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12/19/2023 10:24 am  #2871


Re: Scripture of the Day

THOUGHT FOR TODAY, LOVE IS THE LUBRICANT OF LIFE PER 1 JOHN 4:7-10, " Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another,p because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God.q 8 Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love.r 9 By this the love of God was revealed in our case, that God sent his only-begotten Sons into the world so that we might gain life through him.t 10 The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice*u for our sins."  HERE IS VOL 677BB –  COMBINATION OF (1) INTERESTING VIDEO AND TALKING SHOWING WONDERS OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S CREATION, [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND AN INTRODUCTION TO BOOK OF JUDE,  [3]  CHRIST, A MAN WITH GREAT WISDOM

(1) TO VIEW WAS IT DESIGNED OR CREATED, VIEW THE VIDEO, THAT IS A SHORT VIDEO LEADING INTO A GROUP IN THE BELOW THE NEXT SHORT VIDEO, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING,   
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODBibleCreation/docid-502200134_1_VIDEO
TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE & THE BIBLE, EVOLUTION VERSUS CREATION,  THE UNTOLD STORY OF CREATION TO THE EXPLANATION, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/g201403/untold-story-of-creation/


COMBINATION OF [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [3]  CHRIST, A MAN WITH GREAT WISDOM

[2]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [677B]

For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.  11  But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.   Psalms 37:10 – 11,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]

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

TO VIEW A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO JUDE, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER, THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/jude-introduction/

[3]       CHRIST, A MAN WITH GREAT WISDOM

INTRODUCTION:
An encyclopedia defines wisdom as, <<<" Wisdom, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as the "1 a: Accumulated philosophic or scientific learning-knowledge; b: Ability to discern inner qualities and relationships-insight; c: Good sense-judgment d: Generally accepted belief <challenges what has become accepted wisdom among many historians - Robert Darnton>. 2: A wise attitude, belief, or course of action. 3: The teachings of the ancient wise men"[1].

Most psychologists regard wisdom as distinct from the cognitive abilities measured by standardized intelligence tests. Wisdom is often considered to be a trait that can be developed by experience, but not taught. When applied to practical matters, the term wisdom is synonymous with prudence. Some see wisdom as a quality that even a child, otherwise immature, may possess independent of experience or complete knowledge.The status of wisdom or prudence as a virtue is recognized in cultural, philosophical and religious sources. Some define wisdom in a utilitarian sense, as foreseeing consequences and acting to maximize the long-term common good.[citation needed]

As such, in general, wisdom is looked at his/her ideals and principles that govern all actions and decisions. Applications of personal wisdom include one's ethical and social guidelines in life that determines one's unique style of personality, the particular nature of short and long-term goal(s) pursued in life (spiritual or materialistic for example), perspective on life, social attitudes, etc." [source - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on 6/01/2007]

A Bible dictionary defines it as, <<<" WISDOM: to be wise. Knowledge based on experience rather than theory which leads to prudent action."[source - Irivng Hexham's Concise Dictionary of Religion, first published by InterVarsity Press, Carol Stream, USA, 1994, second edition, Regent College Press, Vancouver, 1999]>>>.

Some posses it to varying degrees and others do not.
Jesus (Yeshua) Christ possessed it to a greater degree than any other man who has ever lived.   Therefore, his followers should seek to emulate him and thereby gain a measure of wisdom.

SOURCE OF JESUS (YESHUA) WISDOM:
Many may ask, where did Jesus (Yeshua) get his great wisdom?   But once one understands that he was the first of creation per Revelation 3:14, "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:" (American Standard Version; ASV), and stops to realize that he had spent untold eons together with his Father, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Issac, Ishmael, Noah, Moses, etc., the creator of all there is, Almighty God in heaven, it is obvious.   This fact is brought out in Proverbs where the spirit being who is later to come to earth and be born of a virgin per 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).

In fact, in Proverbs 8:22-31, "Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.  23  I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.  24  When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.  25  Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;  26  While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.  27  When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,  28  When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,  29  When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;  30  Then I was by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him,  31  Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men." (ASV).   

Jesus (Yeshua) clearly showed the source of his wisdom when he said at John 7:16, "Jesus therefore answered them and said, My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me." (ASV) clearly identifying the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Issac, Ishmael, Noah, Moses, etc., the creator of all there is, Almighty God, his Father as the source.   Yes, Almighty God who had sent his only begotten Son forth in the world was the real source of Jesus (Yeshua) wisdom per John 12:49-50, "For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.  50  And I know that his commandment is life eternal: the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak." (ASV).

The true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Issac, Ishmael, Noah, Moses, etc., the creator of all there is, holy spirit was at work in Jesus (Yeshua) per Isaiah 11:2, "And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah." (ASV).   Thus, is it any wonder that Jesus' (Yeshua's) words and actions would reflect superlative wisdom?

CHRIST ASTONISHED ALL WITH THE WAY HE TAUGHT:

His sermon on the mount astonished his hears as he used the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Issac, Ishmael, Noah, Moses, etc., the creator of all there is, the Bible and not appeals to well known Jewish rabbis or oral tradition to give weight to his arguments.

This sermon per an encyclopedia is composed of the following parts,
<<<" The sermon comprises the following components:
* Introductory narrative (Matthew 5:1-2) - a large crowd assembles due to Jesus healing the sick, so he climbs a mountain and speaks;
* The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), which describe the character of the people of the kingdom;
* The metaphors of Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13-16), which forms a conclusion to the picture of God's people drawn in the beatitudes, as well as an introduction to the following section;
* The Expounding of the Law (Matthew 5:17-48), a fulfillment and reinterpretation of Mosaic Law and in particular the Ten Commandments, contrasting with what "you have heard" from others, also known as the Antitheses;
* The Discourse on ostentation (Matthew 6), condemning the "good works" of fasting, alms, and prayer, when they are only done for show, and not from the heart. The discourse goes on to condemn the superficiality of materialism and call the disciples not to worry about material needs, but to "seek" God's kingdom first;
o Within the discourse is the Lord's Prayer, which Matthew presents as an example of correct prayer, but Luke places in a different context;
* The Discourse on judgementalism (Matthew 7:1-6), condemning those who judge others before first judging themselves;
* The Discourse on holiness (Matthew 7:7-29), which forms the summary conclusion of the sermon, warning against False prophets, and giving emphasis to the difficulty of doing what is right. [source - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on 6/01/2007]
Now let's look at the actual scriptures from the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Issac, Ishmael, Noah, Moses, etc., the creator of all there is, the Bible:

Matthew 5:1-Matthew 7:29:
1 ¶  And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him:
2  and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
3 ¶  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6  Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.
10  Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11  Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.
13 ¶  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.
14  Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
15  Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house.
16  Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
17 ¶  Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.
18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.
19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20  For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21 ¶  Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22  but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire.
23  If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee,
24  leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25  Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26  Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing.
27 ¶  Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28  but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29  And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.
30  And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell.
31  It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32  but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery.
33 ¶  Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34  but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God;
35  nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36  Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37  But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.
38 ¶  Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39  but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40  And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41  And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.
42  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 ¶  Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy:
44  but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;
45  that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.
46  For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same?
48  Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
1 ¶  Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2  When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.
3  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4  that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.
5 ¶  And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.
6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.
7  And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8  Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 ¶  After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
11  Give us this day our daily bread.
12  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13  And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
14  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 ¶  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.
17  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;
18  that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.
19 ¶  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:
20  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21  for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.
22  The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!
24  No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 ¶  Therefore I say unto you, be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?
26  Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they?
27  And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life?
28  And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29  yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30  But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31  Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32  For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33  But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34  Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
1 ¶  Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.
3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye?
5  Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.
7 ¶  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8  for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9  Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone;
10  or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent?
11  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
12 ¶  All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.
13  Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby.
14  For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.
15 ¶  Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
16  By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20  Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 ¶  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works?
23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24  Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock:
25  and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.
26  And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:
27  and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.
28  And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching:
29  for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.(ASV).

JESUS (YESHUA) CHRIST RECOMMENDED A WAY OF LIFE GOVERNED BY WISDOM:
Like Jesus (Yeshua) Christ, we must exercise wisdom not just in words but in deeds.   To wit, we must have practical wisdom per Proverbs 3:21, "My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion:" (ASV).   Now wisdom includes sound judgment.   Just imagine the life that Jesus (Yeshua) could have lived if he gave into worldly thinking, he could have been the richest and most powerful man of all times, but he well knew that worldly materialism and power was just vaniety per Ecclesiastes 4:4, "Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind." (ASV); and Ecclesiastes 5:10, "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceedeth from the ruler:" (ASV).

However, Jesus (Yeshua) was not interested in making money and having a surplus of possessions.  He kept focused on doing his Father's will as shown at Matthew 8:20, "And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (ASV); and Matthew 6:22, "The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." (ASV).   He wisely kept his 'eye' focused on the kingdom of God that will rectify all the wrongs on earth and make it anew per Matthew 6:19-21, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:  20  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  21  for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also." (ASV).

Therefore we in order to emulate our Lord and savior Jesus (Yeshua) should take steps to simplify our life in keeping with 1 Timothy 6:9-10, "After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth." (ASV).

CONCLUSION:

We must become imitators of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ, and seek wisdom, and live modest lives in keeping with Proverbs 11:2, "When pride cometh, then cometh shame; But with the lowly is wisdom." (ASV).

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT    WWW.JW.ORG

 

12/22/2023 8:12 pm  #2872


Re: Scripture of the Day

THOUGHT FOR TODAY, LOVE IS THE LUBRICANT OF LIFE PER 1 JOHN 4:7-10, " Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another,p because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God.q 8 Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love.r 9 By this the love of God was revealed in our case, that God sent his only-begotten Sons into the world so that we might gain life through him.t 10 The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice*u for our sins."

HERE IS VOL 678BB –  COMBINATION OF (1) INTERESTING VIDEO AND TALKING SHOWING WONDERS OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S CREATION, [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND AN A VIDEO INTRODUCTION TO BOOK OF GENESIS  [3]   MEMBERS OF ISLAM FALSELY CLAIM THEIR RELIGION IS ONE OF PEACE

(1) TO VIEW WAS IT DESIGNED OR CREATED, VIEW THE VIDEO, THAT IS A SHORT VIDEO LEADING INTO A GROUP IN THE BELOW THE NEXT SHORT VIDEO, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING,   
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODBibleCreation/docid-502200134_1_VIDEO
TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE & THE BIBLE, CREATION OR EVOLUTION??—PART 2: WHY BELIEVE IN GOD?,  CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/teenagers/ask/creation-evolution-part-2/


COMBINATION OF [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [3]    MEMBERS OF ISLAM FALSELY CLAIM THEIR RELIGION IS ONE OF PEACE:

[2]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [678B]


For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.   Jeremiah 29:11,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]

And what is required is shown as Psalms 33:8 – 11, [AV] “Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.  9  Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. 10  My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.   11  The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”

TO VIEW AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF GENESIS, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER, THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/genesis-introduction/ 


[3]       MEMBERS OF ISLAM FALSELY CLAIM THEIR RELIGION IS ONE OF PEACE:

Members of Islam Falsely claim their religion is one of peace, but every day the world news continues to show they are not telling the truth.

