Re: Scripture of the Day

**Admin** Fri Jul 08, 2016 11:24 am

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] FACTS ON BOOK OF MATTHEW

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 188A]

But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Jeremiah 10:10, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Jesus (Yeshua) tested his followers with respect the depth of their faith in him and his Father by telling them truths hard to understand as recorded at John 6:54 – 61, [AV] “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” But we see that he was not talking of his literal flesh or blood at John 6:66 – 69, [AV] “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” Simon Peter herein uttered a great truth, “whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”

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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] FACTS ON BOOK OF MATTHEW:

This book has proved difficult to date due to a belief for a long time that the Book of Matthew was originally written in Hebrew and the wrong claim by some higher critics that Matthew had used the book of Mark for his information. However, both of these claims have been proven wrong.

First, the long standing and formerly believed claim that the Book of Matthew had originally believed had been in written in Aramaic a off shoot version of Hebrew. Recently this claim has been proven to be completely wrong.

Second, with regard to some higher critics claims that Matthew had gotten his information from the Book of Mark. Of course these higher critics were completely wrong. Why? Matthew was an Apostle and was with Jesus (Yeshua) and had his information first hand and would NOT require input from any other source. He was an individual, who being a former tax collector was given to detail and in his book adherence to detail is seen throughout. This was noted specifically in many publications, one of which details it as follows. "As a tax collector, Matthew possessed a skill that makes his writing all the more exciting for Christians. Tax collectors were expected to be able to write in a form of shorthand, which essentially meant that Matthew could record a person's words as they spoke, word for word. This ability means that the words of Matthew are not only inspired by the Holy Spirit, but should represent an actual transcript of some of Christ's sermons. For example, the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in chapters 5-7, is almost certainly a perfect recording of that great message. [source - Got Questions Ministries. www.gotquestions.org - Gospel of Matthew].

Third, the adherence to detail is for example clearly shown with regard to Matthew's detail regarding the fig tree lesson given by Christ as recorded at Matthew 21: , "Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." (Authorized King James Bible; AV).

Jesus' (Yeshua's) purpose in this miracle was to teach his Apostles a lesson as noted by the world renown scholar, Theodore Beza, as follows, "Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and i doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
(5) How great the force of faith is.
(i) The Greek word signifies a fixing or wavering of mind, so that we cannot tell which way to take"
[source - "Commentary on Matthew 21". "The 1599 Geneva Study Bible".by Theodore Beza in 1600-1645].

And, another world renown scholar, John Wesley, said, "Jesus answering, said, If ye have faith - Whence we may learn, that one great end of our Lord in this miracle was to confirm and increase their faith: another was, to warn them against unfruitfulness." (AV) confirmed this as does a look at Matthew 17:20, "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (AV), also dealing with Jesus' (Yeshua's) efforts to build faith in his Apostles.

And, another world renown scholar, John Gill, said, "Ver. 21. Jesus answered and said unto them,.... His disciples wondering at his power, in causing the fig tree to wither so suddenly:

"...verily I say unto you, if ye have faith; that is, in God, in his power, which reaches to all things: the object of faith is expressed in Mark, and by way of exhortation, "have faith in God", that he will enable you to perform whatsoever ye shall desire; which must be understood, not of spiritual faith in the promises of God, and person of Christ, but of, the faith of miracles, or faith in the power of God to perform things that are above the strength of nature:

and doubt not; either of the power, or will of God to do for you, and by you, the thing desired; for this kind of faith would not admit of the least degree of doubting: there must be no hesitation in the mind, no reasoning upon the thing, how it can be performed; the mind must not be divided between the power and will of God, and the difficulties and discouragements which attend the case, but must believe in hope against hope, with a full persuasion of accomplishment: for want of this faith, without doubting, the disciples could not cure the child that was lunatic.

Ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree; cause one to be dried up, and wither away by a word, as Christ had done to this, which, comparatively speaking, was but a lesser sort of miracle;

but also, if ye shall say to this mountain; the Mount of Olives, where Christ and his disciples now were, and were passing over, or, at least, were very near it; or any other mountain wherever they might be, to which they should, upon any occasion, think fit to say,

be thou removed, and cast into the sea; which was many miles off from Mount Olivet, and must he a very surprising performance for a mountain to be rooted up, so large as that was, and be carried several miles from its former situation, and be thrown into the sea; and yet, as difficult and amazing as this may seem,it shall be done: that is, provided the person doubts not; or, as it is said in Mark, "shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things, which he saith, shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith": for this must not be confined to the particular instances of drying up a fig tree, or removing a mountain, but the doing of any sort of miracle, how great soever. Nor is it our Lord's meaning that they should do these particular things; nor is it certain that they ever did: but his sense is, that, had they faith, they should be able not only to do such lesser miracles, as, comparatively speaking, the withering of the fig tree was, but they should be able to perform things much more difficult and surprising, whenever the good of the souls of men, the propagation of the Gospel, and the glory of God required them." (AV)[source - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible].

Whereas, Mark was NOT a detail oriented person and had not been a companion of Jesus (Yeshua), and wrote his Book of Mark strictly on the basis of what he had heard from others; he being a lot younger man than Matthew and the other Apostles. His account of the same event is lacking in detail with in comparison to the detailed first person account of the Apostle Matthew. To see this, let's look at his account of the same fig tree miracle and see how it lacks detail and even really does not cover the purpose of the event.

Mark 11:12-14, "And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. 14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it." (AV), and Mark 11:20-22, "And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God." (AV).

As can clearly be seen, Mark's account lacks the clear, concise, clarity of Matthew's account and never could be the basis or source for it regardless of what some higher critics wrongly claim. These same wrong higher critics often claim that the Book of Matthew was written after the Book of Mark so as to back up their self-serving false claim that Matthew copied from Mark which has been proven wrong by Matthew's detail that is lacking in Mark's writings on the subject. Also, Matthew, as previously mentioned was with Jesus (Yeshua) while he was preaching on earth; whereas, Mark was not.

Now the reason these higher critics can get away with making such outlandish claims is clearly shown in "THE BOOK OF MATTHEW," written by an Anonymous writer, per the CCN source which says, "Like all the Gospels, Matthew is not easy to date: suggestions have ranged from A.D. 40 to 140. The two expressions "unto this day" (Matt. 27:8) and "until this day" (Matt. 28:15) indicate that a substantial period of time has passed since the events described in the book, but they also point to a date prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24 and 25) also anticipates this event. The strong Jewish flavor of this gospel is another argument for a date prior to A.D. 70."

So they are taking liberty from reality due to the fact that it is difficult to accurately ascertain the exact date that the Gospel of Matthew or any other of the three Gospels were written. However, the range of dates given is preposterous as Matthew died before 100 AD.

Also, the question of when the book of Matthew was written is a question much debated, one writer expresses it as a debate that centers on Matthew 24:2: and which says, "And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (AV). This verse speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem as a future event, and this destruction took place in 70 AD; therefore any higher critic citing a later date than 70 AD is clearly citing an impossibility. Yet many higher critics do just that; therefore, any dating claims by higher critics are nothing but self-serving guesses and NOT even good ones.

Hal Lindsey, in a WorldNetDaily Exclusive ((c) 2003 WorldNetDaily.com ) made it clear that what he called "new thinkers" were wrong with respect to their false claims that Matthew was not the author, that he was not an eyewitness, and that Jesus (Yeshua) did not do many of the claimed things. Hal went on to note that the favorite tactic of these self proclaimed "new Thinkers" was to assign later dates than was reasonable to seemingly back up their false claims. And he quotes a parody on the Book of Matthew by a leading first century Rabbi as follows, "In an essay written for the book, "Passover and Easter: Origin and History to Modern Times," Israel J. Yuval of Jerusalem's Hebrew University, reports the Star, writes about a leading rabbinical scholar of the first century named Gamaliel, who is mentioned in Acts 5:34 and 22:3. Yuval declares that Gamaliel is "considered to have authored a sophisticated parody of the Gospel according to Matthew."

Because the date of Gamaliel's death is known, it places the publication of the Book of Matthew some time before AD 73. The fact that it was a parody demands that the Book of Matthew had extensive circulation and was well known. Otherwise, no one would have gotten the joke. " And Hal Lindsey went on to note the facts about Jesus (Yeshua) and the crucifixion were so well known only 27 years after the event as shown by Acts 26:26, "For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner." (AV), the Book of Matthew would have had to be written before 57 AD.

Hal Lindsey also noted that Dr. Simon Greenleaf, one of the greatest legal minds of American history and head of the Harvard Law School for some 30 years wrote a definitive work, "The Testimony of The Four Evangelists," and concluded that the evidence in support of the four Gospels is better than the evidence supporting any other history of antiquity. He also noted that the higher critics are best described by 2 Timothy 3:1-7, " 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. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (AV).

The general best current thinking by none higher critic Bible scholars is that the Book of Matthew was written around 41 AD since if it had been written much later, Matthew could not have detailed the events therein in such clarity and with such exactness. This is based on very recent research with respect how humans remember detail. The writer of this article, Iris the Preacher, is one of the sincere none higher critics that is in harmony with the best available credible evidence pointing to a date around 41 AD.

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**Admin** Sat Jul 09, 2016 10:46 am

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. 189A]

Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) Ephesians 6:2, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Likewise, Ephesians 6 chapter goes on as follows, Ephesians 6:3 – 10, [AV] “That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. 9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”

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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 Malvaviscus arboreus,

The sweet nectar from the base of the blooms. Its red fruits are edible raw or cooked, and has a somewhat mealy texture, and tastes a bit like an apple. I was very young, but I remember that they tasted very yummy! Oh how I wish I could reach into this picture, and taste the fruit again. :)

Malvaviscus arboreus is native to a region stretching from Mexico through Central America to Columbia. It has made itself at home in Florida and is naturalized in many areas of central and south Florida and in other parts of the subtropical world. The official common name is Flor de santos, Sleeping hibiscus, Manzanilla, Turk’s Turban, Scotchman’s Purse and Mexican Apple. It is a pretty and edible shrub (not to be confused by Malvaviscus drummondii) growing to eight foot tall by six foot wide. The oval green leaves are simple, alternate, and have three shallow lobes and serrated margins. Leaf venation is palmate, a clue to mallow family ancestry. Flowers high in antioxidants; seeds are high in protein and starch; leaves high in minerals; fruit high in vitamin C.

The petals of each flower open only slightly giving the flower a tubular shape like a Turk’s turban or umbrella. These edible flowers can not only be eaten, or used as a garnish, but also are made into a decoction, it is said to be good for the digestive tract and female problems. The bright red flowers are pendulous and last for several days. The petals do not flare back like Hibiscus, but remain swirled around the pistil. This gives the impression that the flowers never open, and hence the common name of Sleeping Hibiscus. There is a pale pink color-form that is not as showy. Flowers and fruit make a good herbal tea, and the young leaves can be utilized as a culinary herb or salad herb. When the fruit is cooked down, it will produce a good jelly or syrup.
There are two distinct varieties and many online resources confuse the two. Variety arboreus is the one most commonly grown in Florida. Variety drummondii (most commonly grown in Texas) apparently has broader fuzzy leaves and more erect flowers. The plant often becomes vine like when grown in shady situations, sending out long stems that clamber over and up adjacent trees and bushes.
Hibiscus Green Tea
*sideshowbytheseashore*
Ingredients
1 gallon water
6 green tea bags
1 cup hibiscus flowers
1/2 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
Lime slices for serving
Dark Rum (optional)
Instructions
Bring water to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the tea bags and the flowers. Allow to cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine strainer into a pretty pitcher. (Be very careful not to wear your white cashmere when doing this – the tea will stain. I set my pitcher and strainer in the sink.) Stir in sugar until dissolved. Chill and serve garnished with a slice of lime and a shot of rum if you are feeling like that.
Hibiscus Lemon Balm Ice Pops
*tallgrasskitchen*
makes 5 – 2.5 oz popsicles
Ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 small bunch lemon balm
2 bags hibiscus tea
1 1/3 cups water
Instructions
Heat 1/2 cup water in small saucepan until almost boiling. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar until dissolved. Toss in lemon balm, and let steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain syrup to remove lemon balm. Boil 1 1/3 cups water. Steep tea bags for at least 30 minutes. Remove tea bags. Combine tea and simple syrup. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze until solid. [sourc - retrieved from https://zoom50.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/flor-de-santossleeping-hibiscusmalvaviscus-arboreus/ on 8/11/2015]

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, https://zoom50.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/flor-de-santossleeping-hibiscusmalvaviscus-arboreus/

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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** Sat Jul 09, 2016 10:01 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] GOD'S (YHWH'S) NEW COVENANT
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 190A]

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Ephesians 5:33, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

In fact husbands should not honor just their wife, but this is expanded to others in the faith at Romans 12:1, [AV] “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” This includes also, Ephesians 6:2, [AV] “Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)” And wives should likewise honor their husband as shown at 1 Peter 5:5 – 7, [AV] “For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. 7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

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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] GOD'S (YHWH'S) NEW COVENANT

INTRODUCTION:

Our God (YHWH) is a god of covenants. Many covenants are mentioned in the Bible such as the old Law Covenant that God (YHWH) made specifically with the ancient nation of Israel which only applied to that nation and individuals living within that nation.

He also made a covenant with Noah promising to never to destroy the earth again with a deluge as recorded at Genesis 9:8-15, " And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, 9
And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh." (Authorized King James Bible; AV).

Now just what is the new covenant or contract? If it is the new covenant, does that mean that there is an old covenant? Are any other covenants related to it? These are important questions because Jesus said that the blood of the covenant would be poured out "for forgiveness of sins." We all need forgiveness of sins, and as recorded at Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;' (AV). This brief paragraph raises many questions that will shortly be answered.

OLD LAW COVENANT:

The Law Covenant was NOT made with all tribes and nations, but only with the nation of Israel as shown at Exodus 24:3-8, "And Moses came and told the people all the words of Jehovah, and all the ordinances: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which Jehovah hath spoken will we do. 4 And Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the mount, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto Jehovah. 6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that Jehovah hath spoken will we do, and be obedient. 8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which Jehovah hath made with you concerning all these words." (American Standard Version; ASV). God's (YHWH's) specific words with respect the covenant are, Exodus 34:27-29, "And Jehovah said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. 28 And he was there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. 29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of the testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him." (ASV). And God (YHWH) by means of his Holy Spirit, his active force or power spoke to the people of Israel out of a fire as recorded at Deuternonmy 4:12-13, "And Jehovah spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only `ye heard' a voice. 13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone." (ASV).

The Law Covenant was NOT made with any nation, but Israel. This fact is testified to at many places in the Bible such as at Psalms 147:19-20, "He showeth his word to Jacob, his statutes and his judgments to Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD." (the Webster Bible; WB); And at Deuteronomy 4:7-8, "`For which `is' the great nation that hath God near unto it, as Jehovah our God, in all we have called unto him? 8 and which `is' the great nation which hath righteous statutes and judgments according to all this law which I am setting before you to-day?" (Young's Literal Translation; YLT); And at Exodus 31:15-17, "Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Jehovah: whosoever doeth any work on the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed."; And at Deuteronomy 5:2-3, "Jehovah our God made with us a covenant in Horeb; 3 not with our fathers hath Jehovah made this covenant, but with us; we -- these -- here to-day -- all of us alive." (YLT).

The Law Covenant was NOT intended to be permanent, but to point the need for a better covenant with forgiveness of sins in view. In fact, no one proved able to keep all the provisions of the Law Covenant and God's (YHWH's) intention to replace it a better covenant, a New Covenant, and this was made clear at Jeremiah 31:31-33, " Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (AV).

THE NEW COVENANT WITH GREATER BLESSINGS:

Shortly before his death, Jesus told his followers that his shed blood was the initalizing of a New Covenant per Matthew 26:26-28, " And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (AV) and Luke 22:20, " For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." (AV).

Ten days after he ascended to heaven, the new covenant was seen to be in operation when Holy Spirit was poured out on approximately 120 disciples gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem per Acts 1:15-16, " 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,) 16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus." (AV); and 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). This bringing of approximately 120 disciples into the New Covenant clearly showed that the old Law Covenant, even for the nation of Israel, was now obsolete and replaced by the New Covenant per Hebrews 8:6-13, " But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." (AV).

Now some may wonder if the old Law Covenant had been a failure. Let's examine the facts and see what the case really is. No this was not the case at all. True, since it was now replaced, fleshly Israel was no longer God's special people per Matthew 23:37-39, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (AV). This outcome was due to Israel's disobedience and rejection of God's (YHWH's) Anointed One as recorded at Exodus 19:5, " Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:" (AV). Acts 2:21-36, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 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: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." (AV).

However, before the Law Covenant was replaced, it had accomplished much. For many centuries, it had provided a way of approaching God (YHWH), and served as protection against false religion. It contained kernels of the New Covenant, and its requirements for repeated sacrifices drew attention and/or demonstrated man's urgent need of redemption or forgiveness from sin and death. It was the path or 'tutor' that lead up to Christ per Galatians 3:17-29, " Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (AV); and Romans 3:20-21 makes it clear that no flesh was justified by the Old Law Covenant, " Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; and Romans 4:15-16 states, " Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all," (AV); and Romans 5:12 says, " 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:" (AV).

It is made clear at Hebrews 10:1-5 that sacrifices of animals do NOT take away sin, but were intended to remind those under the Law Covenant that they should look forward per Jeremiah 31:31 to something better, the New Covenant, " For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure." (AV). Yet, it was only through the New Covenant that the blessing promised to Abraham would be realized.

NEW COVENANT DETAILS:

Per Psalm 19:7 the old Law Covenant was perfect, " The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." (AV). Yet, inspite of this God (YHWH) promised something better per Jeremiah 31:31-34, " Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (AV). Now who would be part of or taken into this new covenant? Let's look at Hebrews 9:15-18 which showed it would not be the nation of Israel and also shows what would be required to put it into force, " And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

Galatians 6:16, " And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."; and Jesus (Yeshua) showed at Matthew 22:37-40, that the New Covenant was based on love and forgiveness, " Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (AV). In fact, of the New Covenant, God (YHWH) said it would not be a covenant of do and do nots since it would be based on love and would be written on the hearts of obedient ones per Romans 2:2829, " For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." (AV). Thus the obedient ones would prove to be a new 'Israel' or spiritual 'Israel" and not a literal Israel per Revelation 7:9-10, " After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." (AV); which harmonizes with what Zechariah 8:23 foretells, " Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you." (AV).

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COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] THE MEANING OF BEING A FOOTSTEP FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AND GOD (YHWH):
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 191A]

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Isaiah 65:17, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, Almighty God (YHWH) has shown He intends to once more make this earth a paradise as He originally intended it to be when He created it. And, His intent to do so is once more made known at Psalms 37:27 – 29, [AV] as follows, “Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.” And in Revelation 21,3 -4, [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.”

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[2] THE MEANING OF BEING A FOOTSTEP FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AND GOD (YHWH):

INTRODUCTION:

When a Baby takes his first steps towards his/her parent's outstretched arms and takes its first few steps, it parents are there to catch him/her. This may seem like a small thing; however, to the child's parents this is a major milestone for them in the life of their child. They hope to provide the child with guidance and support far into the future.

