide limit, sea rocket plants look almost alien. Their thick stems and leaves help maintain moisture under the hot sun and burning sands. During the winter they are leafy but come summer their seedpods look almost like a weird inland coral or strange cactus.

Those with a well developed "plant eye" would suspect sea rocket falls in the mustard (Brassica) family and they would be right. As with most Brassicas, sea rockets can have a very potent taste. The actual strength of their mustard-flavor does depends on the individual plant's growing conditions.

In summer the plants will display the traditional Brassica flower: four petals in a cross (cruciform) configuration, usually yellow but occasionally white, six stamens (male pollen-producers), and one pistil (female pollen-receiver). The flowers are edible as are the spicy seed pods which follow. As the plants matures the edible succulent leaves become more and more pungent. Sea rockets can be eaten raw and are good with anything you would normally use mustard or horseradish. They add a bit of a kick to salads. [sourc - retrieved from http://www.foragingtexas.com/2006/02/sea-rocket.html on 3 /30/2016]

In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].

To view this plant, go to, http://www.foragingtexas.com/2006/02/sea-rocket.html

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To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to, http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

**Admin** Wed Apr 06, 2016 2:35 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] MUSLIMS DO NOT COMPREHEND THE BIBLE. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 91A]

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. John 4:8 – 9, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, Almighty God’S (YHWH’S) principle attribute is love, and all expecting to win His approval must display this attribute. He has shown His love for mankind in that He created them, and when the first man, Adam, proved disobedient, He layed plans for his only begotten son to serve as a sacrificial ransom to relieve the inherited sin that came upon all mankind due to Adam’s wrong course. This reality is explained at Romans 5:6 – 11, [AV] “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”

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To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!
[2] MUSLIMS DO NOT COMPREHEND THE BIBLE:

INTRODUCTION:

Muslims clearly do not comprehend the Bible and see problems where there are none, and come to completely wrong conclusions. This is strange given the fact that their holy book is actually a plagiarized knockoff from the Bible. Let's look at a few instances where they utterly fail to comprehend, one of them in fact where their book is actually saying the same thing as the Bible in different words.

LUKE 1:35 VS. SURA 3:47:

Let's first look at what the Quran (Koran) says at Sura 3:47:

Sura 3:47, "She said, "My Lord, how can I have a son, when no man has touched me?" He said, "GOD thus creates whatever He wills. To have anything done, He simply says to it, `Be,' and it is."

And, Sura 3:48 says, ""He will teach him the scripture, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel." Interestingly here the Quran (Koran) actually speaks of the first five (5) books of the Bible, the Torah; yet today many Muslims rail against the Bible from which their book the Quran (Koran) was plagiarized from.

Now the Bible says at Luke 1:35, "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God." (American Standard Version; ASV).

Interestingly although both the Quran's (Koran's) 'Be' and the Bible's (in some translations only) overshadow both refer to exactly the same thing, but use different words, some Muslims do not comprehend this and think overshadow has bad connotations. Both these passages refer to God's (YHWH) using his active force or power referred to in the Bible as Spirit or Holy Spirit to implant the life force of his only begotten Son, that we know as Jesus (Yeshua) into the womb of the virgin Mary as recorded in Matthew 1:18-25, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us. 24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; 25 and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS." (ASV). Now some may not understand just what this force or power of God (YHWH) is so here is a brief explanation.

A brief consideration on and reasoning on Acts 10:19-20; Acts 16:6; Acts 13:2-4; Acts 15:28; Romans 8:14; Romans 8:26; Ephesians 4:30; and 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 will show that the Spirit or Holy Spirit is God's (YHWH's) active force or power and emanates from him and is a force completely controlled by him, and is capable of giving him feedback and gathering for him information.

But first let's see why the Spirit is indeed God's (YHWH's) active force or power from an understanding of the ancient word 'pneu'ma' translated Spirit or Holy Spirit in English. The neuter Koine Greek word for spirit (pneu'ma) is used with the neuter pronoun "it" since it is lacks gender. This fact is conveniently over looked or hidden by most Trinitarian translators of the Bible as admitted in the "New American Bible Catholic Bible," regarding John 14:17: "The Greek word for 'Spirit' is neuter, and while we use personal pronouns in English ('he,' 'his,' 'him'), most Greek MSS [manuscripts] employ 'it.'" So when the Bible uses masculine personal pronouns in connection with pa•ra'kle•tos at John 16:7, 8, it is conforming to rules of grammar, not expressing a doctrine. And in Ancient Hebrew the word here rendered Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, or Spirit which is translated from 'ru'ach' meaning "breath; wind; spirit." In Latin, it is spiritus, and in Sanskrit, 'prana' which means both "breath" and "spirit." And the pertinent definition in the Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary (ISBN 0-308-10309-2 and 0-308-10310-6) clearly states, (4) <Often Cap.> In the Bible, the creative, animating power or divine influence of God...[etymology-[<Old French, 'espirit' <Latin, 'spiritus' bredth, spirit <'spirare' to breathe]. So we can see it, the Holy Spirit or Spirit is truly God's (YHWH's) active force or power and not a spirit being as are Almighty God (YHWH) and his Son, Jesus (Yeshua). This point is very well made in the New International Version at Luke 1:35, "The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[1] the Son of God." (The New International Version; NIV). Sure shows that the Holy Spirit is nothing but God's (YHWH's) active force.

Now from the study of science and technology we know that with respect a force there can be four possibilities or possibly five applicable questions, which are as follows:

(1) Is it an uncontrolled force?

(2) Is it a controlled force?

(3) Is it controlled, but without feedback?

(4) Is it controlled, but with feedback?

Is it direct or indirect feedback?

However 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 shows it to be a controlled force with feedback that appears to be direct feedback, "But unto us God revealed [them] through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God. 12 But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God." (American Standard Version; ASV), clearly showing that the "spirit which is from God," and God "revealed [them] through the Spirit," and uses it to search all things, thus showing it is a controlled spirit capable of feedback. God (YHWH) has complete control over his power or force and can choose its fields of operations as testified to at Romans 8:14, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." (ASV) clearly showing he can use to lead individuals and that it belongs to him. And John 16:13 clearly shows it as a force, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come." Since it is quite clear that it is a controlled force, "shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak,"

Clearly it is a controlled force used by God (YHWH) to do many things as testified to at Acts 10:19-20, "While Peter was meditationg on the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'There are two men looking for you. 20 Get up and go down, and without hesitation go on with them, for I have sent them.'" (The New Testament by Charles B. Williams); And the fact that it is a closely controlled force is further affirmed at Acts 16:6, "And the Spirit bade me go with them, making no distinction. And these six brethren also accompanied me; and we entered into the man's house:" (ASV); And at Acts 13:2-4, "And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus." (ASV); And at Acts 15:28, "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:" (ASV) clearly indicating direct feedback to and response by God (YHWH); which is further shown by Ephesians 4:30, "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption" (ASV) which once more indicates that is gives direct feedback and it reacts to the feelings of God (YHWH) from which it emanates thus a tightly controlled force or power.

Thus we can see and have an accurate understanding of what is being spoken of in both the Quran (Koran) and the Bible and see that it is exactly the same event and/or occurrence.

This is further emphasized by John 14:26, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (Authorized King James Bible; AV).

Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of the holy spirit as a "helper," and he said it would teach, guide, and speak as recorded at John 14:16-17, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (AV). And this same thought is carried at John 16:13, ""Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (AV). The Greek word he used for helper (pa•ra'kle•tos) is in the masculine gender. Thus, when Jesus referred to what the helper would do, he used masculine personal pronouns as shown at John 16:7- 8, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." (AV). On the other hand, when the neuter Greek word for spirit (pneu'ma) is used, the neuter pronoun "it" is properly employed. This fact is conveniently over looked or hidden by most Trinitarian translators as admitted in the "New American Bible Catholic Bible," regarding John 14:17: "The Greek word for 'Spirit' is neuter, and while we use personal pronouns in English ('he,' 'his,' 'him'), most Greek MSS [manuscripts] employ 'it.'" So when the Bible uses masculine personal pronouns in connection with pa•ra'kle•tos at John 16:7, 8, it is conforming to rules of grammar, not expressing a doctrine.

Hence as can readily be seen, neither the Jews nor the early Christians viewed the holy spirit as part of a Trinity. That teaching came centuries later. As "A Catholic Dictionary," notes: "The third Person was asserted at a Council of Alexandria in 362 . . . and finally by the Council of Constantinople of 381." Interestingly this being approximately three and a half centuries after holy spirit filled the disciples at Pentecost! No, the holy spirit is not a person and it is not part of a Trinity. The holy spirit is God's active force that he uses to accomplish his will. It is not equal to God but is always at his disposition and subordinate to him as clearly shown by scripture and by historical reference.

The doctrine of the Trinity was hotly debated in the 4th century and is man made. When Luther blew the lid off the RCC that salvation is by faith and not by works, he didn't go far enough to eradicate the doctrine of the Trinity as well. But the mainstream churches still staunchly support it, rather than giving far more credence to what the scriptures teach us - than from what has come out of man made creeds. This false doctrine is shown false by among other things the fact that the Holy Spirit is nowhere in the Bible ever depicted as a person - but rather as a dove, John.1:32, "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him." (AV), as a big wind and forked tongued flame at Acts 2:1-4, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (AV).

SOME OTHER MISCONCEPTIONS BY MUSLIMS THAT ARE NOT VALID:

Some Muslims have other equally invalid misconceptions. Let's deal with a couple of these to give examples of their failure to comprehend what the Bible is saying.

First Example:

"(1) Who wrote those words? Jesus? God? Or some third observer that we don't even know who he is. It is neither, God, Jesus nore the names associated in the Bible to these gospels since they themselves are spoken of in third person."

Reality with respect an invalid objection of Muslims:

As can be seen, many Muslims are obviously ignorant of the fact that the Bible is NOT the product of one committee or strongman or plagiarist as was the case with respect the Quran (Koran). It has written by over 40 individual writers who used their own words, the words of men to express the thoughts of God (YHWH) that they received by inspiration. In other words, these men were not authors of what they wrote, but simply scribes who put the thoughts of God (YHWH) they received by inspiration into the words of men.

Not only that, all the other writers of later so called religious guidance books borrowed from it and made changes in accord with their strong man or so called prophet. Take the example of Joseph Smith who borrowed from it to write the Book of Mormon, but failed to give credit or source to the Bible and twisted some borrowed things into bizarre distortions. Other examples are of course the bizarre writings of David Koresh the Prophet of the Branch Dividians of Waco, Texas; and the Quran, and the Book of Wiccim.

Even Jesus (Yeshua) acknowledged that the words he spoke and that the Apostles and Disciples of his who wrote the New or Greek Testament under inspiration recorded as scribes were not his own, but those of his Father, Almighty God (YHWH). This is clearly shown at John 14:23-24, " Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my words: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me." (ASV).

Second example:

"(2) Why does the Bible lie when God had sons by the tons according to the Bible, yet you make him his "only" son."

Reality with respect an invalid objection of Muslims:

The fact is God (YHWH) created, the angels and mankind can rightly be called sons and daughters of God (YHWH), but Jesus (Yeshua) was the only begotten and/or first of his creation as clearly testified to at Colossians 1:15, "who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; " (ASV). Also, in posing such an invalid objection they are falsely accusing God (YHWH) of having inspired men write lies as God (YHWH) does not lie. Now this is absolutely wrong.

THEIR DYSFUNCTION:

Their comments on the virgin birth of Jesus (Yeshua) clearly recorded in both the Bible and the Quran (Koran) Clearly shows they fail absolutely to comprehend the Bible any more than the eunuch at Acts 8:26-39, "But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship; 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other? 35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 [And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.] 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing." (American Standard Version; ASV).

However, unlike the eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, they fail to recognize that they do NOT COMPREHEND what they read in the Bible.

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COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON MODERN BIBLE TRANSLATIONS. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 92A]

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: Romans 8:16, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

There was great excitement in Jerusalem on Pentecost 33 C.E. as this time marked the start of the wheat harvest. And while much activity was taking place in the temple area, and even more important event was taking place in an upper roam in the city, Acts 1:13 – 15, [AV] “And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. 15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)” And Almighty God’s (YHWH’s) Holy Spirit came down on the gathering as prophesied by the Prophet Joel at Joel 2:28 – 32, [AV] “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” Yes, His Holy Spirit was poured out on them as testified to at Acts 2:2 – 4, [AV] “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” In fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. And all started as shown by Acts 1:8, [AV] “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

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[2] DISCOURSE ON MODERN BIBLE TRANSLATIONS:

Most translators of today carefully compare the base text they are using for their translation carefully against many different manuscripts, codex's, papyruses, etc. to to cross check and weed out textural errors. Of course they do NOT put their hands on the original manuscripts as these are under cover of an inert gas to preserve them in most cases. However, photocopies of the original manuscripts are available to modern translators to check and weed out textural errors. Some of the readily available photocopies are the Codex Alexandrinus in the same British Museum as the Codex Sinaiticus, the Codex Ephraemi rescriptus in Paris, the Bezae Codices at Cambridge England, the Papyrus Chester Beatty collections at Dublin, Papyrus Bodmen at Geneva, various copies/versions of the Septuagint, etc. For example, the translational team that translated T"he New English Bible" consulted about 2,000 of these, and the same is true of the New World Translation, An American Translation, American Standard Version, La Biblica (Spanish), etc.

Here is a statement on The New English Bible (NEB):

"A presbytery in the Church of Scotland in 1946 recommended to the General Assembly that a translation of the Bible be made in the language of the present day because the language in the Authorized Version [Authorized King James Bible] was archaic and less generally understood. The General Assembly approached other churches. There was a desire that a completely new translation rather than a revision and for a contemporary idiom rather than a traditional Biblical English be used.

It was planned and directed by representatives of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland, the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Congregational Church in England and Wales, the Council of Churches for Wales, the Irish Council of Churches, the London Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends, the Methodist Church of Great Britain, the Presbyterian Church of England, the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the National Bible Society of Scotland. The Roman Catholic Church in England and Scotland sent representatives as observers.

The translating was done by three panels drawn from scholars of British universities to deal, respectively, with the Old Testament, the Apocrypha, and the New Testament. A fourth panel of trusted literary advisers was to scrutinize the translation for English style" [source - Oxford and Cambridge Universities Presses (1970]).

Let's look at a comparison between Bible translations of one scripture, "Genesis 1:1-2 in several Bibles and brief comments on these Bibles so all can gain a better understanding of what sources are used and how translating is done

Genesis 1:1-2 in An American Translation, by Beck: (ATT)

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was desolate and uninhabitable, and it was dark on the deep sea, but God's Spirit hovered over the waters."

Comments on this translation, "This is the work of Dr. William F. Beck, whose cause was to simplify the English Bible for people of all ages. There are almost 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament all over the earth, plus many thousands of the Latin, Syraic, and other translations. Dr. Beck felt that God wants us to have a passion for the truth; to use all the best evidences from the manuscripts, dictionaries, and grammars as light on the text; and to search with burning hearts for its exact meaning.

The translator did his utmost to make both the Old Testament and the New Testament the most accurate on the market, in regard to the best text, the most thorough lexiographical, grammatical, and archaeological evidence. His goal was to have God talk to the hearts of people in their language of today and tomorrow.

The main purpose of the Bible is its saving doctrine. The translator felt that the Revised Standard Version undermines the Heilsplan (plan of salvation) by cutting down the prophecies of the coming Savior in the Old Testament and the important truths about Christ in the New Testament. The section "What Does the Text Say?" at the back of this Bible gives examples of these changes in the Revised Standard Version and the New English Bible and how they differ from the renderings in An American Translation.
This translation has been acclaimed as the most significant Lutheran contribution in the span of some 450 years since Martin Luther translated the Bible into German. However, it is a Bible not only for Lutherans but also for every English-speaking person. It is a faithful translation, not a paraphrase.

As no translation is perfect, this third edition took into consideration helpful suggestions, which were evaluated. These created further demand for expertise in the original languages. Numerous changes have been made as a result.
The New Testament in the Language of Today was first published in 1963 by Concordia Publishing House.
Leader Publishing Company (1976)

Genesis 1:1-2, in Darby Holy Bible. (DHB)

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was waste and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

Comments on this translation. "This translation of the Old Testament has been derived from a study of the common Hebrew text, and represents at the same time a collation of the late J. N. Darby's German and French Versions, he having himself revised the first few books within a short time of his decease. Those who use this English translation may accordingly expect to find incorporated with it whatever is of special value in the above-mentioned Versions, particularly the French, where the common English Bible is defective.

The purpose of this translation is not to offer to the man of letters a learned work, but rather to provide the simple and unlearned reader with as exact a translation as possible. To this end, all available helps have been used. The work is not a revision of the Bible in common use. The style of the Authorised Version [KJV] has been retained as far as possible within the purpose of the translation.

Poetical parts are distinguished from the rest by a metrical arrangement to which those are accustomed who use Paragraph Bibles. However, this has been abandoned in the Prophets where the poetical form is often complicated.

Elohim will in the text appear only in the name Jehovah Elohim; moreover, when Elohim following immediately on Jehovah has a grammatical adjunct, its place will be taken by the English word "God." For the meaning of Jehovah, Yahweh or Yehveh, see Exodus 3:14,15; Isaiah 40:28; for Jah, see Exodus 25:2. Ordinary spelling of proper names has been adhered to, subject to numerous and necessary corrections. Italics indicate emphasis.
In the first edition of the New Testament, the translator used the Textus Receptus. But the Textus Receptus was itself often changed in the text of the work. He decided to adopt its reading, not attempt to make a text of his own. His object was a more correct translation: only there was no use in translating what all intelligent critics held to be a mistake in the copy.

Since the first edition, various new helps became available. However, there has been little change in the actual translating. There have been changes involving clarity, inaccuracies, and uniformity. [source - G. Morrish (1923), (Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom]

Genesis 1:1-2, in An American Translation by Dr. Edgar J. Goodspeed and a committee. (SGAT)

"When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was a desolate waste, with darkness covering the abyss and a temptuous wind raging over the surface of the waters."

Comments on this translation. "The Old Testament was translated by Alexander R. Gordon (McGill University), Theopile J. Meek (University of Toronto), Leroy Waterman (University of Michigan), and J. M. Powis Smith (University of Chicago). The last person named was also the editor. The New Testament was translated by Edgar J. Goodspeed (University of Chicago)
.
There were basic reasons for the need of this translation of the Old Testament. The control of the Hebrew vocabulary and syntax available to the scholar at this time was vastly greater than that at the command of the translators of the Authorized Version or of its revisers. The science of textual criticism had made great progress in recent years, and no translation of the Old Testament could afford to ignore its results. There had developed a great interest in the stylistic qualities of Hebrew poetry. The English of King James's day was not wholly natural or clear to the average person at this time.
The official Massoretic text was used as a guide. When it was necessary to check elsewhere, a substitute along generally approved lines was used.

Hebrew poetry was presented in poetic lines. Archaic pronouns (except when used in addressing God), verb forms, and adjectives were made more modern. The Tetragammatron was rendered as LORD or GOD in small capital letters.
The New Testament was written in everyday Greek. It, thus, was translated into everyday English.

The translator used helps made available in recent years, including Greek papyri, grammatical works, lexicons, and lexical studies. He followed the Greek texts of Westcott and Hort, except in a very few verses. In one of these, he followed the suggestion of Rendel Harris that by an error of the eye the name of Enoch has dropped out of the text of 1 Peter 3: 19. [source - University of Chicago Press (1931)]

Genesis 1:1-2, in the Lamsa Bible (LBP)

"God created the heavens and the earth in the very beginning.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water."

Comments on this translation. "This translation of the Old and New Testaments is based on Peshitta manuscripts which have comprised the accepted Bible of all those Christians who have used Syriac as their language of prayer and worship for many centuries. The Church of the East and some noted Western scholars dispute the belief of modern scholarship that the originals of the Four Gospels and other parts of the New Testament were written in Greek. In any case, Aramaic speech is an underlying factor and New Testament writers drew on documents written in Aramaic. Syriac is the literary dialect of Aramaic. From the Mediterranean east into India, the Peshitta is still the Bible of preference among Christians.

George M. Lamsa, the translator, devoted the major part of his life to this work. He was an Assyrian and a native of ancient Bible lands. He and his people retained Biblical customs and Semitic culture, which had perished elsewhere. With this background and his knowledge of the Aramaic (Syriac) language, he has recovered much of the meaning that has been lost in other translations of the Scriptures. There is a section on the problems of translating from the Aramaic to the Greek.

Manuscripts used were the Codex Ambrosianus for the Old Testament and the Mortimer-McCawley manuscript for the New Testament. Comparisons have been made with other Peshitta manuscripts, including the oldest dated manuscript in existence. The term Peshitta means straight, simple, sincere and true, that is, the original. Even the Moslems in the Middle East accept and revere the Peshitta text.

Although the Peshitta Old Testament contains the Books of the Apocrypha, this edition has omitted them. [source - A. J. Holman Company (1957), (Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom]

Genesis 1:1-2, the New World Translation (NWT)

"In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and there was darkness upon the surface of [the] watery deep; and God's active force was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters."

Comments on this translation. "It was translated from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages by a committee.

It was originally released in six volumes from 1950 to 1960. The originals contained marginal references and footnotes. The revised 1961 edition had neither. This 1984 edition has been expanded to include complete updating and revision of the marginal (cross) references of the original edition.

It was released by the committee to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania for printing, translation into other languages, and distribution. The translators felt responsible to God to transmit His thoughts and declarations as accurately as possible. [source - Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York (1984) ), (Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom]

Genesis 1:1-2, in the New Century Version (NCV).

"In the beginning God created the sky and the earth. The earth was empty and had no form. Darkness covered the ocean, and God's Spirit was moving over the water."

Comments on this translation. "This translation of God's Word was made from the original Hebrew and Greek languages. The translation team was composed of the World Bible Translation Center and fifty additional, highly qualified and experienced Bible scholars and translators. Some had translation experience on the New International, the New American Standard, and the New King James Versions. The third edition of the United Bible Societies' Greek text, the latest edition of Biblia Hebraica and the Septuagint were among texts used.