For example,

[1] Every day the world news contains reports of violence either from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, or Pakistan or an other Muslim country.

[2] At least every week the world news contains reports of suicide bombers in Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, or elsewhere.

[3] At least monthly the world news contains reports of bombs against transportation systems.

[4] Often reports of families murdering their own daughter are reported out of Turkey and elsewhere in the Muslim world (honour killings, etc.).

[5] World reports on fighting here or there such as in Lebanon this week.

Now what do these all have in common? They are perpetrated by members of Islam.

No wonder that the Australian paper correctly called it, on the conservative side.

:
Let's look at some more facts, <<<"Islam is intolerant of other religions, so much so that Christians in Nigeria, Sudan and middle eastern countries are killed for practicing their religion. Muslims are also responsible for burning down their churches. Sydney has recently seen an attack on four churches for similar reasons. (December 16, 2005) How can we tolerate such intolerance?">>.[7]

Says it all, so clearly Islam should be redefined as something other than a religion. So it is very necessary that this greed and hate be addressed. Remember, Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (AV).

Let's consider the facts as continually revealed in the world news that shows if any thing that the newspaper editor may have been a little low when he said 95 percent of the violence in the world was caused by Muslims. Here are some instances of terrorism by members of Islam:[7]

(1) World Trade Center - 9/11 - unprovoked attack and mass murder by Muslims.[8]
(2) London Subway Bombing by Muslims [9]
(3) Continued mosque bombings in Iraq by Muslims.[10]
(4) Suicide bombings in Israel by Muslims.[11]
(5) Suicide bombing of a wedding reception in Jordan by Muslims.[12]
(6) Daily roadside bombings in Iraq by Muslims.[13]
(7) Train bombings in Spain my Muslims.[14]
(8) Riots and car burnings and murders in France by Muslims.[15]
(9) Suicide bombings in Iraq by Muslims.[16]
(10) Car and truck bombings in Iraq by Muslims.[17]
(11) Unprovoked murder of 8 Israelis and the kidnapping of 2 by Muslims to provoke turmoil and violence in Lebanon and Israel by Muslims.[18]
(12) Unprovoked murder of 2 Israelis and the kidnapping of 1 by Muslims to provoke turmoil and violence in Gaza by Muslims.[19]
(13) Bombing of restaurants and cafes in Bali, Indonesia by Muslims.[20]
(14) Bombing of a trains in India by Muslims.[21]
(15) Take over of a grammar school in Russia resulting in the deaths of many students by Muslims.[22]
(16) Attempted shoebombing of a plane by a Muslim.[23]
(17) Conspiracy to bomb about 10 planes going from UK by Muslims.[24]
(18) Attempted murder of several Indian politicians in Kashmir by Muslims.[25]
(19) Many violent acts by Muslims in Afghanistan.[26]
(20) Murder of a girl by Shiite Muslims in Iran.[27]
(21) Conspiracy to bomb trains in Germany - as previously posted for you.[28]
(22) And the list could go on and on, get it?
References:
[7] The Weekend Australian, November 26-27, 2005 AD
[8] World Trade Center bombing, by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[9] Explosions Hit Three Tube Stations, One Bus, Thursday, July 21, 2005, Fox News
[10] By Ellen Knickmeyer and K.I. Ibrahim, Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, February 23, 2006; Page A01
[11] Suicide attack, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[12] Zarqawi Calls for Jordan King's Head, Friday, November 18, 2005
[13] The Daily Star, 03/21/2006, Vol. 5 #644
[14] CBS News, WASHINGTON, March 12, 2004
[15] Free Republic, News/Activism 05/30/2006 5:46:30 PM PDT, and, The Telegraph, By Colin Randall in Paris (Filed: 31/05/2006)
[16] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[17] CNN, Thursday, March 18, 2004 Posted: 4:59 PM EST (2159 GMT)
[18] Telegraph (UK), Israeli crisis is a smoke screen for Iran's nuclear ambitions, By Con Coughlin(Filed: 14/07/2006)
[19] Associated Press
[20] aljazeera.net, Bali a soft target, experts say, By Marianne Kearney in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday 03 October 2005, 20:20 Makka Time, 17:20 GMT
[21] MSNBC, Associated Press, Updated: 6:26 p.m. ET July 12, 2006
[22] Beslan school hostage crisis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[23] CNN, CNN NEWSNIGHT AARON BROWN, Debate Over Guantanamo Detainees Continues, Aired January 21, 2002 - 22:00 ET
[24] TIME, The Daily Dish, by Andrew Sullivan, The Alleged UK Terror Plot, 16 Aug 2006 09:58 am
[25] The New Yorker, BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS - India and Pakistan are caught in a dangerous struggle over Kashmir. But what do its people want? by Isabel Hilton , Issue of 2002-03-11
[26] USA Today, USA's Muslims under a cloud, Updated 8/10/2006 9:13 AM ET
[27] NITV Satellite TV station located in Los Angeles, on Masjed Soleymaani Hastam, and [FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The Great, and (in German) Iran/forum/viewtopic.php of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia' and http://sosiran97.home.comcast.net/MasjedSoleymaaniHastam.mp3, and
[28] AOL NEWS, War on Terror, and Netscape.com, Third Lebanese Arrested in German Train Terror Plot , (via dailystar.com.lb)
[source - Large Religions are False Religions - Their Fruitage, by Iris the Preacher].

Today, this just came across world news,

:4 charged in JFK Airport terror plot By ADAM GOLDMAN, Associated Press Writer
25 minutes ago [6/02/2007]

NEW YORK - A suspected terrorist cell planned a "chilling" attack to destroy
John F. Kennedy International Airport, kill thousands of people and trigger an
economic catastrophe by blowing up a jet fuel artery that runs through populous
residential neighborhoods, authorities said Saturday.

Three men were arrested and one was being sought in Trinidad on Saturday. In an
indictment charging the four men, one of them is quoted as saying the foiled
plot would "cause greater destruction than in the Sept. 11 attacks," destroying
the airport, killing several thousand people and destroying parts of Queens,
where the line runs underground.

One of the suspects, Russell Defreitas, a U.S. citizen native to Guyana and
former JFK employee, said the airport was a symbol that would put "the whole
country in mourning."

"It's like you can kill the man twice," Defreitas said, according to the
indictment. The plot never got past the planning stages. It posed no immediate threat to air safety or the public, the FBI said Saturday.
"The devastation that would be caused had this plot succeeded is just
unthinkable," U.S. Attorney Roslynn R. Mauskopf said at a news conference,
calling it "one of the most chilling plots imaginable."

Defreitas was in custody in Brooklyn and was expected to be arraigned Saturday
afternoon. Two other men, Abdul Kadir of Guyana and Kareem Ibrahim of Trinidad, are in custody in Trinidad. A fourth man, Abdel Nur of Guyana, was still being sought in Trinidad.

The pipeline, owned by Buckeye Pipeline Co., takes fuel from a facility in
Linden, N.J., to the airport. Other lines service LaGuardia Airport and Newark
Liberty International Airport.

Kadir, a Muslim and former member of Parliament in Guyana, was arrested in
Trinidad for attempting to secure money for "terrorist operations," according to
a Guyanese police commander who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Kadir left his position in Parliament last year. Muslims make up about 9 percent
of the former Dutch and British colony's 770,000 population, mostly from the
Sunni sect.

Isha Kadir, the Guyanese suspect's wife, said her husband flew from Guyana to
Trinidad on Thursday. She said he was arrested Friday as he was boarding a
flight from Trinidad to Venezuela, where he planned to pick up a travel visa to
attend an Islamic religious conference in Iran.

"We have no interest in blowing up anything in the U.S.," she said Saturday from
the couple's home in Guyana. "We have relatives in the U.S."
Buckeye spokesman Roy Haase said the company, which moves petroleum through
pipelines in a number of states, had been informed of the threat from the
beginning.

"Given the nature of Buckeye business and the importance of this transportation
network, we have an intense and ongoing communications relationship with the
Port Authority, the New York City fire and police departments, the federal
Department of Homeland Security and the FBI," he said.

The arrests mark the latest in a series of alleged homegrown terrorism plots
targeting high-profile American landmarks. A year ago, seven men were arrested in what officials called the early stages of a plot to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago and destroy FBI offices and other buildings.

A month later, authorities broke up a plot to bomb underwater New York City
train tunnels to flood lower Manhattan. And six people were arrested a month ago in an alleged plot to unleash a bloody
rampage on Fort Dix in New Jersey.
___
Associated Press Writer Tom Hays and Pat Milton contributed to this report.

The latest, members of Islam attacked some farms and a music festival in Israel killing over 1,000 innocent individuals, and brought on a war that has resulted in many deaths among those guilty of this massacre and those who support them.

Now what is the problem? It is the fact that Islam is not a peaceful religion as it claims, but just the opposite. If world peace is really desired it is a cancer that needs to be removed.