Likewise our God (YHWH) has similar feelings toward his earthly children. He once said regarding his chosen people, Israel, or Ephraim at Hosea 11:3-4, "I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. 4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them." (Authorized King James Bible; AV). God (YHWH) thus describes himself as a loving parent who is patiently teaching a child to walk, perhaps taking him/her into His arms when he falls. God (YHWH) is the ultimate parent, and is eager to teach us how to walk in the correct ways. He also delights in accompanying us as we continue to make progress. So as Micah 6:8 says, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (AV). But what does it mean to walk with God (YHWH) and in the footsteps of his only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua)? Why is this necessary? How is it possible? And what blessings will result from doing so? These questions will be considered.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WALK WITH GOD (YHWH) AND HIS SON, JESUS (YESHUA)?

This walking with God (YHWH) and His Son does not mean a literal walk with God (YHWH) which would be impossible as he is a spirit being per Exodus 33:20, "And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live." (AV); and John 4:24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (AV). So when the Bible speaks of humans walking with God, it is using figurative language to paint a remarkable word picture that rises above national and cultural boundaries and that even transcends time. Only in this way, can all people, regardless of place or era, are able to grasp the concept of one person walking in the company with another. Thus, this word picture conveys warmth and closeness, does it not? Such feelings give us some insight into what it means to walk with God (YHWH).

Now let's deal with some specific cases from the past. At Genesis 5:24 and 6:9 faith men of old, Enoch and Noah are referred to as walking with God (YHWH) as follows, "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." (AV); and "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." (AV). Now, specifically, in the Bible, the term 'to walk' often means to follow a certain course of action. The life of both Enoch and Noah illustrate this fact; they both lived their lives in harmony with the will of God (YHWH). This was quite unlike the world around them, they unlike the individuals in the world around them, looked to God (YHWH) for guidance and obeyed his directions. The had complete trust in him, but of course this did NOT mean God (YHWH) made their decisions for them.

No, since God (YHWH) created humans with a free will, and wants us to use this 'gift' along with our own 'power of reason' per Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (AV). However as we make our decisions, we should humbly allow our power of reason to be guided by God's (YHWH's) infinitely superior mind per Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (AV); and Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (AV). Thus, in effect we walk with Him throughout life.

The Bible often likens life to a journey or a walk, a figurative metaphor. In some cases, that comparison is direct, but in other cases, it is implied. For example, when Jesus (Yeshua) said at Matthew 6:27, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?". Something about those words my strike you as puzzling. Why would Jesus (Yeshua) speak of adding 'one cubit,' which is a measure of distance, to an individual's 'life span,' which is measured in terms of time? He was obviously painting a picture of life as a journey. In effect, He taught that worrying will not help you to add even a small step to the walk of your life. Should we conclude, though, that nothing can be done about the length of that walk? No, far from it! Now that brings to our second question, which is why do we need to walk with God (YHWH).

WHY DO WE NEED TO WALK WITH GOD?

One reason is explained at Jeremiah 10:23, "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (AV). Thus this scripture shows that we humans have neither the ability nor the right to direct our own life course. We are in a desperate need fo guidance, and those who insist on going their own way, independent of God (YHWH), make the same mistake that the first human pair, Adam and Eve made. The first pair made a wrong assumption for themselves, that they could determine for themselves what is good and what is bad as shown at Genesis 3:1-6, "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (AV). Thus, they usurped God's (YHWH's) exclusive right that did NOT belong to them.

Every day, we face decisions small and great; Now do you not feel the need for guidance on your life's journey? Some of these are difficult to make and can affect our future, and that of our loved ones. Now just think, would it not be wonderful to have someone infinitely older and wiser than we are who is happy to give us loving guidance in making those decisions! Sadly, most people today prefer to trust their own judgment and guide their own steps. The ignore the truth stated at Proverbs 28:26, "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered." (AV). God (YHWH) wants us to escape the disasters that result from trusting in human reasoning and the treacherous human heart per Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (AV). In other words, he wants us to walk in wisdom, to trust him as our wise guide and instructor. When we do, our walk in life is secure, satisfying, and fulfilling.

Also, another reason why we need to walk with God involves the length of the walk we want to take. The Bible states a grim truth, that all imperfect humans are walking toward the same destination, old age. And Ecclesiastes 12.5 says, " Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:" (AV). Now his long home is the grave, where sin and imperfection naturally take us per Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (AV). However, God (YHWH) wants more for us than a short, troubled walk from cradle to grave per Job 14:1, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." Only by walking with God (YHWH) can we hope to walk for as long as we were meant to walk -- forever. Now is this not the walk you want? Clearly, then, you need to walk with your Father, Almighty God (YHWH).

NOW HOW CAN WE WALK WITH GOD?

Now, how can we walk with God (YHWH)? We can find the answer at Isaiah 30:20-21, "And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: 21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." (AV). In this encouraging passage, God's (YHWH's) words reminded his people that when they rebel against him, he was, in effect, hidden from them. This is clearly shown by Isaiah 1:15 and 59:2, "And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood." (AV) and " But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." (AV). We might look on this as God (YHWH) standing openly before his faithful people and acting as an instructor standing before his students, demonstrating what he wants them to learn.

However in Isaiah 30:21, previously quoted, a different word picture is painted. God (YHWH) is depicted as walking behind his people, issuing directions on the right way to walk. Bible scholars have noted that this expression might be based on the way a shepherd sometimes follows his sheep, calling out to guide them and to keep them from going the wrong way. Now how does this word picture apply to us? We, when we turn to God's (YHWH;s) word, the Bible, for guidance, we are reading words that were recorded thousands of years ago. They are figuratively coming from behind us, as it were, in the stream of time. Yet, they are just as relevant today as they were the day they were written. Let's face it, Bible counsel can guide us in our day-today decisions, and it can help us to map out the course of our life over the years to come per Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (AV). Thus, when we earnestly seek out such counsel and apply it, then God (YHWH) is our guide; to wit, we are walking with God (YHWH).

Now, the question all should ask is whether they are really allowing God's (YHWH's) word to guide them that closely? It is worthwhile to pause at times and examine ourselves honestly. AS Jeremiah wrote long ago at Jeremiah 6:16, "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.". Now those words might remind us of a traveler who pauses at a crossroads to ask for directions. In a spiritual sense, God's (YHWH's) rebellious people in ancient Israel needed to do something similar. They needed to find their way back to the 'roadways of long ago.' That 'good way' was the way in which their faithful forefathers had walked, the way from which the nation had foolishly strayed. Sadly, Israel responded stubbornly to this loving reminder from God (YHWH). This same verse continues, "But they said, We will not walk therein." Yet God's (YHWH's) true people in modern times have responded differently to such counsel. Unlike apostate Christendom, they, Jesus' (Yeshua's) true footstep followers have faithfully adhered to the council of 2 Timothy 1:13-14, "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us." (AV). That is they have held fast to the way given at John 10:16, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (AV).

Therefore, it is wise to stop periodically and examine the way we are walking in life. If you faithfully read the Bible with a view to gaining understanding and comprehension and let yourself be instructed and trained by God (YHWH), then you will wing God's (YHWH's) favor and blessings. However, you must humbly apply the counsel you receive by reading the Bible and walking with God (YHWH); the following of 'the roadways of long ago.

WALK AS THOUGH "SEEING THE ONE WHO IS INVISIBLE"

Let's face it, for us to walk with God (YHWH), he must be real to us. Remember, God (YHWH) assured faithful ones in the ancient nation of Israel that he was not hidden from them. Likewise, today, he reveals himself to his people as the grand instructor. Now we should make God (YHWH) real to su today; It should be as though he were standing before you to instruct you. That is the dind of faith we need to develop if we are to walk with God (YHWH). Moses had such faith as testified to at Hebrews 11:27, "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." (AV). Now if God (YHWH) is real to you, then you will take his feelings into account when making decisions. For example, you would not even consider engaging in wrongdoing and then trying to hide your sin. Rather, you would endeavor to walk with God (YHWH) even when no other human would see you. You should have the resolve like King David expressed at Psalm 101:2, " I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." (AV).

Now God (YHWH) understands that we are imperfect, human creatures and that we may at times find it a challenge to believe in what we cannot see as shown by Psalm 103:14, "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." (AV). But he does much to help us overcome such weakness. To this end, he has gathered together 'a people for his name' from all the nations of the earth per Acts 15:14, "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name." (AV).

Above all, God (YHWH) has given us the example of his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) who said at John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (AV). Studying Jesus' (Yeshua's) life course on earth is one of the best ways to make God (YHWH) more real to us. Everything that Jesus (Yeshua) said or did was a perfect reflection of his heavenly Father's personality and ways as testified to at John 14:9, "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?" (AV). Therefore, as we make decisions, we need to think carefully about how Jesus (Yeshua) would have handled the matter. When our decisions reflect such careful and prayerful thought, then we are following in Christ's footsteps per 1 Peter 2:21, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:" (AV). Then, as a result, we are walking with God (YHWH).

NOW WHAT BLESSINGS WILL RESULT?

To walk with God (YHWH) is to lead a blessed life. Remember what God (YHWH) promised obedient faithful people at Jeremiah 6:16, "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." (AV). Of course this does not necessarily mean an easy life filled with pleasures and luxuries. Certainly not, God (YHWH) provides something far better, something that the wealthiest among mankind rarely find; to wit, for your soul, innte peace, joy, satisfaction, and spiritual fulfillment. Such ease means that you can be confident that you have chosen the best path in life. Such peace of mind is a rare blessing in this hard world!

Yes, life itself is a great blessing. Evan a short walk is better than no walk at all. However, God (YHWH) never meant for your walk to consist of simply a brief trip from the vigor of youth to the pain of old age. No God (YHWH) wants you to have the greatest blessing of all. He wants you to walk with him forever! This is well-expressed at Micah 4:5, "For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever." (AV). Now the question is, will you live what God (YHWH) invitingly calls 'the real life' per 1 Timothy 6:19, "Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." (AV)? Then make it your resolve to walk with God (YHWH) today, tomorrow, and every day thereafter on into eternity.

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**Admin** Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:47 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] THE SUBJECT OF RESURRECTION

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 192A]

Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. 18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: Isaiah 48:17 – 18, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

And 1 Kings 8:36, [AV] reinforces this, “Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.” Yes, we must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of Almighty God (YHWH) as shown by Psalms 25:8 – 14, [AV] “Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11 For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. 12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.”

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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 SUBJECT OF RESURRECTION

INTRODUCTION:

The resurrection hope is clearly set out in the Bible as shown at Hebrews 6:1-2, " Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." (Authorized King James Bible; AV).; and at Isaiah 25:8, " He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it." (AV).

In fact preChristian Old Testament (Hebrew) scriptures refer to such a hope.
Let's look at a few of these:

Isaiah 29:19, " Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." (AV).

Daniel 12:13, " But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." (AV).

Job 14:13, " O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!" (AV).

This article will proceed to prove there is a resurrection from the scriptures through use of 'Sola Scripture' writing style, i.e., by use of over 50% scripture.

ALL ARE REMEMBERED BY GOD (yhwh).

God (YHWH) keeps a record of all who have ever lived including those from before the common era as shown by 1 Kings 17:22-24, " And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. 24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth." (AV). And 2 Kings 13:20-21, " And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. 21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet." (AV); and Hebrews 11:35, " Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:" (AV).

And the New Testament (Greek) clearly shows this same fact in complete harmony with the Old Testament as follows at John 6:38-40, " For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." (AV); and Luke 20:35-36, " But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." (AV); and John 11:23-24, " Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" (AV).

HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS OF RESURRECTIONS:

The Bible gives many accounts of resurrections that have occurred in the past, and here are some of them:

Acts 9:36-41, " Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. 32 ¶ And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. 33 And there he found a certain man named Æneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. 34 And Peter said unto him, Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. 35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord. 36 ¶ Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. 37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. 38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up." (AV).

John 6:39-40, " And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." (AV).

John 11:38-45, " Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. 45 ¶ Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him." (AV).

CHRIST OPENED WAY FOR HEAVENLY RESURRECTION FOR THE CHOOSEN:

Christ opened the way for others to be raised from the dead as clearly shown from the following scriptures:

Acts 17:31-32, " Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 32 ¶ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter." (AV).

1 Corinthians 15:12-22, " Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 ¶ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (AV).

2 Corinthians 4:12-14, " So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you." (AV).

JESUS' (YESHUA'S) RESURRECTION WITNESSED BY MANY:

The resurrection of Jesus (Yeshua) was witnessed by over 500 witnesses as shown by the following scriptures:

1 Corinthians 15:3-8, " For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." (AV).

Matthew 28:1-10, " n the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me." (AV).

Acts 2:23-24, " Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." (AV).

Acts 2:32, " This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses." (AV).

FIRST RISERS:

Now those who have died in union with Christ will rise first as shown by the following scriptures:

1 Corinthians 15:22-23, " 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." (AV).

1 Thessalonians 4:14-16, " For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:" (AV).

GENERAL RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD OCCURS AFTER PRESENT WICKED WORLD REMOVED:

The general resurrection of the dead will occur after this system of things, the wicked world is removed as shown by the following scriptures:

Revelation 20:11-15, " And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (AV).

And there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous as shown by the following scriptures:

Acts 24:15, " And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." (AV).

John 5:25-30, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." (AV).

RANSOM PROVIDED BY JESUS (YESHUA) PERMITS MANKIND TO BENEFIT FROM RESURRECTION:

Resurrection of the just and the unjust is only possible due to the ransom sacrifice provided by Jesus (Yeshua) as shown by the following scriptures:

Hebrews 9:26-28, " For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (AV).

Revelation 20:12-13, " And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." (AV).

CONCLUSION:

This article was based on scripture alone in complete harmony with 2 Peter 1:19-21, " We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (AV).

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**Admin** Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:50 am

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. 193A]

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5 – 6, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, an as Psalms 62:8, [AV] says, “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” And as Jeremiah 17:7 - 8, [AV] shows, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” We should keep our mind on spiritual things as revealed by Psalms 26:3 -4, [AV] “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:”

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 Malvaviscus arboreus,

The sweet nectar from the base of the blooms. Its red fruits are edible raw or cooked, and has a somewhat mealy texture, and tastes a bit like an apple. I was very young, but I remember that they tasted very yummy! Oh how I wish I could reach into this picture, and taste the fruit again. :)

Malvaviscus arboreus is native to a region stretching from Mexico through Central America to Columbia. It has made itself at home in Florida and is naturalized in many areas of central and south Florida and in other parts of the subtropical world. The official common name is Flor de santos, Sleeping hibiscus, Manzanilla, Turk’s Turban, Scotchman’s Purse and Mexican Apple. It is a pretty and edible shrub (not to be confused by Malvaviscus drummondii) growing to eight foot tall by six foot wide. The oval green leaves are simple, alternate, and have three shallow lobes and serrated margins. Leaf venation is palmate, a clue to mallow family ancestry. Flowers high in antioxidants; seeds are high in protein and starch; leaves high in minerals; fruit high in vitamin C.

The petals of each flower open only slightly giving the flower a tubular shape like a Turk’s turban or umbrella. These edible flowers can not only be eaten, or used as a garnish, but also are made into a decoction, it is said to be good for the digestive tract and female problems. The bright red flowers are pendulous and last for several days. The petals do not flare back like Hibiscus, but remain swirled around the pistil. This gives the impression that the flowers never open, and hence the common name of Sleeping Hibiscus. There is a pale pink color-form that is not as showy. Flowers and fruit make a good herbal tea, and the young leaves can be utilized as a culinary herb or salad herb. When the fruit is cooked down, it will produce a good jelly or syrup.
There are two distinct varieties and many online resources confuse the two. Variety arboreus is the one most commonly grown in Florida. Variety drummondii (most commonly grown in Texas) apparently has broader fuzzy leaves and more erect flowers. The plant often becomes vine like when grown in shady situations, sending out long stems that clamber over and up adjacent trees and bushes.
Hibiscus Green Tea
*sideshowbytheseashore*
Ingredients
1 gallon water
6 green tea bags
1 cup hibiscus flowers
1/2 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
Lime slices for serving
Dark Rum (optional)
Instructions
Bring water to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the tea bags and the flowers. Allow to cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine strainer into a pretty pitcher. (Be very careful not to wear your white cashmere when doing this – the tea will stain. I set my pitcher and strainer in the sink.) Stir in sugar until dissolved. Chill and serve garnished with a slice of lime and a shot of rum if you are feeling like that.
Hibiscus Lemon Balm Ice Pops
*tallgrasskitchen*
makes 5 – 2.5 oz popsicles
Ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 small bunch lemon balm
2 bags hibiscus tea
1 1/3 cups water
Instructions
Heat 1/2 cup water in small saucepan until almost boiling. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar until dissolved. Toss in lemon balm, and let steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain syrup to remove lemon balm. Boil 1 1/3 cups water. Steep tea bags for at least 30 minutes. Remove tea bags. Combine tea and simple syrup. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze until solid. [sourc - retrieved from https://zoom50.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/flor-de-santossleeping-hibiscusmalvaviscus-arboreus/ on 8/11/2015]

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, https://zoom50.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/flor-de-santossleeping-hibiscusmalvaviscus-arboreus/

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!

**Admin** Thu Jul 14, 2016 9:24 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE GOD
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 194A]

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. Matthew 4:10, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

This fact, that Almighty God (YHWH) is a God wanting exclusive devotion is clearly stated at Deuteronomy 6:12 – 16, “Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; 15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. 16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.” And this is what Jesus (Yeshua) had reference to when he told Satan the Devil that he would only worship his Father, the one true God. In fact, this reality was made the first part of the Ten Commandments found at Exodus 20:1 – 6, [AV] “And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” So clearly as shown by Jesus (Yeshua) himself, all worship was to be directed strictly to his Father and not to him and/or the angels.

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] THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE GOD

INTRODUCTION:

Many religions have many different gods with the count of these well over 2,000,000, but the Bible shows there is only one Almighty God (YHWH) Creator of all there is and Psalms 19:1-4 makes this quite clear, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun," (Authorized King James Bible; AV); and Psalms 100:3, "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (AV); and his name is per Exodus 6:2-3, "And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them." (AV).

And Romans 1:20 shows the inexcusability of not recognizing this, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" (AV).

FALSE GODS ARE NOTHING BUT FIGMENTS OF THE IMAGINATION

There exist many false gods which are figments of the imagination and some of these such as Molech, Ashtoreth, Baal, Dagon Merodach, Zeus, Hermes, Artemis, etc. are mentioned in the Bible. Let's look at a few instances, Leviticus 18:21, "And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD." (AV); Judges 2:13, "And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth." (AV); Judges 16:23, "Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand." (AV); Jeremiah 50:2, "Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces." (AV); Acts 14:12, "And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker." (AV). Some of these gods exist until today, usually under new names.

The old middle eastern Moon god who has gone by many names is still well venerated. This is shown by "The Archeology of The Middle East" which states, "The religion of Islam has as its focus of worship a deity by the name of "Allah." The Muslims claim that Allah in pre-Islamic times was the biblical God of the Patriarchs, prophets, and apostles. The issue is thus one of continuity. Was "Allah" the biblical God or a pagan god in Arabia during pre-Islamic times? The Muslim's claim of continuity is essential to their attempt to convert Jews and Christians for if "Allah" is part of the flow of divine revelation in Scripture, then it is the next step in biblical religion. Thus we should all become Muslims. But, on the other hand, if Allah was a pre-Islamic pagan deity, then its core claim is refuted. Religious claims often fall before the results of hard sciences such as archeology. We can endlessly speculate about the past or go and dig it up and see what the evidence reveals. This is the only way to find out the truth concerning the origins of Allah. As we shall see, the hard evidence demonstrates that the god Allah was a pagan deity. In fact, he was the Moon-god who was married to the sun goddess and the stars were his daughters.

