COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    Discourse on the Whether Christ is Divine:
 
[1]  SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 481A]
 
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  Isaiah 55:11,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]
 
Almighty God’s (YHWH’s) words will certainly go forth and have an effect He wants them to have, and as shown at Proverbs 1:5, [AV] “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” we should pay strict attention to them.   This thought is also expressed at Proverbs 4:20, [AV] “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.”
 
Yes, as shown by the scriptures He will per 2 Samuel 7:16, [AV] “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”  And to that end, He will use His son, Jesus (Yeshua) to wash His faithful followers clean of sin through the sacrifice of this Son’s human life as clearly shown by Revelation 1:5, [AV] “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”  
 
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Your Friend in Christ Iris89 
 
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!
[2]    Discourse on the Whether Christ is Divine:
 
Many claim are made with respect the Divinity of Jesus Christ, but when we use a little reasoning on the subject it is seen as much ado about nothing.
 
Sure he is divine as clearly shown by common sense as follows:
 
The son of a dog is a dog; whereas, a son of Almighty God (YHWH) is of course a god or godlike thus divine. This is clearly shown by the meaning of the word as follows:
 
(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
divine (GOD-LIKE) adjective
connected with a god, or like a god:
The Ayatollah described the earthquake in Iran as a divine test.
Some fans seem to regard footballers as divine beings.
England have fallen so far behind in the championship that their only hope of victory is divine intervention (= help from God).
Just because you've been promoted that doesn't give you a divine right (= one like that of a god) to tell us all what to do.
 
Oxford Dictionary
divine = /d"van/ adjective (-r, -st) 1 of, from, or like God or a god; sacred. 2 colloquial excellent. verb (-ning) 1 discover by intuition or guessing. 2 foresee. 3 practise divination. noun theologian. divining-rod dowser's forked twig. divinely adverb.
 
Wordsmyth Dictionary
1. a religious scholar or clergyman. Similar Words exegete , minister , cleric , clergyman , bishop , theologian , prelate , priest , religious
2. Definition 2. (cap.) God (usu. prec. by the). Synonyms Godhead {godhead (2)} , Divinity {divinity (2)} , Omnipotent {omnipotent} , Omniscient {omniscient} , God {god (2)} , Deity {deity (4)} Similar Words celestial
3. Definition 3. (sometimes cap.) the spiritual or godlike, as opposed to the earthly or worldly. Similar Words divinity
 
The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. Divine
 
SYLLABICATION: di·vine PRONUNCIATION: /61/wavs/43/D0304300.wav/61/wavs/43/D0304300.wavd-vn ADJECTIVE: Inflected forms: di·vin·er, di·vin·est
1a. Having the nature of or being a deity. b. Of, relating to, emanating from, or being the expression of a deity: sought divine guidance through meditation. c. Being in the service or worship of a deity; sacred. 2. Superhuman; godlike. 3a. Supremely good or beautiful; magnificent: a divine performance of the concerto. b. Extremely pleasant; delightful: had a divine time at the ball. 4. Heavenly; perfect. NOUN: 1. A cleric. 2. A theologian. VERB: Inflected forms: di·vined, di·vin·ing, di·vines
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To foretell through or as if through the art of divination. See synonyms at foretell. 2a. To know by inspiration, intuition, or reflection. b. To guess. 3. To locate (underground water or minerals) with a divining rod; douse. INTRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To practice divination. 2. To guess. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old French devine, from Latin dvnus, divine, foreseeing, from dvus, god. See dyeu- in Appendix I. V., Middle English divinen, from Old French deviner, from Latin dvnre, from dvnus.
 
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COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    God (YHWH) is Impartial:
 
[1]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 483A]
 
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.   2 Corinthians 1:3 – 4,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]
 
There is only one true God, Almighty God (YHWH), and he is the comforter of all that rest their hopes in him as testified to at Ephesians 4:6, [AV] “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”  Yes, he is per Exodus 34:6, [AV] “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”  He has great patience as shown by Romans 15:5, [AV] “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:”  He per 2 Corinthians 7:6 – 7, [AV] “Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;  7  And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.”  And, Ephesians 6:22 - 23, [AV] “Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.  23  Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  
 
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Your Friend in Christ Iris89 
 
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!
 