NOTE, most Muslims are not terrorist, but their religion is guilty of inciting same.  Also, many so called Christian religions are also guilty of inciting strife as clearly shown by the 100 year war of religion in Europe.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT   WWW.JW.ORG

     Thread Starter
 

12/26/2023 8:54 am  #2873


Re: Scripture of the Day

HERE IS VOL 679BB –  COMBINATION OF (1) INTERESTING VIDEO AND TALKING SHOWING WONDERS OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S CREATION, [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND AN A VIDEO INTRODUCTION TO BOOK OF EXODUS  [3]  DISCOURSE ON A LOST BOOK OF THE BIBLE:

(1) TO VIEW WAS IT DESIGNED OR CREATED, VIEW THE VIDEO, THAT IS A SHORT VIDEO LEADING INTO A GROUP IN THE BELOW THE NEXT SHORT VIDEO, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING,   
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODBibleCreation/docid-502200134_1_VIDEO
TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE & THE BIBLE, CREATION OR EVOLUTION??—PART 2: WHY BELIEVE IN GOD?,  CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/teenagers/ask/creation-evolution-part-3/
<[ sources for a more in-depth study, go to, https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/was-life-created/bibliography/  ]>

COMBINATION OF [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [3]   DISCOURSE ON A LOST BOOK OF THE BIBLE

[2] SCRIPTURE FOR THOUGHT

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 VIEW A VIDEO ON INTRODUCTION TO BOOK OF EXODUS, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER, THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/books-of-bible-intros/book-of-exodus/ 


[3]    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.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION, BOTH TRUE AND FALSE, AT WWW.JW.ORG

     Thread Starter
 

12/29/2023 8:41 pm  #2874


Re: Scripture of the Day

HERE IS VOL 680B –  COMBINATION OF (1) INTERESTING VIDEO AND TALKING SHOWING WONDERS OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S CREATION, [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND AN A VIDEO INTRODUCTION TO BOOK OF LEVITICUS,  [3]   HERE IS A COMMENTARY ON BOUNTIFUL TREES AND VEGETABLES GOD (YHWH) HAS PROVIDED FOR MANKIND, SPECIFICALLY THE GOVERNOR’S PLUM.

(1) TO VIEW WAS IT DESIGNED OR CREATED, VIEW THE VIDEO, THAT IS A SHORT VIDEO LEADING INTO A GROUP IN THE BELOW THE NEXT SHORT VIDEO, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING,   
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODBibleCreation/docid-502200134_1_VIDEO
TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE & THE BIBLE, CREATION OR EVOLUTION??—PART 4: WHY BELIEVE IN GOD?,  CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING:
Creation or Evolution?​—Part 4: How Can I Explain My Belief in Creation?


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

[1]     SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [680B]

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.  19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?   1 Corinthians 6:18,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]

It is imperative that we run from fornication which is a sin against one’s own body.  This is clearly highlighted at Joshua 1:7 – 9, [AV] “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.  8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.  9  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

TO VIEW A VIDEO ON INTRODUCTION TO BOOK OF LEVITICUS, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER, THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/books-of-bible-intros/book-of-leviticus/


[2]    Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the governor’s plum, Flacourtia is a genus of flowering plants in the willow family, Salicaceae. It was previously placed in the now defunct family Flacourtiaceae. The generic name honors Étienne de Flacourt (1607–1660), a governor of Madagascar. It contains 15 species of shrubs and small trees that are native to the African and Asian tropics and subtropics. Several species, especially F. indica, are cultivated as ornamentals and for their fruits. The trunks of small trees are often guarded by branching spines/ [source - retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flacourtia  on  1/09/2013]

Description
This is a bushy shrub or tree with a spiny trunk and branches. In shrub form it grows up to 25 feet (7.6 m) and as a tree it reaches a maximum height around 50 feet (15 m). The drooping branches bear oval leaves. The seeds are dispersed by birds.

Relatives
The family Salicaceae includes well-known species such as kei apple (Dovyalis caffra) louvi (Flacourtia inermis), paniala (F. jangomas), and rukam (F. rukam).
The Ramontchi fruit itself is a pome about an inch thick and red ripening purple. It is very fleshy and has 6 to 10 seeds in layered carpels. The pulp is yellow or white and sweet with an acidic tang. It is eaten raw or made in to jelly or jam. It can be fermented to make wine.[3]

The leaves and roots are used in herbal medicine for treatment of snakebite. The bark is believed to be effective for arthritis. Most parts of the plant are used for cough, pneumonia, and bacterial throat infection. It has also been used for diarrhea.

The tree is planted as a living fence; it was one of the species used for the Indian Inland Customs Line. The wood is used for firewood and small wooden tools such as plow handles.[3]

Cultivation
The plant is known as an occasionally invasive introduced species in some areas. It has been cultivated in Florida in the United States and today it occurs as a weed in some parts of the state. [source - retrieved from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flacourtia_indica on  1/09/2013]

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

To see distribution in the USA, go to  http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=FLIN

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT   WWW.JW.ORG

     Thread Starter
 

12/31/2023 8:51 pm  #2875


Re: Scripture of the Day

HERE IS VOL 681B –  COMBINATION OF (1) INTERESTING VIDEO AND TALKING SHOWING WONDERS OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S CREATION, [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND AN A VIDEO INTRODUCTION TO BOOK OF NUMBERS,  [3]  CHRIST - SENT FORTH BY HIS FATHER TO ANNOUNCE HIS COMING KINGDOM:

(1) TO VIEW WAS IT DESIGNED OR CREATED, VIEW THE VIDEO, THAT IS A SHORT VIDEO LEADING INTO A GROUP IN THE BELOW THE NEXT SHORT VIDEO, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING,   
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODBibleCreation/docid-502200134_1_VIDEO
TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE & THE BIBLE, THE UNTOLD STORY OF CREATION, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/g201403/untold-story-of-creation/


COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    CHRIST - SENT FORTH BY HIS FATHER TO ANNOUNCE HIS COMING KINGDOM:

[2]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [681B]

But men who keep planning to get rich fall into temptations and snares and many foolish, hurtful desires which plunge people into destruction and ruin.  1 Timothy 6:9 [Authorized King James, AV]

And as 1 Timothy 6:10 - 12 states, [AV] “For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some men in reaching after riches have wandered from the faith and pierced their hearts with many a pang.  11  But you, as a man of God, must be fleeing always from these things; you must constantly strive for uprightness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.  12  Keep up the good fight for the faith. Keep your hold on eternal life, to which God called you, when before many witnesses you made the good profession of faith.”

TO VIEW AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF NUMBERS, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER, THE FOLLOWING.
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/books-of-bible-intros/book-of-numbers/ 


[3]       CHRIST - SENT FORTH BY HIS FATHER TO ANNOUNCE HIS COMING KINGDOM:

INTRODUCTION:

Almighty God (YHWH) sent his Son, Jesus (Yeshua), to the earth to announce his coming kingdom which will have his son as ruler for a 1,000 years and then he, Jesus (Yeshua), the Son will turn all over to his Father per 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, "But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep.  21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  22  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  23  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming.  24  Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power.  25  For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet.  26  The last enemy that shall be abolished is death.  27  For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him.  28  And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all." (American Standard Version; ASV).   In verse 28, it clearly shows that Jesus (Yeshua) will have everything on earth subject to him, and when all is subject to him, he will in turn subject himself to his Father, Almighty God (YHWH).

Many individuals, when they pray the Lords Prayer found in Matthew the 6 th. Chapter overlook exactly what they are asking for at Matthew 6:9-10, "After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth." (ASV), that they are asking for a real government that will govern in righteousness.   It will bring the earth's condition to what it was originally intended by the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, as stated in Revelation 21:3-4, "And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God:  4  and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away." (ASV).

In other words, He sent his only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua), to earth to make him known and to announce his coming kingdom.

SHOW BY YOUR PRAYERS AND ACTIONS THAT YOU GRASP THE URGENCY OF THE SITUATION:

Jesus (Yeshua) well knew the urgency of the situation as shown by his actions recorded at Matthew 9:35-38, "And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.  36  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd.  37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few.  38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest." (ASV).   He always took time out of his busy schedule to help all understand as shown by his conversation with a Samaritan women at the well per John 4:5-34,

“And he must needs pass through Samaria.
5  So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph:
6  and Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8  For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy food.
9  The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?
12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?
13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14  but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life.
15  The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come all the way hither to draw.
16  Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17  The woman answered and said unto him, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou saidst well, I have no husband:
18  for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: this hast thou said truly.
19  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father.
22  Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.
23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers.
24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
25  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things.
26  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27 ¶  And upon this came his disciples; and they marvelled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why speakest thou with her?
28  So the woman left her waterpot, and went away into the city, and saith to the people,
29  Come, see a man, who told me all things that ever I did: can this be the Christ?
30  They went out of the city, and were coming to him.
31  In the mean while the disciples prayed him, saying, Rabbi, eat.
32  But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not.
33  The disciples therefore said one to another, Hath any man brought him aught to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.”  (ASV).

CHRIST SENT FORTH TO DECLARE THE KINGDOM OF GOD:

Jesus (Yeshua) main purpose was to declare the coming kingdom of God per Luke 4:42-43, "And when it was day, he came out and went into a desert place: and the multitudes sought after him, and came unto him, and would have stayed him, that he should not go from them.  43  But he said unto them, I must preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also: for therefore was I sent." (ASV).   Likewise, all his genuine (true) followers must be diligent in the work, also, of making God's kingdom known to all with respect to its being a real government from Almighty God (YHWH) through his Son, Jesus (Yeshua), that he has appointed to rule it on his behalf for a 1,000 years.    As he told his disciples and apostles at John 21:15, "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." (ASV), so too must his genuine (true) followers do likewise.

Genuine (true) followers of Jesus (Yeshua) should keep active and not 'cool' off in this activity per Mark 1:35-38, "And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose up and went out, and departed into a desert place, and there prayed.  36  And Simon and they that were with him followed after him;  37  and they found him, and say unto him, All are seeking thee.  38  And he saith unto them, Let us go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also; for to this end came I forth." (ASV).   

WHY DID JESUS (YESHUA) PREACH?

Simple he preached to make his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) known and as previously mentioned to make known the coming kingdom of God.   At John 17:24-26, Jesus (Yeshua) made this known, "Father, I desire that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.  25  O righteous Father, the world knew thee not, but I knew thee; and these knew that thou didst send me;  26  and I made known unto them thy name, and will make it known; that the love wherewith thou lovedst me may be in them, and I in them." (ASV).

He clearly made his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) known to men and he said at John 17:1-5, "These things spake Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that the son may glorify thee:  2  even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that to all whom thou hast given him, he should give eternal life.  3  And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ.  4  I glorified thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which thou hast given me to do.  5  And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." (ASV).   As Jesus (Yeshua) said to his followers at John 15:9-16, "Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you: abide ye in my love.  10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.  11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.  12  This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.  13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  14  Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you.   15  No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known unto you.  16  Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (ASV).

Also, while the genuine (true) followers make known God's kingdom and Jesus' (Yeshua's) Father, they should do so humbly per Jesus' (Yeshua's) example at Luke 18:35 to 19:10, "And it came to pass, as he drew nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:  36  and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant.  37  And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.  38  And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.  39  And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.  40  And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,  41  What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.  42  And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight; thy faith hath made thee whole.  43  And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.  19:1  And he entered and was passing through Jericho.  2  And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich.  3  And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the crowd, because he was little of stature.  4  And he ran on before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.  5  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house.  6  And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.  7  And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, He is gone in to lodge with a man that is a sinner.  8  And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold.  9  And Jesus said unto him, To-day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham.  10  For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost." (ASV).