Archaeologists have uncovered temples to the Moon-god throughout the Middle East. From the mountains of Turkey to the banks of the Nile, the most wide-spread religion of the ancient world was the worship of the Moon-god. In the first literate civilization, the Sumerians have left us thousands of clay tablets in which they described their religious beliefs. As demonstrated by Sjoberg and Hall, the ancient Sumerians worshipped a Moon-god who was called many different names. The most popular names were Nanna, Suen and Asimbabbar. His symbol was the crescent moon. Given the amount of artifacts concerning the worship of this Moon-god, it is clear that this was the dominant religion in Sumeria. The cult of the Moon-god was the most popular religion throughout ancient Mesopotamia. The Assyrians, Babylonians, and the Akkadians took the word Suen and transformed it into the word Sin as their favorite name for the Moon-god. As Prof. Potts pointed out, "Sin is a name essentially Sumerian in origin which had been borrowed by the Semites." [source - The Archeology of the Middle East]"[additional references - "South Arabia's stellar religion has always been dominated by the Moon-god in various variations" (Berta Segall, The Iconography of Cosmic Kingship, the Art Bulletin, vol.xxxviii, 1956, p.77).; Isaac Rabinowitz, Aramaic Inscriptions of the Fifth Century, JNES, XV, 1956, pp.1-9; Edward Linski, The Goddess Atirat in Ancient Arabia, in Babylon and in Ugarit: Her Relation to the Moon-god and the Sun-goddess, Orientalia Lovaniensia Periodica, 3:101-9; H.J.Drivers, Iconography and Character of the Arab Goddess Allat, found in Études Preliminaries Aux Religions Orientales Dans L'Empire Roman, ed. Maarten J. Verseren, Leiden, Brill, 1978, pp.331-51); Richard Le Baron Bower Jr. and Frank P. Albright, Archaeological Discoveries in South Arabia, Baltimore, John Hopkins University Press, 1958, p.78ff; Ray Cleveland, An Ancient South Arabian Necropolis, Baltimore, John Hopkins University Press, 1965; Nelson Gleuck, Deities and Dolphins, New York, Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 1965).; Another Aramaic Record of the North Arabian goddess Han'Llat, JNES, XVIII, 1959, pp.154-55.

All these mythical gods are not merely inferior to Almighty God (YHWH). In most cases they are nenexistent - strictly figments of human imagination. The Bible refers to these gods at Deuteronomy 4:28, " And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." (AV). The Bible clearly teaches that God (YHWH) is the only true God (YHWH).

Therefore it is no wonder that the scriptures sternely warn against worshipping any other deith other than Almighty God (YHWH) Exodus 20:3, the first of the Ten Commandments states, " Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (AV), and the second of the Ten Commandments states, " Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:" (AV).

ALL WORSHIP BELONGS TO ALMIGHTY GOD - YHWH:

Why does all worship belong to Almighty God (YHWH)?

First, to venerate a god that does not even exist is a great insult to the Creator (YHWH), and worshippers of false gods are described at Romans 1:25, " Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (AV).

Many of these false deities are associated with natural things of the universe such as the sun, the moon, the planets, etc.

Second, To the Creator (YHWH), false gods and their idols are repugnant. Yet, God's (YHWH's) words of displeasure are mainly directed to the people who have fabricated these false gods as shown by Psalm 135:15-18, " The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. 16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; 17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. 18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them." (AV).

Third, to worship these false gods including the old middle eastern Moon god, 'Allah" is a waste of time. As Isaiah aptly stated at Isaiah 44:10, " Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?" (AV). The Bible also shows at Psalm 96:5, " For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens." (AV).

CONCLUSION;

AS Jesus (Yeshua) testified to at Luke 4:8, " And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (AV). And this truth, that we should only worship Almighty God was made clear by the Apostles John's almost mistake recorded by him at Revelation 19:8-10, " And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (AV).

The Apostle Paul describes the Devil per 2 Corinthians 4:4, " 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." (AV); therefore he is the one that is behind the promoting of countless false gods per John 12:31, " Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. Hence, all worship addressed to man made gods is, in effect, worship directed to Satan. But Satan is NOT a god who merits our worship. He is a self-appointed ruler, a usurper, so worshiping the Moon god or Baal or the countless other puppet gods is worship directed to Satan.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Fri Jul 15, 2016 3:47 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] SEQUEL TO THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE GOD
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 195A]

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 1:28, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

This literally proved to be true for His chosen people when they were obedient as shown at Leviticus 26,3 – 11, [AV] “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; 4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. 7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. 10 And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. 11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.”

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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] SEQUEL TO THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE GOD

INTRODUCTION:

As said in "There is Only One True God," many religions have many different gods with the count of these well over 2,000,000, but the Bible shows there is only one Almighty God (YHWH) Creator of all there is and Psalms 19:1-4 makes this quite clear, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun," (Authorized King James Bible; AV); and Psalms 100:3, "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (AV); and his name is per Exodus 6:2-3, "And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them." (AV).

Many pagans worship Devil inspired gods, but some learn to change and worship the true God (YHWH). This article will deal with one pagan military commander of much fame that worshiped pagan gods one of which was probably the old middle eastern Moon god. His name was Naaman.

NAAMAN COMES TO KNOW WHO IS THE TRUE GOD (YHWH):

Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Syria, and we find him mentioned at 2 Kings 5:1-27 which account is as follows,
" Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.
4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
16 But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.
18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.
19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.
23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.
25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

As we can see, Naaman, although a pagan worshipper of pagan gods; yet he saw the true God (YHWH) would bring about miracle cures; whereas, the pagan gods could do nothing for mankind. This mighty military commander in the services of the pagan King of Syria came to recognize there was only one true God (YHWH) creator of all. As Naaman stated at 2 Kings 5:15, " And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant." (AV).

IT IS IMPARATIVE THAT ALL SERVE THE TRUE GOD (YHWH):

The false gods can do nothing for mankind and are nothing more than instruments of Satan the Devil to mislead mankind. The true God (YHWH) is declared by the heavens, the glorious works of his hands, per Psalms 19:1-4, " The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun," (AV); and Romans 1:20 says, " For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" (AV). As Isaiah 26:16 testifies, "Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?" (AV), and Isaiah 40:26, " Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth." (AV).

None should worship valueless gods since as Habakkuk 2:18-20, " What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? 19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. 20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him." (AV).

Thus all should NOT turn to worthless gods per Leviticus 19:4-5, " Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. 5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will." (AV). We should offer pleasing worship to the true God (YHWH), and reject false gods, and live our life in obedience to his will. We should reject all false gods and make glad our God's (YHWH's) heart by proclaiming him before believers in false gods.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Sat Jul 16, 2016 2:39 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON A LOST BOOK OF THE BIBLE
[1]
SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 196A]

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

This important point was given emphases by Jesus (Yeshua)at Mark 10:6 – 9, [AV] “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” And reiterated at Matthew 19:4 – 6, [AV] “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Why was it reiterated? This was done to make the important point given at Matthew 19:7 – 9, [AV] “They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”

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/

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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 A LOST BOOK OF THE BIBLE:

INTRODUCTION:

There have been many claims for lost books of the Bible, but in reality all but one of these claims is just plain spurious. What is usually being referred to are books that were not divinely inspired nor legitimate, but not actually lost. These will be dealt with in three sections, (1) The Aprocypha or deuterocanonical books, (2) The external books actually quoted in the Bible by inspired writers, (3) History books that some count as part of the Aprocypha, i.e., the 4 Books of Maccabees, the strangest case of all!

But there actually is one lost book, although obviously very short, that we do NOT have today, and I call it 4 th. John.

THE APROCYPHA OR DEUTERCANONICAL BOOKS:

First, let's consider what they are as defined by the Columbia Encyclopedia, sixth edition, by Columbia University Press. This encyclopedia defines the Apocrypha as, "(pk´rf) (KEY) [Gr.,=hidden things], term signifying a collection of early Jewish writings excluded from the canon of the Hebrew scriptures. It is not clear why the term was chosen." In reality they were nothing but uninspired writings, many purporting to be written by other than who was actually their author, or basically illegitimate and lacking credence. In fact, the real author of only one of the Apocrypha is actually known. Some religions, unfortunately, have included some of the Apocrypha in their Bibles, but even these were few in number. A list of most of the Apocrypha follows:

1 Clement, 1st Apocalypse of James, 2 Clement, 2nd Apocalypse of James, 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Acts of Andrew, Acts of Apollonius, Acts of Carpus, Acts of John,Acts of Paul, Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas, Acts of Peter, Acts of Peter and the Twelve, Acts of Pilate, Acts of the Apostles, Acts of Thomas, Additions to the Book of Esther, Anonymous Anti-Montanist. Anti-Marcionite Prologues, Apelles, Apocalypse of John, Apocalypse of Peter, Apocryphon of John, Apollonius, Apology of Aristides, Aristo of Pella, Ascension of Isaiah, Athenagoras of Athens, Authoritative Teaching, Bardesanes, Baruch, Basilides, Eel and the Dragon, Book of Elchasai, Book of Thomas the Contender, Books of Jeu, Caius, Celsus, Christian Sibyllines, Claudius Apollinaris, Clement of Alexandria, Colossians, Coptic Apocalypse of Paul, Coptic Apocalypse of Peter, Dialogue of the Savior, Diatessaron, Didache, Didascalia, Dionysius of Corinth, Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth, Dura-Europos Gospel Harmony, Ecclesiasticus, or the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, Egerton Gospel, Epiphanes On Righteousness, Epistle of Barnabas, Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus, Epistula Apostolorum, Excerpts of Theodotus, Fayyum Fragment, Fifth and Sixth Books of Esra, Fronto, Galen, Gospel of Judas, Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Philip, Gospel of the Ebionite, Gospel of the Egyptians, Gospel of the Hebrews, Gospel of the Nazoreans, Gospel of the Savior, Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Truth, Hegesippus, Heracleon, Hippolytus of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Infancy Gospel of James, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Inscription of Abercius, Irenaeus of Lyons, Isidore, Judith, Julius Cassianus, Justin Martyr, Kerygmata Petrou, Letter from Vienna and Lyons, Letter of Jeremiah, Letter of Peter to Philip, Lost Sayings Gospel Q, Lucian of Samosata, Mara Bar Serapion, Marcion, Marcus Aurelius, Martyrdom of Polycarp, Maximus of Jerusalem, Melchizedek, Melito of Sardis, Muratorian Canon, Naassene Fragment, Octavius of Minucius Felix, Odes of Solomon, Ophite Diagrams, Origen, Oxyrhynchus 1224 Gospel, Oxyrhynchus 840 Gospel, Pantaenus, Papias, Passion Narrative, Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs , Philostratus, Pistis Sophia, Pliny the Younger, Polycarp to the Philippians, Polycrates of Ephesus, Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews, Prayer of Manasseh, Preaching of Peter, Ptolemy, Quadratus of Athens, Rhodon, Secret Book of James, Secret Mark, Serapion of Antioch, Shepherd of Hermas, Signs Gospel, Sophia of Jesus Christ, Suetonius, Susanna, Tacitus, Tatian's Address to the Greeks, The Additions to the Book of Daniel, Tertullian, Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, Theophilus of Antioch, Theophilus of Caesarea, Tobit, Traditions of Matthias, Treatise on the Resurrection, Trimorphic Protennoia, Valentinus, Victor I, Wisdom of Solomon, etc.

As can be seen many of these none illegitimate books try to give themselves credence by closely mimicking the names of actual legitimate canonical books of the Bible. These books are often called the pseudepigrapha? The term is a transliteration of the Greek plural noun that literally means "with false superscription". According to Webster's Third New International Dictionary (p. 1830), the term can be defined as, "spurious works purporting to emanate from biblical characters". The Random House Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language defines the term as, "Certain writings (other than the canonical books and the Apocrypha) professing to be Biblical in character, but not considered canonical or inspired. These are NOT lost books, just NOT legitimate books of Bible cannon.

THE EXTERNAL BOOKS QUOTED IN THE BIBLE:

There are many external books quoted by inspired Bible writers as references. Many are, "not aware that the Old Testament authors depended upon other writings as their sources which they freely admit. Among these are: the Book of the Wars of Yahweh (Num. 21:14), the Book of the Jashar (Josh 10:13; 2 Sam. 1:18), the Book of the Acts of Solomon (1 Ki 14:19; 2 Chr 33:18), the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah (1 Ki 14:29, 15:7), the Annals of Samuel the Seer (1 Chr 29:29), the History of Nathan the Prophet (2 Chr 9:29), the Annals of Shemaiah the Prophet and Iddo the Seer (2 Chr. 12:15), the Annals of Jehu the Son of Hanani (2 Chr. 20:34), and others. Some teach that Moses compiled the Book of Genesis from other writings that surely had to have been handed down and preserved by his forefathers. Genesis can be broken down into eleven separate history books, each being separated by colophons at the conclusion of the books. This is known to have been a popular style for such ancient writings. ...According to this theory we have eleven separate books having the following authors: Adam, Noah, and eight other authors which Moses merely compiled into one book. [source= Ronald G. Fanter Cutting Edge Ministries].

One of these books is still existent today, the Book of Jashar or as it is sometimes called the Book of the Just, and another, the Book of the Wars of Yahweh, is actually thought my most scholars to actually be the Book of Jashar. The Book of Jashar is quite interesting, but one must be careful in obtaining a copy as there are counterfeit books masquerading as the Book of Jashar which are not. Also, there is a counterfeit Book of the Wars of Yahweh which is of course a fake since as previously said, this book is thought to just be another name for the Book of Jashar.

THE 4 BOOKS OF MACCABEES:

This is by far the strangest case of all. The 4 Books of Maccabees are ranked by many as part of the Apocrypha; however, they should be ranked as history books of the 1 st. and 2 nd. Century roughly before the incarnation of our leader and savior, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ. Very strange is the fact that the Catholic church accepted only two of them into their Canon of Bible Books; whereas, there are four of them. The Greek Orthodox, however, accepted three of them, and only the Cathars accepted the fourth. Strange to say the least, but none should have been accepted as canonical as they are history books, and one would NOT THINK of accepting H. G. Wells, 'Outline of History," into the Bible cannon; we are getting into the absurd. However, they make excellent reading as history books that fill in the history of these two centuries.

THE REAL LOST BOOK OF 4 JOHN:

However as testified to in the Bible there is a book that is totally legitimate having been written by none other than the Apostle John as a letter to a congregation just as were The First Epistle of John, The Second Epistle of John, and The Third Epistle of John. It is the lost Fourth Epistle of John referred to in The Third Epistle of John that the Revised Standard Version states at 3 John 9, "have written something to the church; but Diot'rephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge my authority." (Revised Standard Version; RSV).

Let's look at this text in context in the Douay Rheims Catholic Bible, 3 John 9-14, and get a better understanding of the circumstances that existed at the time that the Apostle John wrote this letter (epistle):

9 I had written perhaps to the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, doth not receive us. 10 11 Dearly beloved, follow not that which is evil: but that which is good. He that doth good is of God: he that doth evil hath not seen God. 12 To Demetrius, testimony is given by all, and by the truth itself: yea and we also give testimony. And thou knowest that our testimony is true. 13 I had many things to write unto thee: but I would not by ink and pen write to thee. 14 But I hope speedily to see thee: and we will speak mouth to mouth. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Salute the friends by name.

Let's also look at this text in context in the Good News Translation, 3 John 9-14:

I wrote a short letter to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to be their leader, will not pay any attention to what I say. 10 When I come, then, I will bring up everything he has done: the terrible things he says about us and the lies he tells! But that is not enough for him; he will not receive the Christians when they come, and even stops those who want to receive them and tries to drive them out of the church! 11 My dear friend, do not imitate what is bad, but imitate what is good. Whoever does good belongs to God; whoever does what is bad has not seen God. 12 Everyone speaks well of Demetrius; truth itself speaks well of him. And we add our testimony, and you know that what we say is true. 13 I have so much to tell you, but I do not want to do it with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk personally. 15 Peace be with you.

This letter was directed to the church (congregation) of which Gaius was a member as shown at 3 John 1-2, "To my dear Gaius, whom I truly love. 2 My dear friend, I pray that everything may go well with you and that you may be in good health-as I know you are well in spirit." (the Good News Translation; GNT), but due to Diotrephes it failed in its purpose since Diotrephes loved to be pre-eminent in the congregation and not a servant as a minister should be according to Matthew 20:25-26, " But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister;" (American Standard Version; ASV). The facts presented are affirmed in 100s of different translations. A. Plummer, in the book, "The Epistles of Saint John," made the following comment, "Perhaps the meaning is that Diotrephes meant to make his Church independent; hitherto it had been governed by Saint John from Ephesus, but Diotrephes wished to make it autonomous to his own glorification." [source="The Epistles of Saint John," by A. Plummer, Cambridge: The University Press, 1886, page 149].

As all can see, this is really a lost book that should be in our Bible, but is not due to the fact that it was not preserved. Whereas, all the so called other lost books of the Bible are not lost; they exist, but have no place in the Word of God (YHWH), the Bible, as they were NOT written under divine inspiration, hence not legitimate with respect belonging to Bible canon.

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**Admin** Sun Jul 17, 2016 5:54 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] COMMENTARY ON REVELATION 19:12

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 197A]

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]

And as Psalms 10:23, [AV] states, “Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.” Clearly showing that we must be vigilant I making sure we are walking in the straight and narrow gate that leads to salvation as detailed in Matthew 7:13 – 14, [AV] “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” As Proverbs 20:24, [AV] states, “Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?” clearly showing we only find the correct way through a careful study of the Bible, which is Almighty God’S (YHWH’S)book of guidance for all obedient mankind.

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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] COMMENTARY ON REVELATION 19:12

Revelation 19:12, "His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself." (Authorized King James Bible; AV).

Now, let's look at this scripture in context to get a better understanding of its meaning, Revelation 19:10-13, "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11 ¶ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." (AV).

A close examination of the above scriptures clearly shows the one being spoken of is none other than Jesus (Yeshua) the Son of God (YHWH) and not Almighty God (YHWH). How can this be definitely ascertained? All one has to do is look at Revelation 19:13 which states, " his name is called The Word of God," a term often used for Jesus (Yeshua), but NEVER for his Father, Almighty God (YHWH). Easton's Revised Bible Dictionary says of the Word or Logos, the following:
Word, The -- (Gr. Logos), one of the titles of our Lord, found only in the writings of John #Joh 1:1-14 1Jo 1:1 Re 19:13 As such, Christ is the revealer of God. His office is to make God known. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" #Joh 1:18 This title designates the divine nature of Christ. As the Word, he "was in the beginning" and "became flesh." "The Word was with God and "was God," and was the Creator of all things (comp.) #Ps 33:6 107:20 119:89 147:18 Isa 40:8[source - Easton's Revised Bible Dictionary]

So those trying to claim that Jesus (Yeshua) is his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) are not in line with Bible truths. In fact, his Jewish name transliterated as Yeshua or Yehoshua in English literally means, " Yah is salvation," or "YHWH is salvation" clearly showing he is NOT his Father (YHWH). In fact it was a rather common practice in ancient Israel to incorporate the divine name YHWH or its abreviation YAH into names of individuals.