Several guidelines were used to make the language clear for any reader. The Living Word Vocabulary, the standard used by World Book Encyclopedia, was the basis for vocabulary. Concepts were put into natural terms -- modern measurements and geographical locations. Ancient customs were clarified in the text or footnotes. Rhetorical questions were stated according to the implied answers. Figures of speech and idiomatic expressions were translated according to their meanings. Obscure terms were clarified. An attempt was made to choose gender language that would convey the intent of the writers. The Tetragrammaton was indicated by putting LORD and GOD in capital letters. Hebrew parallelism in poetry and word plays were retained. Images of ancient languages were translated into equivalent English images, where possible. [source - Word Publishing (1987), (Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom]

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Thu Apr 07, 2016 10:13 pm

COMBINATION OF[1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] TIMELINE HISTORY OF FALSE DOCTRINE. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 93A]

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Jeremiah 10:23, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

At present we are living in the conclusion of the end times, and Satan the Devil knows he has but a short time so conditions in the world are going from bad to worse just as prophesied at 2 Timothy 3:1 - 5, and 3:12 - 13, [AV] “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.“ and “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO,

1) http://iris89.conforums.com/

2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/

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4) http://religioustruths.boardhost.com/

5) http://religioustruths.forumsland.com/

6) http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/

7) https://religioustruths.forumotion.com/

To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] TIMELINE HISTORY OF FALSE DOCTRINE:

INTRODUCTION

The city of Ephesus was much mentioned in the Bible as the Apostle Paul received a lot of opposition there by the practitioners of false doctrine, i.e., pagan beliefs, but let's examine how these beliefs got carried over into so called Christianity. Let's start with the early false religious practices of the City of Ephesus.

EARLY PAGAN PRACTICES OF EPHESUS:

The city of Ephesus was situated on what is now the west coast of Turkey. However in ancient times during the 11th century B.C.E, that the Ionian Greeks set out to colonize the west coast of Asia Minor. Those early settlers came in contact with people known for their worship of a mother-goddess, a deity that would later be known as the Ephesian Artemis mentioned in the Bible. In the mid-seventh century B.C.E., nomadic Cimmerians came from the Black Sea in the north to plunder Asia Minor.

And with the expansion of the Persian Empire, King Cyrus subjugated the Ionian cities, including Ephesus. In 334 B.C. E., Alexander of Macedonia commenced his campaign against Persia, thus becoming the new ruler of Ephesus. After Alexander's untimely death in 323 B.C.E., Ephesus became involved in a power struggle among his generals. In 133 B.C.E., Attalus III, the childless king of Pergamum, bequeathed Ephesus to the Romans, making it part of the Roman province of Asia.

TRUE CHRISTIANITY CLASHES WITH PAGANISM:

When the apostle Paul came to Ephesus toward the end of his second missionary tour in the first century C.E., he found a city of some 300,000 residents as recorded at Acts 18:19-21, " And Paul, having tarried after this yet many days, took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila: having shorn his head in Cenchreae; for he had a vow. 19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. 20 And when they asked him to abide a longer time, he consented not; 21 but taking his leave of them, and saying, I will return again unto you if God will, he set sail from Ephesus" (American Standard Version; ASV).

During his third missionary tour, Paul returned to Ephesus and with great boldness spoke in the synagogue concerning the Kingdom of God. After three months, however, opposition from the Jews intensified, and Paul chose to give his daily talks in the school auditorium of Tyrannus as testified to as Acts 19:1-9, "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: 2 and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they [said] unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was [given]. 3 And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism. 4 And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. 5 And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And they were in all about twelve men. 8 And he entered into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, reasoning and persuading [as to] the things concerning the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus" (ASV)..
His preaching activity went on for two years, accompanied by extraordinary works of power, such as miraculous healings and the casting out of demons as recorded at Acts 19:10-17, "And this continued for the space of two years; so that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. 11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the evil spirits went out. 13 But certain also of the strolling Jews, exorcists, took upon them to name over them that had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, who did this. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said unto them, Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye? 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and mastered both of them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, that dwelt at Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified." (ASV).

It is no wonder many became believers! Yes,God's (YHWH's) word prevailed, so that a great number of former practitioners of magical arts willingly burned their valuable books as recorded at Acts 19: 18, 20," Many also of them that had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds. 19 And not a few of them that practised magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed" (ASV). Paul's successful preaching not only moved many to give up the worship of the goddess Artemis but also aroused the ire of those promoting such pagan worship. The making of silver shrines of Artemis was a profitable business. With their trade threatened, a certain Demetrius incited the silversmiths to riot.see Acts 19:23-32, "And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen; 25 whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth. 26 And ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands: 27 and not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana be made of no account, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. 28 And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesus. 29 And the city was filled with the confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel. 30 And when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. 31 And certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent unto him and besought him not to adventure himself into the theatre. 32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was in confusion; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together." (ASV).

The confrontation climaxed with the crowd shouting hysterically for two hours per Acts 19:34, " But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians." (ASV). After the uproar subsided, Paul encouraged his fellow Christians once more and then moved on as testified to at Acts 20:1, "And after the uproar ceased, Paul having sent for the disciples and exhorted them, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia.' (ASV).

ENTRENCHMENT OF PAGAN DOCTRINE AT EPHESUS:

The cult of Artemis was deeply entrenched in Ephesus. Before the time of King Croesus, the mother-goddess Cybele was the central character of religious life in that area. By setting up a mythical genealogical link from Cybele to the Hellenic pantheon, Croesus hoped to establish a religious figure acceptable to both Greeks and non-Greeks. With his support, in the mid-sixth century B.CE., work began on the temple of Cybele's successor, Artemis. The temple was a milestone in Greek architecture. Never before had such large blocks of marble been used to create a building of this kind and size. That temple was destroyed by fire in 356 B.CE. The equally magnificent rebuilt. However, not all were happy with it. For example, The philosopher Heracleitus of Ephesus likened the dark approach to the altar to the darkness of vileness, and he considered temple morals worse than those of beasts. To most, however, the sanctuary of Artemis in Ephesus appeared as if it would never fall into decline.

Of course history proved otherwise. The book Ephesos-Der neue Fuhrer[German] (Ephesus-The New Guide) states: "By the second century, the worship of Artemis and of other established deities of the pantheon plummeted." [source - Ephesos-Der neue Fuhrer]

SO CALLED CHRISTIANITY GOES APOSTATE FOR THE SECOND TIME

So called Christianity first went apostate at the Council of Nicea of 325 A.D. when the pagan Emperor Constantine, a worshiper of the Unconquered Sun, called a council of Christian bishops and forced them to adopt certain canons so as to fuse paganism with Christianity in order to unite his empire religiously as it was starting to fall apart in disunity. These were such pagan things as accepting Sunday the day of worship of the pagans of the Unconquered Sun as the Sabbath; whereas, God (YHWH) had declared Sunday was, the pagan doctrine of the Trinity, etc. [sources - Payne, Robert, "The Holy Fire: The Story of the Early Centuries of the Christian Churches in the Near East" (1957); BETHUNE-BAKER, J,F. "An Introduction to the Early History of Christian Doctrine". Methuen; 5th Ed., 1933 and ENCYLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, 11th Edition, Vol. 3, (page 366); David, Francis and Blandrata, Georgio, "De falsa et vera unius Dei Patris, Filii, et Spiritus Sancti cognitone" [Latin](The False and True Knowledge of the Unity of God the Father, Son, and Holy spirit), 1566 A.D.; Eklof, Todd F., "David's Francis Tower, Strength through Peace," (06-16-02); The New Encyclopedia Britannica: " Micropædia, Vol. X, p. 126. (1976); Parkes, James, "The Foundation of Judaism and Christianity," 1960; Durant, Will. "Caesar and Christ." New York: Simon. 1944. Vol. 3 of The Story of Civilization. 11 vols. 1935-75.]

Finally, toward the end of the fourth century C.E., Emperor Theodosius I confirmed Christianity" as the State religion for political purposes. Soon the stonework of the once prestigious temple Artemis became a quarry for building material. Also The worship of Artemis sank into insignificance. But unfortunately the pagan worship of was transformed and became a part of so called Christian doctrine. This was warned about at Acts 20:17-30 by the Apostle Paul, "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the elders of the church. 18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, after what manner I was with you all the time, 19 serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews; 20 how I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 save that the Holy Spirit testifieth unto me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24 But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that I may accomplish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, shall see my face no more. 26 Wherefore I testify unto you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 27 For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God. 28 Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them." (ASV).

And that is exactly what happened. Events reveal that false worship prevailed in Ephesus in the form of apostate Christianity. In 431 C.E., Ephesus was the site of the third ecumenical council, where the isspe of the nature of Christ was discussed. Ephesos -Der neue Fuhrer explains: "The victQry of I the Alexandrians, who held that Christ was only of one nature, namely the divine,... was complete." [source - Ephesos-Der neue Fuhrer]

The consequences were far reaching. "The decision reached at Ep,hesus, by means of which Mary was elevated from" the status of Christ-bearer to that of God bearer, not only provided the basis for the cult of Mary but also produced the first great' schism within the church. . . . The debate
persists to this day." [source - Ephesos-Der neue Fuhrer]

Thus, the worship of Cybele and Artemis' was replaced by the worship of Mary the "God-bearer" or the "mother of god." As the book states, "the Cult of Mary in Ephesus. . . remains to this date a living tradition, which could not be explained apart from the Cult of Artemis." [source - Ephesos-Der neue Fuhrer]

CONCLUSION:

This is but one example of how false doctrine entered the so called Christian church when individuals and so called Bishops did NOT stay in accord with sound doctrine as required by Titus 2:1, "But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:" (ASV) when they failed to give heed to the warning given by the Apostle Paul at Acts 20:29-30, " I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them." (ASV).

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Sat Apr 09, 2016 1:38 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 94A]

And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. 15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. Judges 7:13 – 15, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, Almighty God (YHWH) was providing assistance to his people, and this dream spurred Giddion into action. He immediately, Judges 7:16 - 23, [AV] “And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. 17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. 18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.”

This proved to be a great victory for Almighty God’s (YHWH’s) people that no man could take credit for because He kept having Gideon par down his man per Judges 7:3 - 7, [AV] “Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. 4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. 5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. 6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO,

1) http://iris89.conforums.com/

2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/

3) http://religioustruths.lefora.com/

4) http://religioustruths.boardhost.com/

5) http://religioustruths.forumsland.com/

6) http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/

7) https://religioustruths.forumotion.com/

To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Dichondra carolinensis, Pony's Foot

Abundance: plentiful
What: leaves, stems
How: raw (good in salads)
Where: yards
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: Minerals

Running rampant but usually unnoticed, Pony's foot is a bland green, best used to cut the bitterness of other wild greens. The leaves are connected to a stringy, tough runner. Remove them from this runner for a more enjoyable eating experience. They are pretty much available all year long, even surviving freezes. Being so plentiful, they are a very good "dilutant" for bitter greens such as dandelions, chicory, sow thistle, and wild lettuces. [sourc - retrieved from http://www.foragingtexas.com/2007/05/ponys-foot.html on 3/30 /2016]

In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].

To view this plant, go to, http://www.foragingtexas.com/2007/05/ponys-foot.html

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO,

1) http://iris89.conforums.com/

2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/

3) http://religioustruths.lefora.com/

4) http://religioustruths.boardhost.com/

5) http://religioustruths.forumsland.com/

6) http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/

7) https://religioustruths.forumotion.com/

To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to, http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!

**Admin** Sat Apr 09, 2016 10:28 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON HOW JESUS (YESHUA) CHRIST SHOULD BE REMEMBERED. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 95A]

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. 2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. Judges 8:1 – 3, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Gideon proved to be a great peacekeeper among the Hebrew nation and wisely gave much credit to the tribe of Ephraim so as to soften their ruffled egos. This act avoided trouble within the nation of Almighty God’s (YHWH’s) people. They wanted him to become their ruler, but he said, “Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. 23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO,

1) http://iris89.conforums.com/

2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/

3) http://religioustruths.lefora.com/

4) http://religioustruths.boardhost.com/

5) http://religioustruths.forumsland.com/

6) http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/

7) https://religioustruths.forumotion.com/

To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] DISCOURSE ON HOW JESUS (YESHUA) CHRIST SHOULD BE REMEMBERED:

INTRODUCTION;

Many celebrate Jesus' (Yeshua's) birth on December 25 with much gift giving and merrymaking, but little thought is given to why and/or the reality of the situation.

As starters, he was not, could not, have been born on December the 25 because the scriptures clearly show as pointed out by Henri Daniel Rops, in his book "Daily Life in the Time of Jesus", relates that it was customary for the shepherds to go into the open fields with their flocks just before the Passover in the Spring and to bring them in during the Hebrew eighth month, about the middle of November, at the beginning of the rainy season. They then 'passed the winter under cover'.
In these circumstances, the 25th December cannot be the date of the birth of Jesus (a.s.). His birth must fall before the middle of November while the sheep were still in the open field.
Now why also the merrymaking that finds no parallel with the activities of the first century Christians? Let's investigate and find out why and how the date of December the 25 was settled on.

WHAT DOES THE CELEBRATION HAVE TO DO WITH CHRIST TEACHING?

All should investigate what does the celebration have to do with Christ's teachings? The short answer would be nothing. Why? Let's investigate.

Like the "World Book Encyclopedia" says, "Jesus Christ was certainly one of the most influential people who ever lived."

So many remember his birth rather than his deeds. Throughout Christendom, most individuals can recall the events surrounding his birth as given at Matthew 1:18-26, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us. 24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; 25 and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS." (American Standard Version; ASV); and Luke 2:1-7, " Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to enrol themselves, every one to his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; 5 to enrol himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child. 6 And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (ASV).

However, they should be more concerned about his teachings and the Sermon on the Mount which is as follows at Matthew 5:1-48, "And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him: 2 and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye when [men] shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do [men] light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. 16 Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17 Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21 Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire. 23 If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, 24 leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell. 31 It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery. 33 Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil [one].
38 Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: 44 but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; 45 that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others?] do not even the Gentiles the same? 48 Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (ASV).

Granted, Jesus' birth was remarkable, but his early disciples attached much more importance to what he did and to what he taught. Surely God never intended Christ's birth to eclipse his life as' a mature man.

HOW THE DATE OF DECEMBER 25 WAS INCORPORATED ALONG WITH THE MERRYMAKING:

To understand how the celebration of Christmas came to be in Christendom, we must understand the pagan celebration of the birth of the Sun or the Feast of Saturn [Feast of Sol Invicta, the Unconquered Sun, set in 274 A. D. (December 25)] wormed its way into so called Christianity we need to know the political and social climate of the first three centuries after the passing of Jesus (Yeshua) and his apostles, and why true faith deteriorated into compromise; and then total acceptance of pagan beliefs giving these pagan beliefs a so called Christian veneer. As Selena Fox said in her writing, Celebrating the Seasons Lore and Rituals, "Winter Solstice also known as Yule, Christmas, and Saturnalia, occurs in mid December. It celebrates the birth of the new Solar year and the beginning of Winter. The Goddess manifests as the Great Mother and the God as the Sun Child. The God also appears as Santa Claus and Old Man Winter. Colors are Red, Green, and White. This is a festival of inner renewal." Now how did Satan in keeping with 2 Corinthians 4:4, "in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn [upon them]" (ASV) get this pagan holiday turned into a so called Christian one and/or give it a so called Christian veneer? Let's find out.

By the third and fourth centuries, Christians were weary of Pagan persecution. The temptation was to compromise. Besides, the Pagan emperor Constantine needed Christians to salvage his shaky empire. Constantine embraced; howbeit only on his deathbed. However, he saw Christianity as a tool he could use to firm up his shaky empire. To this opportunity for political intrigue, and happy blend of politics and people was the chief triumvirate of Roman gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. Jupiter was the principal deity of Roman mythology and Juno was the next highest divinity. Minerva, the "offspring of the brain of Jupiter" was regarded as the "personification of divine thought, the plan of the material universe of which Jupiter was the creator and Juno the representative" ... Many Pagan ideas, in fact, were incorporated into Christianity. "Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it" [source - McClintock & Strong's Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Vol. 6], and the celebration of the birth of the Sun Child was part and partial of it.

Roman Emperor Constantine needed to make his subjects feel secure if he were to maintain control of the empire; he wanted to rule a unified empire, be it pagan and/or Christian. But first he would have to find a way to end the dispute over the divinity of Jesus-was he a man or God? So he ordered his Christian bishops to meet at Nicaea in 325 A.D. to settle the matter once and for all. To do this, "he made himself the head of the church, and thus the problems of the church became his responsibilities. As a whole the Western Empire with its Roman influence, with some exceptions, had accepted Tertullian and his new theory of the Trinity in the early part of the previous century, but in the East the church adhered more closely to the older formula of baptism in the name of Jesus, or Jesus the Christ. Especially was this true with the Armenians, who specified that baptism "into the death of Christ" was that which alone was essential [source - (ENCYLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, 11th Edition, Vol. 3, (page 366)].

Now let's see how Constantine got several pagan beliefs incorporated into so called Christianity, i.e., the Trinity, the celebration of the birth of Sun god, and Sundary as the sabbath. As previously shown, The Roman Empire at this time was being torn apart by religious differences between pagans, mostly Sun God worshippers, and Christianity. Constantine the Emporer was a worshipper of the Unconquered Sun, but he was a very pragmatic individual and saw the need to bring religious unity to his empire. The central doctrine of the pagans was the dogma of a Trinity and its associated celebration of the birth of the Sun god on December 25 that they had received from earlier pagans in Babylon (Chaldea). In this, the pagan Emperor, Constantine, saw a possibility for unifying his empire if he could only lead the majority of the Christians to accept a Trinity and the birth of the Sun god by giving it a so called Christian veneer. He knew however that he had to make them think it was their own idea. To this end, he, the Roman emperor Constantine, a pagan, summoned all bishops to Nicaea, about 300, but even though it was the emperor's direction, only a fraction actually attended.

This council went on for a very long time and the emperor worked behind the scene to get support for a Trinity and the celebration of the Sun god. This effort was not completely successful, but finally he got a majority and declared under imperial degree that this hence forth would be the central doctrinal pillar of the Christian church, which by this time was apostate. Even with this declaration by the emperor himself not all bishops signed the creed. [sources - Payne, Robert, "The Holy Fire: The Story of the Early Centuries of the Christian Churches in the Near East" (1957); BETHUNE-BAKER, J,F. "An Introduction to the Early History of Christian Doctrine". Methuen; 5th Ed., 1933 and ENCYLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, 11th Edition, Vol. 3, (page 366); David, Francis and Blandrata, Georgio, "De falsa et vera unius Dei Patris, Filii, et Spiritus Sancti cognitone" [Latin](The False and True Knowledge of the Unity of God the Father, Son, and Holy spirit), 1566 A.D.; Eklof, Todd F., "David's Francis Tower, Strength through Peace," (06-16-02); The New Encyclopedia Britannica: " Micropædia, Vol. X, p. 126. (1976); Parkes, James, "The Foundation of Judaism and Christianity," 1960; Durant, Will. "Caesar and Christ." New York: Simon. 1944. Vol. 3 of The Story of Civilization. 11 vols. 1935-75].

So the adoption of the Trinity and its associated celebration of the birth of the Sun god was the political product of an apostate church, an apostate church that allowed a pagan Roman Emporer, Constantine, to tell it which dogma to accept at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., and then have it rammed down their throats as blessed dogma by another Roman Emporer, Theodosius, at the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D. This in direct violation of God's (YHWH's) word found in the Bible at James 4:4, " Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (Authorized King James Bible; AV); and at John 15:19, " If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (AV). Their solution was to create a creed making it illegal for anyone to believe Jesus was not the same as God by inventing the notion of a Trinity and attaching to it the celebration of the birth of the Sun god, but disquishing this by attaching Jesus/ (Yeshua's) name to the celebration in complete violation of God's (YHWH's) word. . This intellectual tower remained in full force for well over a thousand years, until the Reformation. [sources - Payne, Robert, "The Holy Fire: The Story of the Early Centuries of the Christian Churches in the Near East" (1957); BETHUNE-BAKER, J,F. "An Introduction to the Early History of Christian Doctrine". Methuen; 5th Ed., 1933 and ENCYLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, 11th Edition, Vol. 3, (page 366); David, Francis and Blandrata, Georgio, "De falsa et vera unius Dei Patris, Filii, et Spiritus Sancti cognitone" [Latin](The False and True Knowledge of the Unity of God the Father, Son, and Holy spirit), 1566 A.D.; Eklof, Todd F., "David's Francis Tower, Strength through Peace," (06-16-02); The New Encyclopedia Britannica: " Micropædia, Vol. X, p. 126. (1976); Parkes, James, "The Foundation of Judaism and Christianity," 1960; Durant, Will. "Caesar and Christ." New York: Simon. 1944. Vol. 3 of The Story of Civilization. 11 vols. 1935-75].

So now we can see what is looked upon by many as a Christian belief and a Christian celebration steming from it is anything but Christian, but just a God (YHWH) dishonoring pagan belief and celebration given a so called Christian veneer to hide the facts that it is nothing but paganism in disguise.

WHY ITS CONTINUANCE?

This celebration and the false pagan belief it stems from is the most popular, international celebration for merrymaking and marketing. Also, the customs of other winter festivals, especially those celebrated in northern Europe, were gradually incorporated into the Roman model. And in the 20th century, salesmen and marketing specialists enthusiastically promoted any custom that could generate hefty profits, i.e., it was both very profitable for the commercial secular interest and for the so called Christian churches that cared more for income than for the truth.

What has been the result? The celebration of Cluist's birth rather than the signiificance of his teachings and life have become of paramount importance. In fact, in many cases, even the mention of Christ has practically disappeared from the traditional Christmas. As noted in the Spanish newspaper El Pais, "[Christmas] is a world festival, of a family nature, and everyone celebrates what he or she sees in it." This comment reflects a growing practice in Spain and many other countries

The Christmas tree and the figure of Santa Claus are two striking examples of this trend of forgetting about Christ caused by the celebration of this disguised pagan holiday which is in keeping with exactly what the Devil desires; to wit, throughout the world while Christmas celebrations have become ever more extravagant, knowledge of Christ continues to diminishes. In essence, Christmas festivities have largely reverted to what they originally were in Roman times -revelry, feasting, and the exchanging of presents in celebration of the birth of the Sun god.

Traditional Christmas has little to do with Christ even on the surface, how should true Christians remember the birth and life of Christ? Seven centuries before Jesus' birth, Isaiah prophesied about him at Isaiah 9:6-7, " For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this." (ASV).

This was prophecy of Isaiah was echoed by the Angel Gabriel when he announced Jesus' (Yeshua's) coming birth to Mary at Luke 1:32-33, "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (ASV). Clearly, the main significance ofJesus' birth lay in the work that Christ would accomplish as the appointed King of God's Kingdom. Christ's rule can benefit all, including you and your loved ones. This fact was highlighted at Luke 2:14, "peace on earth to those with whom [God] is pleased." (Today's English Version).

CONCLUSION:

All true Christians should break loose with respect accepting any pagan God (YHWH) dishonoring belief or celebration regardless of the veneer used to disguise its true nature in keeping with John 8:32, "and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (ASV); and Titus 2:1, "But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:" (ASV).

APPENDIX:

Of course history testifies that faithful servants of God (YHWH) shunned such celebrations. For example,

"The Notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians of this perior in general. [source - The History of the Christian Religion and Church During the Three First Centuries, by Augustus Neander , 1848 (translated by Henry John Rose) Page 190].