BE HUMBLE NOT HOSTILE TO OPPOSERS:

Also, all the genuine (true) followers should be humble to those hostile to the thrut given in the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, the Bible.   Jesus (Yeshua) showed that all genuine (true) followers of his must by humble, but not let anything divert their attention from the message he assigned them per 1 Timothy 4:16, "Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee." (ASV).  As he said at Luke 4:43, "But he said unto them, I must preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also: for therefore was I sent." (ASV), here referring to being sent by his Father, Almighty God (YHWH).

Genuine (true) followers must never let a mixed or hostile response to the message of the Kingdom deter them any more that their leader Jesus (Yeshua) did per John 7:35-52, "The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him; and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to take him.   33  Jesus therefore said, Yet a little while am I with you, and I go unto him that sent me.  34  Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, ye cannot come.  35  The Jews therefore said among themselves, Whither will this man go that we shall not find him? will he go unto the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?  36  What is this word that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am, ye cannot come?  37 ¶  Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.  38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water.  39  But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.  40  Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, This is of a truth the prophet.  41  Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, What, doth the Christ come out of Galilee?  42  Hath not the scripture said that the Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?  43  So there arose a division in the multitude because of him.  44  And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.  45 ¶  The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why did ye not bring him?  46  The officers answered, Never man so spake.  47  The Pharisees therefore answered them, Are ye also led astray?  48  Hath any of the rulers believed on him, or of the Pharisees?
49  But this multitude that knoweth not the law are accursed.  50  Nicodemus saith unto them (he that came to him before, being one of them),  51  Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?  52  They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and see that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet." (ASV).

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT    WWW.JW.ORG

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1/09/2024 7:48 am  #2876


Re: Scripture of the Day

HERE IS VOL 682B –  COMBINATION OF (1) INTERESTING VIDEO AND TALKING SHOWING WONDERS OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S CREATION, [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND AN A VIDEO TO B INTRODUCTION OOK OF DEUTERONOMY,  [3]  CHRIST - COMMANDED ALL BELIEVERS TO MAKE DISCIPLES:

(1) TO VIEW WAS IT DESIGNED OR CREATED, VIEW THE VIDEO, THAT IS A SHORT VIDEO LEADING INTO A GROUP IN THE BELOW THE NEXT SHORT VIDEO, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING,   
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODBibleCreation/docid-502200134_1_VIDEO
TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE & THE BIBLE, THE CARPENTER ANT’S ANTENNA CLEANER:
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/science/was-it-designed/carpenter-ant-antenna-cleaner/


COMBINATION OF [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [3]    CHRIST - COMMANDED ALL BELIEVERS TO MAKE DISCIPLES:

[1]    SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [682B]

“But men who keep planning to get rich fall into temptations and snares and many foolish, hurtful desires which plunge people into destruction and ruin.”  1 Timothy 6:9 [Authorized King James Bible; AV]

And as 1 Timothy 6:10 - 12 states, [AV] “For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some men in reaching after riches have wandered from the faith and pierced their hearts with many a pang.  11  But you, as a man of God, must be fleeing always from these things; you must constantly strive for uprightness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.  12  Keep up the good fight for the faith. Keep your hold on eternal life, to which God called you, when before many witnesses you made the good profession of faith.”

TO VIEW AN INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY, CLICK OR ENTER IN BROWSER, THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/deuteronomy-introduction/


[2]    CHRIST - COMMANDED ALL BELIEVERS TO MAKE DISCIPLES:

INTRODUCTION:

From the start of his ministry, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ sought disciples since he well knew the work before him could not be done by him along.   At first his ministry consisted of only preaching to the lost sheep of the house of Israel since his assignment by his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) was to go the lost sheep of the house of Israel per Matthew 15:24, "But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (American Standard Version; ASV).   Of course after the Jewish leaders rejected him, the message of God was taken to others with the Apostle Peter being given the opportunity to open the work to the gentiles as follows, Acts 10:1-21, "Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,  2  a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.  3  He saw in a vision openly, as it were about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, Cornelius.  4  And he, fastening his eyes upon him, and being affrighted, said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God.  5  And now send men to Joppa, and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter:  6  he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side.  7  And when the angel that spake unto him was departed, he called two of his household-servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;  8  and having rehearsed all things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.  9 ¶  Now on the morrow, as they were on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour:  10  and he became hungry, and desired to eat: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance;  11  and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth:  12  wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven.
13  And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat.  14  But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean."  15  And a voice came unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common.  16  And this was done thrice: and straightway the vessel was received up into heaven.  17  Now while Peter was much perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate,  18  and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, were lodging there.  19 ¶  And while Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.  20  But arise, and get thee down, and go with them, nothing doubting: for I have sent them.  21  And Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?" (ASV).

Of course, when Jesus (Yeshua) saw another in need, he would assist them even if they were not of the household of Israel due to his great compassion and interest in mankind and this was shown even before he came to earth to be born as a human at Proverbs 8:30-31, "Then I was by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him,  31  Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men." (ASV). 

JESUS (YESHUA) SAID - GO MAKE DISCIPLES:

Interestingly after his resurrection by his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) and before his ascension to heaven, Jesus (Yeshua) stressed to all his genuine (true) followers the need to go out and make disciples as recorded at Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:  20  teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (ASV).   Why, was he so concerned?   He was so concerned as he knew all needed to learn the truth per John 8:32, " and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (ASV), because he knew it was vital for all of mankind and that he was not the one who would carry it to the most distant parts of the world.

He clearly said his disciples would do be the ones to carry the work to all the earth in keeping with his command at Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come." (ASV); therefore, he humbly acknowledged that they would do per John 14:12, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (ASV).   What did he mean by greater works?   He meant three things:

First, His followers would cover more territory; they would bear witness to the extremities of the earth - far beyond the boarders of the land of Palestine where Jesus (Yeshua) himself preached.

Two, That his followers would reach more people - the small band of disciples he left quickly grew into the thousands before the end of the 1 st. Century and is still growing today.

Third, That his genuine (true) followers would preach the message of the kingdom of God and of the salvation by way of Jesus (Yeshua) for a much longer period of time.   In fact, it is still being done and will continue until he stops it.

Jesus (Yeshua) was expressing confidence in his followers, and his confidence in them proved to be right on target.

DISCIPLES NEEDED TRAINING AND TO LEARN TACT:

His disciples of the 1 st. Century learned how to effectively carry on the preaching work by observing him in action.  He preached in cities, marketplaces, private homes - literally anywhere people could be reached.   Also, he inspired urgency in his disciples by his example of hard work, it was not a casual pastime for him per Luke 21:37-38, "And every day he was teaching in the temple; and every night he went out, and lodged in the mount that is called Olivet.  38  And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, to hear him." (ASV).

He was motivated by a deep-rooted love for people just as are his disciples of today.  He was full of compassion per Mark 6:34, "And he came forth and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things." (ASV).   However reaching individuals requires tact as brought out by what he said at Matthew 10:11-13, "And into whatsoever city or village ye shall enter, search out who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go forth.  12  And as ye enter into the house, salute it.  13  And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you." (ASV); and Luke 10:5, "And into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace be to this house." (ASV).

JESUS (YESHUA) TOLD HIS DISCIPLES TO EXPECT OPPOSITION:

Jesus (Yeshua) well knew that the arch-enemy of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, Almighty God (YHWH), Satan the Devil, would mount strong opposition to the discimination of God's message of his kingdom.   He stated at Mark 13:9-13, "But take ye heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in synagogues shall ye be beaten; and before governors and kings shall ye stand for my sake, for a testimony unto them.  10  And the gospel must first be preached unto all the nations.  11  And when they lead you to judgment, and deliver you up, be not anxious beforehand what ye shall speak: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit.  12  And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.  13  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." (ASV).

And God's arch-enemy Satan the Devil acted exactly as Jesus (Yeshua) had foretold.   Satan set up counterfeit religious groups to mimic the genuine (true) followers of Jesus (Yeshua), and also counter religions such as Islam, etc. to draw away from the genuine gospel of the Christ.  In fact, the religious ignorance of these counterfeit and counter religious groups actually is greater than the scientific ignorance of scientist in 1492 who for the most part thought the earth was flat and that Christopher Columbus would sail off the end of the earth.   Of course Columbus did not.

Opposition of course came on strong to the preaching of the genuine (true) gospel of Christ as shown at Luke 10:10-12, "But into whatsoever city ye shall enter, and they receive you not, go out into the streets thereof and say,  11  Even the dust from your city, that cleaveth to our feet, we wipe off against you: nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh.  12  I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city." (ASV).   Of course, this fact of opposition serves as a gauge to ascertain whether you truly are one of his disciples in that if you do not experience it, you probably are not one of his genuine (true) followers.   Another gauge would be as John 13:34-35 shows, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (ASV).   Now, if you experience opposition when preaching the gospel of Christ and the group (congregation) you are associated with has love among its members - this is a good indicator that you may be a genuine (true) follower of Christ.

However, three more major thing is required, First, you must have strong faith, and as Habakkuk 2:4  says, "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." (ASV).   Second, You must follow the teachings of the Bible - Old and New Testament - and put away the false creedal doctrines and practices and traditions of creedal religions.   Third, You must love your creator the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, Almighty God (YHWH), and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua).   Remember 1 John 4:8, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (ASV); and what Jesus (Yeshua) said at Matthew 22:37-40, "And he 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 great and first commandment.  39  And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  40  On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets." (ASV).

JESUS (YESHUA) COMMISSION TO HIS DISCIPLES:

Jesus (Yeshua) in giving his genuine (true) followers the commission to go out and preach the gospel of Christ clearly also wanted us to make disciples as shown at Matthew 28:18-20, " And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.  19  Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:  20  teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (ASV).   He made it clear that all authority had been given to him which harmonizes with John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me." (ASV); and showed that his Father, Almighty God (YHWH) had delegated him the job of judging all of mankind at John 5:22, "For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son;" (ASV).

All should pay more than the usual attention to what he said at Matthew 28:19 in that he specifically tells his genuine (true) followers to go forth and "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them," etc.  So all his genuine (true) followers should be eager to initiate conversations with others in person or by electronic means with a view of assisting all to know the gospel of Christ and of God's coming kingdom.   But in Matthew 28:20 he emphasis the need to properly teach all to observe what he had commanded until the culmination of the end times.