In fact, Jesus (Yeshua) proved faithful to his Father (YHWH), as shown at Revelation 1:5, "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," (AV); therefore, he became, as shown at Hebrews 5:9-10, "9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec." (AV).

Of course this obediance would be fitting as shown at 1 Timothy 6:15, Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;" (AV); And this is affirmed at Revelation 17:14, "These shall make war with the Lamb [Jesus (Yeshua)],and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." (AV); And Revelation 19:16 shows, "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (AV). Thus, these scriptures show that his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) has placed him over all except himself as affirmed at 1 Corinthians 15:23-28, "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), once more the Father shows he is the supreme one in the universe and that he has made his Son, Jesus (Yeshua), second only to himself.

And, last but not least, he became, per 1 Timothy 2:5, " For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" (AV), and (Hebrews 12:24, " And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." (AV).

We should humble ourselves and keep the mental attitude of Jesus (Yeshua) testified to at Philippians 2:5-11, "Keep this mental attitude in you that was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although he was existing in God's form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God. 7 No, but he emptied himself and took a slave's form and came to be in the likeness of men. 8 More than that, when he found himself in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient as far as death, yes, death on a torture stake. 9 For this very reason also God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every [other] name, 10 so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground, 11 and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." (New World Translation, NWT). Here we see First, that Jesus (Yeshua) was obedient to his Father (YHWH) and did so even permitting his Father (YHWH) to use him as the required sacrifice per Matthew 20:28, "Just as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul a ransom in exchange for many." (NWT). The Apostle Paul clearly affirmed this fact at Hebrews 9:11-12, "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (AV)

As previously mentioned, Jesus (Yeshua) was an obedient Son and recognized his Father's (YHWH's) superior position as clearly shown when he prayed to his Father (YHWH) at John John 14:28, " Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." (AV); And at John 17:5, "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." (AV); And at at John 17:15, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." (AV). Clearly by praying to his Father (YHWH), Jesus (Yeshua) was acknowledging his superior position, and this he testified to at John 20:17, "Jesus said to her, 'Stop clinging to Me; for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God." (New American Standard Bible - Reference Edition by Moody Press, Chicago, a div. Of Moody Bible Institute; NASB-MP); clearly here he made known that his Father (YHWH) was not only our God (YHWH), but also his God (YHWH). Therefore, he is NOT on the same high position as his Father (YHWH) and Exodus 20:3, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (AV), the First Commandment is not violated as it would be if he, Jesus (Yeshua) were coequal with his Father (YHWH) as many claim in error having listened to the false teachings of mankind. Therefore, we should constantly check as did the Bereans, as recorded at Acts 17:11, "These were more noble than those in Thesalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (AV).

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**Admin** Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:29 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. 198A]

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 1 Corinthians 5:6, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, we must glory not in man, but in Almighty God (YHWH), the Creator of all there is. This is clearly testified to at 1 Corinthians 3:21 -23, [AV] “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” And this same thought is put forth at Galatians 5:9, [AV] “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” So we must be constantly on guard of letting any of the evil thinking of a corrupt world enter our thinking.
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!

THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES:
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Taraxacum officinale, Dandelion

Abundance: common
What: leaves, flowers, roots
How: young leaves in salad or boiled; flowers are used in wine; roots are roasted to make a coffee substitute or boiled for twenty-thirty minutes before eating
Where: yards, sunny
When: spring, early summer
Nutritional Value: Vitamins A, B, thiamine, riboflavin, minerals, and protein

Dandelions are one of the superfoods of foraging due to their high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and protein as well as the multitude of ways to use them. However, these nutrients come at a cost, mainly the strong bitter flavor of this plant.

This bitterness can be tamed via several different methods. The easiest is just to boil the leaves in several changes of water to extract the bitter compounds. This will remove a small amount of the nutrients and the resultant leaves are not very visually appealing.

If you have access to milder greens with which to make a salad then "dilute" a small amount of shredded dandelion leaves with a much large amount of mild greens. 1 part dandelion + 9 parts mild greens is a good ratio.

Wilting the dandelion greens with hot bacon grease is perhaps the most flavorful method. The hot grease both destroys some of the bitter compounds as well as coats and "desensitizes" your tongue to the bitterness. This is my favorite treatment. Note that olive oil will also work though not quite as well.

Overwhelming the bitterness with (sour) vinegar and or salty (soy sauce) flavors also works. A strong vinegar/oil salad dressing with the dandelion greens works very well.

The yellow flowers can be used to make wine, tea, or dress up a salad. Remove the extremely bitter, green bracts from the base of the flower though.

To make dandelion coffee you first need to collect a large bowl of dandelion roots. Scrub them to remove dirt, then roast them in an oven at 400 degrees F until they turn brown. The dark brown the darker the resultant coffee. Grind the browned roots in a coffee grinder and then you can use the results as you would regular coffee grounds. While this tastes just like normal coffee it does not contain any caffeine. [sourc - retrieved from http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/09/dandelion.html on 7/18/2016]

The species of Taraxacum are tap-rooted, perennial, herbaceous plants, native totemperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus contains many species which usually (or in the case of triploids, obligately) reproduce by apomixis, resulting in many local populations and endemism. In the British Isles alone, 234microspecies are recognised in 9 loosely defined sections, of which 40 are "probably endemic".[5]
In general, the leaves are 5–25 cm long or longer, simple, lobed, and form a basal rosette above the central taproot. Theflower heads are yellow to orange coloured, and are open in the daytime, but closed at night. The heads are borne singly on a hollow stem (scape) that is usually leafless and rises 1–10 cm or more[2] above the leaves. Stems and leaves exude a white, milky latex when broken. A rosette may produce several flowering stems at a time. The flower heads are 2–5 cm in diameter and consist entirely of ray florets. The flower heads mature into spherical seed heads called blowballs[6] or clocks (in both British and American English)[7][8][9][10] containing many single-seeded fruits called achenes. Each achene is attached to a pappus of fine hairs, which enable wind-aided dispersal over long distances.
The flower head is surrounded by bracts (sometimes mistakenly called sepals) in two series. The inner bracts are erect until the seeds mature, then flex downward to allow the seeds to disperse. The outer bracts are often reflexed downward, but remain appressed in plants of the sections Palustria and Spectabilia. Some species drop the parachute from the achenes; the hair-like parachutes are called pappus, and they are modified sepals. Between the pappus and the achene is a stalk called a beak, which elongates as the fruit matures. The beak breaks off from the achene quite easily, separating the seed from the parachute.
Seed dispersal
A number of species of Taraxacum are seed-dispersed ruderals that rapidly colonize disturbed soil, especially the common dandelion (T. officinale), which has been introduced over much of the temperate world. After flowering is finished, the dandelion flower head dries out for a day or two. The dried petals and stamens drop off, the bracts reflex (curve backwards), and the parachute ball opens into a full sphere.
False dandelions
Many similar plants in the Asteraceae family with yellow flowers are sometimes known as false dandelions. Dandelions are very similar to catsears (Hypochaeris). Both plants carry similar flowers, which form into windborne seeds. However, dandelion flowers are borne singly on unbranched, hairless and leafless, hollow stems, while catsear flowering stems are branched, solid, and carry bracts. Both plants have a basal rosette of leaves and a central taproot. However, the leaves of dandelions are smooth or glabrous, whereas those of catsears are coarsely hairy.
Early-flowering dandelions may be distinguished from coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) by their basal rosette of leaves, their lack of disc florets, and the absence of scales on the flowering stem.[11]
Other plants with superficially similar flowers include hawkweeds (Hieracium) andhawksbeards (Crepis). These are readily distinguished by branched flowering stems, which are usually hairy and bear leaves.
Classification
The genus is taxonomically complex, with some botanists dividing the group into about 34 macrospecies, and about 2000microspecies;[12] about 235 apomictic and polyploid microspecies have been recorded in Great Britain and Ireland.[13] Some botanists take a much narrower view and only accept a total of about 60 species.[12]
Selected species
• Taraxacum albidum, a white-flowering Japanese dandelion
• Taraxacum aphrogenes, Paphos dandelion
• Taraxacum brevicorniculatum, frequently misidentified as Taraxacum kok-saghyz, and a poor rubber producer
• Taraxacum californicum, the endangered California dandelion
• Taraxacum centrasiaticum, the Xinjiang dandelion
• Taraxacum ceratophorum, northern dandelion[14]
• Taraxacum erythrospermum, often considered a variety of T. laevigatum[15]
• Taraxacum farinosum, Turkish dandelion
• Taraxacum holmboei, Troödos dandelion
• Taraxacum japonicum, Japanese dandelion, no ring of smallish, downward-turned leaves under the flowerhead
• Taraxacum kok-saghyz, Russian dandelion, which produces rubber[16]
• Taraxacum laevigatum, red-seeded dandelion, achenes reddish brown and leaves deeply cut throughout length, inner bracts' tips are hooded
• Taraxacum mirabile
• Taraxacum officinale (syn. T. officinale subsp. vulgare), common dandelion. Found in many forms.
• Taraxacum pankhurstianum
Cultivars[edit]
• 'Amélioré à Coeur Plein' yields an abundant crop without taking up much ground, and tends to blanch itself naturally, due to its clumping growth habit.
• 'Broad-leaved' - The leaves are thick and tender and easily blanched. In rich soils, they can be up to 60 cm wide. Plants do not go to seed as quickly as French types.
• 'Vert de Montmagny' is a large-leaved, vigorous grower, which matures early.[17]
History[
Dandelions are thought to have evolved about 30 million years ago in Eurasia.[18] They have been used by humans for food and as an herb for much of recorded history.[19]
Names
The Latin name Taraxacum originates in medieval Persian writings on pharmacy. The Persian scientist Al-Razi around 900 AD wrote "the tarashaquq is like chicory". The Persian scientist and philosopher Ibn Sīnā around 1000 AD wrote a book chapter on Taraxacum. Gerard of Cremona, in translating Arabic to Latin around 1170, spelled it tarasacon.[20]
The English name, dandelion, is a corruption of the French dent de lion[21] meaning "lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely toothed leaves. The plant is also known as blowball, cankerwort, doon-head-clock, witch's gowan, milk witch, lion's-tooth, yellow-gowan, Irish daisy, monks-head, priest's-crown, and puff-ball;[22] other common names include faceclock, pee-a-bed, wet-a-bed,[23] swine's snout,[24] white endive, and wild endive.[25]
The English folk name "piss-a-bed" (and indeed the equivalent contemporary French pissenlit) refers to the strong diureticeffect of the plant's roots.[26] In various northeastern Italian dialects, the plant is known as pisacan ("dog pisses"), because they are found at the side of pavements.[27]
In Swedish, it is called maskros (worm rose) after the small insects (thrips) usually present in the flowers.[28] In Finnish andEstonian, the names (voikukka, võilill) translate as butter flower, due to the color of the flower. In Lithuanian, it is known as "Pienė", meaning "milky", because of the white liquid that is produced when the stems are cut. The Welsh (dant-y-llew), German (Löwenzahn) and Norwegian (løvetann) names mean the same as the French and the English names.
Properties
Edibility
Dandelions are found on all continents and have been gathered for food since prehistory, but the varieties cultivated for consumption are mainly native to Eurasia. A perennial plant, its leaves will grow back if the taproot is left intact. To make leaves more palatable, they are often blanched to remove bitterness,[19] or sauteed in the same way as spinach.[29]Dandelion leaves and buds have been a part of traditional Kashmiri, Slovenian, Sephardic, Chinese, and Korean cuisines. In Crete, the leaves of a variety called 'Mari' (Μαρί), 'Mariaki' (Μαριάκι), or 'Koproradiko' (Κοπροράδικο) are eaten by locals, either raw or boiled, in salads. T. megalorhizon, a species endemic to Crete, is eaten in the same way; it is found only at high altitudes (1000 to 1600 m) and in fallow sites, and is called pentaramia (πενταράμια) or agrioradiko (αγριοράδικο).[30]
The flower petals, along with other ingredients, usually including citrus, are used to make dandelion wine. The ground, roasted roots can be used as a caffeine-free dandelion coffee.[31] Dandelion was also traditionally used to make the traditional British soft drink dandelion and burdock, and is one of the ingredients of root beer. Also, dandelions were once delicacies eaten by the Victorian gentry, mostly in salads and sandwiches.
Dandelion leaves contain abundant vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A, C, and K, and are good sources ofcalcium, potassium, iron, and manganese.[32]
Medicinal uses
Main article: Medicinal properties of dandelion
Historically, dandelion was prized for a variety of medicinal properties, and it contains a number of pharmacologically active compounds.[33] Dandelion is used as a herbal remedy in Europe, North America, and China.[33] It has been used in herbal medicine to treat infections, bile and liver problems,[33] and as a diuretic.[33]
Food for wildlife
Taraxacum seeds are an important food source for certain birds.[34]
Dandelions are also important plants for Northern Hemisphere bees, providing an important source of nectar and pollen early in the season.[35] Dandelions are used as food plants by the larvae of some species of Lepidoptera (butterflies andmoths). They are also used as a source of nectar by the pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), one of the earliest emerging butterflies in the spring.
Benefits to gardeners
The dandelion plant is a beneficial weed, with a wide range of uses, and is even a good companion plant for gardening. Itstaproot will bring up nutrients for shallower-rooting plants, and add minerals and nitrogen to soil. It is also known to attractpollinating insects and release ethylene gas which helps fruit to ripen.[36]
Dangers
Dandelion pollen may cause allergic reactions when eaten, or adverse skin reactions in sensitive individuals. Contact dermatitis after handling has also been reported, probably from the latex in the stems and leaves.[39] Due to its highpotassium level, dandelion can also increase the risk of hyperkalemia when taken with potassium-sparing diuretics.[40]

References
1. ^ Adrian John Richards (1985). "Sectional nomenclature in Taraxacum (Asteraceae)". Taxon 34 (4): 633–644. JSTOR 1222201.
2. ^ to:a b Luc Brouillet. "Taraxacum F. H. Wiggers, Prim. Fl. Holsat. 56. 1780". Flora of North America.
3. ^ "Wild About Dandelions". Mother Earth News.
4. ^ J. Doll & T. Trower. "Dandelion". WeedScience. University of Wisconsin. Archived from the original on October 22, 2008.
5. ^ Stace, C.A. (2010). New flora of the British isles (Third ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. p. 712.ISBN 9780521707725.
6. ^ "blowball". McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2003. Retrieved26 January 2013.
7. ^ "Blowball" entry, Collins Dictionary
8. ^ "Blowball", InfoPlease Dictionary
9. ^ "dandelion clock - Definition from Longman English Dictionary Online". Jonas: Mosby's Dictionary of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (c) 2005, Elsevier. Ldoceonline.com. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
10. ^ "Clock" entry, American Heritage Dictionary
11. ^ Blamey, M.; Fitter, R.; Fitter, A (2003). Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland: The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora. London: A & C Black. p. 274. ISBN 978-1408179505.
12. ^ to:a b A. J. Richards (1970). "Eutriploid facultative agamospermy in Taraxacum". New Phytologist 69 (3): 761–774.doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1970.tb02461.x. JSTOR 2430530.
13. ^ Richards, A.J. (1997). Dandelions of Great Britain and Ireland (Handbooks for Field Identification). BSBI Publications. p. 330.ISBN 978-0-901158-25-3.
14. ^ "Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute - Taraxacum ceratophorum". Retrieved 2013-08-29.
15. ^ "Flora of North America". Efloras.org. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
16. ^ "Plants for a future: Taraxacum kok-saghiz".
17. ^ "Dandelion". Fondation Louis Bonduelle.
18. ^ "Gardening in Western Washington: Dandelions". Gardening.wsu.edu. 2003-05-04. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
19. ^ to:a b McGee, Harold (2004). "A survey of common vegetables". On Food and Cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. New York: Scribner. p. 320. ISBN 0-684-80001-2.
20. ^ Reported in An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat (1888) (Downloadable at Archive.org). InAn Etymology Dictionary of Modern English by Ernest Weekley (1921) it is reported that Arabic tarashaqun is derivable in turn from Persian talkh chakok, bitter herb (Downloadable at Archive.org).
21. ^ S. Potter & L. Sargent (1973) Pedigree: essays on the etymology of words from nature. Collins New Naturalist series Volume 56
22. ^ Britton, N. F.; Brown, Addison (1970). An illustrated flora of the northern United States and Canada: from Newfoundland to the parallel of the southern boundary of Virginia, and from the Atlantic Ocean westward to the 102d meridian. New York: Dover Publications. p. 315. ISBN 0-486-22644-1.
23. ^ "Common Dandelion_Family: Asteraceae" (PDF).
24. ^ Loewer, Peter (2001). Solving weed problems. Guilford, Conn.: Lyons Press. p. 210. ISBN 1-58574-274-0.
25. ^ "Dandelion clock". TheFreeDictionary.com.
26. ^ Taylor, Joseph (1819). Antiquitates curiosae: the etymology of many remarkable old sayings, proverbs and singular customs explained by Joseph Taylor (2nd ed.). T&J Allman. p. 97. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
27. ^ Anon. "Dandelion - far more than a weed" (PDF). Frapez.com. Frapez soothie spa. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
28. ^ "Den virtuella floran: Taraxacum F. H. Wigg. - Maskrosor" (in Swedish). Linnaeus.nrm.se. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
29. ^ "Sauted Dandelion Greens", ItalianFoodForever.com
30. ^ Kleonikos G. Stavridakis; Κλεόνικος Γ. Σταυριδάκης (2006). Wild edible plants of Crete - Η Άγρια βρώσιμη χλωρίδα της Κρήτης. Rethymnon Crete. ISBN 960-631-179-1.
31. ^ Castronovo Fusco, MA (2008-04-15). "Dandelion as underrated as underfoot". New Jersey On-Line. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
32. ^ "Dandelion greens, raw". Nutritiondata.com. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
33. ^ to:a b c d Katrin Schütz, Reinhold Carle & Andreas Schieber (2006). "Taraxacum—a review on its phytochemical and pharmacological profile". Journal of Ethnopharmacology 107 (3): 313–323. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2006.07.021. PMID 16950583.
34. ^ D. L. Buckingham & W. J. Peach (2005). "The influence of livestock management on habitat quality for farmland birds". Animal Science 81: 199–203. doi:10.1079/asc50700199.
35. ^ Pellett, Frank Chapman (1920). American Honey Plants; Together With Those Which Are of Special Value to the Beekeeper as Sources of Pollen. American Bee Journal Publication. p. 178. ISBN 1-152-86271-5.
36. ^ Anon. "Companion Planting for Vegetables & Plants". Country living and farm lifestyles. countryfarm-lifestyles.com. Retrieved2011-03-07.
37. ^ "Welcome to Main Street White Sulphur Springs...Make it home". Wssmainstreet.org. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
38. ^ "Songs of the University of Rochester". Lib.rochester.edu. 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
39. ^ Bill Church (2006). Medicinal Plants, Trees, & Shrubs of Appalachia – A Field Guide. Lulu.com. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-4116-4486-1.[unreliable source?]
40. ^ Lourdes Rodriguez-Fragoso, Jorge Reyes-Esparza, Scott W. Burchiel, Dea Herrera-Ruiz & Eliseo Torres (2008). "Risks and benefits of commonly used herbal medicines in Mexico". Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 227 (1): 125–135.doi:10.1016/j.taap.2007.10.005. PMC 2322858. PMID 18037151.
41. ^ to:a b Stewart-Wade, S. M.; Newmann, S.; Collins, L. L.; Boland, G. J. (2002). "The biology of Canadian weeds. 117. Taraxacum officinale G.H. Weber ex Wiggers". Canadian Journal of Plant Science 82: 825–853. doi:10.4141/P01-010.
42. ^ Richardson, Jonathan (1985). "In praise of the archenemy". Audubon 87: 37–39.
43. ^ "Making Rubber from Dandelion Juice". sciencedaily.com. sciencedaily.com. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
44. ^ "Fraunhofer and Continental come together when the dandelion rubber meets the road". Retrieved 31 May 2014.
[Sourc - retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum on 7/18/2016]

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, https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEV7ySIY1XeygAAs8PxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Dandelion&fr=yhs-avg-fh_lsonsw&hspart=avg&hsimp=yhs-fh_lsonsw

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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!