And:

"In the Bible there is no instance of birthday celebrations among the Jews themselves. The example of Herod the tetrarch the celebration of whose birthday cost John the Baptist his life, cab scacely be regarded as such, the family to which he belonged being notorious for its adoption of heathen customs. In fact, the later Jews ar least regarded birthday celebrations as parts of idolatrous worship, and this probably on account of the idolatrous rites with which they were observed in honor of those who were regarded at the patron gods of the day on which the party was born."[source - Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, 1882, by John M'Clintock and James Strong, Volume I, page 817]

And:

"Of all the holy people in the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners...who make great rejoicing overthe day on which they were born into this world below."[source - The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911, Volume X, page 709, quoting Origen Adamantius of the third century].

Only birthday celebrations or observances mentioned in the Bible were by pagans, let's look at several.

Genesis 40:20-22, "And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand: 22 but he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them." (ASV); and Matthew 14:6-10, "But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst, and pleased Herod. 7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she should ask. 8 And she, being put forward by her mother, saith, Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist. 9 And the king was grieved; but for the sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat with him, he commanded it to be given; 10 and he sent and beheaded John in the prison." (ASV)

Lastly John 15:19 clearly says, "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (ASV).

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COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 96A]

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:7, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Almighty God (YHWH), and His son, Jesus (Yeshua) never change, but always remain the same. However their follower will face many trials as foretold a 1 Peter 4:12 – 14, [AV] “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.”

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Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] DISCOURSE ON THE MIRACLES OF JESUS (YESHUA)

THE MIRACLES OF JESUS FACT OR FICTION?

People brought him [Jesus Christ] as shown at Matthew 8:16, "And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick:" (American Standard Version; ASV). And Mark 4:39 states, "And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." (ASV). How do you view these statements? Do you believe that scribe actual, historical events, or do you feel that allegorical stories, mere myths?

Some individuals today express serious doubts about the historicity , miracles. To these individuals this era of scientific technology and genetic engineering leaves little room for reports of miraculous works and devine experiences.

These individuals consider accounts of miracles as hard to believe or fantastic.

Other misguided individuals view Jesus' miracles as outright frauds. The false charge of deception is sometimes hurled at Jesus himself. Justin Martyr of the second century C.E., stated some detractors "even ventured to call him a magician and a deceiver of the people." Some falsely allege that Jesus "did not perform his miracles as a Jewish prophet, but as a magician, an initiate of the heathen temples," which is of course utter foolishness as we all well know that magicians can not perform miracles.

Defining Impossibility You may feel that behind such doubts, there is a fundamental reason why people are reluctant to believe in miracles. They just find it difficult, even impossible, to accept the thought that supernatural forces could be at work. "Miracles just do not happen-period," said a young person who called himself an agnostic. He then quoted the words of 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume, who wrote: "A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature."

However, many would be very cautious about asserting that a certain phenomenon is impossible. The World Book Encyclopedia calls a miracle " an event that cannot be explained through the known laws of nature." By that definition, space travel, wireless communication, and satellite navigation would have seemed to most to be "miracles" just a century ago. Surely it is unwise to assert that miracles are impossible simply because we cannot explain them based on present knowledge. If we examine some of the Scriptural evidence surrounding miracles ascribed to Jesus Christ, what will we find? Are Jesus' miracles fact or fiction?

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN?

You may be surprised to learn that the Bible accounts of Jesus' life on earth never use the original language word for "miracle." The Greek word (dy'na.mis) sometimes translated "miracle" literally means "power." Per Luke 8:46, " But Jesus said, Some one did touch me; for I perceived that power had gone forth from me." (ASV). It may also be rendered "ability" or "powerful worksm" as shown at Matthew 11:20; 25:15, " Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not." (ASV) and 25:15, " And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey." (ASV). According to one scholar, this Greek term "emphasizes the mighty work that has been done, and, in particular, the power by which it was accomplished. The event is described in terms of the power of God in action." Another Greek term (te'ras) is usually rendered "portent" or "wonder," John 4:48, " Jesus therefore said unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe," (ASV), and Acts 2:19, " And I will show wonders in the heaven above, And signs on the earth beneath; Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:" (ASV). This expression highlights the effect on observers. Quite often, the crowd and the disciples were amazed and astounded at Jesus' powerful works as shown at Mark 2:12, "And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion." (Authorized King James Bible; AV); and Mark 4:41, "And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (AV); and Mark 6:51 "And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered." (AV); and Luke 9:43, "And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples," (AV).

A third Greek term (se.mei'on) referring to Jesus' miracles denotes a "sign." It "focuses upon the deeper meaning of the miracle," says scholar Robert Deffinbaugh. He adds: "A sign is a miracle which conveys a truth about our Lord Jesus."

Illusion or God-Given Power?

The Bible does not describe Jesus' miracles as tricks or illusions designed to entertain people. They were manifestations of "the majestic power of God," as in the case of a boy from whom Jesus expelled a demon per Luke 9:37-44, "And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. 38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. 40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. 42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. 43 ¶ And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples," (AV). Would such powerful works be impossible for Almighty God-the One who is described as having at Isaiah 40:26, "Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and for that he is strong in power, not one is lacking." (ASV) clearly showing God's (YHWH's) force or power.

The Gospel accounts refer to some 35 miracles of Jesus. But the total number of his miracles is not revealed. For instance, Matthew 14:14 states: "And he came forth, and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick." (ASV). He [Jesus (Yeshua)] saw a great crowd; and he felt pity for them, and he cured their sick ones." However, we are not told how many sick people he cured on that occasion. Such powerful works were central to Jesus' (Yeshua) claim that he was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. The Scriptures did indeed show that God-given power enabled Jesus to perform miracles. The apostle Peter referred to Jesus (Yeshua) at Acts 2:22, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:" (AV). On another occasion, Peter pointed out at Acts 10:37-38 that, " that saying ye yourselves know, which was published throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 38 even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." (ASV).

The miracles of Jesus were intertwined with his message. Mark 1:21-27 reveals the reaction of the crowd to Jesus' (Yeshua) teaching and to one of his miracles as follows, "And they go into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching: For he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26 And the unclean spirit, tearing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? a new teaching! with authority he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." (ASV). Both Jesus' (Yeshua's) powerful works and his message provided proof that he was the promised Messiah.

Jesus did not merely claim that he was the Messiah; along with his words and other deeds, the God-given power displayed in his miracles furnished evidence of his Messiahship. When questions about his role and commission arose, Jesus boldly replied at John 5:36 "But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me." (ASV).

Authenticity Indicators:

Marks of Authenticity, why can we be certain that Jesus' miracles were real, authentic? Now let's consider some of the marks or proofs of authenticity.

In performing his powerful works, Jesus (Yeshua) did not seek to get attention for himself. Jesus (Yeshua) made sure that the result of any miracle he performed gave glory to his Father, God (YHWH), and that he received all the credit and the glory. One time before curing a blind man Jesus strongly stressed that the healing would take place as recorded at John 9:1-3, "And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (ASV); and in the healing of Lazarus of Bethany as testified to at John 11:1-4, "Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby." (ASV). This is quite unlike the fakers, magicians, and faith healers, Jesus (Yeshua) never used hypnotism, trickery, spectacular displays, magic spells, or emotional rituals. He did not resort to superstition or the use of relics as some clergy do. He accomplished all in an unassuming way in which Jesus healed two blind men as recorded at Matthew 20:29-34, "And as they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Lord, have mercy on us, thou son of David. 31 And the multitude rebuked them, that they should hold their peace: but they cried out the more, saying, Lord, have mercy on us, thou son of David. 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I should do unto you? 33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 And Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and straightway they received their sight, and followed him." (ASV). No hockos pokes, showy display, ritual, etc. was involved. Jesus (Yeshua) performed his miraculous works in the open, usually before numerous eye witnesses. Jesus (Yeshua) used no special props, lighting, etc. as recorded at Mark 5:24-29, " And he went with him; and a great multitude followed him, and they thronged him. 25 And a woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27 having heard the things concerning Jesus, came in the crowd behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I touch but his garments, I shall be made whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague." (ASV), and Luke 7:11-15, " And it came to pass soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain; and his disciples went with him, and a great multitude. 12 Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, there was carried out one that was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came nigh and touched the bier: and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother." (ASV); ; whereas, modern-day so called miracles often defy documentation.

Sometimes Jesus (Yeshua) acknowledged the faith of those he healed, but in other cases he did not as the individuals did not believe until he cured them. In Capernaum in Galilee, many brought sick and demon-possessed individuals to him and he cured the sick and expelled demons from the possessed ones as shown by Matthew 8:16, " And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: " (ASV).

Jesus (Yeshua) did not perform miracles to satisfy curiosity, but to meet the actual physical needs of the people as shown by Mark 10:45-52, " And they come to Jericho: and as he went out from Jericho, with his disciples and a great multitude, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the way side. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 48 And many rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 49 And Jesus stood still, and said, Call ye him. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good cheer: rise, he calleth thee. 50 And he, casting away his garment, sprang up, and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus answered him, and said, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And the blind man said unto him, Rabboni, that I may receive my sight. 52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And straightway he received his sight, and followed him in the way.' (ASV); and Luke 23:8, " Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was of a long time desirous to see him, because he had heard concerning him; and he hoped to see some miracle done by him." (ASV). Also, unlike the so called healers of today, he NEVER took any money and/or benefited in any personal way as shown at Matthew 4:2-4, " And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered. 3 And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (ASV), and Matthew 10:8, " Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give."(ASV).

What Were the Gospel Accounts?

The four Gospels have transmitted to us the facts about Jesus' miracles. What are the reasons we can rely on these accounts as we examine the authenticity of the miracles attributed to Jesus. As previously noted, Jesus' miracles were performed in public, before many eye witnesses. The earliest Gospels were penned at a time when most of those eye witnesses were still alive. Regarding the honesty of the Gospel writers, the book, "The Miracles and the Resurrection," states, "To accuse the gospel evangelists of indiscriminately submerging historical fact in a flood of miracle-mongering to serve the interests of theological propaganda would be outright injustice. . . . They meant to be honest recorders."

In fact, the Jewish opponents of true Christianity never challenged the powerful works described in the four Gospels. They questioned only the power by which these were performed as clearly testified to at Mark 3:22-26, " And the scribes that came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons. 23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan hath rise up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end." (ASV). Neither could later detractors successfully deny the miracles that Jesus (Yeshua) performed. On the contrary, during the first and second centuries AD., there were references to miraculous works performed by Jesus. Thus, we have every reason to view the Gospel accounts of his miracles as authentic.

The Man Behind the Miracles:

An examination of Jesus' miracles would be incomplete were it to be limited only to the logical arguments about their authenticity. The Gospels reveal a man of deep feelings and unrivaled compassion, with a keen interest in the welfare of fellow humans.
Consider the case of a leper who approached Jesus with the desperate plea recorded at Mark 1:40-42, " And there cometh to him a leper, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 41 And being moved with compassion, he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou made clean. 42 And straightway the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean." (ASV). By this act, Jesus (Yeshua) demonstrated his empathy that moved him to use his God given power to perform miracles.

Another good example of his empathy was when Jesus (Yeshua) met up with a funeral procession coming out of the city of Nain;
What happened then? The deceased young man was the only son of a widow. "Moved with compassion" for the woman, Jesus approached her and said, as recorded at Luke 7:11-18, " And it came to pass soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain; and his disciples went with him, and a great multitude. 12 Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, there was carried out one that was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came nigh and touched the bier: and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. 16 And fear took hold on all: and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is arisen among us: and, God hath visited his people. 17 And this report went forth concerning him in the whole of Judaea, and all the region round about. 18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things.' (ASV).

This example, permits us to be comforted by how we see Jesus (Yeshua) acting in performing miracles, i.e., he was "moved with compasion" and as always he sought to help people. Such miracles are not simply history. Jesus (Yeshua) Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever," says Hebrews 13:8, " Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and to-day, [yea] and for ever." (ASV). However, He now rules as heavenly King, ready and able to use his God given powers, and has been made the only mediator between his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) and mankind as stated at 1 Timothy 2:5, " For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, [himself] man, Christ Jesus," (ASV), so he can use his God (YHWH) given miraculous powers in a far grander way than he did when he was on earth as a human.

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**Admin** Tue Apr 12, 2016 1:08 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] APPARENT CONTRADICTIONS IN THE BIBLE COMPARED TO REAL ONES IN THE QURAN AND THE BOOK OF MORMON. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 97A]

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:22, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, all genuine true followers of the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua) will suffer persecution as foretold by James 5:10 – 11, [AV] “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” Therefore, all should pray for endurance so they can bare up under their affliction.

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] APPARENT CONTRADICTIONS IN THE BIBLE COMPARED TO REAL ONES IN THE QURAN AND THE BOOK OF MORMON:

It is high time that some start to realize that there are only apparent contradictions in the Bible, but when examined closely we find that these are all due to failure to comprehend what is being said, failure to understand the writing styles of the time the item was written, failure to understand the sentence construction of the ancient language, errors in translation, and biases on the part of the translator.

LET'S LOOK AT ONE EXAMPLE, MATTHEW 12:37-40 FROM WELL KNOWN:

"Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and {yet} no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (New American Standard Bible; NASB)

"Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (New International Version; NIV)

"Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (New King James Bible; NKJB)

"Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (King James Version; KJV)

APPARENT CONTRADICTION AND ITS EXPLANATION WITH REGARD TO MATTHEW 12:37-40:

Some see an error or contradiction in these scriptures related to the amount of time Jesus (Yeshua) was in the grave, but there is NONE. The true facts are:
"Yes, it does seem that way. We must remember that the Bible was written in other languages by cultures far removed from ours. Most alleged contradictions stem from a misunderstanding of certain terms and phrases. For example, Jesus predicted that He would be in the grave for "three days and three nights"(Matt.12:40). When we read the passion narratives, we see that He was crucified late Friday afternoon and that He rose from the dead, early on Sunday morning. It is impossible to get three days and three nights out of this, and I have seen many atheists refer to Jesus' prophecy as a "blatant error which completely destroys the credibility of the Bible."[source - I'd Like To Believe In Jesus, But...By Bob Siegel , Published by Campus Ambassador Press, A ministry of Mission To the Americas Wheaton, Illinois]

COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 12:37-40 EXPLAINING THESE SCRIPTURES:

For those who want a more detailed explanation, here is an exert from a well known commentary, Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament:

Verse 37
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Speech is one of the greatest endowments of humanity; and the greater the gift, the greater the sin of perverting it to unworthy purposes. It would be impossible to sum up all the sins of mankind in the area of sinful speech. It must appear even to casual thought of it that words, as used by millions, constitute the bulk of human shame and wickedness. James said, "If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also" (James 3:2). Beyond everything else, man should watch what he says. One's words can justify when they confess Christ, or teach the truth, or serve to make peace, bestow a blessing, or give encouragement; but on the other hand, when words condemn, cast a reflection, subvert the truth, utter profanity, vulgarity, hatred, or malice, or any one of a million other evil things - then such words bring the condemnation of those who speak them.

Verse 38
Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee.

This arrogant request came from a group who had already accused Jesus of being in league with the devil and who had already seen signs aplenty; but in this case, they were demanding a sign of their own choosing. Luke stated that they sought a "sign from heaven" (Luke 11:16). By that, they no doubt meant some spectacular wonder without moral value but which would appeal sensationally to a man's curiosity. Christ always rejected that type of sign, as, for example, when he refused to jump from the pinnacle of the temple (Matthew 4:6). In fact, there is more than a suggestion that the Pharisees' request for a sign was but a renewal of Satan's temptation of the Lord in the wilderness. Christ always refused to perform wonders for his enemies like Herod or the Pharisees. He did work miracles for the benefit of John's disciples (Luke 7:18-22), and raised Lazarus that the people might believe (John 11:42). For more on "a sign from heaven," see under Matthew 16:1.

Verse 39
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

The "adulterous generation" refers not merely to the morals of the people but to the rejection of Israel's covenant with their God. Barnes wrote:
The relation of the Jews to God was represented as a marriage contract with God as the husband and the Jewish people as his wife (Isa. 57:3; Hosea 3:1; Ezek. 16:15). Hence, their apostasy and idolatry are often represented as adultery.

The "sign of the prophet Jonah" refers to the resurrection of Christ, the greatest and most wonderful miracle of all time. Jesus' announcement of this "sign" at that time was actually a prophecy of his death, burial and resurrection. The Old Testament had plainly indicated the Messiah would rise from the dead (Psalms 16:10); but, in keeping with his usual methods, Christ again laid claim to Messiahship, but in such terminology, and in such analogies, that his enemies would not see it, or if they did, would be unable to prove what he meant!

Verse 40
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
The use of "whale" in this verse is in error; the Greek word is "sea-monster," as a glance at the English Revised Version (1885) margin will show; not that there is any essential difference, for the Bible states that "God prepared" a great fish (Jonah 1:17). In the book of Jonah is related also how God "prepared" a gourd (Jonah 4:6), a worm (Jonah 4:7), and a sultry east wind (Jonah 4:8)! Why it should be considered for God a more difficult matter to prepare a great fish than any of those other "preparations" is surely a mystery!

Regarding the truth of the Jonah narrative, it appears absolutely incredible that Christ, one of the Godhead, would have made a mere folk tale the principal prophecy and sign of his resurrection from the dead. We here register a protest against those expositors who are so wise above their Saviour in casting a reflection of doubt upon this astounding incident from the Old Testament. From Jesus' reference to it here, it appears that the experience of Jonah was an authentic event which God "prepared" to be a prophecy of a still greater one, the resurrection of Christ.

The question of "three days and three nights," as signifying the time of our Lord's remaining in the tomb, is one of the most widely discussed issues in the New Testament. An overwhelming number of scholars hold the conviction that the expression is a Hebrew idiom referring to any part of three days and nights which included an entire day, the two nights on either side of it, and portions of the other two days. The present custom of accepting a month to be 28, 30, or 31 days is held to be similar to the Hebrew custom of so loosely determining "three days and three nights." The traditional view that Christ was crucified on Friday and raised on Sunday draws its principal support from Matthew's word that Christ should be raised "the third day" (Matthew 16:21). This view asserts that if he was crucified on Thursday, and raised on Sunday, then he would have been raised on the fourth day.

In spite of the fact that a good case can be made out for the above explanation, some very respected students of God's word take another view. Torrey said, "There is absolutely nothing in favor of Friday crucifixion, but everything in Scripture is perfectly harmonized by Wednesday crucifixion." F12 Torrey's argument is the following: (1) Christ was crucified the day before the sabbath (Mark 15:42). (2) This does not necessarily mean the day before the ordinary sabbath, because the Jews always honored the day before the Passover (15th of Nisan) as a special "high" sabbath, no matter what day of the week it fell upon (Exodus 12:6; Leviticus 23:7; Numbers 28:16-18). (3) The truly important question is, therefore, whether "day before the sabbath" refers to an ordinary Saturday, or the special "high" sabbath related to the Passover, and occurring on any day of the week, depending where the 15th of Nisan fell. (4) John's gospel plainly says it was "the preparation of the Passover" (John 19:14), and that it was "an high day" (John 19:31). These Scriptures plainly show that the ordinary sabbath was not meant. (5) Thus, Christ was crucified on the day before the "high day," or first day of Passover. Since the Passover (15th of Nisan) in the year 30 A.D. fell on Thursday, the "day before" would make it Wednesday on which Christ was crucified. (6) Scriptures supporting this view are: Christ said he would rise "after three days" (Mark 8:31). "After three days" he would rise again (Mark 9:31; 10:34). "This is now the third day since these things were done" (Luke 24:31). Whatever one thinks of Torrey's argument, it must be admitted that it is supported by more Scriptures than the traditional view.
Warning: devout souls will not be troubled by this question; for, if it had been necessary to know the day of the week, the Lord would have revealed it. Furthermore, to resolve this question finally and dogmatically, it would be positively necessary to know the exact year of our Lord's passion; and THAT is not certainly known. Not even the exact year of his birth can be determined. It can never be known what day of the week was the 15th of Nisan until the overriding question of WHAT YEAR is fixed. This, of course, is the weakness of Torrey's position. He takes the year 30 A.D. as the base of his calculations.
The heart of the earth is a figurative expression for the grave which is also called "the lower parts of the earth" (Psalms 63:9; Ephesians 4:9).[source - Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament, by Coffman, James Burton, Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.]

OTHER, SO CALLED HOLLY BOOKS, HOWEVER HAVE REAL CONTRADICTIONS, NOT JUST APPARENT CONTRADICTIONS:

Let's look at other so called Holy Books and see some real contradictions.

The eastern "scriptures" have no interest in history, because this is the world of illusion from which we are to be delivered. Ancient polytheistic religions likewise had no interest in history. Their gods acted only in myths, removed as far as possible from real history.

The Koran is almost entirely assertions of Allah. It has very little historical interface, and what there is contains clear inaccuracies.

Sura 26:55-60 says that the Israelites under Pharaoh were but "a scanty band" (in contrast to the multitude mentioned in Ex. 1:9) and that in leaving Egypt they forsook "their gardens and fountains and splendid dwellings" (in contrast to their slavery and hardship mentioned Ex. 1:11-14). This renders the whole motive for Israel's deliverance obscure.

Sura 5:119 reflects Muhammad's gross misunderstanding of the Trinity-that it is composed of the Father, Jesus and Mary.

The Book of Mormon makes many historical references, but it too is full of historical anachronisms and geographical inaccuracies.

1 Nephi 2:5-8 states that the river Laman emptied into the Red Sea. But there has never been any river that emptied into the Red Sea, either in historic or prehistoric times.

Alma 46:15 states that believers were called "Christians" back in 73 BC-fully seven decades before Jesus was even born![source - Xenos Christian Fellowship Christian Principles Unit 3: Provisions for Spiritual Growth]

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**Admin** Tue Apr 12, 2016 10:39 pm

COMBINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES. With the Scripture of the Day first.
SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 98A]

Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. James 5:11, [AV]

It is imperative that we endure, and to that end, we must build up strong faith in line with 2 Timothy 1:4, “So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:” This need for endurance is mentioned many places in the Bible such as at Matthew 24:13, [AV] “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” And at Mark 4:17, [AV] “And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” Yes, all genuine true followers of the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua) will be hated by the ungodly of the nations as testified to at Mark 13:13, [AV] “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” But as shown at 2 Timothy 2:10, [AV] “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” Yes, the time is shortly at hand that 2 Timothy 4:3, [AV] “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES:
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Leucophyllum frutescens, Purple Sage

Abundance: common
What: leaves
How: tea
Where: arid plains, landscaping
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: medicinal

Purple sage, also known as cenizos, gives rise to the purple prairies of Texas, though it's found mostly in the more arid regions. The plant retains its leaves all year long but the flowers appear in the summer and fall, blooming after rains. They prefer full sun in well-drained, alkaline soils.