Therefore as Luke 12:22-32 shows, "And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  23  For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment.  24  Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds!  25  And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life?  26  If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest?  27  Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  28  But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith?  29  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.  30  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.  31  Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you.  32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (ASV).

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT    WWW.JW.ORG

     Thread Starter
 

1/12/2024 8:16 am  #2877


Re: Scripture of the Day

HERE IS VOL 683B –  COMBINATION OF (1) INTERESTING VIDEO AND TALKING SHOWING WONDERS OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S CREATION, [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND AN A VIDEO TO B INTRODUCTION OOK OF JOSHUA,  [3]  ALMIGHTY GOD (YHWH) WANTS EVERYONE TO BE SAVED:

(1) TO VIEW WAS IT DESIGNED OR CREATED, VIEW THE VIDEO, THAT IS A SHORT VIDEO LEADING INTO A GROUP IN THE BELOW THE NEXT SHORT VIDEO, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING,   
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODBibleCreation/docid-502200134_1_VIDEO
TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE & THE BIBLE, WHEN DID GOD BEGIN TO CREATE THE UNIVERSE?
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/days-of-creation-universe/



COMBINATION OF [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [3]    ALMIGHTY GOD (YHWH) WANTS EVERYONE TO BE SAVED:

[2]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [683B]

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.  9  This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.   1 Timothy 4:8 – 9, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes bodily exercise is good, but exercising godliness brings rewards from our Creator, Almighty God (YHWH).  This is clearly shown by 1 Timothy 6:12, [AV] “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

TO VIEW INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF JOSHUA, CLICK OR LOAD IN BROWSER, THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/books-of-bible-intros/book-of-joshua/ 


[3]       ALMIGHTY GOD (YHWH) WANTS EVERYONE TO BE SAVED:

INTRODUCTION:

The fact is as shown by 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (American Standard Version; ASV). 

WE HUMANS DESIRE THE SAME:

All of us want to be saved and not perish, but most are going about it in the wrong way.   They are failing to seek to win the approval of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, Almighty God (YHWH), and many are even believing in false gods such as the three-in-one-god, the old middle eastern pagan god, Buddha,  money, themselves, etc.

Most, like God, desire that people of all sorts attain to repentance and gain salvation.    However, to gain repentance and salvation we should be determined to imitate God, and tell others of the truth about the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, Almighty God (YHWH), as found in his inspired book the Bible. This being the only book of universal truth, a standard to live by. the Bible is NOT the product of one committee or strongman. It has over 40 individual writers who wrote under divine inspiration/guidance putting the thoughts of God (YHWH) into the words of men much as transcribing secretaries today taking transcription and then later typing it out. In other words one real author, God (YHWH), and many scribes each of whom wrote in his own style over a period of approximately 1,600 years. All of what people call or consider inconsistencies are really not such, but most often just a problem of translation and/or understanding, i.e., lack of understanding of what the original writer writing in his own language and culture meant/said in his original writing. What is remarkable, is the writers over such a period of time all wrote in harmony when even most posters on threads on this forum can not even stay on track or subject over a period of a few days and/or weeks at most with the original subject of the thread. This fact of harmony over a period so great as to almost stagger the imagination shows that it had one guiding force or author who divinely inspired its writers as humans of their own volition can not keep on track over short periods of time.


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

MUST DEPEND ON ALMIGHTY GOD (YHWH):

Utimately, though, all true followers of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, Son, Jesus (Yeshua) must depend on him for strength since those doing the work of letting others know of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, kingdom that will rule earth in the near future in answer to the part of the Lord's Prayer found at Matthew 6:9-10, "After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth." (American Standard Version; ASV), and of his purpose for mankind will suffer persecution.   In fact, if one does not suffer persecution and opposition for letting others know the truth, they are NOT publishing the truth and need to do an objective self-examination - post haste.   

Almighty God (YHWH) sustains and fortifies the genuine (true) followers of his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ by means of his spirit (his active force), his organization, and his WORD, as found in the Bible.   Almighty God (YHWH) supplies endurance to those who are willing to reflect and/or make known his glory.

He answers the prayers and gives wisdom to deal with trials per Romans 15:5-6, "Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus:
6  that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (ASV); and James 1:5-7, "But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  6  But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.  7  For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord;" (ASV).

What is more, Almighty God (YHWH) does not allow us to be subjected to any trial that is impossible to bear.   Therefore, if we trust in Almighty God (YHWH), he will provide the way out so that we can continue to reflect his glory per 1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it." (ASV).

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT   WWW.JW.ORG

     Thread Starter
 

1/19/2024 9:23 pm  #2878


Re: Scripture of the Day

HERE IS VOL 684B –  COMBINATION OF (1) INTERESTING VIDEO AND TALKING SHOWING WONDERS OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S CREATION, [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND AN A VIDEO TO B INTRODUCTION BOOK OF JUDGES,  [3]  REALITY, ISLAM IS AT FAULT AS THEY FAIL TO THROW OUT OR EXCOMMUNICATE BAD ACTORS:

(1) TO VIEW WAS IT DESIGNED OR CREATED, VIEW THE VIDEO, THAT IS A SHORT VIDEO LEADING INTO A GROUP IN THE BELOW THE NEXT SHORT VIDEO, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING,   
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODBibleCreation/docid-502200134_1_VIDEO
TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE & THE BIBLE, VIDEO WAS IT DESIGNED? HOW DO ANTS AVOID TRAFFIC JAMS?
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/science/was-it-designed/how-do-ants-avoid-traffic-jams/


COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    REALITY, ISLAM IS AT FAULT AS THEY FAIL TO THROW OUT OR EXCOMMUNICATE BAD ACTORS:

[2]      SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [684B]

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  John 5:28,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, at this time Almighty God (YHWH) will give us marvelous gifts.  These gifts will motivate us to do the following:

1 – To imitate Jesus (Yeshua) Christ as closely as we can.

2 – To love our fellow believers,

3 – To be forgiving of others from the heart.

TO VIEW AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF JUDGES, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER, THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/judges-introduction/


[3]        [SPECIAL NOTE, I AM INTERRUPTING THE CURRENT SERIES ON JESUS (YESHUA) TO
DEAL WITH A DANGEROUS SITUATION TO MANY DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES USING ACTUAL SHOWN DANGERS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; HOWEVER, PRESENT IN MOST DEMOCRATIC NATIONS AS A PUBLIC SERVICE.]

REALITY, ISLAM IS AT FAULT AS THEY FAIL TO THROW OUT OR EXCOMMUNICATE BAD ACTORS:

All religions, true or false, have an obligation to society to take action against known evil ones in their midst whether they are terrorist and/or pedophiles.   Those failing to do so bring responsibility for the acts of evil ones upon themselves.   Here is an article the highlights a false religion failing to take action in the USA.   At the end, an article on how responsibility for the evil committed by such ones belongs to one religions that fail to take action.

NOW THE ARTICLE:

Homegrown Terrorists, Rebels in Search of a Cause
by Peter A. Olsson
Middle East Quarterly
Summer 2013, pp. 3-10 (view PDF)

http://www.meforum.org/3539/homegrown-terrorists

The Boston bombing has refocused public attention on a steadily growing phenomenon the Obama administration has been trying to sweep under the carpet: domestic Islamist terrorists whose familiarity with American culture makes them more difficult to detect prior to their acts of terror. By way of preventing similar attacks, therefore, it is necessary not only to monitor terror networks but also to understand the psychodynamics of the creation of "homegrown terrorists" in general, and the appeal of radical Islam to "In-betweeners"—young persons in a transitional phase in one or more key aspects of their lives—in particular.

The Vulnerable "In-betweeners"
Clinical psychologist Margaret Singer's 1995 Cults in Our Midst spells out this behavioral pattern in some detail, explaining the individual's vulnerability to seduction by an exploitative cult:

Vulnerable individuals are lonely, in a transition between high school and college, between college and a job or graduate school, traveling away from home, arriving in a new location, recently jilted or divorced, fresh from losing a job, feeling overwhelmed about how things are going, or not knowing what to do next in life. Unsettling personal occurrences are commonplace. At such times, we are all open to persuasion, more suggestible, more willing to take something offered us without thinking there may be strings attached.[1]

Child psychoanalyst Anna Freud long observed that adolescent behavior can range between enthusiasm about community activities to a longing for solitude. Adolescents can be submissive to a chosen leader or defiant of any authority, extremely self-absorbed or materialistic, and simultaneously very idealistic. Additionally, adolescents are struggling with notions of psychosocial control, that is, the ability to delay gratification, regulate emotions, control impulses, and resist peer influence.[2]

Adam Gadahn, Azzam the American, achieved notoriety as al-Qaeda's most prominent English-speaking spokesman. The 25-year-old American was raised in Orange County, California, the son of rock musician Phil Pearlman, who changed the family name to Gadahn and dropped out of society to become a goat farmer when Adam was still a child. During his teens, Adam started to rebel, frequenting a mosque, and became radicalized at fifteen.

As with other malignant Pied Pipers, the appeal of Osama bin Laden and radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki has been a unique "fit" for adolescent rebelliousness and search for independent identity. Spiritual and religious sermonizing and discussion have the potential to draw young people toward a perceived idealistic pursuit of social justice or utopian causes embedded in much jihadist propaganda. The exciting study of weapons, military tactics, physical fitness, and bomb-making technology also appeals to young people; they prefer jihadism to their fathers' mundane and boring vocations. But even if they were inclined to more traditional pursuits, jobs are scarce in most countries because of the global recession.

What would otherwise be normal adolescent rebellion and protest can thus transform into terrorist identification—and actions—through the tutelage of agitators like Awlaki. Particularly vulnerable to incitement are persons in the phase of "prolonged" or "extended" adolescence, who have yet to make the transition from childlike dependence to adult-like independence, and who purposefully shy away from adult responsibilities and refuse outright to act their age.[3]

A Community of "In-Betweeners"

The same psychodynamic traits seen in individuals can also apply to communities or even countries in transition, leaving them vulnerable on a larger scale to terror cult recruitment efforts. This is particularly true for disaffected late adolescent and young adult populations. Afghanistan after the Soviet occupation; Iraq after the defeat of Saddam; politically unsettled Lebanon after the departure of Syrian armed forces; unstable Somalia and Yemen—all are fertile ground for recruitment efforts. The recent Arab upheavals, with their roller-coaster ride between the opening of social and electoral spaces and authoritarian pushback may have also increased the appeal of jihadists.