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COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] BELIEF IN THE TRINITY A DISTINGUISHING FEATURE BETWEEN APOSTATE AND GENUINE CHRISTIANS

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 199A]

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Jesus (Yeshua) amplified on the fact that those that are suffering for his name in the present system of things, but rich in good works will be rewarded as shown at Luke 6:20 – 23, [AV] “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” This fact is further emphised at 1 Corinthians 2:14 – 15, [AV] “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”

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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] BELIEF IN THE TRINITY A DISTINGUISHING FEATURE BETWEEN APOSTATE AND GENUINE CHRISTIANS

INTRODUCTION:

At present there are over 2 billion individuals that call them selves Christian, but are they all really true foot step followers of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ? He said his true followers would be few in number, First let's consider both Luke 13:24 and Matthew 7:13-14, it is in both of these that the road followed by true believers would be narrow and cramped, Luke 13:24, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (Authorized King James Bible: AV); And Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, abroad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (AV); thereby, clearly showing few would be entering the narrow gate "which leadeth unto life." In reality, it will be difficult for even true Christians to enter as testified to at 1 Peter 4:18, "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear." (AV). In order to enter, we must have the right sort of guide, Luke 1:79, "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (AV). Now, if one picks the wrong group, just because it is popular or the so called 'one to belong to in a community' and not because of Bible Truths, there is an important warning given at Matthew 15:14, "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (AV). In fact, being with the wrong group can mean you are NOT having fellowship with the Son of God, Jesus (Yeshua) as testified to at 1 John 1:6, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not [have] the truth." (AV). This danger is made abundantly clear at Luke 12:32 when Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of his true followers as a little flock and not a large one, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (AV). Simply stated, his true followers will be relatively few in number which should cause all sincere individuals to question whether mainstream religion with its vast membership is heading for the narrow gate!

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENCES, BUT LET'S UNDERSTAND THE TWO PATHS OF CHRISTIANITY:

Most religions of the world take a two part single path as they have some good and some bad. However, so called Christianity did NOT follow in the mold of other religions such as the Hindus, Islam, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, etc. Instead, so called Christianity took two different paths. These two paths are as follows:

[1] In 325 AD the greater part of the so called Christian faith went apostate to when the good favor of a pagan emperor, a worshipper of the Unconquered Sun. And this branch of apostate Christians went on to commit many atrocities such as the rape of Goa, the Crusades, the Inquisitions, the burning of individuals at the stake for disagreeing with them including one Bruno for simply saying that the earth revolved around the sun; whereas, they said the sun revolved around the earth.

[2] A second and much smaller group of Christians that remained genuine Christians and did NOT go apostate, but followed in the footsteps of Christ their leader and savior. These did NOT commit any atrocities.

Thus, as can be readily seen, Christianity did not take the same path as most other religions that of having some good and some bad, but instead had a bad large group, and a much smaller good group. The colonial powers, however, brought the bad group to India, Pakistan, the New World [most of South America and North America], and many of the islands of the sea; and they went on committing atrocities in all of these places. This was because the apostate Christians were actually doing Satan the Devils' work per 2 Corinthians 4:4, "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." (Authorized King James Bible; AV); and John 5:19, "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (AV).

MAJOR DIFFERENCE - THE TRINITY:

There are many distinguishing features between apostate (counterfeit) Christians and genuine (true) Christians, but let's concentrate of the feature that made the vast majority of so called Christians apostate. What does apostate mean? It is defined by the dictionary as,
Apostate-NOUN: One who has abandoned one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause.[source - The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.]

Now accepting a pagan doctrine as a creedal Christian doctrine would of course be going apostate per 2 Corinthians 4:4, " 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." (AV). A Bible dictionary gives this explanation,
It may properly be said that God's Adversary was the first apostate, as is indicated by the name Satan. He caused the first human pair to apostatize. (Ge 3:1-15; Joh 8:44) Following the Flood, there was a rebellion against the words of the God of Noah. (Ge 11:1-9) Job later found it necessary to defend himself against the charge of apostasy on the part of his three supposed comforters. (Job 8:13; 15:34; 20:5) In his defense Job showed that God grants no audience to the apostate (Job 13:16), and he also showed the hopeless state of one cut off in apostasy. (Job 27:8; compare also Elihu's statement at ?Job ?34:30; 36:13.) In these cases the Hebrew noun cha•neph' is used, meaning "[one] alienated from God," that is, an apostate. The related verb cha•neph' means "be inclined away from the right relation to God," or "pollute, lead to apostasy."-Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, by L. Koehler and W. Baumgartner, Leiden, 1958, p. 317.(*1)

Now let's look at how one path of Christianity became apostate by accepting a pagan belief to gain favor with a pagan Roman Emperor, Constantine, a worshipper of the Unconquered Sun, 'Sol Invictus,' with respect to his goal of uniting his empire religiously to strengthen it.

COMMONALITY OF PAGAN BELIEFS:

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." (* .

The next evolution or more correctly one concurrent with the Egyptian but originating also from the early Sumeria was the Babylonian. A very important evolution of spread originated from the Babylonian trinity that ultimately spread to Rome by way of the Etrusans. The Etruscans were a group that all indicators indicate as having originated in Babylon. As they slowly passed through Greece and went on to Rome, they brought with them their trinity of Tinia, Uni, and Menerva (*9). This trinity was a "new idea to the Romans," and yet it became so "typical of Rome [that] it was imitated in the capitolia of Italy. . . (*7 - page 26)" Even the names of the Roman trinity: Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, reflect the ancestry. Is this positive proof that the Christian trinity descended from the Etruscan and Roman triads? No, but an extremely significant indicator of this fact. However, Dr. Gordon Laing convincingly devotes his entire book Survivals of the Roman Gods to the comparison of Roman Paganism and the Roman Catholic Church. (*7). Pelikan adds to Laing's work when he states that the early church fathers used and cited the Roman Sibylline Oracles so much that these were called "Sibyllists" by the 2nd century critic Celsus. (*10). There was even a medieval hymn, "Dies irae" which prophesied the coming of the day of wrath on the "dual authority of David and the Sibyl." (*10 - page 64-65).

Now let's consider the ancient Grecian world; And in order to fully understand it, we need to digress to gaining an understanding of the origins of the word Trinity and the two types that existed in the ancient world and evolved into the Trinity of mainstream so called Christian religions. First, the word trinity comes from the kemetic language. It consist actually of two words: hemt (three) and neter (which carries the concepts of gods). Therefore, Trinity defines a concept of three gods.

Ths pantheon of Gods is composed of two categories of Gods. We have the creator and self-created Gods on one side and the creator gods that are non autogenic on the other. The creator Gods that are self-created are those who form the first group of trinities. The gods that are not self-created then form the second group of trinities. The Gods of the second trinity exist only in the context of a group of Gods composed of a God-father, a Goddess-mother, and a God-son. They are somehow considered very close to the human nature. The original second group of trinities came from a story known as the holy drama, and is composed by a God-father called Wsr (Osiris) and a goddess-mother Aishat (Isthar or Isis) and the God-son Heru (Horus). It is the second group of trinities that taught humanity the concept of a family, giving a man and woman the idea of a spiritual union with the goal of procreation. We should observe that the importance of the trinities is such that they became a serious problem for the monotheistic religions that are stubbornly talking about the creation of the world by one single god while they are still maintaining the concept of a trinity.

The ancient Trinities of the Greek's were composed of the God-son Perseus, born from Zeus and Danae; Hercules born from Zeus and Alcmene; Apollo born from Zeus and Leto; Dionysos born from Zeus and Semele; Minos born from Zeus and Europe; Aesculapius born from Apollo and Coronis. (*11).

It if from an evolutionary merging of ancient Greek trinities and Roman trinities that in themselves partially evolved from the Greek, but with a precedence being taken by the Etruscans' of their trinity of Tinia, Uni, and Menerva. (*9). This trinity as previously mentioned, became the ancient Roman Trinity of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, which was campaigned by the mainstream religions of the empire of that era. Even the names of the gods in this Trinity reflect from whence it came. (*7). This one is of extreme importance to us of the modern era as it evolved into the Trinity of the mainstream so called Christian religions of today. This Trinity consisted of Jesus born from Yahweh and Mary. However, this new concept of trinities that is presented by the new Christian authorities only comes to add on the contradictions that were undermining the psychological stability of the human of the modern society. The Trinity of the modern time that the religions want us to accept is composed of a God-father, a God-son and a mother that is purely human and considered virgin. (*11).

However since the mother, the Virgin Mary, she is a human, she cannot be classified as a Goddess, and that will not complete the concept of trinity. In this evolution, the religious authorities had to use a little creativity to overcome this; the concept of personalizing the power or force of the supreme God (YHWH), Yahweh. To do this, something new had to enter the equation. What was this?

Whereas, the Gods of the first trinities stayed really far away from the philosophical and political arguments of the society, but the leaders used that fact to kind of drown them in the collective memory of the society. The world has been created in stages. The Gods of the first trinity are recognized by the fact that the first two of them have created the four elements (fire, air, water and matter) and the third God has used them to fashion and create everything that exists. The gods of the first trinity do not intervene in our daily lives, but they guarantee the harmony of the universe. They some-how occupy a very important place in the spiritual essence of anything that exists. By recognizing their exist-ence, we are illuminating the universal conscious on the makers of this world that we are trying to redefine. (*11).

At this point, we need to pause and regress a little. One may ask, How do we know these trinities are not just misrepresentations of the real threeness of God? (After all there were "flood stories" in every culture too reminiscent of the Genesis account.) Assyrian clay tablets now available have most strikingly confirmed the narrative of Scripture which give us revealing insight into our questions (*12). Where did the idea of a three-in-one God originate? After the flood, Nimrod a descendent of Noah's son Ham settled in Asia: "And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel out of that land went forth Asshur [mar., "he went out into Assyria"] and builded Nineveh" (Genesis 10:8-11). "Mighty hunter" was the title given to the great conquering warrior-monarchs of the time. In rebellion of God's command to disburse and people the earth, Nimrod built the Tower of Babel, became very powerful and was even worshipped. We now know the ancient Babylonians worshipped the first person in the Godhead, the Great Invisible, also the Spirit of God incarnate in the human mother and also the Divine Son. Nimrod was this "Son," the first king of Babel, Babylon. And so in this the first notion of a triune God was born. (*7).

In the immediate centuries before the advent of Jesus Christ, we see Plato even in his deeply philosophical mode proposing a trinity of sorts. ("The Supreme Reality appears in the trinitarian form of the Good, the Intelligence, and the World-Soul"). Through all cultures, this perversion of the truth about God was handed down. (*7).

One God (YHWH), One culture, however, escaped this corruption of truth. From the line of Shem, Noah's other son, Abraham was called out of "Ur of the Chaldees" (Genesis 11:31; 12:1,2), the ancient Babylonian empire. His descendants were given the revelation of God by Moses from Mount Sinai. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4). No Hebrew scripture supports the idea of a trinity god. Some verses have been pressed into use by Trinitarians, but without success. For example, in the creation account, Genesis says, "God [elohim, plural.] created the heavens and the earth" (1:1). However, the plural does not have to do with number; it is "plentitude of might" (Pentateuch & Haftorahs, The Soncino Press). In any case, the verb "created" is singular, and would not indicate two gods, let alone three. Even the New Catholic Encyclopedia admits that the doctrine of the Trinity is not taught in the Old Testament (Vol. XIV, 306). And the world renown "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia" says, under the article on the Trinity in it, "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." (*14).

While he walked the earth, Jesus clearly acknowledged, "My Father is greater than I" (*15) and that it was his Father who sent him, "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me" (*16). He consistently acknowledged God as the source of power for his miracles and finally implored his Father, "yet not my will but thine be done." (*17) he be the one sent and also the Sender and why would he pray to himself that not his will but His other will be done? It seems the Trinitarians only answer, "It's a mystery"?

If the trinity is supposed to be an unexplainable "mystery," why do the apostles always talk about revealing mysteries to Christians? "I would not have you ignorant of this mystery [about Jewish blindness] (*1 the revelation of the mystery (*19) the mystery hidden God hath revealed (*20 1 Corinthians 2:7) Behold I show you a mystery (*21) "having made known the mystery of his will" (*22) "to make known the mystery of Christ" (*23) "make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (*24), etc. So how did the Christian Church accept a mystery of a trinity? This will be shown in the next part.

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).

Contrary to popular belief, it was not Constantine's fourth century Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 that formalized the "Doctrine of the Trinity." The Athanasian Creed in the fifth century finally included the three, "the godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost...the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal So likewise the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God; and yet they are not three Gods, but one God." Furthermore, this creed added that belief in the trinity "is necessary to everlasting salvation." Strong belief led to action. "Probably more Christians were slaughtered by Christians in these two years ([A.D.]342-3) than by all the persecutions of Christians by pagans in the history of Rome." (*30).

The fact is Christianity never conquered paganism--paganism conquered Christianity. (*31).

CONCLUSION:

The fact is there can be no doubt that in the pagan world a multitude of gods was the norm. Nor is there any doubt that the most common grouping of gods was a triad. (*32).

But in writing on this, one must be very careful to have is facts very correct. Why? Let's consider the fact that those who are not careful may be in violation of Matthew 18:6, " But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." (AV); and Mark 9:32, "And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea." (AV); and Luke 17:2, "It were well for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble." (AV).

Therefore, I was very careful in writing this article to careful to post only facts, whether you like them or not is not the question, and or should not be. The question should be only accuracy which of course is proven by good backing which I provide. I have cited renown works and reliable sources as should any honest and diligent writer on important topics. However, of course some will take objections due to their false God (YHWH) dishonoring false beliefs, but that is their problem and NOT mine as I only put forth the facts.

Now here is a list of the reference works and their number key used in producing this research product or article:

*1 - Insight on the Bible, Volume 1.
*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 -
*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.

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COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] ACTUAL DISCUSSION WITH A DELUDED TRINITARIAN #2 [[TO READ PART 1, GO TO http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/thread-190.html ]]

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 200A]

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. Hebrews 3: 12, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, we must stick with Almighty God (YHWH) and not depart from him as emphasized at Hebrews 3:13 - , [AV] “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

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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] ACTUAL DISCUSSION WITH A DELUDED TRINITARIAN #2 [[TO READ PART 1, GO TO http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/thread-190.html ]]

FIRST, You said,
<<<Since I am neither Catholic or Protestant, this makes little difference to me.>>>

Reply, so how is that relevant to historical facts?

SECOND, You are correct history is simply facts, and a research product should be based on facts. The facts with regard the Council of Nicea of 325 speak for themselves since a pagan Roman Emperor presided over it. Let's look at a little history.

"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).

Contrary to popular belief, it was not Constantine's fourth century Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 that formalized the "Doctrine of the Trinity." The Athanasian Creed in the fifth century finally included the three, "the godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost...the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal So likewise the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God; and yet they are not three Gods, but one God." Furthermore, this creed added that belief in the trinity "is necessary to everlasting salvation." Strong belief led to action. "Probably more Christians were slaughtered by Christians in these two years ([A.D.]342-3) than by all the persecutions of Christians by pagans in the history of Rome." (*30).

The fact is Christianity never conquered paganism--paganism conquered Christianity. (*31).

[References:
*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.][source - DISCOURSE ON MAINSTREAM RELIGION: by Iris the Preacher 2001]

THIRD, You say you have heard that line of reasoning used many times. Why? Because it happens to be true that Jesus (Yeshua) said his flock would be small in number. Let's look at what the Bible says on this. First let's consider both Luke 13:24 and Matthew 7:13-14, it is in both of these that the road followed by true believers would be narrow and cramped, Luke 13:24, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (Authorized King James Bible: AV); And Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, abroad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (AV); thereby, clearly showing few would be entering the narrow gate "which leadeth unto life." In reality, it will be difficult for even true Christians to enter as testified to at 1 Peter 4:18, "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear." (AV). In order to enter, we must have the right sort of guide, Luke 1:79, "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (AV). Now, if one picks the wrong group, just because it is popular or the so called 'one to belong to in a community' and not because of Bible Truths, there is an important warning given at Matthew 15:14, "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (AV). In fact, being with the wrong group can mean you are NOT having fellowship with the Son of God, Jesus (Yeshua) as testified to at 1 John 1:6, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not [have] the truth." (AV). This danger is made abundantly clear at Luke 12:32 when Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of his true followers as a little flock and not a large one, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (AV). Simply stated, his true followers will be relatively few in number which should cause all sincere individuals to question whether mainstream religion with its vast membership is heading for the narrow gate!

FOURTH, Not only was his Father (YHWH) greater than him when he was on earth, he still is. Let's look at some of the Biblical evidence, i.e., salient items:

NOT CO-EQUAL AS JESUS (YESHUA) IS ONLY AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD (YHWH):

To be co-equal two individuals or beings would have to have equal standing; whereas, in the case of Jesus (Yeshua) he does NOT. This is clearly shown since he when his Father (YHWH) resurrected him bacts k to heaven, he did NOT sit on his Father's (YHWH's) throne with him, but was in a position at his right hand which signified clearly in ancient times a hierarchical position of second in importance. Hence he is NOT in the position at the top of the hierarchy in heaven as his Father (YHWH).

Now, let's look at Bible proofs of this:

Matthew 19:16 - [Revised Standard Version; RSV]
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

Luke 22:69 - [RSV]
But from now on the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God."

Acts 2:33 - [RSV]
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear.

Acts 5:31 - [RSV]
God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 7:55 - [RSV]
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

Acts 7:56 - [RSV]
and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God."

Romans 8:34 - [RSV]
who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us?