The leaves are dried and then used to make tea. This tea is an enjoyable drink and often just drank for the taste. However, traditionally this tea was also used to fight the symptoms of colds, including the congestion, fever, and coughing.

Purple sage can be found for sale at most plant nurseries. If you are not in their native range, plant the cezino in full sun in a raised bed to insure adequate drainage. If kept to wet purple sage may die. [sourc - retrieved from http://www.foragingtexas.com/2011/12/purple-sage.html on 3/30/2016]

In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].

To view this plant, go to, http://www.foragingtexas.com/2011/12/purple-sage.html

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1) http://iris89.conforums.com/

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To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to, http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!

**Admin** Thu Apr 14, 2016 12:53 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] THE CULMINATION OF THE END TIMES . With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 99A]

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:7, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Almighty God (YHWH), and His son, Jesus (Yeshua) never change, but always remain the same. However their follower will face many trials as foretold a 1 Peter 4:12 – 14, [AV] “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO,

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5) http://religioustruths.forumsland.com/

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7) https://religioustruths.forumotion.com/

To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] THE CULMINATION OF THE END TIMES:

INTRODUCTION:

Many wonder about the culmination of the end times, when it will come, what part will Christians play in it, how vast the destruction will be, how and why wickedness will be destroyed, does destruction of the wicked violate the principle of 'agape' love, and most of all how to survive. This great destruction that will shortly be upon us is known to many as Armageddon and will do away with all present political systems and replace them with direct rule by God's (YHWH) appointed agent, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ.

However, Just as in times past, such as the days of Noah, the righteous will be delivered while the wicked are being destroyed as shown at Matthew 24:37-39, "And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. 38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark." (American Standard Version; ASV); And affirmed at 1 Peter 3:20, "that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls, were saved through water." (ASV). So let's learn what will occur.

PRESENT POLITICAL SYSTEM IS UN-RIGHTEOUS AND WILL BE REMOVED:

The present political system is under control of the ruler of this system of things, Satan the Devil, and will be destroyed as revealed at Revelation 16:14 & 16, "for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the gread day of God, the Almighty, 16 And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon. " (ASV); And this is further amplified at Revelation 19:19, "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army." (ASV) here speaking of the army of God (YHWH) under command of his appointed agent, his Son, the Son of God (YHWH), Jesus (Yeshua), who is shown as sitting on the horse when the political powers make war against him.

Now what is meant by referring to Jesus (Yeshua) as his Father's (YHWH's) agent? Clearly it is vital we grasp this concept early in this discourse so we can understand the Biblical facts better; As we will later vividly see, Jesus (Yeshua) was not carrying out his own will, but the will of the superior one who sent him with respect to him leading the armies of God (YHWH) is the destruction of the powers to be of this wicked system now existing. In fact Jesus (Yeshua) said, Matthew 4:10, to Satan when he was being tempted, "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (ASV); and Jesus (Yeshua) said, John 14:28, "Ye heard how I said to you, I go away, and I come unto you. If ye loved me, ye would have rejoiced, because I go unto the Father; for the Father is greater than I." (ASV); Clearly these both show that Jesus (Yeshua) considered his Father (YHWH) greater than himself, but there are those who mistakenly say they are one and the same, preposterous! In an attempt to prove their error they use Colossians 1:16-19, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;" (Authorized King James Bible; AV). Clearly they overlook that verse 19 says, "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;" showing two distinct beings or individuals, and the Jewish Law of Agencies or Schaliach Principle or their error would probably be self evident to them.

Some may find this a difficult concept, but is is similar to someone giving another a Limited Power of Attorney making him an agent to carry out an assigned task as did His Father (YHWH) at 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." (AV), testifies that God (YHWH) had given his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) over all except himself when the scripture says "it is manifest that he is excepted." Clearly showing they were distinct individuals and that the Father (YHWH) was the superior one; hence they were not CO-EQUAL.

HAR-MAGEDON WILL BE A WAR OF DIVINE EXECUTION:

Some think that true Christians will have a part in this war and the slaying work; however, this is NOT the case as shown at 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds;" (ASV); And reaffirmed that true Christians would play no part at Romans 12:19, "Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengence belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord." (ASV); Actually the fight true Christians NOW have just prior to the climax is detailed at Ephesians 6:12, "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (ASV).

That this war at the climax of the end times will be a war of divine execution by God (YHWH) using his only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua), as the appointed leader of his armies, in keeping with the Schaliach Principle is made clear at Jeremiah 25:31-32, "A noise shall come even to the end of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the nations; he will enter into judgment with all flesh: as for the wicked, he will give them to the sword, saith Jehovah. 32 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth." (ASV); And affirmed at Zephaniah 3:8, "Therefore wait ye for me saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy." (ASV); And at 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, "if so be that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you, 7 and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, 8 rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: 9 who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might." (ASV); And this is testified to in Jude 14-15, "And to these also Encoh, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (ASV).

This period of time, although short, will be dramatic unlike any ever known as revealed at Revelation:15-17, "And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand." (ASV).

WHY THIS WAR IS NECESSARY AND DOES NOT VIOLATE GOD'S (YHWH'S) CHIEF ATTRIBUTE OF LOVE:

Many wonder why this war is necessary. It is necessary so as to clear wickedness from the earth, to prove God's (YHWH's) right to rule beyond question, to both magnify and clear God's (YHWH's) name, and to destroy wicked entrenched political opposition to God's (YHWH's) kingdom. FIRST, we will deal with the need to remove wickedness from the earth as shown at Psalms 37:10-11, "10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and he shall not be. 11 But the meek shall inherit the land, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (ASV); And at Psalms 145:20, "Jehovah preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy." (ASV); And at Proverbs 2:21-22, "For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it. 22 But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly shall be taken away from it." (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB); And at Isaiah 11:1 & 4, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. 4 But he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall slay the wicked." (DRCB), clearly showing the wicked will be done away with.

SECOND, It is necessary to prove, once and for all, God's (YHWH's) sovereignty and his unquestionable right to rule as shown at Psalms 83:17-18, "Let them be put to shame and dismayed for ever; Yea, let them be confounded and perish; (ASV) 18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH [(YHWH)], art the most high over all the earth." (AV); And affirmed at Daniel 2:44, "And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (ASV). Ans a Isaiah 32:1 states, "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness and princes shall rule in justice." (ASV); And at Psalms 45:16, "Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, Whom thou shalt make princes in all the earth." (ASV).

That God (YHWH) will take over the rule of the earth and use his appointed agent, Jesus (Yeshua), the Son of God (YHWH), to run it is made clear at Revelation 11:17-18, "sayhing, We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign. 18 And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth." (ASV); And at Isaiah 46:8-11, "Yea, thou heardest not; yea thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb. 9 For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. 10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory unto another." (AV).

THIRD, To both magnify and clear God's (YHWH's) name as is vividly shown at Ezekiel 38:23, "And I will magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am Jehovah." (ASV); And affirmed at Psalms 74:10 & 18, "How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever. 18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Jehovah, And that a foolish people hath blasphemed thy name." (ASV). Clearly then it is required for God (YHWH) to clear his name as further shown at Isaiah 5:16, "but Jehovah of hosts is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness." (ASV); And in fact we actually pray for this outcome when we pray the 'Lords prayer' as shown at Matthew 6:9, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." (ASV); And affirmed at Psalms 145:21, (Psalms 144:21 in the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible), "My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever." (DRCB).

FOURTH, To destroy wicked entrenched political opposition to God's (YHWH's) kingdom as revealed at Revelation 19:11 & 16 & 19, "And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 16 And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against his that sat upon the horse, and against his army." (ASV); And this all in keeping with Jesus (Yeshua) being his Father's (YHWH's) agent in keeping with 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, ""But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. 21 For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming. 24 Then [cometh] the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be abolished is death. 27 For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him. 28 And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all." (ASV). It is to be noted that his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) has put his Son, Jesus (Yeshua), over all, except himself as pointed out at in 1 Corinthians 15:27 above, and given him all he needs to carry out his commission.

And that he, Jesus (Yeshua) has been given this authority by his Father (YHWH) is clearly shown by Revelation 17:12-14, "And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour. 13 These have one mind, and they give their power and authority unto the beast. 14 These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they also shall overcome that are with him, called and chosen and faithful." (ASV); And re-affirmed at Psalms 2:2 & 5-6 & 9, "The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed saying, 5 Then will he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure: 6 Yet I have set my king, Upon my holy hill of Zion. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (ASV).

DESTRUCTION OF THE WICKED DOES NOT VIOLATE GOD'S (YHWH'S) CHIEF ATTRIBUTE OF LOVE, BUT IS REQUIRED BY IT:

This destruction of the wicked is necessary in the interest of showing his chief attribute of love to the righteous ones who have been abused, harassed, and worse by the wicked ones. All righteous ones experience abuse from the wicked and God (YHWH) being a righteous God (YHWH) must bring this to an end, but he takes no delight in having to do so as shown at Ezekiel 18:23, "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? Saith the Lord Jehovah; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?" (ASV); And is affirmed at Romans 9:22, "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction." (ASV); And at Psalms 37:28, "For Jehovah loveth justice, And forsaketh not his saints; They are preserved for ever; But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off." (ASV).

Of course some feel God (YHWH) has been slow about bringing destruction to the wicked, but in reality he has been patient as shown by 2 Peter 3:8-9, "But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (ASV); And at Luke 18:7-8, shows when justice comes, it will come speedily, "And shall not god avenge his elect, that cry to him day and night, and yet he is longsuffering over them? 8 I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (ASV).

THE CLIMAX OF THE END TIMES OR ARMAGEDDON WILL COME SUDDENLY:

It will come during the marked generation as shown by Matthew 24:34-36 & 43-44, "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only. 43-44 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through. 44 Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh. " (ASV) clearly showing all would occur in this marked generation and that in the 1 st. Century even Jesus (Yeshua) did NOT know the exact time, but only his Father (YHWH).

As alluded to in Matthew 24:44 above, the climax of the end times will arrive as testified to at 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, "For yourselves know perfectly that they day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape." (ASV); And affirmed at Revelation 16:15, "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." (ASV); And at Proverbs 6:12-15, "A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth; 13 That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, That maketh signs with his fingers; 14 In whose heart is perverseness, Who deviseth evil continually, Who soweth discord." (ASV); There fore as Luke 21:34-35 says, "But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: 35 for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth." (ASV).

THE CONCLUSION AND HOW TO SURVIVE:

FIRST, one must be a meek and righteous person as shown at Zepheniah 2:2-3, "before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Jehovah come upon you, before the day of Jehovah's anger come upon you. 3 Seek ye Jehovah all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger." (ASV);

SECOND, those wishing to be saved on this day need to per Joel 2:32, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call." (ASV).

THIRD, we must be loving our God (YHWH) with all our might as shown by Psalms 145:20, "Jehovah preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy." (ASV).

FOURTH, we must accept his Son, the Son of God, Jesus (Yeshua) as our savior as testified to at John 3:16, ""For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life." (ASV); And re-affirmed at Romans 5:9-10, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." (ASV).

FIFTH, we must seek after wisdom as shown at Ecclesiastes 7:11-12, "Wisdom is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun. 12 For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it." (ASV).

SIXTH, we must let others know about God (YHWH) and his Son, the Son of God (YHWH), Jesus (Yeshua) since Romans 10:10 clearly shows, "for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (ASV); And given as an assignment to all true Christians at matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (AV).

SEVENTH, expect to be among the few in number who will be, per Matthew 10:22, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." (ASV).

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Thu Apr 14, 2016 8:42 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] LEARN THE FACTS ON MATTHEW 24:21 IN CONTEXT. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 100A]

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:22, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, all genuine true followers of the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua) will suffer persecution as foretold by James 5:10 – 11, [AV] “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” Therefore, all should pray for endurance so they can bare up under their affliction.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO,

1) http://iris89.conforums.com/

2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/

3) http://religioustruths.lefora.com/

4) http://religioustruths.boardhost.com/

5) http://religioustruths.forumsland.com/

6) http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/

7) https://religioustruths.forumotion.com/

To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] LEARN THE FACTS ON MATTHEW 24:21 IN CONTEXT:

With respect Matthew 24:21 you can get a better comprehension by looking at it in context as clearly it has both a minor and a major fulfillment. Its minor fulfillment was when the Romans destroyed the temple app. 70 AD, but the greater fulfillment of that which Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of in Matthew 24:4-36 was for the future. Let's look at the scripture in context with appropriate comments to assist your comprehension. "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray.[we have seen many being lead astray by Jimmy Jones, Osama bin Ladin, David Korash, and many others in our time] 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for [these things] must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places.[we have been seeing this in our time, wars and wars, famines in various places, etc.] 8 But all these things are the beginning of travail.[note, all these things are just the beginning, which by its nature implies there will also be an end, i.e., the culmination of the end times] 9 Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake.[this started to happen in a large scale during the Second World War when A. Hitler went after people because of their religion. This did NOT occur in the First World War] 10 And then shall many stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another.[at the moment we see a world filled with hate, examples in Palestine, Iraq, Kashmir, etc.] 11 And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.[some of these are Jimmy Jones, Osama bin Ladin, and many many others] 12 And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold.[we see this today, many care not for their neighbors and have become fed up with all religion as they have seen too much wrong is many so called religious groups such as the TV evangelist whose main pitch is for more money] 13 But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.[we must keep are faith as faith that becomes dead is worthless] 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.[the Gospel about Christ must first be preached in every nation of the world, not necessarily to every person, and only then can the culmination of the end times we are living in actually occur. This has not yet occurred as later shown by Jesus (Yeshua)] 15 When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that readeth understand), 16 then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains: [this was speaking of the minor fulfillment that occurred as an example for all of us today. It happened in 70 AD with the destruction of the temple]17 let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house: [this refers to when the Roman armies temporarily left off their siege of Jerusalem thus giving opportunity for all who believed Jesus' (Yeshua's) word an opportunity to get out before the next siege and the cities' and temple's destruction]18 and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak. 19 But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days![when the final seige occurred in 70 AD it was a terrifying thing for the inhabitants of Jerusalem and serves as an example for us who are living in the time of the end of this old system of things which will be replaced by Christ's Kingdom] 20 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath: 21 for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.[here we can clearly see that Jesus (Yeshua) is talking about the end times and its culmination and not the minor fulfillment and/or example of what occurred in 70 AD as he said, "such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be" clearly showing a time that would effect the entire earth and not just Jerusalem alone and the time for this is near at hand, i.e., the culmination of the end times] 22 And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.[clearly we are living in the end times as things continue to get ever worse around the world; to wit, who ever thought we would see the World Trade Center destroyed in New York by an evil false messiah from the desert, Osama bin Ladin.] 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe [it] not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.[we see this type of false prophet everywhere, in fact David Korash even said once that he was the messiah and he was NOT alone as there have been in recent times many like him.] 25 Behold, I have told you beforehand. 26 If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe [it] not. 27 For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. [there would be many trying to mislead even the elect, but we should not be fooled by these self-aggrandizers]28 Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:[this scripture shows that immediately after the tribulation that Satan and his angels will be abyssesed and no longer able to trouble the world which then will be under the rule of Christ as King.] 30 and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.[All will see the change occurring due to the events occurring] 31 And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. [Here Jesus (Yeshua) gives the orders to his angels to gather his faithful followers together under his command.]

32 Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh; 33 even so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that he is nigh, [even] at the doors.[Here Jesus (Yeshua) is giving an illustration to show that his true followers must stay alert and be aware of the signs of the times.] 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished. [Here he is letting us know that this tribulation and ever worsening world conditions will not continue on without letup, but will be short lived to the time of one generation]35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. [Here he states that his word is true and these things will come to pass; this is an assurance for all of his faithful followers]36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.[However, even Jesus (Yeshua) did NOT know the exact day and hour for the culmination of the end times; yet today we have seen some so called prophets even predict it. They are frauds.]

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**Admin** Fri Apr 15, 2016 9:22 pm

THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON A CONTINUUM. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 101A]

Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. James 5:11, [AV]

It is imperative that we endure, and to that end, we must build up strong faith in line with 2 Timothy 1:4, “So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:” This need for endurance is mentioned many places in the Bible such as at Matthew 24:13, [AV] “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” And at Mark 4:17, [AV] “And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” Yes, all genuine true followers of the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua) will be hated by the ungodly of the nations as testified to at Mark 13:13, [AV] “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” But as shown at 2 Timothy 2:10, [AV] “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” Yes, the time is shortly at hand that 2 Timothy 4:3, [AV] “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] DISCOURSE ON A CONTINUUM

It is quite strange but a reoccurring phenomena that those at the extreme ends of any continuum have the most absurd views be it religion, politics, education, or what ever. Take the so called Bible believing continuum of religion; you have the strange beliefs of the Trinity and Sabellianism, one being the false belief of :

" They believe that there is one but God made up of three separate and distinct persons of but one indivisible essence. That these three persons existed from eternity, and are co-equal in power and substance. These individuals are known as Father (YHWH), Son, Jesus (Yeshua or YHWH saves) and the Holy Spirit. The undivided essence of God belongs equally to each of the three persons. The Church (Catholic, Orthodox, and most Protestants) confesses the Trinity to be a mystery beyond the comprehension of man[source - "Discourse on John 1:1," by my husband]"

And the other being:

" God is three only in relation to the world, in so many "manifestations" or "modes." The unity and identity of God are such that the Son of God, Jesus (Yeshua or YHWH saves) did not exist before the incarnation; because the Father (YHWH) and the Son, Jesus (Yeshua or YHWH saves) are thus one, the Father (YHWH) suffered with the Son, Jesus (Yeshua or YHWH saves) in his passion and death[source - "Discourse on John 1:1," by my husband]."
Which is some religions such as the Catholic seem to blend together, and at the other end of the continuum you have the Doomsday Prophet group that rest their case on Deuteronomy and the claim that their leader, Starjade, is the foretold prophet, and not Jesus (Yeshua). Proves the point that the extremes of any continuum miss the mark of truth which lies about the middle point on the continuum.

For example, the Trinitarians maintain that God (YHWH) is of three parts, persons, and/or manifestations as previously mentioned, i.e., God (YHWH), Jesus (Yeshua), and God's (YHWH's) active force, the Spirit. How absurd for a number of simple reasons:

1 - Jesus (Yeshua) claimed to be the Son of God, but never claimed to be God (YHWH). This is affirmed in over 40 places in the Bible. Whereas, for the Trinity to be so he would NOT be the Son of God (YHWH), but would be called God the Son which he is not called anywhere in the Bible. Whereas, many Trinitarians contend about trivial such as whether there should or should not be an article in the last part of John 1:1, rather than concerning themselves with what makes translational sense in context which lack of article in English does not.

2 - A trinity is composed of three like things and not two divine beings and the power or force of the greater one per John 14:28, "Ye heard how I said to you, I go away, and I come unto you. If ye loved me, ye would have rejoiced, because I go unto the Father: for the Father is greater than I." (American Standard Version; ASV). Interestingly John 1:1, even if you accepted a biased and out of context rendering like this:
" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (Authorized King James Bible; AV)"
That of course is out of context rendering instead of the correct rendering in context such as:

" IN THE beginning the Word exist- ed. The Word was with God, and the Word was divine.[source - "The Complete Bible: An American Translation." Contributors: Edgar J. Goodspeed - transltr, J. M. Powis Smith - transltr. Publisher: University of Chicago Press. Place of Publication: Chicago. Publication Year: 1939."

Or:

" The Logos existed in the very beginning, the Logos was with God, the Logos was divine. [source - A New Translation of The Bible by James Moffatt, D.D., D.Litt.:]"

Or:

" In a beginning was the word, and the word was with the God, and a god was the Word [source - The Word for Word English Translation from Koine Greek to English from The Vatican Manuscript #1209 which makes the Emphatic Diaglott by Dr. J. J. Griesbach, probably the greatest German Bible scholar and Koine Greek translator]"

Even if you were to accept a biased and out of context rendering only two and not three divine beings appear; hence maybe a Duality, but definitely not a trinity. For proof, count your fingers up to two and hold them up in a "V", no trinity, only two.

3 - The believers in the trinity put if forth as the paramount belief and the so called World Council of Churches or whatever they now call themselves these days, makes belief in this myth a prerequisite for membership, believe it or not. Yet nowhere in the Bible does the word Trinity ever appear, thus obviously it is a myth.

4 - No equality which would be required by a trinity is shown in the Bible, but just the opposite is testified to at 1 Corinthians 11:3,
" "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." (ASV)".
This scripture clearly shows God (YHWH) is clearly "the head of Christ is God" the head of Christ.

Also Luke 3:21-23,

"During a general baptism of the people, when Jesus too had been baptized and was praying, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove; and there came a voice from heaven, 'Thou art my Son, my Beloved; on thee my favour rest' (the New English Bible; NEB)"
Thereby clearly showing God's (YHWH's) active force coming down on Jesus (Yeshua) and God (YHWH) himself saying, "Thou art my Son, by Beloved; oon thee my favour rest." Clearly, showing a Father (YHWH) bestowing favor on a Son, now if Jesus (Yeshua) were COEQUAL OR COETERNAL with his Father (YHWH) this would of course be impossible. Now being coequal and coeternal would be required for either a Duality or, if a third divine individual were involved at John 1:1, a Trinity.

But, last let's consider just what is the Holy Spirit. Now let's consider just what this Spirit is. Now what is this Spirit or Holy Spirit that John the Baptist mentioned at John 1:32, ""And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the holy Ghost." (AV)? The Holy Spirit is only God's (YHWH's) active force and not even a spirit being or person. This is clearly shown at Pentecost where the Holy Spirit was poured out onto all there, Acts 2:1-4, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (AV). This entire scripture bespeaks of a force and not a being as you do not get filled with a being! And this fact is reaffirmed at Acts 4:31, ""And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." (AV); And 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, "Now he which established us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (AV), surely a being would not be in our hearts as that is ludicrous, thus this scripture talks of God's (YHWH's) active force; This is clearly shown at Luke 11:13, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (AV). Once more, why? Why? Do many say they are coequal and coeternal when clearly they are not and the Holy Ghost is just God's (YHWH's) active force? Only to try to give some resemblance of reality to a myth as we shall later see. An interesting note on the Spirit is that the neuter Greek word for spirit (pneu'ma) is used, the neuter pronoun "it" is properly employed. This fact is conveniently over looked or hidden by most Trinitarian translators as admitted in the "New American Bible Catholic Bible," regarding John 14:17: "The Greek word for 'Spirit' is neuter, and while we use personal pronouns in English ('he,' 'his,' 'him'), most Greek MSS [manuscripts] employ 'it.'" So when the Bible uses masculine personal pronouns in connection with pa•ra'kle•tos at John 16:7, 8, it is conforming to rules of grammar, not expressing a doctrine. And in Ancient Hebrew the word here rendered Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, or Spirit which is translated from 'ru'ach' meaning "breath; wind; spirit." In Latin, it is spiritus, and in Sanskrit, 'prana' which means both "breath" and "spirit"

So it is clear that the Spirit is not a being but is God's (YHWH's) active force which he gives to both his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) and to his followers that he gave to him. This is made even clearer at 1 Corinthians 12:13, "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. And Hebrews 2:4 clearly reveals it as from him, "God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will." (ASV); And affirmed at 2 Peter 1:21, "For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." (ASV). Interestingly many ancient manuscripts with respect part of 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, in part read as follows, "Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic [all important ancient manuscripts] read, "(the Lord God of the) spirits (of the prophets)." The Lord God who with His Spirit inspired their spirits so as to be able to prophesy. There is but one Spirit, but individual prophets, according to the measure given them " Thus it is obvious that the Spirit or Holy Spirit is God's (YHWH's) active force or power which he 'pours' out to his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) and to the faithful followers as necessary to get his will accomplished.