[2]       God (YHWH) is Impartial:
 
Romans 2:11   For there is no partiality with God.  (New American Standard Bible, Ref. Ed. By Moody Press; NASB-MP)
 
The Apostle Peter stated at Acts 10:34-35, "And Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him." (American Standard Version, ASV).   This fact was clearly shown with respect the Canaanite Rahab and her family.   When Joshua attacked the walled Canaanite City of Jericho, and defeated it with the help of  God (YHWH), who caused an earthquake that made the walls fall down, except for one small area where the house of Rahab was.  
 
Why was this house on the wall spared?   It was because Rahab, although a Canaanite, had acted in good faith to protect some of Joshua's spies as recorded at Joshua 2:1-11, "And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and Jericho. And they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay there. 2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the land. 3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, that are entered into thy house; for they are come to search out all the land. 4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them; and she said, Yea, the men came unto me, but I knew not whence they were: 5 and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; whither the men went I know not: pursue after them quickly; for ye will overtake them. 6 But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. 7 And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they that pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.   8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9 and she said unto the men, I know that Jehovah hath given you the land, and that the fear of you is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how Jehovah dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, unto Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Jehovah your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath." (ASV).   She and her family were spared while all the other Canaanites in the city were devoted to destruction by Joshua.   This clearly demonstrates a Truth as stated in the previously quoted Acts 10:34-35, that "God is no respecter of persons," i.e., he is impartial.
 
His impartiality was demonstrated in his dealings with Abraham.  The disciple James drew attention to God's (YHWH's) undeserved kindness in his dealings with Abraham and his offspring.   It was Abraham's faith, NOT his ethnic origin that made him God's (YHWH's) friend as recorded at James 2:23, "and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham Believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God." (NASB-MP).   In fact, Abraham's faith and love (agape) for God (YHWH) brought blessings to his descendants as recorded at 2 Chronicles (2 Paralipomenon), 20:7, "didst not thou our God kill all the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?" (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible).   In fact, God (YHWH) promised Abraham at Genesis 22:17-18, "I will bless thee, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the sea shore; thy seed shall possess the gates of their enemies.  18 and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice."  (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible)..
 
Thus far from showing partiality, God (YHWH) demonstrated by his dealings with Israel what he will and can do for those who obey him.   The dealings are an example of how God (YHWH) shows loyal love with respect his faithful servants.   Although Israel was God's (YHWH's) special people, this did not signify that other people were excluded from experiencing God's benevolence as shown by Exodus 19:5, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine:" (ASV); and Romans 4:1-8, " What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. 3 For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. 6 Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works, 7 [saying], Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom, the Lord will not reckon sin." (ASV).
 
Likewise, his only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua) was impartial.   During his earthly ministry, Jesus (Yeshua), who is the exact representation of his Father (YHWH), imitated God's (YHWH's) impartiality as testified to at Hebrews 1:3, "who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" (ASV).   For example, he did not hold back from witnessing to a Samaritan women at a well as shown at John 4:7-30, "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 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].   7 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." (ASV).
 
This impartiality was shown in the early Christian congregation.   To wit, Jews and non-Jews were equal as the Apostle Paul wrote at Romans 2:10-11, "but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  11 For there is no partiality with God." (NASB-MP).
 
In fact, the Apostle John saw in a vision a vast spiritual group from every nation as testified to at Revelation 7:9-10, "9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of [all] tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 and they cry with a great voice, saying, Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb." (ASV).   Therefore, no ethnic group or language is excluded from the modern-day true Christian congregation.   Individuals from all backgrounds have the prospect of surviving the coming 'great tribulation,' the end times culmination, and drinking from 'fountains of water of life' in the new world as testified to at Revelation 7:14-17, "And I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they that come of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: 17 for the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes." (ASV).
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT   WWW.JW.ORG

COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    DISCOURSE ON CULTS AND FALSE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST JESUS'  FOLLOWERS
 
[1]  SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 484A]
 
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.  9  For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.   Psalms 37:8 – 9, [authorized King James Bible; AV]
 
Yes, as brought out at Matthew 5:5, [AV] “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”  And clearly showing how his followers should be per Proverbs 16:32, [AV] “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”  Even some of the Apostles erred in this as revealed at Luke 9:54 – 56, [AV] “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?  55  But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.  56  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.”  Indeed he knows per 2 Peter 2:9, [AV] “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”  
 
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Your Friend in Christ Iris89 
 
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!
 