The al-Qaeda cult is built on an intricate interweaving of jihadist theology that declares a "just cause" for the terror group as posited by self-appointed messiahs like bin Laden or Awlaki who use and twist Muslim teachings to suit their own ends in recruiting and indoctrinating recruits. In addition, many madrassas (traditional Muslim religious schools) can function like prep schools for jihad and its training camps, and some radical Western mosques prey on the "in-betweeners" and provide ideal climates to satisfy the six conditions Singer delineated as effective in putting thought-reform (i.e., brainwashing) processes into action:

1.Keep the person unaware that there is an agenda to control or change the person. The terrorist training camps use peer-modeling, peer pressure, and the military with weapons and explosives training provided to excitable, angry young men. The radical jihadist incitement is presented as a normal extension of the recruits' Qur'anic study and memorization.

2. Control time and the physical environment including contacts and information. Easily accomplished in al-Qaeda's Yemeni camps where U.S. jihadists are often sent.

3. Create a sense of fear and dependency. The charismatic leaders hold forth a fantasy of shared grandiose power merged with visions of victorious jihad.

4. Suppress old behavior and attitudes. Islamists allow no debate or dialectic of discussion.

5. Instill new behavior and attitudes. Terror groups manipulate by a system of financial and social prestige rewards for the new terrorist identity and ideology which they proffer. Promised rewards from God in Paradise and for families left behind are offered by al-Qaeda.

6. Put forth a closed system of logic. This is achieved through inculcation of a zero-sum outlook: us versus them, in-group (true believers) versus out-group (infidels).[4]

Pathways of Homegrown Terrorists

The pragmatic "personal pathway model" presented by psychologist Eric Shaw further helps explain the development of homegrown terrorists in combination with the "in-betweener" concept. He has found that terrorists solidify their identity through group cohesion and personal connection instilled in them through shared experiences of harsh treatment, most often received from security forces or in prison. Just as prison can provide a personal connection, spiritual inspiration, and group identity for a future terrorist, so too does al-Qaeda implement a comparable but calculated psycho-inspirational charismatic, mystical indoctrination and group connection in their training camps.

Shaw also found that a telling turning point for future terrorists occurs upon identifying glaring inconsistencies between the political philosophies and beliefs of their parents or their families of origin and their actual impotence in terms of effective social or moral action, and that often (though not always) nascent terrorists are frustrated by their failure to achieve professional or vocational places in society despite being aptly qualified for such posts.[5]
A number of "homegrown terrorists" illustrate the psychological patterns exhibited in the adolescent identity struggles discussed above.

Azzam the American

Adam Gadahn achieved notoriety as al-Qaeda's most prominent English-speaking spokesman. The 25-year-old American was raised in Orange County, California, the son of rock musician Phil Pearlman, who changed the family name to Gadahn and dropped out of society to become a goat farmer. As one of four children working on the family goat farm, Adam was home-schooled in a nominally Christian and religiously eclectic home. According to one report, he had his first exposure to Islam as a boy through the family business when his father slaughtered goats according to Islamic law. During his teens Adam began to rebel against his family and society in general, and in 1993 moved in with his secular Jewish grandparents. Eventually, he left his grandparents' home and began frequenting the Islamic Center of Orange County.

Gadahn illustrates the classic traits of an "in-betweener"—in-between his parents' and grandparents' homes, his parents' eclectic religious tastes, and between a job or school. At the Orange County mosque, 15-year-old Adam fell under the spell of two naturalized U.S. citizens who were radical Muslims—Khalil Deek (a Palestinian computer repairman) and Hisham Diab (an Egyptian accountant). The two lived in apartments in an Anaheim neighborhood called "Little Gaza" where they began indoctrinating Adam with their extremist views. The president of the mosque, Haitham Bundakji, thought Gadahn, Deek, and Diab held such extremist views that he barred them from the site. In turn, they openly labeled him an infidel because he reached out to Christians and Jews. At one point, Gadahn was arrested for assaulting Bundakji.

Although many adolescents belittle their fathers in their struggles for independence, most actually need strong, caring male role models to help channel their energies to healthy vocational, ethical, and spiritual development. Gadahn's failed attack on the Orange County mosque's imam might easily indicate a repressed and displaced rage at, and disappointment in, both his father and grandfather.[6]

An American Taliban

John Walker Lindh represents another example of an "in-betweener" embracing radical Islam. Currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for providing aid to the Taliban in Afghanistan, Lindh (aka Suleiman Faris) has been made out by his family and lawyers to be an idealistic young California dreamer who took a wrong turn in his search for an (Islamic) identity. Attorney Henry Mark Holzer, who produced an in-depth, meticulously chronicled website about "Taliban John" disputes that view, contending that Lindh, in his own words and deeds embraced the spirit and plans of al-Qaeda to a greater degree than his defense lawyers would have the public believe.[7]

John was born in Washington, D.C., to Marilyn Walker and Frank Lindh, baptized a Catholic and grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, until his family moved to San Anselmo in Marin County, California, when he was ten. John was sickly as a child with an intestinal disorder. Later, after several middle schools were tried and found wanting, his family decided on home-schooling. John rarely left home, participated regularly in Internet chat rooms, used fake names and sometimes pretended to be African-American. The Spike Lee film Malcolm X made a big impression on him and may have sparked his interest in Islam.[8] He eventually enrolled at Redwood High School but soon left and took an independent study program, receiving a high school equivalency degree at age sixteen.[9]

Lindh's parents' marriage was having serious problems throughout his adolescent years and ended in a divorce in 1999 after which John's father "came out" as a homosexual. Some observers argue that discovering his father's homosexuality was traumatic for the teenaged Lindh.[10] Frequently, traumatic events in the life history of terrorists contribute to their embrace of radicalism, and the issue of homosexuality or homosexual behavior not connected to sexual gratification but rather to power, dependency, and submission is often a factor among radical Islamists or their recruits.[11]

When Frank Lindh moved in with a male lover in 1997, the 16-year-old John dropped his father's name in favor of his mother's name, Walker. He subsequently converted to Islam and began attending mosques in Mill Valley and San Francisco eventually travelling to Yemen for ten months to study Arabic before returning briefly to the United States in 1999, then going back to Yemen and Pakistan to study in a madrassa.[12]

There is some controversy over an incident that may or may not have occurred which, if it did, may have had a profound effect on the young American "in-betweener." Khizar Hayat, a Pakistani businessman paid for Walker's madrassa tuition. In October 2002, Time reported that Hayat admitted to a homosexual relationship with Lindh, a claim denied by the latter's lawyers. Yet it is puzzling as to why Lindh did not seek financial help for the madrassa from his parents, who had both supposedly encouraged his Islamic faith and his study of Arabic. Was he reluctant to reveal his new Islamist leanings and mentors? Or if the story is true, was he running away from an inner conflict about his father's "coming out" and his own sexual identity?[13]

The Fort Hood Shooter
Physician psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan killed thirteen people and wounded thirty-three others at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009. This 39-year-old, unmarried Army psychiatrist is a Muslim of Palestinian descent but was born and raised in Virginia.[14] Hasan showed signs of conflicts between his Muslim faith and his duties as an army medical officer. He was noted to have tried to convert some of his patients to Islam and to have given a bizarre PowerPoint presentation to his colleagues as he finished his psychiatric training.[15] He also made some grandiose recommendations and observations, including the notion that Muslim American soldiers be considered conscientious objectors,[16] and cited many Qur'anic passages that could be interpreted as against U.S. military efforts and, in hindsight, could provide rationalizations for his murderous behavior.

Hasan had extensive contacts with Awlaki, whom he apparently looked up to as a father or older brother figure. Hasan's young adult level of father longing, identity confusion, and "in-betweener" phenomena is a typical pattern among terrorist recruits (in-between assignments—his Islamist convictions and his orders to leave for Afghanistan, etc.)

The Dirty Bomber
Jose Padilla, who sometimes calls himself Abdullah al-Muhajir, planned to explode a "dirty nuclear bomb" in Chicago. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, following his parents' move to the United States mainland from Puerto Rico. He became a member of the Latin Kings street gang after his family moved to Chicago and was reportedly implicated in a gangland murder at the age of thirteen. Padilla was arrested in Florida in 1991 over a road-rage shooting incident and spent a year in jail.[17] He was subsequently arrested several times, and after serving time for aggravated assault, converted to Islam, initially professing a nonviolent philosophy and attending the Masjid al-Iman mosque in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His colleague and friend Adham Amin Hassoun was a registered agent for Benevolence International Foundation, a charitable trust that U.S. investigators accused of funding terrorist activities. Hassoun was charged with consorting with radical Islamists, including al-Qaeda, and arrested in 2002 for overstaying his visa.[18]

The increasingly radicalized Padilla traveled to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. He was tracked as an al-Qaeda follower and arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport on May 8, 2002, because of significant evidence that he had been trained in the making and using of a "dirty nuclear bomb."[19]

Significant in this case is the theme of Padilla's prison recruitment and his prolonged adolescent acting out and rebellious search for an exciting identity. Psychopathic and narcissistic character patterns as well as adolescent identity crises are important warning signs among prison populations.

The Shoe Bomber
Still another radicalized "in-betweener" is the infamous but thankfully incompetent Richard Reid. Son of an English mother and a Jamaican father, Reid was born in 1973 in the London suburb of Bromley. His father was in prison for most of Richard's childhood, and the youngster fell into a life of petty crime;[20] in the 1990s, he was jailed for assault and spent time in several youth prisons. In Feltham prison, Reid converted to Islam at age sixteen,[21] and after his release, began attending Brixton Mosque in south London.

Abdul Haqq Baker, chairman of the Brixton Mosque, indicated that at some point Reid was "tempted away" by Islamist extremists, telling the BBC that the extremists worked on weak characters and that Reid was "very, very impressionable." Reid changed his dress from Western clothes to traditional Islamic robes, topped with a khaki combat jacket. There is some speculation that he met Zacarias Moussaoui, the 9/11 conspirator during this period; Moussaoui, who attended the Brixton Mosque during the 1990s, was expelled from it because of his extremist views. On December 22, 2001, Reid was on flight 63 from Paris to Miami when he tried to light a fuse connected to explosives in his shoe but was overpowered by passengers and crew on the flight.[22]

Reid highlights the extreme level of susceptibility to recruitment by a radical Islamist terror cult. The common and ominous findings in the lives of future homegrown terrorists are: absent or weak fathers; conflicts with authority; identity struggles; unresolved father longing; and exposure to radical Islamist imams or recruiters, often in prisons or ghettos.