2Corinthians 6:7 - [RSV]
truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;

Colossians 3:1 - [RSV]
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Hebrews 1:3 - [RSV]
He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Hebrews 10:12 - [RSV]
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacts rifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

Hebrews 12:2 - [RSV]
looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

1Peter 3:22 - [RSV]
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

NOT CO-EQUAL AS JESUS (YESHUA) TEACHES HIS FATHER NOT HIMSELF:

The Bible clearly shows that what Jesus (Yeshua) taught were the words and thoughts of his Father (YHWH) and not his own as he clearly testified to as follows:

John 14:10 - [RSV]
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

John 14:24 - [RSV]
He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

NOT CO-EQUAL AS JESUS (YESHUA) COMES IN HIS FATHER'S (YHWH'S) GLORY NOT HIS OWN:

The Bible clearly that Jesus (Yeshua) came in his Father's (YHWH's) glory and not his own. Let's take a look at the scriptural proof of this:

Markr 8:38 - [RSV]
For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Luke 9:26 - [RSV]
For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

John 8:54 - [RSV]
Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God.

John 16:14 -[RSV]
He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

NOT CO-EQUAL AS JESUS (YESHUA) IS GIVEN ALL HE HAS BY HIS FATHER (YHWH):

Jesus (Yeshua) now has authority over all except his Father (YHWH), but only because his Father (YHWH) gave it to him. This fact was clearly shown when he asked his Father (YHWH) for the glory he had alongside Almighty God (YHWH) before he came to earth to be born as a human at:

John 17:5 - [RSV]
and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.

That he was given authority over all except his Father (YHWH) by his Father (YHWH) is clearly shown at:

1 Corinthians 15:22-28 - [RSV]
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 "For God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "All things are put in subjection under him," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that God may be everything to every one.

As can be seen, his Father (YHWH) subjected all things to his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) for a period of time except himself, ""All things are put in subjection under him," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that God may be everything to every one."

And his Father (YHWH) appointed him the only mediator between God (YHWH) and man as shown at:

1 Timothy 2:5 - [RSV]
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

JESUS (YESHUA) TESTIFIED THAT HIS FATHER (YHWH) WAS GREATER:

Jesus (Yeshua) testified that his Father (YHWH) was greater than himself, and we know that he does not lie, at:

John 14:28 - [RSV]
You heard me say to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.

And to his position as second in the hierarchy at:

1 Corinthians 11:3 - [RSV]
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

And that he, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ can not do anything of his own initiative;

John 5:19 - [RSV]
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise.

And that even though existing in the form of God (YHWH) did not count himself equal to his Father, Almighty God (YHWH), and even humbled himself when he found himself in fashion as a man. For this, he was rewarded by his Father (YHWH) as shown at:

Philippians 2:5-8 - [RSV]
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

JESUS (YESHUA) NOT CO-ETERNAL WITH HIS FATHER (YHWH):

Whereas God Almighty (YHWH) had no beginning but always existed; his only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ did. In fact, Jesus (Yeshua) was the first of his Father's (YHWH's) creative works as shown at:

Proverbs 8:22-31 - [RSV]
The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; 26 before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the sons of men.

This fact, that Jesus (Yeshua) Christ, God's (YHWH's) only begotten Son was the first of creation is clearly shown at:

Colossians 1:12-15 - [RSV]
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;

Revelation 3:14 - [RSV]
"And to the angel of the church in La-odice'a write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

CONCLUSION:

As can be seen from the foregoing, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ is NEITHER CO-EQUAL OR CO-ETERNAL with his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) who has always existed.

But let's not forget that it would have been impossible for Jesus (Yeshua) Christ to have resurrected himself as he was dead; therefore, it was his Father (YHWH) who resurrected him as testified to at:

Acts 17:24-31 - [RSV]
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, 28 for 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your poets have said, 'For we are indeed his offspring.' 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead."

The fact that Jesus (Yeshua) was dead for parts of three (3) days clearly shows he is NOT co-eternal with his Father (YHWH) since his Father (YHWH) has always existed and NEVER died; whereas, Jesus (Yeshua) did. Hence, a second reason that Jesus (Yeshua) could in NO WAY BE CO-ETERNAL with his Father, Almighty God (YHWH).

FIFTH, YOU said,
<<<Because at the time, He was a man on earth doing the Will of the Father. One can be submissive to another and still be equal. Jesus was struggling with the horror and tremendous pain of the cross, as would any human being.>>>

Look at my answer to FOURTH as must is answered there. Also, view the fact that he sits at the right hand of his Father (YHWH) in heaven which indicates 2 nd. In command and importance in almost all ancient cultures. See the following:

Mt 25:34 - (Revised Standard Version, RSV)
Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
Mt 26:64 - (RSV)
Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."
Mr 12:36 - (RSV)
David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, declared, 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I put thy enemies under thy feet.'
Mr 14:62 - (RSV)
And Jesus said, "I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
Mr 16:19 - (RSV)
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
Lu 20:42 - (RSV)
For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand,
Lu 22:69 - (RSV)
But from now on the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God."
Ac 2:25 - (RSV)
For David says concerning him, 'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
Ac 2:33 - (RSV)
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear.
Ac 2:34 - (RSV)
For David did not ascend into the heavens; but he himself says, 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand,
Ac 7:55 - (RSV)
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;
Ac 7:56 - (RSV)
and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God."
Ro 8:34 - (RSV)
who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us?

SIXTH, Your STATEMENT,
<<<We are not capable of understanding everything about God, nor are we intended to understand all there is about God. Just because one cannot precisely define the exact nature of how God exists in three personalities does not make it a false teaching.>>>

But this does NOT apply to the myths and fables of man of which 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God." (RSV).

SEVENTH, Your Comment,
<<<So it is your contention that Jesus is not the same as God?>>>

Was previously answered in FOURTH & FIFTH parts above, and it is NOT my contention but that of the Bible.

EIGHTH, Wrong, I started with a hypothesis and set out to prove it either correct, which I believed it was, or wrong, i.e., the way of scientific research.

NINTH, I did my work in the scientific way of research, i.e., from a hypothesis to be proved or disapproved.

TENTH, My comment,
"To the greater majority perception is more important than reality as has been proven over and over again in psychological research; do not be fooled by your perceptions, look at the facts - objectively.".

Your comment,
<<<Now we are back to this "majority" is wrong logic again. As for objectivity, I don't think you have cornered the market on that.>>>

My second comment on his comment,
"What I stated is a well known psychologically proven fact and I hold with it."

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COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON ISAIAH 54:5
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 201A]

But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:20 -24, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, we must put on the new personality as it will act for us a protection against attacks by Satan the Devil and his evil angels as fortold at Ephesians 6:10 - 17, [AV] “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

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[2] DISCOURSE ON ISAIAH 54:5

INTRODUCTION:

Some get confused with this scripture with respect who the Lord of hosts is.

First, Why? Because many Bibles substitute a pronoun for the proper name of who is being spoken about due to a Jewish superstition and/or misunderstanding of . The Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia says this about it under the heading of the Tetragrammaton:
The Tetragrammaton (Greek: tet?a???µµat?? word with four letters) is the usual reference to the Hebrew name for God, which is spelled (in the Hebrew alphabet): ? (yod) ? (heh) ? (vav) ? (heh) or ???? (YHWH); it is the distinctive personal name of the God of Israel.

Of all the names of God, the one which occurs most frequently is the Tetragrammaton, appearing 6,823 times, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia. The Biblia Hebraica and Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia texts of the Hebrew Scriptures each contain the Tetragrammaton 6,828 times.

In Judaism, the Tetragrammaton is the ineffable name of God, and is therefore not to be read aloud. In the reading aloud of the scripture or in prayer, it is replaced with Adonai (Lord). Other written forms such as ? (yod) ? (vav) (yw or Yaw); or ? (yod) ? (heh) (yh or Yah) are read in the same way.

Outside of direct prayer, the word "Adonai" is not spoken by some Jews since to do so is considered a violation of the commandment not to use the Lord's name in vain. Therefore, the word is often read as HaShem (literally, "The Name"), or in some cases Ado-Shem, a composite of Adonai and HaShem. A similar rule applies to the word Elohim ("God"), which some Jews intentionally mispronounced as Elokim for the same reason.

One theory regarding the disuse of the Tetragrammaton is that the Jewish taboo on its pronunciation was so strong that the original pronunciation may have been lost somewhere in the first millennium. Since then, many scholars (particularly Christians) have sought to reconstruct its original pronunciation. For example, around 1518 Christian theologians1 introduced the pronunciation Yehovah, which is generally held to be implausible, based on the written form ??????? (read normally, "Yehovah") that was used to indicate to the reader of the Bible in Hebrew to pronounce it "Adonai" (???????). (Note that due to a rule of Hebrew grammar, the beginning E of the first transliteration is analogous to the beginning A of the second, although they are pronounced differently.)
This theory regarding the disuse of the Tetragrammaton is the result of an interpretation of the Third of the Ten Commandments. The Jewish people stopped saying the Name by the 3rd century out of fear of violating the commandment "You shall not take the name of YHWH your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7).[source - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

Second, because many who believe in false creedal creeds wish to misapply who the Lord of host is so as to support their false creedal myths. But they forget, that at the time Isaiah was written Jesus (Yeshua) the Son of Jehovah (Yahweh) had NOT let walked on the earth and only future references to his coming as the promised messiah, the prince of peace were made in Isaiah; to wit, in the 9 th. Chapter. Of course being stuck in a creedal rut or with 'mental blinders' can cause individuals to see things in a wrong way. But all should remember at the time Isaiah 54:5 was written the pronouns that were substituted were all for the Tetragrammaton which applied to the Father, Almighty God (YHWH) alone. This shall be made readily apparent when we look at various Bible renderings in Bible translations that unlike the Authorized King James Bible (AV) that reads, "For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called." DID NOT substitute the pronoun for the proper name of God (YHWH).

ISAIAH 54:5 IN CONTEXT FOR ALL TO SEE THE TRUTH:

First, we will consider the American Standard Version (ASV) that retained the proper name in the form of one of the recognized transliterations for the Tetragrammaton (YHWH):

Isaiah 54:1-5, "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah.
2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.
3 For thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth; and the reproach of thy widowhood shalt thou remember no more.
5 For thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer [NOTE, who is the Lord of host]; the God of the whole earth shall he be called." (American Standard Version; ASV).

Second, we will now consider the Spanish Bible, 1989 Reina-Valera Actualizada (RVA89) that retained the proper name in the form of one of the recognized transliterations for the Tetragrammaton (YHWH):

Isaiah 54:1-5, "¡Alégrate, oh estéril que nunca has dado a luz! Prorrumpe en cánticos y grita de júbilo, tú que nunca tuviste dolores de parto. Porque más son los hijos de la desolada que los de la desposada," ha dicho Jehovah.
2 "Ensancha el sitio de tu tienda, y sean extendidos los tapices de tus moradas. No te limites; alarga tus cuerdas y afirma tus estacas.
3 Porque vas a extenderte a la derecha y a la izquierda; tus descendientes herederán naciones y habitarán las ciudades desoladas.
4 "No temas, porque no serás avergonzada; no seas confundida, porque no serás afrentada. Pues te olvidarás de la vergüenza de tu juventud, y de la afrenta de tu viudez no tendrás más memoria.
5 Porque tu marido es tu Hacedor; Jehovah de los Ejércitos es su nombre. [NOTE, who is the Lord of host] Tu Redentor, el Santo de Israel, será llamado Dios de toda la tierra." (1989 Reina-Valera Actualizada; RVA89)

Third, we will now consider the Young's Literal Translation (YLT) that retained the proper name in the form of one of the recognized transliterations for the Tetragrammaton (YHWH):

Isaiah 54:1-5, " Sing, O barren, she hath not borne! Break forth with singing, and cry aloud, She hath not brought forth! For more are the sons of the desolate, Than the sons of the married one, said Jehovah.
2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, And the curtains of thy tabernacles they stretch out, Restrain not-lengthen thy cords, And thy pins make strong.
3 For right and left thou breakest forth, And thy seed doth nations possess,
4 And desolate cities they cause to be inhabited. Fear not, for thou art not ashamed, Nor blush, for thou art not confounded, For the shame of thy youth thou forgettest, And the reproach of thy widowhood Thou dost not remember any more.
5 For thy Maker is thy husband, Jehovah of Hosts is His name [NOTE, who is the Lord of host], And thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, 'God of all the earth,' He is called." (Young's Literal Translation; YLT)

Fourth, we will now consider the Darby Version (DB) that retained the proper name in the form of one of the recognized transliterations for the Tetragrammaton (YHWH):

Isaiah 54:1-5, " Exult, thou barren, that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and shout for joy, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah.
2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.
3 For thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess nations, and they shall make desolate cities to be inhabited.
4 Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
5 For thy Maker is thy husband: Jehovah of hosts is his name [NOTE, who is the Lord of host], and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: the God of the whole earth shall he be called." (Darby Version - 1884; DV)

Fifth, we will now consider the World English Bible (WEB) that retained the proper name in the form of one of the recognized transliterations for the Tetragrammaton (YHWH):

Isaiah 54:1-5, " Sing, barren, you who didn't bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says Yahweh. 2 Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations; don't spare: lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. 3 For you shall spread aboard on the right hand and on the left; and your seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 4 Don't be afraid; for you shall not be ashamed: neither be confounded; for you shall not be put to shame: for you shall forget the shame of your youth; and the reproach of your widowhood shall you remember no more. 5 For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Hosts is his name [NOTE, who is the Lord of host]: and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called." (World English Bible; WEB).

Sixth, we will now consider the The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) that retained the proper name in the form of one of the recognized transliterations for the Tetragrammaton (YHWH):

Isaiah 54:1-5, " 1 "Rejoice, barren one, who did not give birth; burst into song and shout, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the forsaken one will be more than the children of the married woman," says the Lord.
2 "Enlarge the site of your tent, and let your tent curtains be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your ropes,
and drive your pegs deep.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left, and your descendants will dispossess nations and inhabit the desolate cities.
4 "Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; don't be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced. For you will forget the shame of your youth, and you will no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.
5 For your husband is your Maker - His name is Yahweh of Hosts- [NOTE, who is the Lord of host]: and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. " (The Holman Christian Standard Bible; HCSB).

Seventh, we will now consider the German Elber Bible that retained the proper name in the form of one of the recognized transliterations for the Tetragrammaton (YHWH):

Isaiah 54:1-5, "Juble, du Unfruchtbare, die nicht geboren, brich in Jubel aus und jauchze, die keine Wehen gehabt hat! Denn der Kinder der Vereinsamten sind mehr als der Kinder der Vermählten, spricht Jahwe.
2 Mache weit den Raum deines Zeltes, und man spanne aus die Behänge deiner Wohnstätte; wehre nicht! Mache deine Seile lang, und deine Pflöcke stecke fest!
3 Denn du wirst dich ausbreiten zur Rechten und zur Linken; und dein Same wird die Nationen in Besitz nehmen, und wird die verödeten Städte bevölkern.
4 Fürchte dich nicht, denn du wirst nicht beschämt werden, und schäme dich nicht, denn du wirst nicht zu Schanden werden; sondern du wirst der Schmach deiner Jugend vergessen und der Schande deiner Witwenschaft nicht mehr gedenken.
5 Denn der dich gemacht hat, ist dein Mann-Jahwe der Heerscharen ist sein Name [NOTE, who is the Lord of host - Jahwe in German is equivalent of Jehovah in English]-und der Heilige Israels ist dein Erlöser: Er wird der Gott der ganzen Erde genannt werden. " (German Elber Bible).

Now we have seen that all Bibles that use proper names instead of pronouns clearly identify who the Lord of host is, and this in many languages.

ZECHARIAH 8:14 CLEARLY IDENTIFIES WHO THE LORD OF HOST IN BIBLES THAT USE PROPER NAMES:

Let's look at some Bibles which use proper names instead of pronoun at Zechariah 8:14 for the Lord of host:

Zechariah 8:14, "For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: As I thought to do evil unto you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I repented not;" (American Standard Version; ASV)

And,

Zechariah 8:14, "Entonces vino a mí la palabra de Jehovah de los Ejércitos, diciendo:" (1989 Reina-Valera Actualizada; RVA89)

And,

Zechariah 8:14, "And there is a word of Jehovah of Hosts unto me, saying:" (Young's Literal Translation; YLT)

And,

Zechariah 8:14, "And the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me, saying," (Darby Version - 1884; DV)

And,

Zechariah 8:14, "For thus says Yahweh of hosts: "As I thought to do evil to you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath," says Yahweh of Hosts, "and I didn't repent;" (World English Bible; WEB).
So Zechariah 8:14 clearly shows that Yahweh or Jehovah is the Lord of host. In fact, as the American Standard Version (ASV) in Zechariah 8:1-14 makes this even clearer, "And the word of Jehovah of hosts came to me, saying,
2 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.
3 Thus saith Jehovah: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, The holy mountain.
4 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
6 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith Jehovah of hosts.
7 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;
8 and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
9 ¶ Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets that were in the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of hosts was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.
10 For before those days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in, because of the adversary: for I set all men every one against his neighbor.
11 But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith Jehovah of hosts.
12 For there shall be the seed of peace; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.
13 And it shall come to pass that, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.
14 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: As I thought to do evil unto you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I repented not;" (American Standard Version; ASV).

NOTES BY TWO RENOWN BIBLE SCHOLARS ON ISAIAH 54:5:

Renown Bible scholar A.R. Fausset, said:
Isaiah 54:5. (Isaiah 62:5, Jeremiah 3:14). That God was Israel's "Maker," both as individuals and as the theocratic kingdom, is the pledge of assurance that He will be her Redeemer (Isaiah 43:1-3). Hebrew, "makers . . . husbands"; plural for singular, to denote excellency.
of Israel . . . whole earth--Not until He manifests Himself as God of Israel shall He appear as God of the whole earth (Psalms 102:13,15,16, Zechariah 14:5,9).[source - Fausset, A. R., A.M. "Commentary on Isaiah 54". "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible". 1871]

And,

Renown Bible scholar, John Wesley, said:
54:5 Thy maker - Will own thee for his spouse. The Lord - Who hath the sovereign command of all men and creatures, and therefore can subdue the Gentiles to thee, and can make thee to increase and multiply in so prodigious a measure, even in thine old age, notwithstanding thy barrenness in the days of thy youth, of which he speaks in the foregoing verse. The God - The God and father of all nations, whereas formerly he was called only the God of Israel. [source - Wesley, John. "Commentary on Isaiah 54". "John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible". 1754].

CONCLUSION:

As can readily be seen, the Bible clearly has identified who the Lord of the host is in all translations that use proper names instead of pronouns so there is no excuse for individuals to twist Isaiah 54:5 to support their pet myths - false creedal creeds that in reality dishonor our Creator, God (YHWH).

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Fri Jul 22, 2016 11:35 am

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON WHO IS GOD'S MASTER WORKER

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 202A]

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, faith is all important as clearly shown by Hebrews 11:6, [AV] “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” The Apostle Paul emphasized what is needed of us to show true faith at Romans 12:1 - 2, [AV] “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” And Psalms 27:11 – 14, [AV] “Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” And lastly we should, Psalms 97:10, [AV] “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.”

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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 WHO IS GOD'S MASTER WORKER:

INTRODUCTION:

It is important for all to realize that Jesus (Yeshua), God's (YHWH's) only begotten son is his master worker. He acts only as his Father's (YHWH's) agent so just like a construction worker who helps build is not considered the builder, Jesus (Yeshua) is not the Creator of all there is, but his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) is. This will be clearly shown in this article.