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]

**Admin** Sat Apr 16, 2016 4:01 pm

COMBINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES. With the Scripture of the Day first.
SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 102A]

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

The Apostle Paul stressed the need to become followers of the Christ just as he was. He went on to say at 2 Timothy 3:10 – 12, [AV] “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Yes, genuine true followers of Christ should be the light to lead all righteously disposed ones among the gentiles (none Jews or followers of Almighty God (YHWH)) per Acts 13:47 – 49, [AV] “For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.”

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES:
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Mafi or Menteng (Baccaurea racemosa). This Indonesian fruit is almost extinct.
It seems that amino-acid sweet meat is very, a little because ore than. The fruits of this banyakterdapat in Bogor and surrounding areas In Central Java,. menteng called mundung.Menteng, kepundung, or (to) mundung is like a tree fruit producer by Almighty God (YHWH) unto period that can be eaten in brief. fruit menteng similar to buahduku but feature stories trees in different taste is usually. [source - retrieved from http://bloggerizq.blogspot.com/2010/01/buah-buahan-asli-indonesia-yang-hampir.html and translated from Indonesian into English on 5/24/2013]
Baccaurea racemosa (Reinw. ex Bl.) Mull.Arg., in DC. Prodr. 15, 2 (1866)
Latin for 'raceme'.
Synonyms
Baccaurea bhaswatii Chakrab. & M.Gangop.
Baccaurea wallichii Hook.f.
Coccomelia racemosa Reinw. ex Bl.
Pierandia racemosa (Reinw. ex Bl.) Bl.
Pierardia racemosa (Reinw. ex Bl.) Miq.
Description
Understorey tree up to 20 m tall and 34 cm dbh. Stipules ca. 5 mm long. Leaves crowded at twig tips, alternate, simple, penni-veined, glabrous. Flowers ca. 3 mm diameter, white-yellow, placed in racemes. Fruits ca. 16 mm long, red, ramiflorous, dehiscent capsules, seeds with blue aril.
Ecology
In undisturbed mixed dipterocarp to sub-montane forests up to 1100 m altitude. Common on alluvial and dry (hillsides and ridges) sites. On sandy to clay soils. In secondary forests usually present as a pre-disturbance remnant tree.
Uses
Fruits are edible.
Distribution
Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Borneo (Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, West-, Central- and East-Kalimantan), Celebes, Moluccas.
Local names
Borneo Engkumi, Kayu masam, Kokonau, Kunau, Kunyi, Longkumo, Moho liox, Tunding undang, Umbarian.
Java Menteng.
Peninsular Malaysia Asam tambun, rambi, tamut, tampoi.
Sumatra Roesip, kisip. [source - retrieved from http://www.asianplant.net/Phyllanthaceae/Baccaurea_racemosa.htm on / /2013]
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].

To see picture of this fruit and other tropical fruits found in Indonesia, go to, http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=id&u=http://masyants.blogspot.com/2011/01/buah-asli-indonesia-yang-sudah-langka.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmafi,%2Bbaccaurea%2Bracemosa%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3Desa%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official

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Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

**Admin** Sun Apr 17, 2016 9:00 am

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON CONFUSION BY TRIVIAL MINUTE BY TRINITARIANS. With the Scripture of the Day first.

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 103A]

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. 1 Corinthians 9:22 – 23, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

The Apostle Paul showed the need to adopt different methods of approach when witnessing to different kinds of people. Jesus (Yeshua) also noted this reality when telling the faithful they would no longer see his face shortly before his execution at Acts 20:24 – 28, [AV] “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. 26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] DISCOURSE ON CONFUSION BY TRIVIAL MINUTE BY TRINITARIANS

COMMENTS BY TRINITARIANS ON TRIVIAL AND MINUTE AND ANSWERS WITH 'BIG PICTURE' IN MIND TO THEM.

Trinitarians confuse themselves and others by striving to pay attention to the trivial and minute instead of the 'Big Picture'. They argue trivial and minute points to try and prove their myth has Biblical backing that it does not. In fact they get so wrapped up in this pursuit of trivial they start believing the product of their own confusion. As an example, one believer in the Trinity actually said the following in response to something I said, the Trinitarian's response was:

"Go back and read my response to your quote of Barclay. Barclay tried to show a relationship to translating an anarthruous (no article) DIABOLOS in John 6:70 as "you are a devil" to implying the same thing should be done in John 1:1c, "the Word was a God/god." One problem... John 6:70 has EIS - one/a. John 1:1c does not.

I have pointed out that if John had wanted to say that Jesus (the Word) was "a god" all he needed to do was add an EIS as in John 6:70. And since you have been unable to show how John could have more strongly proclaimed that the Word was fully God than he did in the Greek in John 1:1c, what can be said?

I have shown how John COULD have expressed John 1:1c as "and the Word was a god." (By adding EIS.) You have not shown how John could have added an article before THEOS. You have not shown how John could have arranged the predicate nominative structure in John 1:1c so as to make it more clear that the Word was fully God.

Forget all this other stuff. If you cannot do what I did - demonstrate how John could have expressed as translated by the NWT, then you have admitted that John could not have expressed the Word as fully God more strongly than he did. If you think he could have made it more clear, then just HOW, in Greek, could he have done that?

If you care to, give an example somewhere else in John where a parallel structure to the predicate nominative structure of John 1:1c was used and which resulted in an indefinite sort of translation."

The answer to this absurdity of the trivial and minute is as follows, clearly showing the 'Big Picture':

"I have long learned in translating that one must take in consideration the entire context, not one small point which in an overall translation becomes meaningless and this with modern languages. Now with respect ancient languages this fact becomes of the utmost importance since no one today can say with absolute certainty exactly what is so. But if one does not do so, he must surely be in error as later John wrote in many places to the contrary in rather clear language. So are you trying to say John contradicts himself or what. I have already brought out this fact elsewhere as follows:
John 17 proves the Trinity is nothing but God (YHWH) dishonoring false doctrine, a myth or legend, see the following.

John 17:1-19, "These things spake Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that the son may glorify thee: 2 even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that to all whom thou hast given him, he should give eternal life. 3 And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, [even] Jesus Christ. 4 I glorified thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which thou hast given me to do. nd now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. [Note, here he partitions his Father (YHWH) to give him back the glory he previously had; whereas, if he were one in a Trinity as some falsely claim this would of course be senseless]. 6 I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; and they have kept thy word.[Note, here Jesus (Yeshua) openly acknowledges that his followers were given to him by his Father (YHWH) clearly showing two distince spirit beings; thus no Trinity] 7 Now they know that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are from thee:[ ][Note, here Jesus (Yeshua) openly acknowledges that all he has was given to him by his Father (YHWH) clearly showing, once more, two distince spirit beings; thus no Trinity] 8 for the words which thou gavest me I have given unto them; and they received [them], and knew of a truth that I came forth from thee, and they believed that thou didst send me. :[ ][Note, here Jesus (Yeshua) openly acknowledges that the words he spake were given to him by his Father (YHWH) clearly showing, once more, two distince spirit beings; thus no Trinity] 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine: :[ ][Note, here Jesus (Yeshua) openly acknowledges that his followers were given to him by his Father (YHWH) clearly showing, once more, two distince spirit beings; thus no Trinity] 10 and all things that are mine are thine, and thine are mine: and I am glorified in them.
11 And I am no more in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we [are]. :[ ][Note, here Jesus (Yeshua) openly acknowledges that his followers were given to him by his Father (YHWH) clearly showing, once more, two distince spirit beings; thus no Trinity, and also they, the followers, were one in the same sense that he was one with his father; that of unity in purpose] 12 While I was with them, I kept them in thy name which thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. :[ ][Note, here Jesus (Yeshua) openly acknowledges that his followers were given to him by his Father (YHWH) clearly showing, once more, two distince spirit beings; thus no Trinity, and also they, the followers, were one in the same sense that he was one with his father; that of unity in purpose] 13 But now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. :[ ][Note, here Jesus (Yeshua) openly acknowledges that his followers were given to him by his Father (YHWH) clearly showing, once more, two distince spirit beings; thus no Trinity] 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil [one]. 16 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou didst send me into the world, even so sent I them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth." (ASV). Clearly these scriptures show that the false God (YHWH) dishonoring doctrine of the trinity is nothing but a myth, a legend of the words of men as foretold by 2 Corinthians 4:4, "in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn [upon them].

But as I have previously stated:

"I have answered your question and you have failed to acknowledge same, to wit:
IN translating from one language to another and especially with respect to one that handles articles quite different, you use an article if that aids the meaning that the original writer intended whether strict language 'rules of thumb' call or do not call for it. The Bible is harmonious throughout and if a translated item does not agree with the remainder, a good translator who is not biased will take that into consideration.

Now let's look at the context in brief and the translational constructs used. First consider a biased translation of John 1:1-4, "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (Authorized King James Bible; AV). The first translational construct clearly shows the Word, Jesus (Yeshua), "was with God." The next translational construct clearly says "and the Word was God"; now we have a mutual contradiction and/or impossibility as one can NOT BE WITH SOMEONE AND BE THAT SOMEONE, this does NOT jive with English usage as all should clearly know. The next translational construct for John 1:2 says, "The same was in the beginning with God." Clearly here again the same impossibility. Clearly this translational construct, the 2 part of John 1:1 can NOT BE CORRECT AS IT IS OUT OF HARMONY WITH CONTEXT. Why anyone would have a problem seeing this obvious impossible situation is beyond me. But some keep asking the same none sensible question over and over on an obvious case where an item does NOT agree with context.

And the great German Bible Scholar and translator Dr. J. J. Griesbach in his The Word for Word English Translation from Koine Greek to English from The Vatican Manuscript #1209 definitely did not see it as you falsely claim and not being a Koine Greek expert myself I will go with his way which is as follows:
John 1:1-5 & 14, "1 In a beginning was the word, and the word was with the God, and a god was the Word 2 This was in a beginning with the God. 3 All through it was done; and without it was done not even one, that has been done. 4 In it life was, and the life was the light of the men, 5 and the light in the darkness shines, and the darkness it not apprehended." And "14And the Word flesh became, and tabernacied among us, (and we beheld the glory of him, a glory as of an only-begotten from a father,) full of favor and truth,"

And neither did other excellent scholars who did NOT let any bias they may have had as an individual effect their honesty in translating such as the following:
The Complete Bible: An American Translation. Contributors: Edgar J. Goodspeed - translator, J. M. Powis Smith - transltr. Publisher: University of Chicago Press. Place of Publication: Chicago. Publication Year: 1939.:
John 1:1-5 & 14, "1 IN THE beginning the Word exist- ed. The Word was with God, and the Word was divine. 2 It was he that was with God in 3 the beginning. Everything came into ex- istence through him, and apart from him 4 nothing came to be. It was by him that life came into existence, and that life 5 was the light of mankind. The light is still shining in the darkness, for the darkness has never put it out." And "14 So the Word became flesh and blood and lived for a while among us, abounding in blessing and truth, and we saw the honor God had given him, such honor as an only son receives from his father."

A New Translation of The Bible by James Moffatt, D.D., D.Litt.:
Johnn 1:1-5 & 14, "The Logos existed in the very beginning, the Logos was with God, the Logos was divine. 2 He was with God in the very beginning: 3 through him all existence came into being, no existence came into being apart from him. 4 In him life lay, and this life was the Light for men; 5 amid the darkness the Light shone, and the darkness did not master it." And "14 So the Logos became flesh and tarried among us; we have seen his glory-glory such as an only sone enjoys from his father-seen it to be full of grace and reality."

Which clearly shows that the translation of John 1:1 is definitely in question with respect what it should be. That is until you consider the context so I do NOT plan to get into silly differences about small points, but point to the obvious fact that your desired rendering does not fit to context. All the silly coloring in your post change nothing.

This Trinitarian clearly missed the point as shown my his following comment:

"(Concerning John 1:1c) This does not address the very significant question... how could John have expressed it in the Greek so as to make it more clear that the Son is God in essence? I have demonstrated that the NWT rendering of "a god" (in John 1:1c) is not valid. The arguments regarding the lack of an article are completely irrelevant. And these rules concerning the usage of the article are NOT "rules of thumb."'

The answer to the Trinitarian, you obviously missed what John was trying to express as clearly shown in the Book of John as follows:

John 1:34 - :
And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God."
John 1:49 - :
Natan'el said, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Isra'el!"
John 1:51 - :
Then he said to him, "Yes indeed! I tell you that you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man!"
John 3:16 - :
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.
John 5:25 - :
Yes, indeed! I tell you that there is coming a time -- in fact, it's already here -- when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen will come to life.
John 6:27 - :
Don't work for the food which passes away but for the food that stays on into eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For this is the one on whom God the Father has put his seal."
John 11:4 - :
On hearing it, he said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may receive glory through it."
John 11:27 - :
She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."
John 13:31 - :
After Y'hudah had left, Yeshua said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.
John 19:7 - :
The Judeans answered him, "We have a law; according to that law, he ought to be put to death, because he made himself out to be the Son of God."
John 20:31 - :
But these which have been recorded are here so that you may trust that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by this trust you may have life because of who he is.

[source -(The Complete Jewish Bible - Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc.)]

As can clearly be seen from these scriptures, John was clearly making the case that Jesus (Yeshua) was NOT God (YHWH), but the Son of God (YHWH).

Also, you have NOT demonstrated what you claim and to what Bible you are referring to? Perhaps the Interlineary Word for Word English Translation of Dr. J. J. Griesbach of the Vatican Manuscript #1209? Or Das Neue Testament, by Ludwig Thimme, "and the Word was a God.", or the work of , Lyder Brun (Norw. professor of NT theology, "selbst ein Gott war das Wort" [itself a God/god was the Word/word]?

And:

you are making an assumption with respect the use of an article and we all know what assumptions are. Second, Only two of Jesus" (Yeshua's) Apostles were 'lettered' men, Luke and Paul, John was not, and I very strongly doubt that when he wrote John 1:1 he was even thinking of modalism. I believe if you will but look at 1 Corinthians 15:27-28, "for "He put everything in subjection under his feet."m But when it says that "everything" has been subjected, obviously the word does not include God, who is himself the one subjecting everything to the Messiah. 28 Now when everything has been subjected to the Son, then he will subject himself to God, who subjected everything to him; so that God may be everything in everyone. " (The Complete Jewish Bible - Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc.) which clearly shows the relationship, otherwise the statement, ", obviously the word does not include God, who is himself the one subjecting everything to the Messiah", so now I hope you see the error in your reasoning. And Third, as I have said many times in the past, the first rule of translation is NOT the wasting time with minute trivials such as an article, but in rendering the exact thoughts of the original article; to wit, his/her thoughts and this can best be done by having a translational construct in agreement with context., as I previously said:
translating from one language to another and especially with respect to one that handles articles quite different, you use an article if that aids the meaning that the original writer intended whether strict language 'rules of thumb' call or do not call for it. The Bible is harmonous throughout and if a translated item does not agree with the remainder, a good translator who is not biased will take that into consideration.

Now let's look at the context in brief and the translational constructs used. First consider a biased translation of John 1:1-4, "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (Authorized King James Bible; AV). The first translational construct clearly shows the Word, Jesus (Yeshua), "was with God." The next translational construct clearly says "and the Word was God"; now we have a mutual contradiction and/or impossibility as one can NOT BE WITH SOMEONE AND BE THAT SOMEONE, this does NOT jive with English usage as all should clearly know. The next translational construct for John 1:2 says, "The same was in the beginning with God." Clearly here again the same impossibility. Clearly this translational construct, the 2 part of John 1:1 can NOT BE CORRECT AS IT IS OUT OF HARMONY WITH CONTEXT. Why anyone would have a problem seeing this obvious impossible situation is beyond me. But some keep asking the same none sensible question over and over on an obvious case where an item does NOT agree with context

And:

The Trinitarian's statement:
"that Jesus is God?"

Is ridicules prima fascia since it is likewise a well known fact that a son is NOT his father as you are trying to convince me of. This is utterly ridicules contention and one without redeeming features. Just why do you think God (YHWH) gave us the terms father and son, and had divinely inspired writers use these terms in explaining his relationship to his Son, Jesus (Yeshua)? Obviously to explain heavenly things in things mankind can understand, not so man could twist them and come up with what is impossible, prima fascia.

In stating this, this Trinitarian, also clearly overlooked the following by, Uriyah the Messiahite:

"John 5:26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself

John 6:57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.

By the words of Jesus, Jesus was not eternal; he was given to have life in himself and lives because of the Father. A eternal being cannot be given to have life in themselves, and they do not depend on others to live. " [source - writing of Uriyah the Messiahite]

HOW BELIEVERS IN THE TRINITY HAVE REACTED TO OTHER ISSUES IN THE PAST, A STUDY IN ABSURDITY;

It is a well known fact that in the middle ages that the Catholic church and many of the so called reformed groups taught and believed in the Ptolemaic System. This is the theory that the sun and the other planets revolved around the earth as opposed to the Copernican System that the planets including the earth revolved around the sun.

In fact one of the trivial minute these Trinitarians used to "prove" the Ptolemaic System theory was that when a blade of straw fell to the ground it reflected sun light in such a manner as to prove and/or show the sun was revolving around the earth. Many arguments and discussions over this silly trivial minute were carried on instead of looking at the 'Big Picture' just as the nonsense over the trivial with regard to John 1:1 previously shown. This is a repeat of the same narrow viewing which is when looked at in perspective and objectively absurd. All should seek to gain an understanding of the 'Big Picture' and not get drawn into argument over narrow trivial that is definitely not profitable. This type of narrow thinking reflects back to my response to a Trinitarian on a similar narrow thinking on translation which was:

""I have long learned in translating that one must take in consideration the entire context, not one small point which in an overall translation becomes meaningless and this with modern languages. Now with respect ancient languages this fact becomes of the utmost importance since no one today can say with absolute certainty exactly what is so. But if one does not do so, he must surely be in error as later John wrote in many places to the contrary in rather clear language. So are you trying to say John contradicts himself or what"

But let's look with respect to what absurdities the Trinitarians in the past took this Ptolemaic System. They even burnt a very learned Italian, Giordani Bruno, to death at the stake for not indulging in their absurd narrow arguments attempting to prove the un-provable, the Ptolemaic System, at the stake. Why?
He took the 'Big Picture" approach and showed that the Ptolemaic System was wrong. Now of course this is absolutely absurd, but it shows to what extremes groups go to when they get wrapped up in trivial minute instead of elevating discussions to the general or 'Big Picture.' See:
"Giordano Bruno[jOrdA´nO brOO´nO] Pronunciation Key, 1548-1600, Italian philosopher, b. Nola. He entered the Dominican order early in his youth but was accused of heresy and fled (c.1576) to take up a career of study and travel. He taught briefly at Toulouse, Paris, Oxford, and Wittenberg, but, personally restless and in constant opposition to the traditional schools, he found no permanent post. His major metaphysical works, De la causa, principio, et uno (1584, tr. The Infinite in Giordano Bruno, 1950) and De l'infinito, universo et mondi (1584), were published in France. Further works appeared in England and Germany. Bruno also wrote satire and poetry. In 1591 he returned to Venice, where he was tried for heresy by the Inquisition. After imprisonment at Rome, he was burned to death. Bruno challenged all dogmatism, including that of the Copernican cosmology, the main tenets of which, however, he upheld. He believed that our perception of the world is relative to the position in space and time from which we view it and that there are as many possible modes of viewing the world as there are possible positions. Therefore we cannot postulate absolute truth or any limit to the progress of knowledge. He pictured the world as composed of individual elements of being, governed by fixed laws of relationship. These elements, called monads, were ultimate and irreducible and were based on a pantheistic infinite principle, or cause, or Deity, manifest in us and in all the world. Bruno's influence on later philosophy, especially that of Spinoza and Leibniz, was profound.
See P. H. Michel, The Cosmology of Giordano Bruno (tr. 1973); S. Drake, Copernicus : Philosophy and Science: Bruno : Kepler : Galileo (1973); F. A. Yates, Lull and Bruno (1982)."[source - The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright (c) 2003, Columbia University Press.]

Now Let's look at the facts, 'Big Picture', with respect this theory of the Ptolemaic System, by considering the Copernican System model or theory and how it differed from the Ptolemaic System model by looking at some facts.

The Copernican Model: A Sun-Centered Solar System"

The Earth-centered Universe of Aristotle and Ptolemy held sway on Western thinking for almost 2000 years. Then, in the 16th century a new idea was proposed by the Polish astronomer Nicolai Copernicus (1473-1543).
The Heliocentric System.

In a book called On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies (that was published as Copernicus lay on his deathbed), Copernicus proposed that the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of the Solar System. Such a model is called a heliocentric system. The ordering of the planets known to Copernicus in this new system is illustrated in the following figure, which we recognize as the modern ordering of those planets.

The Copernican Universe

In this new ordering the Earth is just another planet (the third outward from the Sun), and the Moon is in orbit around the Earth, not the Sun. The stars are distant objects that do not revolve around the Sun. Instead, the Earth is assumed to rotate once in 24 hours, causing the stars to appear to revolve around the Earth in the opposite direction.

Retrograde Motion and Varying Brightness of the Planets
The Copernican system by banishing the idea that the Earth was the center of the Solar System, immediately led to a simple explanation of both the varying brightness of the planets and retrograde motion:
1. The planets in such a system naturally vary in brightness because they are not always the same distance from the Earth.
2. The retrograde motion could be explained in terms of geometry and a faster motion for planets with smaller orbits, as illustrated in the following animation.