The Underwear Bomber
Still another would-be terrorist is Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. On Christmas Day 2009, this self-described "lonely" 23-year-old Nigerian youth carried an explosive Christmas gift aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 concealed in his underwear, intent on killing hundreds of Americans on board the plane and more on the ground in Detroit. Abdulmutallab came from a large family with fourteen siblings; as with Osama bin Laden's father Muhammad, who had forty children, it is doubtful if there was much quality father-son time for Umar and his father, a wealthy banker.

Based on some of his 2005 Internet postings, Abdulmutallab expressed conflicts about women, marriage, and family traditions, concerns that a more engaged father might have paid heed to during time with his son. "As I get lonely," he posted, "the natural sexual drive awakens, and I struggle to control it, sometimes leading to minor sinful activities like not lowering the gaze (in the presence of unveiled women). And this problem makes me want to get married to avoid getting aroused."[23] But his father denied him this outlet, forbidding it until he completed a master's degree. Instead, Abdulmutallab became drawn to his university's Islamic Society and eventually into the orbit of American-born, Yemeni-based Awlaki. Abdulmutallab displays the classic traits of a vulnerable "in-betweener" but, in this instance, appears to have also been caught between the mores and expectations of his Western-oriented parents and those of his Islamist university friends.

Conclusions
The recruitment of homegrown terrorists involves the charismatic exploitation of young "in-betweeners" by radical imams and friends as well as Internet recruiters. Terror cults use well recognized mind control, thought reform techniques, and social group atmospheres to accomplish their ends, exploiting normal adolescents' predilection for rebellion coupled with a search for ideals and causes.

The key psychodynamic patterns in homegrown terrorists are: (1) ambivalence toward, or disappointment in, parental figures resulting in "father longing"; (2) ambivalence about women, marriage, and intimacy; (3) prolonged adolescent identity searching with its accompanying crises; and, (4) an ambivalence toward authority, combining a fear or even hatred of authority with a longing for effective authority.

This conflict with authority often results in the "in-betweener" being placed in a setting that exacerbates the problem. Islamist imams, especially those affiliated with the Wahhabi brand of Salafism, regularly seek appointments as chaplains in American prisons and spread their gospel of intolerance among angry prisoners, finding a keen audience among young, incarcerated rebels in search of a cause.[24]

Are there minimally intrusive ways whereby Western intelligence officers can engage in monitoring of groups or individuals that have the potential for recruitment of young people for their dangerous and radical causes? More importantly, can specially trained teachers, diplomats, social workers, and other professionals listen to and engage in dialogue with these vulnerable young persons before they are brainwashed or seek brainwashing as a means of belonging? This, however, is a profoundly difficult and prolonged group therapy task not unlike Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and treatment of severe character and personality disorders.[25]

Peter A. Olsson is a retired physician-psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. He practiced psychiatry and psychotherapy and taught psychotherapy in Houston for twenty-five years and subsequently in New Hampshire. He is the author of Malignant Pied Pipers of Our Time: A Psychological Study of Destructive Cult Leaders from Rev. Jim Jones to Osama bin Laden (Baltimore: Publish America, 2005) and The Cult Of Osama: Psychoanalyzing Bin Laden and His Magnetism for Muslim Youths (Westport: Praeger Security International of Greenwood Group, 2007).

References used:
[1] Margaret Singer, Cults in Our Midst: The Hidden Menace in Our Everyday Lives (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1995), pp. 21, 64-9.
[2] Anna Freud, The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense (New York: International Universities Press, 1936), pp. 137-8.
[3] Siegfried Bernfeld, Über eine typische Form der männlichen Pubertät (Berlin: Imago, 1923), p. 9.
[4] Singer, Cults in Our Midst, pp. 21, 64-9.
[5] Eric D. Shaw, "Political Terrorists: Dangers of Diagnosis, Alternatives to the Psychopathological Model," International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, Summer 1986, pp. 188-9.
[6] Raffi Khatchadourian, "Azzam the American: The making of an Al Qaeda homegrown," The New Yorker, Jan. 22, 2007; Los Angeles Times, Oct. 8, 2006.
[7] Henry Mark Holzer, "Taliban John: Journey's End," FrontPage Magazine, July 17, 2002.
[8] The Guardian (London), Oct. 4, 2002; Reuters, May 4, 2007.
[9] Associated Press, Jan. 11, 2013.
[10] See, for example, Jonah Goldberg, "Family Trouble," National Review Online, Jan. 25, 2002.
[11] Lionel Ovesey, Homosexuality and Pseudohomosexuality (New York: Science House, 1969); Peter Olsson, The Cult of Osama: Psychoanalyzing Bin Laden and His Magnetism for Muslim Youths (Westport, Conn. and London: Praeger Security International of Greenwood Publishing, 2007), pp. 20-3.
[12] The Guardian, Oct. 4, 2002.
[13] Ibid.
[14] The New York Times, Nov. 5, 2009; ABC News, Nov. 6, 2009.
[15] "Hasan's Personal Jihad," Human Events, Nov. 12, 2009.
[16] Fox News, Nov. 10, 2009.
[17] "Profile: Jose Padilla," BBC News, Nov. 22, 2005.
[18] CNN, June 15, 2002.
[19] The New York Times, June 10, 2002.
[20] "Who Is Richard Reid?" BBC News, Dec. 28, 2001.
[21] "Richard Reid—The 'Shoe Bomber,'" Global Jihad, Galilee, Isr., Mar. 14, 2007.
[22] "Who Is Richard Reid?"
[23] The Guardian (London), Dec. 29, 2009.
[24] See, for example, Daniel Pipes, "Freedom House Report on Saudi Venom in U.S. Mosques," The New York Sun, Feb. 1, 2005; Patrick Dunleavy, "The Roots of Radical Islam in Prison," IPT News, Aug. 14, 2009; Paul Barrett, "How a Muslim Chaplain Spread Extremism to an Inmate Flock," The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 5, 2003.
[25] Based on author's professional observation and experience at Veterans Administration Hospital, Houston, 1969-71, 1973-78, and the Oakland Naval Hospital, 1971-73.

NOW, WHY FAILURE TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST EVIL ONES SHOWS THE RELIGION TO BE EVIL IN MANY CASES:

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT   WWW.JW.ORG

     Thread Starter
 

1/22/2024 8:05 pm  #2879


Re: Scripture of the Day

HERE IS VOL 685B –  COMBINATION OF (1) INTERESTING VIDEO AND TALKING SHOWING WONDERS OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S CREATION, [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND AN A VIDEO TO B INTRODUCTION BOOK OF RUTH,  [3]  CHRIST, STRESSED, "IT IS WRITTEN": 

(1) TO VIEW WAS IT DESIGNED OR CREATED, VIEW THE VIDEO, THAT IS A SHORT VIDEO LEADING INTO A GROUP IN THE BELOW THE NEXT SHORT VIDEO, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING,   
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODBibleCreation/docid-502200134_1_VIDEO ON A STUDENT’S DILEMMA, THE ORIGIN OF LIFE – FIVE QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING:
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/science/was-it-designed/how-do-ants-avoid-traffic-jams/


COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    CHRIST, STRESSED, "IT IS WRITTEN": 

[2]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [685B]

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:  15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.  2 Corinthians 5:14 – 15,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]

Yes, love for Almighty God (YHWH) will motivate us to imitate Jesus’, and to try to imitate his ways as closely as possible.  As 1 Peter 2:21, [AV] says, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”  Also, 1 John 2:6, [AV] says, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” 

TO VIEW THE BOOK OF RUTH, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER, CLICK THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/ruth-introduction/


[3]       CHRIST, STRESSED, "IT IS WRITTEN":  [j]

INTRODUCTION:

It is interesting that Jesus (Yeshua) Christ in his public ministry always stressed that "it is written."  When he was tempted of the Devil in Matthew 4:9-10, he said, "and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.  10  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." (American Standard Version; ASV).   Unlike many, he never gave a human opinion or put forth some tradition before the word of God, the Bible, but always gave a solid answer from the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, Almighty God (YHWH), the Bible.   This practice was clearly shown at Matthew 15:1-11 when the Pharisees were testing him to find some fault with him, "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.  10 ¶  And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:  11  Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man." (ASV).

Today, a similar condition is faced on a world wide scale.   The religious leaders of the various religions, so called Abrahamic religions - Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and the none Abrahamic religions do NOT go with what is written in their respective holy book and/or so called holy books.   The ones believing in the Bible for the most part only give it lip service and teach the people, instead, the traditions of men and their own agenda, but not what is really written in the word of God, the Bible.   They misinterpret the word of God with a view of supporting their own traditions and agenda.

However, this also applies to groups using fake holy books, also.   It is not what either the Bible or the Bible knockoff the Qur'an or some other fake holy book actually say, but how religious leaders be they priest and/or imams or muftis or what ever teach the people is the interpretation of what is written either in the Bible or the bible knockoff the Qur'an or other fake holy book that matters and governs actions.   It matters not what the Bible and/or the Bible knockoff and or other fake holy book really say.   People go by what they are taught by their religious leaders.   Take the genocide committed by the Roman Catholic Church at the direction of their supreme religious leader, the pope, against the Cathars, what mattered was not that the Bible clearly said at Exodus 20:13, "Thou shalt not kill" (ASV) , but what their religious leaders told them.   Therefore, it is the religion at fault, irregardless of what their particular holy book may say, be it the Bible or the Bible knockoff the Qur'an or some other fake holy book may say.   Neither is so called Christianity nor in Islam are most individuals actions really governed in any way by what their particular holy book really says, but they are governed by the interpretation of their religious leaders.   Thus, knowing this reality, one would be either just plain stupid and/or dumb to even bother looking at a particular religion's holy book and expect the members would conform to it.   Take the Rig Vede and find me for example a Hindu actually conforming to it instead of the interpretation given to it by his religious leaders, like looking for a needle in the haystack per K.S. Lal, India's greatest historian.

In other words, a particular religions holy book regardless of what it is becomes only a veneer or façade, but not something to govern their actions due to the religious leaders misinterpretation of it to fit their traditions and their agendas.    Take Islam, many of its members wrongly claim it is a peaceful religion of submission, but it is not since their religious leaders inbreed hate, greed, and a lust for violence in their members as world events has clearly shown.

But, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ who founded genuine (true) Christianity with his gospel as shown at Mark 1:1, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." (ASV), and  Mark 1:14, "Now after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God," (ASV).   He made known the coming kingdom of his Father, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, Almighty God (YHWH) as shown at Matthew 4:23, "And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people." (ASV).   What a difference from the religious leaders of his day that twisted the scriptures in the Bible and mislead the people in support of their traditions and agendas.