SOME LACK BASIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ALMIGHTY GOD (YHWH):

Some individuals do not seem to realize who Jesus" (Yeshua's) Father (YHWH) is as shown by what one of these individuals said,

"YHWH has always had hands, even when He appeared to Ezekiel. Remember that the LORD God is YHWH, the Son of the unknown invisble Almighty God Father."

But this is a statement based on NOTHING as we have no idea what God (YHWH) looks like. The encyclopedia says,

"The Tetragrammaton (Greek: tet?a???µµat?? word with four letters) is the usual reference to the Hebrew name for God, which is spelled (in the Hebrew alphabet): ? (yod) ? (heh) ? (vav) ? (heh) or ???? (YHWH); it is the distinctive personal name of the God of Israel.

Of all the names of God, the one which occurs most frequently is the Tetragrammaton, appearing 6,823 times, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia. The Biblia Hebraica and Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia texts of the Hebrew Scriptures each contain the Tetragrammaton 6,828 times.

In Judaism, the Tetragrammaton is the ineffable name of God, and is therefore not to be read aloud. In the reading aloud of the scripture or in prayer, it is replaced with Adonai (Lord). Other written forms such as ? (yod) ? (vav) (yw or Yaw); or ? (yod) ? (heh) (yh or Yah) are read in the same way.

Outside of direct prayer, the word "Adonai" is not spoken by some Jews since to do so is considered a violation of the commandment not to use the Lord's name in vain. Therefore, the word is often read as HaShem (literally, "The Name"), or in some cases Ado-Shem, a composite of Adonai and HaShem. A similar rule applies to the word Elohim ("God"), which some Jews intentionally mispronounced as Elokim for the same reason.

One theory regarding the disuse of the Tetragrammaton is that the Jewish taboo on its pronunciation was so strong that the original pronunciation may have been lost somewhere in the first millennium. Since then, many scholars (particularly Christians) have sought to reconstruct its original pronunciation. For example, around 1518 Christian theologians1 introduced the pronunciation Yehovah, which is generally held to be implausible, based on the written form ??????? (read normally, "Yehovah") that was used to indicate to the reader of the Bible in Hebrew to pronounce it "Adonai" (???????). (Note that due to a rule of Hebrew grammar, the beginning E of the first transliteration is analogous to the beginning A of the second, although they are pronounced differently.)

This theory regarding the disuse of the Tetragrammaton is the result of an interpretation of the Third of the Ten Commandments. The Jewish people stopped saying the Name by the 3rd century out of fear of violating the commandment "You shall not take the name of YHWH your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7)."[source - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

And the Bible says, at Exodus 33:20, " And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live." (Authorized King James Bible; AV), and we all know dead men tell nothing; And John 1:18 says, " No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (AV); And 1 Timothy 1:17, " Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (AV).

GOD'S (YHWH's) MASTER WORKER, JESUS (YESHUA):

In fact, God (YHWH) used his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) as his master worker in the creation of all else as shown at Proverbs 8:22-31, " Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.[these being the creation of all else; to wit, the universe with the earth and mankind, etc.]
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.[before the creation of all else]
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.[before the earth was]
25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth; .[before the earth was]
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world. .[before the earth was]
27 When he established the heavens, I was there: [clearly showing that Jesus (Yeshua) was there when the earth was created, and thus Jesus (Yeshua) could say at John 8:58, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am." (AV)] 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[clearly showing Jesus (Yeshua) to be his Father's (YHWH's) master worker]; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him,[showing God (YHWH) took delight in his only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua)]
31 Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men." (American Standard Version; ASV)

One Bible dictionary said the following:
" What is recorded concerning the Word in the Scriptures fits remarkably the description given at Proverbs 8:22-31. There wisdom is personified, represented as though able to speak and act. (Pr 8:1) Many professed Christian writers of the early centuries of the Common Era understood this section to refer symbolically to God's Son in his prehuman state. In view of the texts already considered, there can be no denying that that Son was "produced" by Jehovah "as the beginning of his way, the earliest of his achievements of long ago," nor that the Son was "beside [Jehovah] as a master worker" during earth's creation, as described in these verses of Proverbs. It is true that in Hebrew, which assigns gender to its nouns (as do many other languages), the word for "wisdom" is always in the feminine gender. This would continue to be the case even though wisdom is personified and so would not rule out wisdom's being used figuratively to represent God's firstborn Son. The Greek word for "love" in the expression "God is love" (1Jo 4:8) is also in the feminine gender but that does not make God feminine. Solomon, the principal writer of Proverbs (Pr 1:1), applied the title qo•he'leth (congregator) to himself (Ec 1:1) and this word is also in the feminine gender"[source - Insight on the Bible, Volume2]

BIBLICAL LAW OF AGENCIES AND CONCLUSION:

Although Jesus (Yeshua) acted as his Father's (YHWH's) master worker, his Father (YHWH) was the creator in keeping with the Biblical Law of Agencies. Let's briefly look at this law or principle:

"The law or custom commonly known as the Jewish Law of Agencies as follows, "Jesus (Yeshua) was God's (YHWH's) appointed agent in accordance with the 'Biblical law of agency' described as, "Scripture mentions something being done by Person A, whilst another mentions it being done by Person B. This is best understood when we grasp the Schaliach Principle, or the Jewish Law of Agency, which is expressed in the dictum, 'A person's agent is regarded as the person himself." Therefore any act committed by a duly appointed agent is regarded as having been committed by the principle.'" [source - The Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion, R.J.Z. Werblowski and Geoffrey Wigoder].

It is important to understand this law of agencies since this will enhance our understanding of many key texts, such as why the Judges and angels were called "God" (Ex. 21:6; 22:8; Ps. 8:5; 82:1). Many more instances could be provided, but brevity is in order here. John 8:54 drives this law of agency home, "Jesus answered, 'If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God." (Confraternity Edition of The New Testament; CETNT) showing that Jesus (Yeshua) was his Father's (YHWH's) agent, and he sought not his own glory, but glory from his Father (YHWH). Therefore, Jesus (Yeshua) could say as he did at John 11:40, "Jesus said to her, 'Have I not told thee that if thou believe thou shalt behold the glory of God?'" (CETNT). Even Satan the Devil recognized this, Jesus (Yeshua), as God's (YHWH's) agent, 2 Corinthians 4:4, "In their case, the god of this world has blinded their unbelieving minds, that they should not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible).

Thus, Satan the Devil is trying to blind the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from recognizing this truth. thus he is trying to blind the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from recognizing this truth. We must be constantly on guard against the imaginations of Satan the Devil and his attempts to get all men to believe God (YHWH) dishonoring doctrines of men such as the Duality and the Trinity and be noble like the Beroeans, Acts 17:11, " These were more noble than those in Thesalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (AV). Remember, popularity does not make a doctrine sound, and in fact usually ensures it is NOT from God (YHWH) otherwise it would NOT be popular in a world controlled by Satan the Devil.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Sat Jul 23, 2016 12:19 pm

COMBINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES. With the Scripture of the Day first.

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 203A]

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth. 25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: 1 Corinthians 10:23 – 25, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, while many things may be lawful, we first must consider out of love our doing them how it may effect others as shown at Colossians 3:12 - 15, [AV] “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” Remember we should always show love to others as Almighty God (YHWH) showed to us per 1 John 4:19, [AV] “We love him, because he first loved us.”

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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] 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).

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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** Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:22 am

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON WHO IS GOD'S MASTER WORKER

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 204A]

But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 2 Corinthians 10:2, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

And the Apostle Paul continued on to show what all genuine true followers of the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua), should be doing at 2 Corinthians 10:3 – 6, [AV] “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” As Galatians 5:16 reveals, [AV] “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

Remember that per Galatians 5:22 – 23, [AV] “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Yes, we should not conform to the world, but as Romans 12:2, [AV] says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

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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 WHO IS GOD'S MASTER WORKER:

INTRODUCTION:

It is important for all to realize that Jesus (Yeshua), God's (YHWH's) only begotten son is his master worker. He acts only as his Father's (YHWH's) agent so just like a construction worker who helps build is not considered the builder, Jesus (Yeshua) is not the Creator of all there is, but his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) is. This will be clearly shown in this article.

SOME LACK BASIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ALMIGHTY GOD (YHWH):

Some individuals do not seem to realize who Jesus" (Yeshua's) Father (YHWH) is as shown by what one of these individuals said,

"YHWH has always had hands, even when He appeared to Ezekiel. Remember that the LORD God is YHWH, the Son of the unknown invisble Almighty God Father."

But this is a statement based on NOTHING as we have no idea what God (YHWH) looks like. The encyclopedia says,

"The Tetragrammaton (Greek: tet?a???µµat?? word with four letters) is the usual reference to the Hebrew name for God, which is spelled (in the Hebrew alphabet): ? (yod) ? (heh) ? (vav) ? (heh) or ???? (YHWH); it is the distinctive personal name of the God of Israel.

Of all the names of God, the one which occurs most frequently is the Tetragrammaton, appearing 6,823 times, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia. The Biblia Hebraica and Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia texts of the Hebrew Scriptures each contain the Tetragrammaton 6,828 times.

In Judaism, the Tetragrammaton is the ineffable name of God, and is therefore not to be read aloud. In the reading aloud of the scripture or in prayer, it is replaced with Adonai (Lord). Other written forms such as ? (yod) ? (vav) (yw or Yaw); or ? (yod) ? (heh) (yh or Yah) are read in the same way.

Outside of direct prayer, the word "Adonai" is not spoken by some Jews since to do so is considered a violation of the commandment not to use the Lord's name in vain. Therefore, the word is often read as HaShem (literally, "The Name"), or in some cases Ado-Shem, a composite of Adonai and HaShem. A similar rule applies to the word Elohim ("God"), which some Jews intentionally mispronounced as Elokim for the same reason.

One theory regarding the disuse of the Tetragrammaton is that the Jewish taboo on its pronunciation was so strong that the original pronunciation may have been lost somewhere in the first millennium. Since then, many scholars (particularly Christians) have sought to reconstruct its original pronunciation. For example, around 1518 Christian theologians1 introduced the pronunciation Yehovah, which is generally held to be implausible, based on the written form ??????? (read normally, "Yehovah") that was used to indicate to the reader of the Bible in Hebrew to pronounce it "Adonai" (???????). (Note that due to a rule of Hebrew grammar, the beginning E of the first transliteration is analogous to the beginning A of the second, although they are pronounced differently.)

This theory regarding the disuse of the Tetragrammaton is the result of an interpretation of the Third of the Ten Commandments. The Jewish people stopped saying the Name by the 3rd century out of fear of violating the commandment "You shall not take the name of YHWH your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7)."[source - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

And the Bible says, at Exodus 33:20, " And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live." (Authorized King James Bible; AV), and we all know dead men tell nothing; And John 1:18 says, " No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (AV); And 1 Timothy 1:17, " Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (AV).

GOD'S (YHWH's) MASTER WORKER, JESUS (YESHUA):

In fact, God (YHWH) used his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) as his master worker in the creation of all else as shown at Proverbs 8:22-31, " Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.[these being the creation of all else; to wit, the universe with the earth and mankind, etc.]
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.[before the creation of all else]
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.[before the earth was]
25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth; .[before the earth was]
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world. .[before the earth was]
27 When he established the heavens, I was there: [clearly showing that Jesus (Yeshua) was there when the earth was created, and thus Jesus (Yeshua) could say at John 8:58, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am." (AV)] 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[clearly showing Jesus (Yeshua) to be his Father's (YHWH's) master worker]; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him,[showing God (YHWH) took delight in his only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua)]
31 Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men." (American Standard Version; ASV)

One Bible dictionary said the following:
" What is recorded concerning the Word in the Scriptures fits remarkably the description given at Proverbs 8:22-31. There wisdom is personified, represented as though able to speak and act. (Pr 8:1) Many professed Christian writers of the early centuries of the Common Era understood this section to refer symbolically to God's Son in his prehuman state. In view of the texts already considered, there can be no denying that that Son was "produced" by Jehovah "as the beginning of his way, the earliest of his achievements of long ago," nor that the Son was "beside [Jehovah] as a master worker" during earth's creation, as described in these verses of Proverbs. It is true that in Hebrew, which assigns gender to its nouns (as do many other languages), the word for "wisdom" is always in the feminine gender. This would continue to be the case even though wisdom is personified and so would not rule out wisdom's being used figuratively to represent God's firstborn Son. The Greek word for "love" in the expression "God is love" (1Jo 4:8) is also in the feminine gender but that does not make God feminine. Solomon, the principal writer of Proverbs (Pr 1:1), applied the title qo•he'leth (congregator) to himself (Ec 1:1) and this word is also in the feminine gender"[source - Insight on the Bible, Volume2]

BIBLICAL LAW OF AGENCIES AND CONCLUSION:

Although Jesus (Yeshua) acted as his Father's (YHWH's) master worker, his Father (YHWH) was the creator in keeping with the Biblical Law of Agencies. Let's briefly look at this law or principle:

"The law or custom commonly known as the Jewish Law of Agencies as follows, "Jesus (Yeshua) was God's (YHWH's) appointed agent in accordance with the 'Biblical law of agency' described as, "Scripture mentions something being done by Person A, whilst another mentions it being done by Person B. This is best understood when we grasp the Schaliach Principle, or the Jewish Law of Agency, which is expressed in the dictum, 'A person's agent is regarded as the person himself." Therefore any act committed by a duly appointed agent is regarded as having been committed by the principle.'" [source - The Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion, R.J.Z. Werblowski and Geoffrey Wigoder].

It is important to understand this law of agencies since this will enhance our understanding of many key texts, such as why the Judges and angels were called "God" (Ex. 21:6; 22:8; Ps. 8:5; 82:1). Many more instances could be provided, but brevity is in order here. John 8:54 drives this law of agency home, "Jesus answered, 'If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God." (Confraternity Edition of The New Testament; CETNT) showing that Jesus (Yeshua) was his Father's (YHWH's) agent, and he sought not his own glory, but glory from his Father (YHWH). Therefore, Jesus (Yeshua) could say as he did at John 11:40, "Jesus said to her, 'Have I not told thee that if thou believe thou shalt behold the glory of God?'" (CETNT). Even Satan the Devil recognized this, Jesus (Yeshua), as God's (YHWH's) agent, 2 Corinthians 4:4, "In their case, the god of this world has blinded their unbelieving minds, that they should not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible).

Thus, Satan the Devil is trying to blind the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from recognizing this truth. thus he is trying to blind the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from recognizing this truth. We must be constantly on guard against the imaginations of Satan the Devil and his attempts to get all men to believe God (YHWH) dishonoring doctrines of men such as the Duality and the Trinity and be noble like the Beroeans, Acts 17:11, " These were more noble than those in Thesalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (AV). Remember, popularity does not make a doctrine sound, and in fact usually ensures it is NOT from God (YHWH) otherwise it would NOT be popular in a world controlled by Satan the Devil.

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**Admin** Mon Jul 25, 2016 4:00 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] MUSLIMS DON'T COMPREHEND DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPECULATION VS. FACT"

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 205A]

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 1 Peter 1:22, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, it is important that all genuine followers of the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua) have love for one another and there be no strife per 1 Timothy 1:5, [AV] “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”

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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] MUSLIMS DON'T COMPREHEND DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPECULATION VS. FACT"

Some Muslim individuals use off beat encyclopedias to try and prove their derogatory myths, it matters not that even these sources identify the information as speculative. In fact the authors/editors of this encyclopedia, LoveToKnow, clearly show they do NOT HAVE much faith in their work with the statement, " Since this information is from 1911 it is outdated and contains many OCR errors (typos). It is for research purposes only. The information is "AS IS", "WITH ALL FAULTS". User assumes all risk of use, damage, or injury. You agree that we have no liability for any damages. We are not liable for any consequential, incidental, indirect, or special damages." So if they do not vouch for its reliability we must conclude it is unreliable and just hear say speculation; whereas, I use all kinds of encyclopedias, i.e., the renown well recognized ones, not ones like, ""JOSEPH (HUSBAND OF MARY)." LoveToKnow 1911 Online Encyclopedia. (c) 2003, 2004 LoveToKnow." However, even that encyclopoedia clearly says that little is known about Joseph and only his geneology is given in the Bible, it no where gives his age; whereas, PapaMo claimed previously it was 90 years, now see the facts of what I say for yourself,

"JOSEPH, in the New Testament, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. He is represented as a descendant of the house of David, and his genealogy appears in two divergent forms in Matt. i. 1-17 and Luke iii. 23-38. The latter is probably much more complete and accurate in details. The former, obviously artificial in structure (notice 3X14 generations), traces the Davidic descent through kings, and is governed by an apologetic purpose. Of Joseph's personal history practically nothing is recorded in the Bible. The facts concerning him common to the two birth-narratives (Matt, i.-ii.; Luke i.-ii.) are: (a) that he was a descendant of David, (b) that Mary was already betrothed to him when she was found with child of the Holy Ghost, and (c) that he lived at Nazareth after the birth of Christ; but these facts are handled differently in each case. It is noticeable that, in Matthew, Joseph is prominent (e.g. he receives an annunciation from an angel), while in Luke's narrative he is completely subordinated. Bp Gore (The Incarnation, Bampton lecture for 1891, p. 78) points out that Matthew narrates everything from Joseph's side, Luke from Mary's, and infers that the narrative of the former may ultimately be based on Joseph's account, that of the latter, on Mary's. The narratives seem to have been current (in a poetical form) among the early Jewish-Christian community of Palestine. At Nazareth Joseph followed the trade of a carpenter (Matt. xiii. 55). It is probable that he had died before the public ministry of Christ; for no mention is made of him in passages relating to this period where the mother and brethren of Jesus are introduced; and from John xix. 26 it is clear that he was not alive at the time of the Crucifixion.

Joseph was the father of several children (Matt. xiii. 55), but accolding to ecclesiastical tradition by a former marriage. The reading of Matt. ~. 16, in the Sinaitic Palimpsest (Joseph . . . begat Jesus, who is called the Christ) also makes him the natural father of Jesus, and this was the view of certain early heretical sects, but it seems never to have been held in orthodox Christian circles. According to various apocryphal gospels (conveniently collected in B. H. Cowpers The Apocryphal Gospels, 1881), when married to Mary he was a widower already 80 years of age, and the father of four sons and two daughters; his first wifes name was Salome and she was a connection of the family of John the Baptist.[source - LoveToKnow 1911 Online Encyclopedia. (c) 2003, 2004 LoveToKnow
]
However, the Bible the ultimate standard does NOT say anything about a former marriage so anything said on that is pure speculation. Let's look at what the ultimate standard, the Bible says:

Matthew 1:16, " and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." (American Standard Version; ASV), NOTICE no note of Joseph having been a widow.

Matthew 1:18, "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." (ASV).
Matthew 1:20, "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." (ASV).
Mark 6:3, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended in him." (ASV), NOTICE , it says his brothers and sisters, NOT, half-brothers and sisters.
Luke 1:27 , "to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary." (ASV).
This same individual said,
- Aisha was engaged to another man before Muhammad (PPBUH) , that gives us an idea about her readiness for marriage as well as to traditions of a different era ...
Now is he trying to say that Muhammed stole her from another man? In those days, individuals did NOT just brake engagements on a lark as some do today. They were considered once engaged, actually betrothed, as belonging to the other family in those days, and even today to a degree in my own culture, so let's get real.