"Brahe, Tycho , 1546-1601, Danish astronomer. The most prominent astronomer of the late 16th cent., he paved the way for future discoveries by improving instruments and by his precision in fixing the positions of planets and stars. From Brahe's exact observations of the planets, Kepler devised his laws of planetary motions (see Kepler's laws). Brahe's achievements included the study of a supernova (first observed in 1572 and now known as Tycho's supernova) in the constellation Cassiopeia and the discoveries of a variation in the inclination of the lunar orbit and of the fourth inequality of the moon's motion. He never fully accepted the Copernican system but made a compromise between it and the Ptolemaic system. In the Tychonic system, the earth was the immobile body around which the sun revolved, and the five planets then known revolved around the sun. Given funds by the Danish king Frederick II, Brahe built on the island of Ven a castle, Uranienborg, and an observatory, Stjarneborg. He was deprived of his revenues by Christian IV in 1596 and left Ven (1597); in 1599 he settled near Prague under the patronage of the German emperor Rudolf II. He published (1588) De mundi aetherii recentioribus phaenomenis, the second volume of a projected three-volume work on his astronomical observations; from an incomplete manuscript and notes Kepler edited Volume I, Astronomiae instauratae progymnasmata (1602). Brahe's Astronomiae instauratae mechanica (1598) contained his autobiography and a description of his instruments.

The preface of Osiander, pretending that the book of Copernicus suggested a hypothesis instead of announcing a truth, served its purpose well. During nearly seventy years the Church authorities evidently thought it best not to stir the matter, and in some cases professors like Calganini were allowed to present the new view purely as a hypothesis. There were, indeed, mutterings from time to time on the theological side, but there was no great demonstration against the system until 1616. Then, when the Copernican doctrine was upheld by Galileo as a truth, and proved to be a truth by his telescope, the book was taken in hand by the Roman curia. The statements of Copernicus were condemnned, ``until they should be corrected''; and the corrections required were simply such as would substitute for his conclusions the old Ptolemaic theory.
That this was their purpose was seen in that year when Galileo was forbidden to teach or discuss the Copernican theory, and when were forbidden ``all books which affirm the motion of the earth.'' Henceforth to read the work of Copernicus was to risk damnation, and the world accepted the decree. The strongest minds were thus held fast. If they could not believe the old system, they must pretend that they believed it; - and this, even after the great circumnavigation of the globe had done so much to open the eyes of the world! Very striking is the case of the eminent Jesuit missionary Joseph Acosta, whose great work on the Natural and Moral History of the Indies, published in the last quarter of the sixteenth century, exploded so many astronomical and geographical errors. Though at times curiously credulous, he told the truth as far as he dared; but as to the movement of the heavenly bodies he remained orthodox - declaring, ``I have seen the two poles, whereon the heavens turn as upon their axletrees.'' [source - Warfare of Science with Theology Chapter III: Astronomy]

As can clearly be seen, Trinitarians get wrapped up in their own pursuit of trivial and are not capable of opening up to the more general or 'Big Picture' at a higher level or plain. That is why this myth or legend created by ancient Greek philosophers just like the Ptolemaic System theory. The only reason they are not still backing the Ptolemaic System theory today is that it was so badly shown by true science to be in error that even these diehard lovers of trivial and minute could no longer argue against the Copernican System model as modern science has made this completely impossible. Now they content themselves with trying to defend the absurdity of the Trinity another myth or legend created by ancient Greek philosophers originally introduced into so called Christianity, actually apostate or counterfeit Christianity by a pagan Roman Emperor as an attempt to gain religious unity to beef up his slowly crumbling empire. When so called Christian Bishops permit a pagan to call a so called Christian Church Council, Council of Nicea of 325 AD you know they have departed from the true ways of Christ. This Council of Nicea of 325 AD even usurped God's (YHWH's) exclusive legitimate right to declare which day was the Sabbath day by declaring that it was Sunday; whereas, God (YHWH) had declared it was Saturday which is quite clear if you look at the Spanish word for Saturday, 'Sabado.'

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COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] Discourse on Trinitarians Being Blinded to The Truth. With the Scripture of the Day first.

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 104A]

The friendship of Jehovah is with them that fear him; And he will show them his covenant. Psalms 25:14, [American Standard Version: AVS]

We should forum a close friendship with our creator, Almighty God (YHWH). As Hebrews 12:1, [ASV] “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” Yes let us run the race to win His friendship and approval. Abraham of old did just that as testified to at 2 Chronicles 20:6 - 7, [ASV] “and he said, O Jehovah, the God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and art not thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in thy hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee. 7 Didst not thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?” Yes, the Bible clearly states that Abraham was the Creators friend at James 2:23, [ASV] “and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.”

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[2] Discourse on Trinitarians Being Blinded to The Truth:

INTRODUCTION:

Trinitarians, since they believe in and defend a myth, see predicaments in the correct beliefs of none Trinitarians, such as the 'nutty' none existent, "The predicament of monadic monotheism (non-Trinitarianism)". They are like poor Senior Don Quixote in the modern novel, Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes. They see dangers and enemies in proverbial "windmills" and leave poor Pancho scratching his head at their nutty antics.

One Trinitarian even said the following absurdity:

"Excellent question for which the only answer is that the Father, Son, and Spirit are separate in person, yet not separate in substance. As to how that works, I have no idea.

Trinitarianism doesn't attempt to answer how. It's only a humble attempt to describe the great who and what revealed in Scripture."

Of course they do not attempt to answer how; they only put forth absurdities to bolster their God (YHWH) dishonoring false doctrine, the Trinity myth, an invention of pagan men adopted by apostate Christianity to incur the favor of a pagan Roman Emperor, Constantine. Who forced its adoption at the Council of Nicea of 325 AD, that he, a pagan worshipper of the Unconquered Sun, called as he needed to unify his faltering empire religiously. In addition, he usurped God's (YHWH's) position and had this same council declare Sunday to be the Sabbath Day; whereas, God (YHWH) had declared Saturday to be the Sabbath Day as well attested to by the Spanish word for Saturday, 'Sabado.'

HOW AND WHY OF THIS PAGAN DOCTRINE GOT INTO APOSTATE CHRISTIANITY:

Let's look briefly at its very pagan origin and its adoption into apostate Christianity [not true Christianity].

Let's look briefly at its very pagan origin and its adoption into apostate Christianity [not true Christianity].

SATAN'S TRICK - FALSE DOCTRINE EVOLUTION:

Now do most mainstream religions through the ages have anything in common be they so called Christian or pagan? Absolutely, history shows that one mainstream religion evolved into another one while maintaining many of the beliefs of the one before it, but simply changing the name of the God(s). No where is this more self evident than with respect to the doctrine of the Trinity. In has been with us since at least the time of ancient Sumeria as shown by The historian H. W. F. Saggs explains that the Babylonian triad consisted of three gods of roughly equal rank. Their "inter-relationship is of the essence of their natures." Is this positive proof that the Christian trinity descended from the ancient Sumerian, Assyrian, and Babylonian triads? (*1). No. However, Hislop furthers the comparison: "In the unity of that One, Only God of the Babylonians there were three persons, and to symbolize that doctrine of the trinity they employed...the equilateral triangle, just as it is well known the Romish Church does at this day." (*2).

Yes, the concept of a trinity has been a prevailing belief for a very, very long time perhaps longer than most Christians would imagine. While worshipping innumerable minor deities, triads of gods appeared in all the ancient cultures of Sumer, Babylonia, Egypt, India, Greece and finally Rome. The "mysteries" of the first universal civilization, Babylonia, were transported down in time. The names of the gods changed. The details of ancient incomprehensible religions changed, but the essential ideas were the same. The Sumerians worshipped Anu (the Father), Enlil (the god of earth) and Enki (the lord of wisdom). The Egyptians worshipped Amun who was really three gods in one: Re was his face; Ptah his body and Amun his hidden identity "combined as three embodiments or aspects of one supreme and triune deity." (*4 - page 201).

Now with respect the next evolution of mainstream religion, the Egyptian, Egypt's history is nearly as old as Sumeria's. In his Egyptian Myths, George Hart shows how Egypt also believed in a "transcendental, above creation, and preexisting" one, the god Amun. Amun was really three gods in one. Re was his face; Ptah his body; and Amun his hidden identity (*3). The well-known historian Will Durant concurs: "In later days Ra [sic], Amon [sic], and Ptah were combined as three embodiments or aspects of one supreme and triune deity." (*4). A hymn to Amun written in the 14th century BC distinguishes the Egyptian trinity: "All Gods are three: Amun, Re, Ptah: they have no equal. His name is hidden as Amun, he is Re before [men], and his body is Ptah." (*5). Certainly is not this positive indicator that the Christian trinity descended from the ancient Egyptian triads? However, Durant submits that "from Egypt came the idea of a divine trinity..." (*6). Laing agrees when he says that "it is probable that the worship of the Egyptian triad Isis, Serapis, and the child Horus helped to familiarize the ancients with the idea of a triune God and was not without influence in the formulation of the doctrine of the trinity as set forth in the Nicene and Athanasian creeds." (*7). And The Encyclopedia of Religions goes even farther when it states that as Christianity "came in contact with the triune gods of Egypt and the Near East, it developed a trinity of its own." (* .
...
HISTORY OF POLITICAL INTRIGUE AND DECEIT THAT EVOLVED THE TRINITY INTO SO CALLED CHRISTIANITY:

To understand how the Trinity wormed its way into so called Christianity we need to know the political and social climate of the first three centuries after the passing of Jesus (Yeshua) and his apostles, and why true faith deteriorated into compromise; and then total acceptance by the mainstream so called Christian groups, not withstanding its violation of the Word of God, the Holy Bible. Now let's look at that period and try an insert ourselves mentally into it.

In the early church the apostles needed to refute another rising belief system gnosticism. It considered matter to be evil and sought salvation through knowledge. Gnosticism also focused on the "mysteries" meant only for the intellectuals to understand. Christ, the gnostics said, entered Jesus at baptism and left just before he died on the cross. The Apostle John particularly addressed this budding heresy: "Many false prophets, have gone forth into the world, You gain knowledge of the inspired expression from God by this: Every inspired expression that confesses Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh originates with God, but every inspired expression that does not confess Jesus does not originate with God. Furthermore, this is the anti-christ's [inspired expression] which you have heard was coming, and now it is already in the world." (*25). Jesus' humanity was repulsive to gnostics. After the Apostles died, Christians responded to gnosticism by claiming not only did Jesus Christ come in the flesh as the Son of God.

By the third and fourth centuries, Christians were weary of Pagan persecution. The temptation was to compromise. Besides, the Pagan emperor Constantine needed Christians to salvage his shaky empire. Constantine embraced; howbeit only on his deathbed. However, he saw Christianity as a tool he could use to firm up his shaky empire. To this opportunity for political intrigue, and happy blend of politics and people was the chief triumvirate of Roman gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. Jupiter was the principal deity of Roman mythology and Juno was the next highest divinity. Minerva, the "offspring of the brain of Jupiter" was regarded as the "personification of divine thought, the plan of the material universe of which Jupiter was the creator and Juno the representative" (26). Many Pagan ideas, in fact, were incorporated into Christianity. "Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it" (*26).

Roman Emperor Constantine needed to make his subjects feel secure if he were to maintain control of the empire; he wanted to rule a unified empire, be it pagan and/or Christian. But first he would have to find a way to end the dispute over the divinity of Jesus-was he a man or God? So he ordered his Christian bishops to meet at Nicaea in 325 A.D. to settle the matter once and for all. To do this, "he made himself the head of the church, and thus the problems of the church became his responsibilities. As a whole the Western Empire with its Roman influence, with some exceptions, had accepted Tertullian and his new theory of the Trinity in the early part of the previous century, but in the East the church adhered more closely to the older formula of baptism in the name of Jesus, or Jesus the Christ. Especially was this true with the Armenians, who specified that baptism "into the death of Christ" was that which alone was essential (*28) .

Now let's see how Constantine got the Trinity. As previously shown, The Roman Empire at this time was being torn apart by religious differences between pagans, mostly Sun God worshippers, and Christianity. Constantine the Emporer was a worshipper of the Unconquered Sun, but he was a very pragmatic individual and saw the need to bring religious unity to his empire. The central doctrine of the pagans was the dogma of a Trinity that they had received from earlier pagans in Babylon (Chaldea). In this, the pagan Emperor, Constantine, saw a possibility for unifying his empire if he could only lead the majority of the Christians to accept a Trinity or a Duality. He knew however that he had to make them think it was their own idea. To this end, he, the Roman emperor Constantine summoned all bishops to Nicaea, about 300, but even though it was the emperor's direction, only a fraction actually attended.

This council went on for a very long time and the emperor worked behind the scene to get support for a Trinity or a Duality. This effort was not completely successful, but finally he got a majority and declared under imperial degree
that this hence forth would be the central doctrinal pillar of the Christian church, which by this time was apostate. Even with this declaration by the emperor himself not all bishops signed the creed. (*29).

So is was the political product of an apostate church, an apostate church that allowed a pagan Roman Emporer, Constantine, to tell it which dogma to accept at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., and then have it rammed down their throats as blessed dogma by another Roman Emporer, Theodosius, at the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D. This in direct violation of God's (YHWH's) word found in the Bible " Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4 AV), " If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 15:19 AV).
Their solution was to create a creed making it illegal for anyone to believe Jesus was not the same as God by inventing the notion of a Trinity. This intellectual tower remained in full force for well over a thousand years, until the Reformation. (*29). [source - Discourse on Mainstream Religion, by Iris the Preacher, 2001, - http://p213.ezboard.com/fthewayofyhvhfrm1....picID=142.topic ]. Reference sources for those wishing to do further research, those used in the above cited work:
*1 - Saggs,H. W. F. "The Greatness that was Babylon: A Sketch of the Ancient Civilization of the Tigris-Euphrates Valley." New York: New American Library. 1968.
*2 - Hislop, Alexander. "The Two Babylons: Or, the Papal Worship." 1853. 2nd American ed. Neptune: Loizeaux. 1959.
*3 - Hart, George. "Egyptian Myths." Austin: U of Texas. 1990.
*4 - Durant, Will. "Our Oriental Heritage". New York: Simon. 1935. Vol. 1 of The Story of Civilization.11 vols. 1935-75. (page 201)
*5 - Hornung, Erik. "Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and the Many." Trans. John Baines. Ithaca: Cornell UP. 1982.
*6 - Durant, Will. "Caesar and Christ." New York: Simon. 1944. Vol. 3 of The Story of Civilization. 11 vols. 1935-75. (page 595)
*7 - Laing, Gordon Jennings. "Survivals of Roman Religion.". New York: Cooper Square Publishers. 1963.
*8 - The Encyclopedia of Religions.
*9 - Carter, Jesse Benedict. "The Religious Life of Ancient Rome: A Study in the Development of Religious Consciousness, from the Foundation of the City Until the Death of Gregory the Great." New York: Cooper Square Publishers. 1972. (page 16-19).
*10 - Pelikan, Jaroslav. "The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition" (100-600). Chicago: U of Chicago P. 1971. Vol. 1 of "The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine." 5 vols.
*11-A - heraldmag.org
*11 - Morodenibig, Naba Lamoussa. "Light From the Trinities."
*12 - Edersheim Bible History (page 59-62).
*13 - New Catholic Encyclopedia, (Vol. XIV, 306).
*14 - International Encyclopedia of the Bible," Vol. 5, (page 3012).
*15 - The New Chain-Reference Bible, 4 th. Ed. (King James Bible), (page 116 in NT, John 14:29)
*16 - The Holy Bible (King James Bible), American Bible Society, NY (page 10 in NT, Matthew 10:40).
*17 - The Holy Bible, The Douay Version of the OT-The Confraternity Edition of the NT, John C. Winton Co., Philadelphia, Pa., (page 109 in NT, St. Luke 22:42).
*18 - The Holy Bible, The Douay Version of the OT-The Confraternity Edition of the NT, John C. Winton Co., Philadelphia, Pa., (page 205 in NT, Romans 11:25).
*19 - The Holy Bible, The Douay Version of the OT-The Confraternity Edition of the NT, John C. Winton Co., Philadelphia, Pa., (page 210 in NT, Romans 16:25)
*20 - The Holy Bible, The Douay Version of the OT-The Confraternity Edition of the NT, John C. Winton Co., Philadelphia, Pa., (page 213 in NT, 1 Corinthians 2:7).
*21 - The Holy Bible, The Douay Version of the OT-The Confraternity Edition of the NT, John C. Winton Co., Philadelphia, Pa., (page 227 in NT,1 Corinthians 15:51).
*22 - The New Chain-Reference Bible, 4 th. Ed. (King James Bible), (page 202 in NT, Ephesians 1:9).
*23 - The New Chain-Reference Bible, 4 th. Ed. (King James Bible), (page 206 in NT, Ephesians 6:19).
*24 - The New Chain-Reference Bible, 4 th. Ed. (King James Bible), (page 210 in NT, Colossians 1:27).
*25 - New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, 1984 revision, (pages 1517 and 1519, 1 John 7; also 1 John 4:1-3).
*26 - McClintock & Strong's Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Vol. 6
*27 - Lamson, Newton & Durant, Will, "Caesar and Christ," cited from Charles Redeker Caesar and Christ, W. Duran (page 595).
*28 - ENCYLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, 11th Edition, Vol. 3, (page 366).
*29 - Payne, Robert, "The Holy Fire: The Story of the Early Centuries of the Christian Churches in the Near East" (1957); BETHUNE-BAKER, J,F. "An Introduction to the Early History of Christian Doctrine". Methuen; 5th Ed., 1933 and ENCYLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, 11th Edition, Vol. 3, (page 366); David, Francis and Blandrata, Georgio, "De falsa et vera unius Dei Patris, Filii, et Spiritus Sancti cognitone" [Latin](The False and True Knowledge of the Unity of God the Father, Son, and Holy spirit), 1566 A.D.; Eklof, Todd F., "David's Francis Tower, Strength through Peace," (06-16-02); The New Encyclopedia Britannica: " Micropædia, Vol. X, p. 126. (1976); Parkes, James, "The Foundation of Judaism and Christianity," 1960; Durant, Will. "Caesar and Christ." New York: Simon. 1944. Vol. 3 of The Story of Civilization. 11 vols. 1935-75.
*30 - Durant, Will, "Age of Faith,"
*31 - Jonas, Hans, "The Gnostic religion: the message of the alien God and the beginnings of Christianity," 2nd ed., 1963.
*32 - Hagensick, Cher-El L, "The Origin of the Trinity: From Paganism to Constantine."
*33 - The Holy Bible (King James Bible), American Bible Society, NY (page 185, 2 Corinthians 4:4).

WILD ABSURD STATEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY TRINITARIANS:

Example 1:

"I have the Bible and it already has told me that Jesus Christ is YHWH, I AM.
John the Apostle said that Jesus Christ was YHWH on the throne, whom angels worshipped, and that Isaiah saw, sitting on the throne worshipped by angels, in Isaiah 6,
"Holy! Holy! Holy! is the YHWH of hosts! The whole earth is full of His glory!"
That was Jesus, YHWH on the throne, Harold and Iris. John said so!
-He is the YHWH of hosts!

It is so clear that a baby can grasp it, and for all your convoluting of the word, you cannot make the Word say otherwise; He is YHWH who is the One true God, whom I worship and whom angels worship." {by a Trinitarian)

Now it is clear that this individual clearly does NOT comprehend what he has read as no one who did could possible reach the conclusions you did. First, YHWH is the name of Almighty God and NOT of his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) who came to earth.

Is still true. Yes, you do have the Bible, but your replies clearly show that you do NOT comprehend what you are reading in it. This was the case with the eunuch of great authority under Candace recorded in Acts 8:26-40:

"But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship; 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other? 35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 [And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.] 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Caesarea"[American Standard Version; ASV].

Now this individual is in the position of the eunuch, but does do not have the disposition to want to learn the truth as did the eunuch

Example 2:

"I have the Bible and it already has told me that Jesus Christ is YHWH, I AM.
John the Apostle said that Jesus Christ was YHWH on the throne, whom angels worshipped, and that Isaiah saw, sitting on the throne worshipped by angels, in Isaiah 6," {by a Trinitarian)

Why is this statement by a Trinitarian absurd? Well, with respect, 'I Am' let's look at a quote in another writing as follows:

"Many have a misconception with respect the use of 'I am' in the New Testament [Greek Testament] due to the false teachings of false prophets of the pagan so called Christianized doctrine of the Trinity and Duality in accordance with Matthew 7:15, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves." (American Standard Version; ASV); And are as the Bible says at 1 John 2:1, "But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of." (ASV). Their true nature is exposed at 2 Corinthians 4:4, "in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn `upon them'." (ASV).

These false prophets latch on to Exodus 3:14, "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." (ASV), and try to wrongly link it to John 8:58, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am." (ASV) in a vain, straw grabbing attempt, to justify their false doctrines, either the Trinity or the Duality depending on which 'flavor' their particular group of false prophets have lead them to believe in without regard to reality. They willingly fail to recognize the fact that God (YHWH) the Father, and the Son of God, Jesus (Yeshua) are two distinct individuals when even the terms father and son should tell them that, and the Bible makes this distinction quite clear at John 14:28, "Ye heard how I said to you, I go away, and I come unto you. If ye loved me, ye would have rejoiced, because I go unto the Father: for the Father is greater than I." (ASV), wherein Jesus (Yeshua) testifies to the fact, "for the Father is greater than I." Also, this fact is clearly borne out at 1 Corinthians 15:27, "For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him." (ASV), where we see that Almighty God (YHWH) has put everything EXCEPT himself under his Son, Jesus (Yeshua), how much clearer can the fact get that they are two distinct individuals since if they were not, this scripture would be a lie and we know that is not true.

Interestingly, the scripture they wrongly try to link to in the Old or Hebrew Testament in Hebrew reads: "I am that I am" or as it is sometimes rendered: "I will be what I will be." [source, "Gems from the New Testament" by Vivian Capel, page 56]. If this does not show their perception of reality is completely wrong, this book, "Gems from the New Testament," goes on to say, ""In the Greek Septuagint version of Exodus the statement is: "I am the Being." Here the `I am' is not part of the title as it may
appear from the way the Hebrew is translated and capitalized in many translations. It is just part of a statement describing the title `the Being.' There is thus no connection between this and the words of Jesus.

'Just a few verses farther on in John the _expression `I am' occurs again. This time it was said by the blind beggar who was healed by Jesus, but whose identity was doubted (John 9:9). As with the words of Jesus in the previous chapter it was just an affirmation of his existence and identity, and no connection with any other text can be
implied.'" [source, "Gems from the New Testament" by Vivian Capel, page 56].