JESUS (YESHUA) DURING HIS MINISTRY ALWAYS SAID "IT IS WRITTEN."

When ever he was questioned, he always directed attention to the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, Almighty God (YHWH), the Bible.  This fact was clearly shown at Luke 10:25-28, "And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  26  And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?  27  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." (ASV).   

When Jesus (Yeshua) while on earth as a man went to the synagogue, he was handed the scroll of Isaiah.   It is a long scroll, but Jesus (Yeshua) carefully searches for the scripture he desired, Isaiah 61:1-3, and reads it, "The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;  2  to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;  3  to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified." (ASV) as recorded in Luke 4:16-21, "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read.  17  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the place where it was written,  18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised,  19  To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.  20  And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down: and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.  21  And he began to say unto them, To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears." (ASV).

Here, Jesus (Yeshua), set a pattern that he would maintain throughout his earthly ministry - he relied heavily on the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, Almighty God (YHWH), the Bible.   Why?   Simple, nothing carried more weight or precedence with Jesus (Yeshua) than the Bible because he well knew it was the Word of Almighty God (YHWH), his Father.

So throughout his ministry we find Jesus (Yeshua) quoting from the Bible.   In fact at John 7:16-17 he revealed "Jesus therefore answered them and said, My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me.  17  If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself." (ASV).   Thus, he taught his Father's words to the people as he testified to at John 8:28-29, "Jesus therefore said, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as the Father taught me, I speak these things.  29  And he that sent me is with me; he hath not left me alone; for I do always the things that are pleasing to him." (ASV); and he reinforce what he said with regard his speaking his Father's words and not his own at John 14:10, "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works." (ASV); and John 12:49-50, "For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.  50  And I know that his commandment is life eternal: the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak." (ASV); and Revelation 1:1, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John;" (ASV).

In fact, Jesus (Yeshua) is shown as quoting from over one half of the books of the Old Testament, but obviously he probably quoted from most of them since only a small fraction of what he said was actually recorded in the Bible per John 21:25, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that should be written." (ASV).

Jesus' (Yeshua's) continued quoting of the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, the Bible, clearly showed his profound reverence for it.   He taught it to them, not as their scribes did, but as one having authority per Mark 1:22, "And they were astonished at his teaching: For he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes." (ASV).

JESUS (YESHUA) TAUGHT AS ONE WITH AUTHORITY:

The fact that Jesus (Yeshua) taught them as one having authority is clearly shown at Matthew 21:12-13, "And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves;  13  and he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers." (ASV); and he was referring to what was written at Isaiah 56:7, "even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." (ASV), and it was foretold that the religious leaders per Jeremiah 7:1, I would, "Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, saith Jehovah." (ASV).

He followed up this courageous act by showing how the religious leaders were following their own agenda and not Almighty God's (YHWH) agenda.   At Matthew 21:16, he let it be known that God's word authorized, what was happening, by saying, "and said unto him, Hearest thou what these are saying? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea: did ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise?" (ASV).

These religious leaders later demanded of him, per Matthew 21:23-27, "And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?  24  And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one question, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.  25  The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe him?  26  But if we shall say, From men; we fear the multitude; for all hold John as a prophet.  27  And they answered Jesus, and said, We know not. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." (ASV).  So we can see, he exposed their wicked motives.

JESUS (YESHUA) ALWAYS DEFENDED GOD'S WORD, THE BIBLE:

IN his day, Jesus (Yeshua) frequently found the word of Almighty God (YHWH), his Father, was under frequent attack.   He vigorously defended it, even in his prayers to his Father as recorded at John 17:17, "Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth." (ASV).   Also, in answering Satan whom he well knew to be a liar per John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof." (ASV), he always quoted scripture when answering him.   He well knew that Satan, like the religious leaders of this system which he controls, misuse, misinterpret, and misrepresent what the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, the Bible says.

Some misunderstand what Jesus (Yeshua) said about the Mosaic Law and say he was trying to destroy it, but no he was defending it against misuse as was occurring in his day with respect adultery and other subjects as recorded at Matthew 5:17-22 and 27-39, "Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.  18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.  19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  20  For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.  21 ¶  Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:  22  but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire." (ASV) and Matthew 5:27-39, "Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery:  28  but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.  29  And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.  30  And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell.  31  It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:  32  but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery.  33 ¶  Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:  34  but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God;  35  nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  36  Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black.  37  But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.  38 ¶  Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:  39  but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." (ASV).

He made the point at Matthew 22:37-40 the principle the entire law 'hanged on", "And he 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 great and first commandment.  39  And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  40  On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets." (ASV) which is what should concern all today with respect the Mosaic Law. Since it "boils" it down into its two underpinnings.  But, the religious leaders attacked the Mosaic law by making is seem unduly strict, even harsh.   They also devised legalistic loopholes to weaken the force of God's law.

Genuine (true) followers of Christ today feel similarly compelled to defend the Bible against attack from religious leaders of today who claim it is out-of-date or the moral standards of it are unacceptable today.  In defending it, his genuine (true) followers imitate Jesus (Yeshua) in his willingness to let God's prophetic standard, the Bible, guide their life course and decision per Luke 18:31-34 and Luke 22:37, "And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of man.  32  For he shall be delivered up unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon:  33  and they shall scourge and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.  34  And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said." (ASV); and "For I say unto you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in me, And he was reckoned with transgressors: for that which concerneth me hath fulfilment." (ASV).

Therefore whenever genuine (true) Christian beliefs as contained in the inspired word of God, the Bible, come under attack, genuine (true) followers of his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ, should base are defense on the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is, the Bible in keeping with John 10:31-39, "The Jews took up stones again to stone him.  32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?  33  The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.  34  Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods?  35  If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken),  36  say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?  37  If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.  38  But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.  39 ¶  They sought again to take him: and he went forth out of their hand." (ASV).

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION - BOTH TRUE AND FALSE - AT    WWW.JW.ORG

     Thread Starter
 

1/25/2024 3:57 pm  #2880


Re: Scripture of the Day

HERE IS VOL 686B –  COMBINATION OF (1) INTERESTING VIDEO AND TALKING SHOWING WONDERS OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S CREATION, [2]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND AN A VIDEO TO B INTRODUCTION BOOK OF 1 SAMUEL,  [3]   HERE IS A COMMENTARY ON BOUNTIFUL TREES AND VEGETABLES GOD (YHWH) HAS PROVIDED FOR MANKIND, SPECIFICALLY OPUNTIA

(1) TO VIEW WAS IT DESIGNED OR CREATED, VIEW THE VIDEO, THAT IS A SHORT VIDEO LEADING INTO A GROUP IN THE BELOW THE NEXT SHORT VIDEO, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER THE FOLLOWING,   
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODBibleCreation/docid-502200134_1_VIDEO
NOW LISTEN TO A TALKING SHOWING, ON HOW DID LIFE BEGIN?
https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/enjoy-life-forever/section-1/lesson-06/


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

[2]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [686B]

“And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,  31  Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”   Judges 11:30 – 31,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]

He won the battle against Amon, and at Judges 11:35 - , [AV] “So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.  33  And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.  34  And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.  35  And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.  36  And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.”

Two months after this, his daughter was brought to Shiloh to serve Almighty God (YHWH) for the rest of her life in keeping with her father’s vows. 

TO VIEW AN INTRODUCTION TO 1 SAMUEL, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER, THE FOLLOWING:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/1-samuel-introduction/

[3]      HERE IS A COMMENTARY ON BOUNTIFUL TREES AND VEGETABLES GOD (YHWH) HAS PROVIDED FOR MANKIND, SPECIFICALLY OPUNTIA, commonly called prickly pear, is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.[1] Prickly pears are also known as tuna (fruit), sabra, nopal (paddle, plural nopales) from the Nahuatl word n?palli for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word n?chtli for the fruit; or paddle cactus. The genus is named for the Ancient Greek city of Opus, where, according to Theophrastus, an edible plant grew and could be propagated by rooting its leaves.[2] The most common culinary species is the Indian fig opuntia (O. ficus-

O. ficus-indica is a large, trunk-forming, segmented cactus that may grow to 5–7 m (16–23 ft) with a crown of possibly 3 m (9.8 ft) in diameter and a trunk diameter of 1 m (3.3 ft).[1] Cladodes (large pads) are green to blue-green, bearing few spines up to 2.5 cm (0.98 in) or may be spineless.[1] Prickly pears typically grow with flat, rounded cladodes (also called platyclades) containing large, smooth, fixed spines and small, hairlike prickles called glochids that readily adhere to skin or hair, then detach from the plant. The flowers are typically large, axillary, solitary, bisexual, and epiperigynous, with a perianth consisting of distinct, spirally arranged tepals and a hypanthium. The stamens are numerous and in spiral or whorled clusters, and the gynoecium has numerous inferior ovaries per carpel. Placentation is parietal, and the fruit is a berry with arillate seeds. Prickly pear species can vary greatly in habit; most are shrubs, but some, such as Opuntia echios of the Galápagos, are trees.

Ecology
O. ficus-indica thrives in regions with mild winters having a prolonged dry spell followed by hot summers with occasional rain and relatively low humidity.[1] A mean annual rainfall of 350–500 mm (14–20 in) provides good growth rates.[1] O. ficus-indica proliferates in various soils ranging from subacid to subalkaline, with clay content not exceeding 15–20% and the soil well-drained.[1] The shallow root system enables the plant to grow in shallow, loose soils, such as on mountain slopes.[1] Opuntia spreads into large clonal colonies, which contribute to its being considered a noxious weed in some places.[1][3]
Animals that eat Opuntia include the prickly pear island snail and Cyclura rock iguanas. The fruit are relished by many arid-land animals, chiefly birds, which thus help distribute the seeds. Opuntia pathogens include the sac fungus Colletotrichum coccodes and Sammons' Opuntia virus. The ant Crematogaster opuntiae and the spider Theridion opuntia are named because of their association with prickly pear cactus.
Taxonomy
When Carl Linnaeus published Species Plantarum in 1753 – the starting point for modern botanical nomenclature – he placed all the species of cactus known to him in one genus, Cactus. In 1754, the Scottish botanist Philip Miller divided them into several genera, including Opuntia. He distinguished the genus largely on the form of its flowers and fruits.[4]
Considerable variation of taxonomy occurs within Opuntia species, resulting in names being created for variants or subtypes within a species, and use of DNA sequencing to define and isolate various species.[1]
[SOURCE = RETRIVED FROM  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia    ON  11 /10/ 2019]

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