Now this same individual quoted the following in a futile attempt to justify Muhammad taking 9 year old Aisha as his wife,
Pedophilia TODAY is defined as sexual interest toward children, either prepubescent or at the beginning of puberty ..with age difference greater than 5 years ..so by today's standards ..Joseph would incorrectly be considered a pedophile ..whether he had sex with Mary or not ..[source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paedophilia]
Obviously, thereby clearly showing that Muhammad had done something wrong. This was clearly an admission by a Muslim that Muhammed had skeletons in his proverbial closet, and incredibly he did this while throwing derogatory speculative charges at Joseph the husband of the virgin Mary. This clearly shows desperation on their part to throw derogatory comments at the Bible and true Christianity. In fact, other Muslims dredge up writings of so called Bible critics who are just individuals out to grandiose themselves and their own ego and get an audience and who care NOT about facts and realities. They insinuate that apparent contradictions, ones that without further investigation, are real contradictions and make other unfounded speculative charges.

The most ridicules part of the entire absurd scenario is the fact that Muhammad was a plagiarist who actually got his material for writing the Koran from the Bible and did not even do a good job of copying; hence, if the Bible had any errors, these would have been exponentially exacerbated in the Quran (Koran). Let's look at one example of a scripture copied from the Bible not too well and how confused Muslims who do not comprehend the Bible even thing the Bible original is saying something bad as they do not comprehend it is saying the same thing as the Quran (Koran) that Muhammad got his material from. In the writing, Muslims do Not Comprehend the Bible it shows this clearly, " 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." [source - Muslims do Not Comprehend the Bible by Iris the Preacher 2004].

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**Admin** Tue Jul 26, 2016 4:23 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] WHO OR WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 206A]

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. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:5 – 7, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, this is in keeping with what the prophet Isaiah wrote at Isaiah 42:9, [AV] “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” And 2 Samuel 7:14 – 17, [AV] “I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.” Therefore, we can see that Almighty God (YHWH) intends to establish a kingdom that will last forever in accordance to the Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) prayer found 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.”

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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] WHO OR WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

An explanation of who or what the Holy Spirit is using 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 as a framework to 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.

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**Admin** Wed Jul 27, 2016 12:19 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] MUSLIMS DO NOT COMPREHEND THE BIBLE

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 207A]

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 1 Peter 1:22, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, it is important that all genuine followers of the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua) have love for one another and there be no strife per 1 Timothy 1:5, [AV] “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”

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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] 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.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.JW.ORG

**Admin** Thu Jul 28, 2016 12:20 pm

COMBINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES. With the Scripture of the Day first.

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 208A]

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. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:5 – 7, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, this is in keeping with what the prophet Isaiah wrote at Isaiah 42:9, [AV] “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” And 2 Samuel 7:14 – 17, [AV] “I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.” Therefore, we can see that Almighty God (YHWH) intends to establish a kingdom that will last forever in accordance to the Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) prayer found 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.”

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

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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!

THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES:
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Mango, Mangifera Indica, which originated in India and Southeast Asia, but has spread world wide in the tropics and is the largest fruit crop in the world on the basis of tons of fruit picked.

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).

And the Mango surely is a wonderful gift to mankind from our Creator, Almighty God (YHWH), and the are many varieties of Mangoes, even more than that of Apples. The trees are Evergreen and some varieties can reach 50 feet [15 to 16 meters] high, but there are miniature varieties such as the Fairchild that only grow to about 10 feet [8 meters] high. Most varieties have a very good flavor, but there are some that are known as the turpentine Mangoes that one can hardly eat; however, goats and pigs like them. My goat, named Billy, really loved them.

However, my favorite eating varieties are the Bombay, Carrie, Hayden, Julian, and Keith. I especially like the Bombay as it is one of the very few "freestone" mangoes and yet one of the very best tasting with almost no fiber - a true delight. Most Mango varieties are NOT free stone and the flesh tends to stick very hard to the big seed in the center of the fruit.

Mangoes vary in size, shape, and color. They can be round, oblong, or kidney shaped. The trees are quite beautiful and make nice additions to any tropical landscape. The leaves are long, narrow, and a beautiful deep green, and new growth comes out in flushes.

For fruit trees, the Mango is rather fast growing with respect production of fruit with the trees usually producing fruit by the third year if the trees are grafted trees or five years if they are not.

There are two principle types of Mangoes, the Indian and the Indo-Chinese. Indian mangoes usually have brightly colored fruit, but unfortunately are susceptible to anthracnose; whereas the Indo-Chinese usually do not produce brightly colored fruit, but are resistant to anthracnose.

One sad note, some people are very allergic to Mangoes and should not eat them or touch the tree.

Most Mangoes bear heavily in alternate years and the blossoms are very susceptible to cold weather, anything below 34 degrees F. can kill the blossoms and ruin the crop production. Fortunately, Mangoes for the most part are self-fruitful so you do not need more than one tree to obtain fruit. They should always be planted in full sun and well drained soil having a pH between 5.5 and 7.5.

The Mango can either be eaten fresh, made into pulp and frozen, made into jellies and jams, into pies and Mango cobbler, and into juices. The juice is a drink very rich in vitamin C and of excellent flavor if made from sweet Mangos. This fruit is one of my favorites.

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**Admin** Fri Jul 29, 2016 4:31 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON TRADITION

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 209A]

All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? Ezekiel 18:22 – 23, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

The Psalmist said at Psalms 25:5 - 7, [AV] “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.” And this same theme also was recognized at 2 Chronicles 6:23, [AV] “Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.”

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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 TRADITION

With regard tradition, you should read Mark 7:8-13, "For leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups: and many other things you do like to these. 9 And he said to them: Well do you make void the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said: Honour thy father and thy mother. And He that shall curse father or mother, dying let him die. 11 But you say: If a man shall say to his father or mother, Corban (which is a gift) whatsoever is from me shall profit thee. 12 And further you suffer him not to do any thing for his father or mother, 13 Making void the word of God by your own tradition, which you have given forth. And many other such like things you do. "(DRCB), and 1 Corinthians 4:6, "Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not [to go] beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other."(American Standard Version; ASV).

In fact, adhering to tradition that conflicts with the bible makes one's worship in vain as testified to at Matthew 15:3-9, "And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given [to God]; 6 he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching [as their] doctrines the precepts of men. "(ASV).

In fact, the Bible clearly shows that tradition may lead one away from true worship and cause one to oppose God's servants per Colossiams 2:6-8, 'As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in him, 7 rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:"(ASV); and Titus 1:13-16, "This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."(ASV); and Isaiah 29:13, "And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh [unto me], and with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught [them]; "(ASV); and Galatians 1:10-13 " For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? or am I striving to please men? if I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ. 11 For I make known to you, brethren, as touching the gospel which was preached by me, that it is not after man. 12 For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but [it came to me] through revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and made havoc of it: 14 and I advanced in the Jews' religion beyond many of mine own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers."(ASV).

However, the Bible is the Standard whereby you can check the correctness of all traditions as previously shown and reaffirmed at 2 Timothy 3:13-17, "But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. 15 And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture inspired of God [is] also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. 17 That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work."(ASV).

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**Admin** Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:04 am

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] DISCOURSE ON TRADITIONS THAT TRANSGRESS THE WORD OF GOD:

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 210A]

And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. Job 2:4 -6, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Here Satan the Devil told Almighty God (YHWH) that Job would curse Him if he was personally attacked testing God’s statement that Job was an upright man that would not depart from the faith. God gave him permission to test Job and he did.

However, Job was up to the test, but some of his companions falsely claimed he had done something wrong to merit the hardships put on him. Of course this was not true. After Job passed all the test, he prayed for his lying companions and this is recorded at 42:7 - 9, [AV] “And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job”

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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 TRADITIONS THAT TRANSGRESS THE WORD OF GOD:

FIRST, There are two aspects with respect tradition and they are as follows:

(1) Tradition is not necessarily wrong, [b]It is only wrong if it contradicts what is written in God's (YHWH's) word the Bible.

(2) Tradition that contradicts the word of God (YHWH) is from the Devil and is part of what is spoken of 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]." (American Standard Version; ASV)

SECOND, Let's look at the facts from God's (YHWH's) word the Bible instead of some eloquent but misleading writing by some organization which often try to rationalize error:

(1) First, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ clearly shows that when traditions transgress the word of God (YHWH) they are clearly wrong and the work of Satan the Devil per 2 Corinthians 4:4, as follows from Matthew 15:1-9, "Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given [to God]; 6 he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching [as their] doctrines the precepts of men." (ASV). Clearly, Jesus (Yeshua) unequivocally shows that traditions that transgress the word of God (YHWH) are wrong.

(2) Second, at Matthew 7:6-13, "And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. 7 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching [as their] doctrines the precepts of men. 8 Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men. 9 And he said unto them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death: 11 but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given [to God]; 12 ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or his mother; 13 making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do." (ASV). Clearly, once more Jesus (Yeshua) unequivocally shows that traditions that transgress the word of God (YHWH) are just plain wrong and against the word of God (YHWH).

(3) Third, Colossians 2:4-8, "This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in him, 7 rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:" (ASV). Once more tradition that transgresses the word of God (YHWH) is clearly shown as just plain wrong.

So as can clearly be seen, all tradition that transgress the word of God (YHWH) regardless of its source is just plain wrong and against the word of God (YHWH). It does not matter from what source it eminates or how eloquent its rationalization sounds it is still just plain wrong and a work of Satan the Devil per 2 Corinthians 4:4 previously quoted. Tradition that transgress the word of God (YHWH) is nothing but seeds that fall on rocky ground warned against at Luke 8:4- "And when a great multitude came together, and they of every city resorted unto him, he spake by a parable: 5 The sower went forth to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden under foot, and the birds of the heaven devoured it. 6 And other fell on the rock; and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And other fell amidst the thorns; and the thorns grew with it, and choked it. 8 And other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit a hundredfold. As he said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9 And his disciples asked him what this parable might be. 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to the rest in parables; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 And those by the way side are they that have heard; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And those on the rock [are] they who, when they have heard, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience. 16 And no man, when he hath lighted a lamp, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but putteth it on a stand, that they that enter in may see the light. 17 For nothing is hid, that shall not be made manifest; nor [anything] secret, that shall not be known and come to light. 18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he thinketh he hath." (ASV); and tradition that transgresses the word of God (YHWH) is like the tares of Matthew 13:24-43, "Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field: 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? 28 And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. 31 Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof. 33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened. 34 All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them: 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world. 36 Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil [one]; 39 and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, 42 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear." (ASV), here Jesus (Yeshua) Christ clearly refers to the source of these tares, traditions that transgress the word of God (YHWH) as the Devil.

So what should all true Christians do. They should reject ALL tradition that TRANSGRESSES THE WORD OF GOD (YHWH) regardless of its source or how eloquently it is rationalized and/or presented in keeping with Titus 2:1, "But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:" (ASV).

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**Admin** Sun Jul 31, 2016 9:28 am

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 MORMAN

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 211A]

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:7 – 8, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Jesus (Yeshua) made this sure by what he said at Matthew 24:32 - 36, [AV] “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” But even he, did NOT know the hour or the day, but clearly stated that only his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) knew that.

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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 MORMAN:

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** Mon Aug 01, 2016 1:39 pm

COMBINATION OF [1] THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]

[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 212A]

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Here this scripture stresses that Jesus (Yeshua) was made perfect through suffering, and this is amplified at Hebrews 12:2, [AV] “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” And further shown to be reality at Acts 5:31, [AV] “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

Yes, it is NOT works that will gain us salvation, but as Romans 11:6, [AV] “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.’ As clearly shown by 1 Corinthians 8:6, [AV] “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.”

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[2] Crimes Against Women, the Bible vs. the Quran:

INTRODUCTION:

Under the old law covenant with Israel, God (YHWH) required they live a moral life and viewed the raping of a women as a grave wickedness. Also, immorality was considered a grave immorality. This was clearly highlighted in Deuteronomy 22:18-29, ".And the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him; 19 and they shall fine him a hundred [shekels] of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days. 20 But if this thing be true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the damsel; 21 then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the harlot in her father's house: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee. 22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away the evil from Israel. 23 If there be a damsel that is a virgin betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; 24 then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them to death with stones; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor's wife: so thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee. 25 But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only that lay with her shall die: 26 but unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbor, and slayeth him, even so is this matter; 27 for he found her in the field, the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her. 28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; 29 then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty [shekels] of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he hath humbled her; he may not put her away all his days." (American Standard Version; ASV). Now note the Hebrew word, 'taphas,' commonly translated 'rape' has a slightly different meaning than the English word 'rape.' Hebrew does not mention the word rape, the word is used only by certain translations. The Hebrew which speaks about seizing, etc, also means manipulation. Hence you cannot strictly argue for rape here, but for any type of sexual manipulation no matter how accomplished.

Of course some Muslims will wrongly claim regarding raping war captives, that the Bible clearly permits raping the captives and point to Deuteronomy 20:10-14 to justify this false claim. Let's look at these verses, "When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. 11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that are found therein shall become tributary unto thee, and shall serve thee. 12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: 13 and when Jehovah thy God delivereth it into thy hand, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: 14 but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take for a prey unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which Jehovah thy God hath given thee. " (ASV). With this verse they claim that rape was one of the rights of spoils of a victory; which of course it was not. Why? Let's find out.

IS RAPE IMPLIED?

Exactly, where does the passage refer to rape? True it does speak about killing, true it does speak about the spoil, but where does it speak about rape? IN fact there is no where in the Torah where actual rape is legalized with the law-code. In fact, an as an Israelite who is attracted to a captive women, had to allow her time to grief and marry her, before any sexual relationship took place per Deuteronomy 21: 10-14, " When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and Jehovah thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou carriest them away captive, 11 and seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and thou hast a desire unto her, and wouldest take her to thee to wife; 12 then thou shalt bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; 13 and she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thy house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. 14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not deal with her as a slave, because thou hast humbled her." (ASV). Probably many women were married away in this manner, perhaps all, but marriage was certainly demanded.

THE BIBLE REQUIRES MATRIMONY BEFORE RELATIONS WITH CAPTIVE:

Islam legalized the raping of slaves without any consideration of marriage, and in fact these women were according to Islamic sources sold on the slave market after the whole event. This is strange as the Quran says at Sura 29:46, "Do not argue with the people of the scripture (Jews, Christians, and Muslims) except in the nicest possible manner - unless they transgress - and say, "We believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you, and our god and your god is one and the same; to Him we are submitters." (An Authorized English Version, Translated from the original by Dr. Rashad Khalifa, Ph.D.; RK). Which clearly shows that Muslims should deal kindly with Jews and Christians. This is made clear at Sura 10:94, "If you have any doubt regarding what is revealed to you from your Lord, then ask those who read the previous scripture. Indeed, the truth has come to you from your Lord. Do not be with the doubters." (RK).

QURAN DOES NOT REQUIRE MATRIMONY BEFORE RELATIONS WITH CAPTIVE AND CONTRADICTS ITSELF:

Let's look at what the Quran has to say on the subject. First consider Sura 23:5-6, "And they maintain their chastity. [23:6] Only with their spouses, or those who are rightfully theirs, do they have sexual relations; they are not to be blamed." (RK) where the Quran seems to require that one have only sexual relations with his own wife. And this is emphasized Sura 4:24, "Prohibited for you (in marriage) are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, the sisters of your fathers, the sisters of your mothers, the daughters of your brother, the daughters of your sister, your nursing mothers, the girls who nursed from the same woman as you, the mothers of your wives, the daughters of your wives with whom you have consummated the marriage - if the marriage has not been consummated, you may marry the daughter. Also prohibited for you are the women who were married to your genetic sons. Also, you shall not be married to two sisters at the same time - but do not break up existing marriages. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful." (RK).

However, According to Tabari vol.39, p.194 the ruler of Alexandria gave a young Christian girl as a gift to Muhammad, her name was Mariyam. Muhammad never married her but he used to sleep with her, and she even gave birth to a son who died after 18 months..

According to Sahih Bukhari vol.5#637 Ali had sex with a slave girl whom he saw and found beautiful, and Muhammad seemed to have no objections.

Narrated Buraida: The prophet sent Ali to Khalid to bring the Khumus (part of the war booty) and I hated Ali, and Ali had taken a bath (after a sexual act with a slave girl from the Khumus). I said to Khalid, "Don't you see this (i.e. Ali)? When we reached the prophet I mentioned that to him. He said, "O Buraida! Do you hate Ali?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Do you hate him for he deserves more than that from the Khumus." (Sahih Bukhari, vol.5, #637)

Now, let's be realistic, what is sex with a slave else but rape, I mean, what choice has she anyway?

MOHAMMAD ON RAPE OF FEMALE CAPTIVES:

According to Sahih Bukhari vol.9#506; Sahih Muslim vol.2#3371 Muhammad's followers used to come to Muhammad after battles, to seek permission and advise to engage in sexual activity with the girls taken in battle. They doubted for several reasons, however, permission was granted.

At one point Muhammad gave them permission and told them that it is up to Allah who gets created anyway, thus permission was given.

Permission from the Quran:

This fact is clearly shown in the Quran at Sura 33:50, "O prophet, we made lawful for you your wives to whom you have paid their due dowry, or what you already have, as granted to you by GOD. Also lawful for you in marriage are the daughters of your father's brothers, the daughters of your father's sisters, the daughters of your mother's brothers, the daughters of your mother's sisters, who have emigrated with you. Also, if a believing woman gave herself to the prophet - by forfeiting the dowry - the prophet may marry her without a dowry, if he so wishes. However, her forfeiting of the dowry applies only to the prophet, and not to the other believers. We have already decreed their rights in regard to their spouses or what they already have. This is to spare you any embarrassment. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful." (RK).

Doubt due to fear of less money for selling pregnant slaves:

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri that while he was sitting with Allah's messenger we said, "Oh Allah's messenger, we got female captives as our booty, and we are interested in their prices, what is your opinion about coitus interruptus?" The prophet said, "Do you really do that? It is better for you not to do it. No soul that which Allah has destined to exist, but will surely come into existence." (Sahih Bukhari, vol.3, # 432) (further reference Bukhari Vol. 3, #718)

About pregnancy:

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri that during the battle with Bani Al-Mustaliq they (Muslims) captured some females and intended to have sexual relations with them without impregnating them. So they asked the prophet about coitus interruptus. The prophet said, "It is better that you should not do it, for Allah has written whom He is going to create till the Day of Resurrection". (Sahih Bukhari, vol.9, #506) (further reference Bukhari 5: 459)

Lust or ransom:

Abu Sirma said to Abu Said al Khudri: "O Abu Said, did you hear Allah's messenger mentioning about al-azl (coitus interrupts)?" He said, "Yes", and added: "We went out with Allah's messenger on the expedition to the Mustaliq and took captive some excellent Arab women; and we desired them for we were suffering from the absence of our wives, (but at the same time) we also desired ransom for them. So we decided to have sexual intercourse with them but by observing azl" (withdrawing the male sexual organ before emission of semen to avoid conception). But we said: "We are doing an act whereas Allah's messenger is amongst us; why not ask him?" So we asked Allah's messenger and he said: "It does not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up to the Day of Resurrection will be born". (Sahih Muslim vol.2, # 3371)

SEE PART 2 TOMORROW OF CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN, THE BIBLE VS. THE QURAN:

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