This is collaborated by many other sources such as, The Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary on the Bible: "The meaning is obscured by the conventional translation I am who I am, which implies that God is the ground of his own existence. The Hebrew verb denotes, not abstract being, but manifestation in a definite character, or name;
and its form indicates habitual manifestation in past, present, or future. Since English requires a tense, the best rendering is 'I will be as I will be.'" [source, "The Interpreter's Onv-Volume Commentary on the Bible]. And by, Rabbi Jordan D. Cohen: "Moses perceived that the people would want to know which attribute of God they can expect to encounter; that is, what their experience of God will be, and what is going to happen to them. God's answer, then, leaves things open-ended. Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh is based on the future tense conjugation of the Hebrew verb meaning "to be." Often translated as "I Am Who I Am," the phrase is more accurately translated as "I Will Be That Which I Will Be." The people will come to know God through their unfolding experiences together." And Rabbi Stephen Pearce, Senior Rabbi at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco. "God's answer in Exodus 3:14, "'Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh' -- 'I will
be what I will be' -- sent me to you" is so illusive and ambiguous that this description could not have been very believable."' [source - DISCOURSE ON THE MISCONCEPTION WITH RESPECT 'I AM', by Iris he Preacher, 2001]

Now with respect Isaiah 6 chapter, you fail to realize that here it is speaking of Jesus' (Yeshua's) father, Almighty God (YHWH) and NOT Jesus (Yeshua) clearly once more showing your lack of comprehension. Let's look at that scripture, Isaiah 6:1-8:

'In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 and he touched my mouth with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin forgiven. 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I; send me.(ASV)"

Here the title Lord is clearly being applied to Jehovah (YHWH) and not to his Son. he International Encyclopedia of the Bible says this:

"LORD OF HOSTS
A name or title of God frequently used in the Old Testament, always translated "Yahweh of Hosts" (Yahweh tsebha'oth) in the American Standard Revised Version, since Yahweh, never 'Adhonay, is used in this phrase. Evidently the meaning of the title is that all created agencies and forces are under the leadership or dominion of Yahweh, who made and maintains them (Genesis 2:1; Isaiah 45:12). It is used to express Yahweh's great power." [Source - The International Encyclopedia of the Bible]

So clearly this individuals statement was in error on this point also.

Example 3:

And then he went on to make another WRONG statement as follows:

Both of you are stumbled at the stumbling stone, "God become flesh", and you try to make as if we Trinitarians believe His human body is the body of the Father, or that; "we claim" that "He claimed" that He was "the Father" "in flesh", for we don't -and you really do know that, but you just keep trying to muddy the Trinity doctrine by claiming we say things that you put in our mouths, but which we don't say. (statement by a Trinitarian)

Whereas the Bible says at Matthew 1:18-25:

" Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us. 24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; 25 and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS.(ASV)"

Clearly showing that Jesus' (Yeshua's) life force was already in the womb of Mary, put there by God's (YHWH's) active force or power so there is NO way Jesus (Yeshua) could be God (YHWH) who is his Father. It is an absolute absurdity to make an assumption that a father and a son are the same being as all know better than that. And remember the terms father and son are God (YHWH) given terms that are NOT to be corrupted with respect meaning.

THIS fact that the son is not the father is further highlighted at John 6:62 as follows:

"[What] then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before?(ASV)"

And who raised Jesus (Yeshua) from the dead so he could ascend to heaven? The answer is given in Ephesians 1:17-23 as follows:

"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; 18 having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly [places], 21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.(ASV)"

And this is affirmed at Philippians 2:5-11 as follows:

'Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; 8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient [even] unto death, yea, the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; 10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven and [things] on earth and [things] under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(ASV)"

This scripture clearly shows that it was God (YHWH) as distinct from Jesus (Yeshua) since he was clearly dead or there would have been no need for his Father, God (YHWH) to have resurrected him. And, note, the scripture clearly says, "God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; 10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven and [things] on earth and [things] under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." So no one should subvert the fact that God (YHWH) is over everything including his Son, Jesus (Yeshua), since everything he has was clearly given to him by his Father, God (YHWH).

Also, Matthew 4:10 shows Jesus (Yeshua) himself saying:

"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

Here it is clear that Jesus (Yeshua) said you shall worship the Lord thy God, his Father (YHWH), and did NOT say, you shall worship me. In fact, if he had been God (YHWH), this statement would be an absurdity; whereas, it is not, so clearly he is not his Father (YHWH).

Example 4:

Some misguided believers in the God (YHWH) dishonoring Trinity myth, a myth that originated with pagans, make absurd statements such as:

"Jesus, He was "the Father" "in flesh" (statement by a Trinitarian)

But naturally fail always to back them up with any real evidence. If they provide any so called evidence at all, it always turns out to the opinions and writings of men and absurd twisting of scripture. This has already been shown above.

CONCLUSION:

An exhaustive review of Scripture and history reveals the simple fact that the Trinity teaching was unknown to the early New Testament Christians. That the doctrine of the Trinity is a "borrowed doctrine" and foreign to the Scriptures is supported by many authorities. Under the article Trinity we read, "The term 'Trinity' is not a biblical term...In point of fact, the doctrine of the Trinity is a purely revealed doctrine...As the doctrine of the Trinity is indiscoverable by reason, so it is incapable of proof from reason" [source - International Encyclopedia of the Bible," Vol. 5, (page 3012)].

As can readily be seen from the foregoing, even the concept of the Trinity came from the pagan world, and the Bible shows " In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." [source - The Holy Bible (King James Bible), American Bible Society, NY (page 185, 2 Corinthians 4:4)] is trying to keep out the glorious gospel of Christ. Satan the Devil is slipping false dogma in its place. Do not be trapped by him, reject false dogma of the Trinity.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Mon Apr 18, 2016 1:36 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON NOT SAVED BY 'DEAD' FAITH. With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 105A]

The friendship of Jehovah is with them that fear him; And he will show them his covenant. Psalms 25:14, [American Standard Version: AVS]

We should forum a close friendship with our creator, Almighty God (YHWH). As Hebrews 12:1, [ASV] “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” Yes let us run the race to win His friendship and approval. Abraham of old did just that as testified to at 2 Chronicles 20:6 - 7, [ASV] “and he said, O Jehovah, the God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and art not thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in thy hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee. 7 Didst not thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?” Yes, the Bible clearly states that Abraham was the Creators friend at James 2:23, [ASV] “and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.”

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] DISCOURSE ON NOT SAVED BY 'DEAD' FAITH:

INTRODUCTION:

Many believe that they can be saved by faith alone, but forget and/or do not realize that 'live' faith will lead to action and is not just a passive entity. Also, they forget that true faith is a fruitage of God's (YHWH's) spirit as clearly shown by Galatians 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity," (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB). They argue that faith alone can save which is true, but conveniently forget that a 'live' faith leads to action as shown by James 2:17, "So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself." (DRCB).

ARGUMENTS AND SCRIPTURES OF THOSE CLAIMING FAITH ALONE IS SUFFICIENT:

Here are some of the actual arguments with accompanying scriptures put forth by those claiming that faith alone is sufficient:

"For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.

Eph 1:12 - 14 ...so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, may be to the praise of his glory. And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) - when you believed in Christ - you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit,
who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God's own possession to the praise of his glory.

Eph. 2:8, 9 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not of works, so that no one can boast.

Eph 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, by being rooted and grounded in love,

Phil 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

1 Tim 1:16 But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me as the worst, Christ Jesus could demonstrate his utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life.

2 Tim 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

1 Pet 2:6, 7 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious;"

2 Pet 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

1 John 3:23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

1 John 5:4, 5 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
[note, as best I can tell, they took these quotes either from the Holman Christian Standard Bible and/or the Web Bible as they did NOT have the intellectual honesty to state the translation]"

THE FACTS, THE BIBLICAL TRUTHS:

Of course faith is absolutely necessary, and the Apostles gave emphasis to this fact in their writings as many of the Jews believed they could gain salvation by works alone which is of course NOT possible. First of all you must have faith or works are clearly of no value. Second, if you have true deep faith, it will also cause you to have works as clearly if you have faith, you will make known to others the truth as your faith will drive you to do so. Let's not forget Romans 10:12-21, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same [Lord] is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him: 13 for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they did not all hearken to the glad tidings. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So belief [cometh] of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 18 But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world. 19 But I say, Did Israel not know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation, With a nation void of understanding will I anger you. 20 And Isaiah is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I became manifest unto them that asked not of me. 21 But as to Israel he saith, All the day long did I spread out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." (American Standard Version; ASV); and Matthew 24:14 says, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come." (ASV). And as the Bible clearly says at James 2:21-26, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; 23 and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God. 24 Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. 25 And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead." (ASV); clearly showing Abraham had works" (ASV); and this same truth is testified to at James 2:17, "Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself." (ASV), and we both know for faith to be of any value it must be 'alive' and NOT 'dead.' Enough said, I hope you see this Bible truth that faith must be alive to be of any value. This point is clearly made at 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: " (ASV). Be like the eunuch at Acts 8:26-31, "But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship; 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him." (ASV), and start realizing the need to not only know what the Bible says, but to comprehend it as well. I stand ready to assist you.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Wed Apr 20, 2016 6:50 pm

COMBINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES. With the Scripture of the Day first.
SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 106A]

And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. 3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Acts 14:1 – 3, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, the Apostle Paul was a powerful preacher of the truth, and his enemies, those who hated the inspired word of Almighty God (YHWH) stirred up a violent mob against him as recorded at Acts 14:19 – 22, [AV] “And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. 20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES:
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Mamey, Mammea Americana, stands almost midway between "major" and "minor" tropical fruits and is unique in remaining virtually static in the past 40 years, receiving little attention at home or abroad. Botanically, it is identified as Mammea americana L., of the family Guttiferae, and therefore related to the mangosteen, q.v. Among alternative names in English are mammee, mammee apple, St. Domingo apricot and South American apricot. To Spanish-speaking people, it is known as mamey de Santo Domingo, mamey amarillo, mamey de Cartagena, mata serrano, zapote mamey, or zapote de Santo Domingo.
This species is often confused with the sapote, or mamey colorado, Pouteria sapota, q.v., which is commonly called mamey in Cuba; and reports of its occurring wild in Africa are due to confusion with the African mamey, M. africana Sabine (syn. Ochrocarpus africana Oliv.).
Description
The mamey tree, handsome and greatly resembling the southern magnolia, reaches 60 to 70 ft (18-21 m) in height, has a short trunk which may attain 3 or 4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) in diameter, and ascending branches forming an erect, oval head, densely foliaged with evergreen, opposite, glossy, leathery, dark-green, broadly elliptic leaves, up to 8 in (20 cm) long and 4 in (10 cm) wide. The fragrant flowers, with 4 to 6 white petals and with orange stamens or pistils or both, are 1 to 1 1/2 in (2.5-4 cm) wide when fully open and borne singly or in groups of 2 or 3 on short stalks. They appear during and after the fruiting season: male, female and hermaphrodite together or on separate trees.
The fruit, nearly round or somewhat irregular, with a short, thick stem and a more or less distinct tip or merely a bristle-like floral remnant at the apex, ranges from 4 to 8 in (10-20 cm) in diameter, is heavy and hard until fully ripe when it softens slightly. The skin is light-brown or grayish-brown with small, scattered, warty or scurfy areas, leathery, about 1/8 in (3 mm) thick and bitter. Beneath it, a thin, dry, whitish membrane, or "rag", astringent and often bitter, adheres to the flesh. The latter is light- or golden-yellow to orange, non-fibrous, varies from firm and crisp. and sometimes dry to tender, melting and juicy. It is more or less free from the seed though bits of the seed-covering, which may be bitter, usually adhere to the immediately surrounding wall of flesh. The ripe flesh is appetizingly fragrant and, in the best varieties, pleasantly subacid, resembling the apricot or red raspberry in flavor. Fruits of poor quality may be too sour or mawkishly sweet. Small fruits are usually single-seeded; larger fruits may have 2, 3 or 4 seeds. The seed is russet-brown, rough, ovoid or ellipsoid and about 2 1/2 in (6.25 cm) long. The juice of the seed leaves an indelible stain.
Climate
The mamey is limited to tropical or near-tropical climates. In Central America, it thrives from near sea-level to 3,300 ft (1,000 m). Three trees at the Agricultural Research and Education Center, Homestead, in southern Florida, were killed by a temperature drop to 28º F (-2.22º C) in January 1940.
Soil
The mamey tree favors deep, rich, well-drained soil, but is apparently quite adaptable to even shallow, sandy terrain, and it grows naturally in limestone areas of Jamaica, also does well in the oolitic limestone of the Bahamas and southeastern Florida.
Propagation
Seeds are the usual means of dissemination and they germinate in 2 months or less and sprout readily in leaf-mulch under the tree. Seedlings bear in 6 to 8 years in Mexico, 8 to 10 years in the Bahamas. Vegetative propagation is preferable to avoid disappointment in raising male trees and to achieve earlier fruiting. In English greenhouse culture, half-ripe cuttings with lower leaves attached are employed. Both Robert Newcomb and Albert Caves of Palm Lodge Tropical Grove, Homestead, successfully grafted the mamey onto self-seedlings.
Culture
The mamey generally receives little or no cultural attention, apart from protection from cold during the first few winters in other than strictly tropical climates. It seems remarkably resistant to pests and diseases. (source - retrieved from http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/mamey.html on 1/20/2013)
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].
Tree
The mammee tree is 18–21 m high and is similar in appearance to the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora).[1] Its trunk is short and reaches 1.9-1.2 m in diameter. The tree's upright branches form an oval head. Its dark-green foliage is quite dense, with opposite, leathery, elliptic leaves. The leaves can reach 10 cm wide and twice as long.
The mammee flower is fragrant, has 4 or 6 white petals, and reaches 2.5–4 cm wide when fully blossomed. The flowers are borne either singly or in clusters of two or three, on short stalks. There can be, in a single flower, pistils, stamens or both, so there can be male, female or hermaphrodite flowers on one tree or.
Fruit
The mammee apple is a berry, though it is often misinterpreted to be a drupe. It is round or slightly irregular, with a brown or grey-brown 3-mm thick rind. In fact, the rind consists of the exocarp and mesocarp of the fruit, while the pulp is formed from the endocarp. The stem is thick and short. The mammee apple has more or less visible floral remnant at the apex.
Mammee apples' diameter ranges from 10 to 20 cm. When unripe, the fruit is hard and heavy, but its flesh slightly softens when fully ripe. Beneath the skin, there is a white, dry membrane, whose taste is astringent, that adheres to the flesh. The flesh is orange or yellow, not fibrous, and can have various textures (crispy or juicy, firm or tender). Generally, the flesh smell is pleasant and appetizing.
Small fruits contain a single seed, while larger ones might have up to four. The seeds are brown, rough, oval and around 6 cm long. The juice of the seed leaves an indelible stain. (source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammea_americana on 1/20/2013)
To see pictures of this fruit and the tree, go to, https://www.google.com/search?q=mammea+americana&start=10&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&tbo=u&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&source=univ&ei=q2X8ULP4I4K2rQHy3oH4Aw&ved=0CDAQsAQ4Cg&biw=1152&bih=720

The main driving force of water uptake and transport into a plant is transpiration of water from leaves through specialized openings called stomata. Heat from the sun causes the water to evaporate, setting this ‘water chain’ in motion. The evaporation creates a negative water vapor pressure. Water is pulled into the leaf to replace the water that has transpired from the leaf. This pulling of water, or tension, occurs in the xylem of the leaf. Since the xylem is a continuous water column that extends from the leaf to the roots, this negative water pressure extends into the roots and results in water uptake from the soil. [adapted from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=follow-up-how-do-trees-ca ]

Clearly this clever water transport system shows a superior intelligence of the Creator (YHWH).

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!

**Admin** Thu Apr 21, 2016 2:14 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON THE GENEALOGIES OF JESUS (YESHUA) AND START OF HIS MINISTRY. With the Scripture of the Day first.

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 107A]

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, we should become doers of the word as shown by James 1:23 - 27, [AV] “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

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Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] DISCOURSE ON THE GENEALOGIES OF JESUS (YESHUA) AND START OF HIS MINISTRY

INTRODUCTION:

Many wonder why the genealogies that Matthew and Luke gave for Jesus (Yeshua) are completely different. But there is a reason, let's examine the facts and reasons;

REASON WHY GENEALOGIES DIFFER:

The genealogy of Matthew is concerned first and foremost, to show that Jesus was the Messiah directly descended from the royal house of David, and of the seed of the patriarch Abraham, to whom the divine promises were first given. See Matthew 1:1-18, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judah and his brethren; 3 and Judah begat Perez and Zerah of Tamar; and Perez begat Hezron; and Hezron begat Ram; 4 and Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon; and Nahshon begat Salmon; 5 and Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 and Jesse begat David the king. And David begat Solomon of her [that had been the wife] of Uriah; 7 and Solomon begat Rehoboam; and Rehoboam begat Abijah; and Abijah begat Asa; 8 and Asa begat Jehoshaphat; and Jehoshaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Uzziah; 9 and Uzziah begat Jotham; and Jotham begat Ahaz; and Ahaz begat Hezekiah; 10 and Hezekiah begat Manasseh; and Manasseh begat Amon; and Amon begat Josiah; 11 and Josiah begat Jechoniah and his brethren, at the time of the carrying away to Babylon. 12 And after the carrying away to Babylon, Jechoniah begat Shealtiel; and Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel; 13 and Zerubbabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 and Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 and Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16 and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations; and from David unto the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon unto the Christ fourteen generations." (American Standard Version; ASV)

Whereas the genealogy given by Luke stresses the fact that Jesus was the perfect man. Luke gives the genealogy of Mary, not Joseph. The legal title to the throne came through Joseph, Jesus' adoptive father. Luke's genealogy is different. It is given in reverse order from Matthew'. Luke goes back to David and then back to Adam. Luke gives Mary's story and this is clearly her genealogy. The royal blood of David flowed in her veins also, and Jesus blood title to the throne of David came through her. Luke makes it clear that Joseph was not the. father of the Lord Jesus Christ but God is. See Luke 3:23-38, "And Jesus himself, when he began [to teach], was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the [son] of Heli, 24 the [son] of Matthat, the [son] of Levi, the [son] of Melchi, the [son] of Jannai, the [son] of Joseph, 25 the [son] of Mattathias, the [son] of Amos, the [son] of Nahum, the [son] of Esli, the [son] of Naggai, 26 the [son] of Maath, the [son] of Mattathias, the [son] of Semein, the [son] of Josech, the [son] of Joda, 27 the [son] of Joanan, the [son] of Rhesa, the [son] of Zerubbabel, the [son] of Shealtiel, the [son] of Neri, 28 the [son] of Melchi, the [son] of Addi, the [son] of Cosam, the [son] of Elmadam, the [son] of Er, 29 the [son] of Jesus, the [son] of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the [son] of Matthat, the [son] of Levi, 30 the [son] of Symeon, the [son] of Judas, the [son] of Joseph, the [son] of Jonam, the [son] of Eliakim, 31 the [son] of Melea, the [son] of Menna, the [son] of Mattatha, the [son] of Nathan, the [son] of David, 32 the [son] of Jesse, the [son] of Obed, the [son] of Boaz, the [son] of Salmon, the [son] of Nahshon, 33 the [son] of Amminadab, the [son] of Arni, the [son] of Hezron, the [son] of Perez, the [son] of Judah, 34 the [son] of Jacob, the [son] of Isaac, the [son] of Abraham, the [son] of Terah, the [son] of Nahor, 35 the [son] of Serug, the [son] of Reu, the [son] of Peleg, the [son] of Eber, the [son] of Shelah 36 the [son] of Cainan, the [son] of Arphaxad, the [son] of Shem, the [son] of Noah, the [son] of Lamech, 37 the [son] of Methuselah, the [son] of Enoch, the [son] of Jared, the [son] of Mahalaleel, the [son] of Cainan, 38 the [son] of Enos, the [son] of Seth, the [son] of Adam, the [son] of God." (ASV).

Also, notice the accounts run in opposite chronological order to each other.

DETAILS OF HIS INCARNATION:

Now the Bible says at Matthew 1:18-25, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us. 24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; 25 and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS." (ASV) clearly showing his conception to be through God's (YHWH's) power or Spirit, a miracle. Now some may ask, what is God's (YHWH's) spirit, let's examine this subject and view the evidence. Now what is this Spirit or Holy Spirit that John the Baptist mentioned at John 1:32, ""And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the holy Ghost." (AV)? The Holy Spirit is only God's (YHWH's) active force and not even a spirit being or person. This is clearly shown at Pentecost where the Holy Spirit was poured out onto all there, Acts 2:1-4, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (AV). This entire scripture bespeaks of a force and not a being as you do not get filled with a being! And this fact is reaffirmed at Acts 4:31, ""And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." (AV); And 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, "Now he which established us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (AV), surely a being would not be in our hearts as that is ludicrous, thus this scripture talks of God's (YHWH's) active force; This is clearly shown at Luke 11:13, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (AV). Once more, why? Why? Do many say they are coequal and coeternal when clearly they are not and the Holy Ghost is just God's (YHWH's) active force? Only to try to give some resemblance of reality to a myth as we shall later see. An interesting note on the Spirit is that the neuter Greek word for spirit (pneu'ma) is used, the neuter pronoun "it" is properly employed. This fact is conveniently over looked or hidden by most Trinitarian translators as admitted in the "New American Bible Catholic Bible," regarding John 14:17: "The Greek word for 'Spirit' is neuter, and while we use personal pronouns in English ('he,' 'his,' 'him'), most Greek MSS [manuscripts] employ 'it.'" So when the Bible uses masculine personal pronouns in connection with pa•ra'kle•tos at John 16:7, 8, it is conforming to rules of grammar, not expressing a doctrine. And in Ancient Hebrew the word here rendered Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, or Spirit which is translated from 'ru'ach' meaning "breath; wind; spirit." In Latin, it is spiritus, and in Sanskrit, 'prana' which means both "breath" and "spirit"

WHO HIS REAL FATHER IS:

The Bible says his Father is Almighty God (YHWH) who we have seen from the foregoing used his power to implant his life force into a virgin Jewish girl named Mary. Also, that he was supposedly the son of Joseph which is clearly shown at Luke 3:23, "And when He began His Ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, [b]being supposedly the son of Joseph, the son of Eli." (New American Standard Bible; NASB). He was in effect de-facto adopted by Joseph the husband of Mary who DID NOT have relations with Mary until after Jesus' (yeshua's) birth as testified to at Matthew 1:25, " And he knew her not till she brought forth her first born son: and he called his name Jesus." (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB); thus there can not be any doubt that his real Father is none other than Almighty God (YHWH) as clearly shown in the account of his pre-human existence given at Proverbs 8:22-31, "Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth; 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep, 28 When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong, 29 When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth; 30 Then I was by him, [as] a master workman; And I was daily [his] delight, Rejoicing always before him, 31 Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men." (ASV). Which clearly shows that he was the first or beginning of God's (YHWH's) creation and absolutely proves in gross error anyone imputing anything but legitimacy to his birth since in fact he existed long before the earth or his incarnation on earth.

START OF HIS MINISTRY:

Let's also take a brief look at the start of his ministry. At the age of 30 Jesus (Yeshua) came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized by John. This is detailed in the Bible at Matthew 3:13-17, "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer [it] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him. 16 And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; 17 and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (ASV). . Jesus (Yeshua) was therefore, now, ready and prepared to take up his ministry, but had not yet received the Holy Spirit with which he would be able to prove that he was the Son of God (YHWH). Now, at his baptism, his Sonship was confirmed by the Spirit of God (YHWH) descending upon him like a dove, and by the voice from heaven which said "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased". There is beautiful symbolism in the use of a dove to g visibly represent the Spirit of God (YHWH). Jesus (Yeshua) was to be the mediator through whom peace would be re-established between God and man. Many people find it difficult to associate human nature with its weakness and propensities with Jesus (Yeshua), the Son of God (YHWH). This association, however, is extremely important since it is only because Jesus (Yeshua) was 'made like his brethren in every respect' as testified to at Hebrews 2:16-18, " For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted." (Revised Standard Version; ASV). This was so to permit him to represent them perfectly in his sacrifice as shown at Hebrews 4:15-16, "For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (RSV) tells us that he was tempted in all ways like we are but without sinning', and because of this he is 'able to help those who are tempted'. We must acknowledge we are all desperately in need of his help.

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**Admin** Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:13 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON CANDOR PROVES BIBLE THE WORD OF GOD (YHWH). With the Scripture of the Day first.
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 108A]

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 1 Peter 2:21, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, we must become more loving of others and strive to follow Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) example. We should strive to emulate his primary examples that are:
1) Endurance,
2) Humality,
3) Helpfulness – As shown by how the Angles helped him in his hour of need at Luke 22:43, [AV] “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”
4) Patience, as illustrated a 1 Peter 1:12, [AV] “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO,

1) http://iris89.conforums.com/

2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/

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4) http://religioustruths.boardhost.com/

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7) https://religioustruths.forumotion.com/

To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] DISCOURSE ON CANDOR PROVES BIBLE THE WORD OF GOD (YHWH):

FIRST, The Bible unlike other so called 'holy books' was inspired by God (YHWH) who is NOT a liar or obfuscator so his inspired scribes unlike human writers with their own agenda wrote exactly what happened including their own short comings. This candor is actually one of the things that clearly shows the Bible to be truly the only book ever inspired by God (YHWH). The prophets even wrote their own shortcomings/weaknesses down under divine inspiration; this is quite unlike all other ancient writers who always built up themselves and never recorded their own shortcomings.

SECOND, Genesis 19:30-38 is a special case under a very unusual circumstance which when taken out of context could leave the wrong impression so let's look at Genesis 19:19-38 and learn the facts, " behold now, thy servant hath found favor in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy lovingkindness, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die: 20 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. 21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which thou hast spoken. 22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came unto Zoar. 24 Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven; 25 and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. 26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Jehovah: 28 and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt. 30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 And the first-born said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: 32 come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the first-born went in, and lay with her father; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the first-born said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37 And the first-born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day. (American Standard Version; ASV). Clearly we see here a special circumstance and that Lot was NOT aware of what he was doing as he had been made drunk; but the fact that this was ever recorded once more speaks to the candor and truthfulness of the Bible in that the prophets even recorded their own short comings and wrong doings. This candor is NOT seen in other so called 'holy books' that were not inspired by God (YHWH).

THIRD, One individual said, "In Genesis 38:15-18, Judah, a son of Jacob, is supposed to have engaged in sexual relations with his daughter-in-law."
This is another special circumstance showing the short coming of a prophet honestly recorded with honesty and candor in the Bible; whereas, in so called 'holy books' that were not divinely inspired something of this nature would never have been recorded. Let's look at the circumstances under which this wrong doing took place as circumstances make a major difference in most cases, at Genesis 38:1-30, "And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. And he took her, and went in unto her. 3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. 4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. 5 And she yet again bare a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. 6 And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah. And Jehovah slew him. 8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and he slew him also. 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown up; for he said, Lest he also die, like his brethren. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house. 12 And in process of time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep. 14 And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face. 16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee: for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? 17 And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? 18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet and thy cord, and thy staff that is in thy hand. And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 19 And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20 And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not. 21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There hath been no prostitute here. 22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, There hath been no prostitute here. 23 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. 24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. 25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff. 26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more. 7 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. 29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, Wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself? Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zerah." (ASV). Once again we see special circumstances where one of the prophet's son would NOT perform his duty under the ancient Jewish law. This is made plain when Judah said, "And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more." So once more we see the honesty and candor of the Bible that clearly show it to be the inspired word of God (YHWH).

FOURTH, One individual clearly showed that this honesty and candor is NOT found in other so called 'holy books' as follows, "Neither the sons of Jacob, whom the Qur'an mentions as "grandchildren" whose ways should be followed, nor his wives could have engaged such a behavior. Our Prophet explicitly declared that there is not a single case of fornication in his lineage back to Adam, [1] and that all Prophets are brothers descended from the same father. [2] Our Prophet is a descendant of Abraham, as were Judah and the other Israelite Prophets. Thus, how could any of them be the result of an improper sexual alliance?"
Speaks for itself as we all well know there has only been one perfect man who never sinned who walked this earth.

FIFTH, This honesty and candor that differentiates the Bible from other so called 'holy books' and 'knockoffs' is once more shown with respect to King David who under divine inspiration actually wrote part of the Bible, let's look at this candor at 2 Samuel 11:1-27, "And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [to battle], that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. 2 And it came to pass at eventide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3 And David send and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned unto her house. 5 And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child. 6 And David sent to Joab, [saying], Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered. 8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess [of food] from the king. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. 10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thy house? 11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. 12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. 13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house. 14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. 16 And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were. 17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. 18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; 19 and he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king, 20 it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? 21 who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. 22 So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for. 23 And the messenger said unto David, The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate. 24 And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. 25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him. 26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. 27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Jehovah" (ASV). So we can plainly see the Bible is clearly differentiated from other so called 'holy books' in that it is the only one with honesty and candor in reporting the very BAD things done by prophets; none other do as their authors are men who write the thoughts of men and never write about their wrongs. One individual actually said the following over this bad happening, "David is a Prophet who was given a Divine Scripture (the Psalms) and who is praised in the Qur'an for his sincere and profound devotion to God:

Be patient with them, and remember Our servant David, the man of strength and abilities, who always turned to God in sincere devotion and submission. We made the mountains declare, in unison with him, Our praises, at eventide and at the break of day, and the birds gathered (in assemblies): all with him did turn to Him (in profound devotion). We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and sound judgment (in speech and decision). (38:17-20)

Though a king, he lived a simple life by his own labor. He had such a great awareness of God that he cried a great deal and fasted every other day. Our Prophet recommended this type of fast to some Companions who asked about the most rewarding type of supererogatory fasting. [3] Could such a noble Prophet ever commit adultery with a married woman, plot her husband's death, and then marry her?"

SIXTH, One individual said the following about the king/prophet Solomon, and the fact that it was actually written down in the Bible under divine inspiration by one God (YHWH) used as a scribe to put his thoughts into the words of men. This clearly shows once more the Bible is the only book ever inspired by Almighty God (YHWH) as no other so called 'holy book' ever showed such honesty and candor. One individual actually said, "In I Kings 11:1-8, despite God's command: "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods," Prophet Solomon is accused of marrying many foreign women belonging to pagan nations and following their gods and goddesses (idols). Would a Prophet be able to commit such a grievous sin as following the idols and deities of other tribes?"

Here a king/prophet is actually shown violating God's (YHWH's) decree given at Deuteronomy 17:15-17, "thou shalt surely set him king over thee, whom Jehovah thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee; thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother. 16 Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses; forasmuch as Jehovah hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." (ASV).

MANY other examples of the outstanding honesty and candor could be sited, but this sampling should be more than sufficient to show that unlike other so called 'holy books' it is the only one ever divinely inspired by God (YHWH) as it is the only one with such honesty and candor. The following clearly amplify this truth, There are many different writings and books that various groups have considered/believed to be holy books, but why so. Many have been considered holy books based on human tradition such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Rig Veda, etc., and others for which divine inspiration are claimed, but which are actually just knockoffs from the Bible such as the writings of David Korash, the Book of Morman, the Quran (Koran), etc. However, there is only one book, actually a book of books, the Bible which actually was written by man acting as scribes who were given the thoughts of God (YHWH) and put them into the words of men.

Specifically, the Bible is NOT the product of one committee or strongman. It has over 40 individual writers who wrote under divine inspiration/guidance much as transcribing secretaries today taking transcription and then later typing it out. In other words one real author, God (YHWH), and many scribes each of whom wrote in his own style over a period of approximately 1,600 years. All of what people call or consider inconsistencies are really not such, but most often just a problem of translation and/or understanding, i.e., lack of understanding of what the original writer writing in his own language and culture meant/said in his original writing. What is remarkable, is the writers over such a period of time all wrote in harmony when even most posters on threads on this forum can not even stay on track or subject over a period of a few days and/or weeks at most with the original subject of the thread. This fact of harmony over a period so great as to almost stagger the imagination shows that it had one guiding force or author who divinely inspired its writers as humans of their own volition can not keep on track over short periods of time.

To wit, the Bible is the ONLY book God (YHWH) ever inspired men to write as his scribes. In other words, God is its author and men only put his thoughts given to them by divine inspiration into their own words, the words of men. Not only that, all the other writers of later so called religious guidance books borrowed from it and made changes in accord with their strong man or so called prophet. Take the example of Joseph Smith who borrowed from it to write the Book of Mormon, but failed to give credit or source to the Bible and twisted some borrowed things into bizarre distortions. Other examples are of course the bizarre writings of David Koresh the Prophet of the Branch Dividians of Waco, Texas; and the Quran, and the Book of Wiccim.
Truly, the Bible id differentiated from all other so called 'holy books' by its candor and honesty which are not found in those ones that were NOT divinely inspired by God (YHWH).

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**Admin** Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:36 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON THE WORD OF GOD VS. THE UNRELIABLE WORD OF MEN. With the Scripture of the Day first.

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 109A]

For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:4 – 6, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

All genuine true followers of the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua) should seek to let others also know the truth with respect Almighty God’ (YHWH’s) purpose for mankind and not hide their light per Matthew 5:13 – 16, [AV] “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO,

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To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

[2] DISCOURSE ON THE WORD OF GOD VS. THE UNRELIABLE WORD OF MEN:

INTRODUCTION:

Let's look at what the Bible says with respect hearing the Word of God at Job 34:2 from seven different Bibles:

Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.(American Standard Version; ASV)

Hear my words, ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. (Darby Translation; DBY)

Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. (Authorized King James Bible; AV)

Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me. (Young's Literal Translation; YLT)

Hear my words, you sages! Listen to me, you who know so much! (The Complete Jewish Bible - Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc.; TCJB)

audite sapientes verba mea et eruditi auscultate me (The Latin Vulgate Bible by Jerome)

Hear my words, you wise men; listen to me, you who know a lot. (The New Century Version; NCV)

DANGER IN THE WORDS OF MEN:

As we can see from the above, all men are counseled to Hear my words, you wise men; listen to me, you who know a lot. by the Word of God, the Bible, to hear the words of God (YHWH). This scripture makes it clear that it is God's (YHWH's) words that we should listen to. However at 2 Corinthians 4:4 it councils us with respect those of men as follows, "in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn [upon them]." (ASV); and at Matthew 7:15, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves." (ASV) we are clearly warned to beware of the false prophets; and at Matthew 24:24, Jesus (Yeshua) himself again warns us of this danger, i.e., the false prophets, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." (ASV).

Also, we are warned about the false teachers also at 2 Peter 2:1, "But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." (ASV). It is because of the great danger of apostacy that these warnings were given and this is driven home at 1 John 4:1-3, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already." (ASV).; and it is clearly shown that this warning is not an idle warning and this was made clear by Jesus (Yeshua) himself at at Matthew 7:15-20, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 16 By their fruits ye shall know them. Do [men] gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (ASV).

TRUE CHRISTIANS SHOULD CAREFULLY CHECK WHAT THEY ARE TOLD:

Clearly this is why at Acts 17:10-11, "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so." (ASV) the Beroeans were spoken of as being more noble than those in Thessalonica because they checked the scriptures to be sure that the Apostles were telling the truth.

WHY SHOULD THEY CAREFULLY CHECK WHAT THEY ARE TOLD?

Let's examine a few scriptures and find out. Acts 20:29-30 shows what will take place after the Apostles were gone and even to some degree before they left, "I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them." (ASV); and at 2 Peter 2:1-6, "But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. 4 For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly; " (ASV).

This warning with what would happen in later periods was made very clear at 1 Timothy 4:1-2, as follows, "But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron;" (ASV). In fact, many of the letters the Apostle John wrote to various congregations was to encourage them and to counter this tendency for some to fall away into wrong doing and apostasy.

For those causing others to fall into apostasy, Matthew 23:13-15 and 33 shows they will bear a heavy responsibility for their false teachings, "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter. 14 [Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation.] 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves." And "Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?" (ASV); and at Ezekial 34:2-10, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, even to the shepherds, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have ye ruled over them. 5 And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and there was none that did search or seek [after them]. 7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: 8 As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely forasmuch as my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my sheep; 9 therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: 10 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them." (ASV).

NOW MANY GIVE CREDENCE TO THE WORDS OF MEN RATHER THAN TO THOSE OF GOD (YHWH):

Many give more or the same amount of credence to the words of men such as the so called church fathers, but as we can see many of these were actually falling away from the truth and forming their own clicks. But worse yet, much of what they wrote has been mistranslated and/or writings have been attributed to them that were never made by them. The fact is that various respectable references give things contrary to each other with respect what purportedly these so called church fathers said. In other words it is impossible today to know either what they really said or wrote and whether they had gone apostate before they either said it and/or wrote it. This fact, makes what purportedly they said of little value. Last, their word was only that of men and as we know from Acts 17:11 this must be carefully checked even if it comes from an Apostle to see if it is so; so if this be the case, the purported word of these early so called church fathers is of little or no value with respect determining sound doctrine per Titus 2:1, "But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:" (ASV).

LET'S LOOK AT A FEW EXAMPLES:

Let's now consider what some of the early 'church' fathers thought. But first let's look at what "The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology," "Primitive Christianity did not have an explicit doctrine of the Trinity such as subsequently elaborated in the creeds," and what the book, "The Paganism in Our Christianity," says, "The early Christians, however, did not at first think of applying the idea [trinity] to their own faith. They paid their devotions to God [YHWH] the Father and to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and they recognised...the Holy Spirit; but there was no thought of these three being an actual Trinity, co-equal and united in One." In fact it was not so in the apostolic and sub-apostolic ages and this is clearly shown in "The Two Babylons," by Rev. Alexander Hilsop (philologos.org/__eb-ttb/default.htm (The Two Babylons on the Internet)), and in the "Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics." The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: "The formulation 'one God in three Persons' was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century. But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma. Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective." - (1967), Vol. XIV, p. 299. Last but not least, "The Church of the First Three Centuries," by Alvan Lamson stated, "The modern popular doctrine of the Trinity..derives no support from the language of Justin [Martyr]: and this observation may be extended to all the ante-Nicene Fathers; that is, to all Christian writers for three centuries after the birth of Christ. It is true, they speak of the Father, Son, and...holy Spirit, but not as co-equal, not as one numerical essence, not as Three in One, in any sense now admitted by Trinitarians. The very reverse is the fact."

The Ante-Nicene Fathers were acknowledged leading religious teachers in the early centuries after the death of Jesus (Jeshua or YHWH saves); therefore, what they taught and believed:

Justin Martyr, died approximately 165 A.D., stated that Jesus (Jeshua or YHWH saves) had been a created angel who is "other than the God who made all things," before coming onto the earthly scene. He said that Jesus was inferior to God and "never did anything except what the Creator...willed him to do and say."

Another source paints him as saying something quite different as follows:

From the First Apology of Justin, Part I The Christian History Institute www.gopelcom.net/chi/glim...inone.html "Look at What You Give Credence to. We say the Word, the first birth of God, was produced without sexual union. We say that He, Jesus Christ, our teacher, was crucified, died, rose again and ascended into heaven." "When we say he was begotten of God as the Word of God in a unique manner...Jesus Christ alone was really begotten as son of God, being his Word, and First begotten, and Power, and becoming man by his will..."[in Richardson, p.257] "The Spirit and power from God Cannot rightly be thought of as anything other than the Word, who is also the first born of God...Those who prophesied were inspired by none other than the Divine Word...."

Let's look at another example, Tertullian:

Tertullian, died approximately 230 A.D., taught the supremacy of God. He observed: "The Father is different from the Son, as he is greater; as he who begets is different from him who is begotten; he who sends, different from him who is sent." Also, he stated: "There was a time when the Son was not...Before all things God was alone."

But other sources paint him as saying just the opposite. So we can see just how unreliable these sources are.

What is more, all the sources on the purported sayings of the so called early church fathers such as "The Church of the First Three Centuries," by Alvan Lamson, the various books on the Ante-Nicene Fathers, etc. clearly show them as NOT SPEAKING IN UNISON, and from that alone, it is easy to see writings purporting to be theirs ARE NOT TO BE RELIED UPON.

CONCLUSION;

The Apostles recognized the dangers of drifting away from the truth as did many so called early Church fathers. The Apostle Paul recognized that unity is vital, and he gave fine counsel to help Christians at Ephesians 4:1-3, "I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (American Standard Version; ASV), and Colossians 3:12-14, "Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14 and above all these things [put on] love, which is the bond of perfectness." (ASV). Nevertheless, after establishing many congregations and visiting others over a period of more than 20 years, he well recognized that maintaining unity could be ver challenging as shown at 1 Corinthians 1:11-13, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void. 18 For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the discernment of the discerning will I bring to nought." (ASV); and Galatians 2:11-14, "But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before that certain came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Cephas before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" (ASV). Thus, he urged fellow believers living in Rome at Romans 15:5-6, "Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus: 6 that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (ASV). Today, we likewise must glorify God (YHWH) and not God (YHWH) dishonoring doctrines, the words of men, such as the Trinity and the ever virginity of Mary, as a united group.

Do not rely on the words of men, but only one the Words of God (YHWH) as found in the legitimate Bible canon and in unbiased translations.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Sat Apr 23, 2016 9:47 pm

COMBINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES. With the Scripture of the Day first.
SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 110A]

For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:4 – 6, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

All genuine true followers of the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua) should seek to let others also know the truth with respect Almighty God’ (YHWH’s) purpose for mankind and not hide their light per Matthew 5:13 – 16, [AV] “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO,

1) http://iris89.conforums.com/

2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/

3) http://religioustruths.lefora.com/

4) http://religioustruths.boardhost.com/

5) http://religioustruths.forumsland.com/

6) http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/

7) https://religioustruths.forumotion.com/

To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!

THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES:
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Mandarin orange, also known as the mandarin or mandarine (both lower-case), is a small citrus tree (Citrus reticulata) with fruit resembling other oranges. The mandarin orange gained its name from the bright orange robes worn by the mandarins, public officials in imperial China. When exporting began, local Mandarin oranges were named after their port of origin. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. Specifically reddish-orange mandarin cultivars can be marketed as tangerines, but this is not a botanical classification.
The tree is more drought-tolerant than the fruit. The mandarin is tender, and is damaged easily by cold. It can be grown in tropical and subtropical areas. Varieties
The mandarin orange is a variety of the orange family. Cultivars and crosses between the original mandarin and other citrus fruits include:
* Satsuma (Citrus unshiu), a seedless variety, of which there are over 200 cultivars, such as Owari and mikan; the source of most canned mandarins, and popular as a fresh fruit due to its ease of consumption
* Owari, a well-known Satsuma cultivar which ripens during the late fall season
* Clementine, sometimes known as a "Christmas orange", as its peak season is December; becoming the most important commercial Mandarin orange form, having displaced mikans in many markets
* Tangerine sometimes known as "Dancy Mandarin"
Tangor, also called the temple orange, a cross between the Mandarin orange and the common sweet orange; its thick rind is easy to peel and its bright orange pulp is sour-sweet and full-flavored
Canned and peeled mandarin orange segments.
The mandarin is easily peeled with the fingers, starting at the thick rind covering the depression at the top of the fruit, and can be easily split into even segments without squirting juice. This makes it convenient to eat, as utensils are not required to peel or cut the fruit.
Canned mandarin segments are peeled to remove the white pith prior to canning; otherwise, they turn bitter. Segments are peeled using a chemical process. First, the segments are scalded in hot water to loosen the skin; then they are bathed in a lye solution which digests the albedo and membranes. Finally, the segments undergo several rinses in plain water.
Biological characteristics
Citrus fruits are usually self-fertile (needing only a bee to move pollen within the same flower) or parthenocarpic (not needing pollination and therefore seedless, such as the satsuma).
Blossoms from the Dancy cultivar are one exception. They are self-sterile, and therefore must have a pollinator variety to supply pollen, and a high bee population to make a good crop. The fruit is oblate.
Medicinal uses
In traditional Chinese medicine, the dried peel of the fruit is used in the regulation of ch'i, and also used to treat abdominal distension, to enhance digestion, and to reduce phlegm. Mandarins have also been used in ayurveda (traditional medicine of India). (source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_orange on 1/21/2013)
To see pictures, go to http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Citrus_reticulata

In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to www.jw.org].

Mandarin is a group name for a class of oranges with thin, loose peel, which have been dubbed "kid-glove" oranges. These are treated as members of a distinct species, Citrus reticulata Blanco. The name "tangerine" could be applied as an alternate name to the whole group, but, in the trade, is usually confined to the types with red-orange skin. In the Philippines all mandarin oranges are called naranjita. Spanish-speaking people in the American tropics call them mandarina. (source - retrieved from http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/mandarin_orange.html on 1/21/2013)

How this tree and other plants absorb water from the ground. Plants have developed an effective system to absorb, translocate, store, and utilize water. Plants contain a vast network of conduits, which consists of xylem and phloem tissues. These conducting tissues start in the roots and continue up through the trunks of trees, into the branches and then into every leaf. Phloem tissue is made of living elongated cells that are connected to one another and responsible for translocating nutrients and sugars (carbohydrates), which are produced by leaves for energy and growth. The xylem is also composed of elongated cells but once the cells are formed, they die. The walls of the xylem cells still remain intact and serve as an excellent peipline to transport water from the roots to the leaves.

The main driving force of water uptake and transport into a plant is transpiration of water from leaves through specialized openings called stomata. Heat from the sun causes the water to evaporate, setting this ‘water chain’ in motion. The evaporation creates a negative water vapor pressure. Water is pulled into the leaf to replace the water that has transpired from the leaf. This pulling of water, or tension, occurs in the xylem of the leaf. Since the xylem is a continuous water column that extends from the leaf to the roots, this negative water pressure extends into the roots and results in water uptake from the soil. [adapted from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=follow-up-how-do-trees-ca ]

Clearly this clever water transport system shows a superior intelligence of the Creator (YHWH).

Now to know the truth, go to:

1) http://religioustruths.forumsland.com/

2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/

3) http://religioustruths.lefora.com/

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5) http://religious-truths.forums.com/

6) http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/

7) https://religioustruths.forumotion.com/

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!

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