[2]       DISCOURSE ON CULTS AND FALSE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST JESUS'  FOLLOWERS:
 
Let's first look at how the dictionary, Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, defines a CULT as follows:  (noun)
1. A system of religious rites and observances; the cult of Aphrodite.  2. Zealous devotion to a person, ideal, or thing.  3. The object of this devotion.
 
The distinguishing features of a cult that are exclusive to cults are:
1 - A charismatic or appointed leader or prophet for which infallibility, either all the time or under special conditions is claimed on the basis of direct communications with a deity or on the basis of ex Cathedra (from the chair of Peter).
2 - Zealous devotion/dedication to a point beyond reason where the end justifies the mean, and such atrocities as genocide, burning others at the stake, giving members or others poison to drink, vicious bombings, etc. are conducted at the leaders direction or instigation.  These terrible actions are4 not seen as wrong by the true cultist of which many claim and believe they are winning God's (YHWH's) approval by such wicked acts; of course they are not.
3 - The rejection of the authority of the Bible in favor of their own writings by men and/or unauthorized additions to the Bible Canon of Apocrypha or other books and/or parts of books of very doubtful character such as the Book of Mormon, etc.
4 - The making of their own prophecies instead of sticking to and trying to understand the prophecies that God (YHWH) inspired and had over 40 faithful men write down.
5 - The prophesizing or predicting of dates for the culmination of the end times when even Jesus (Yeshua) was not given the date by his Father (YHWH), see Matthew 24:36, "But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only." (American Standard Version; ASV).
6 - An unreasonable attention and/or demand for money without justification of need and amassing of property in excess of that needed for religious functions such as the ownership of a gun factory in Italy that makes military rifles.
 
Unfortunately, there are those individuals that try and paint groups they do not like as cults when infact the group is NOT a cult.  In other words, they use the term in a wrong manner to falsely accuse the innocent in complete violation of  Jesus' (Yeshua's) statement 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)..
 
This anti-Christian act should not be a surprise to the true Christians, the obedient footstep followers of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ who look to him for their salvation.  The Apostle Paul was falsely accused as shown at Acts 24:12-15, " and neither in the temple did they find me disputing with any man or stirring up a crowd, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to thee the things whereof they now accuse me. 14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets; 15 having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust." (ASV); And at Acts 24:1-9, "Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him, 3 asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way. 4 Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart [thither] shortly. 5 Let them therefore, saith he, that are of power among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him. 6 And when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and on the morrow he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought. 7 And when he was come, the Jews that had come down from Jerusalem stood round about him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove; 8 while Paul said in his defense, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all. 9 But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?" (ASV).   So should true Christians be surprised when they are falsely accused, of course not at the Devil maneuvers those he has already ensnared to do his dirty work as shown at Ephesians 6:12, "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. " (ASV).
Therefore, all true footstep followers of the lamb, Jesus, should be ready to answer false accusers as shown at 1 Peter 3:15-18, "but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: [being] ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:   16 having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing." (ASV).  Remember that the Apostle Paul foretold the end times would be difficult at 2 Timothy 3:1-3, "But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good," (ASV).
Therefore true followers of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ will be subject to attack and false accusations by those controlled by Satan; in fact, this type of action will be an identifying feature of those mentioned at 2 Timothy 3:1-3, previously quoted.  This is vividly shown at Mark 14:55-59, "Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found it not. 56 For many bare false witness against him, and their witness agreed not together. 57 And there stood up certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, 58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands. 59 And not even so did their witness agree together." (ASV).  When this occurred to the savior of true Christians, the Son of God (YHWH), Jesus (Yeshua); so sure it will also occur to his true followers.  In fact, the identifying feature of true Christians will be they will be subject to false accusations and persecution as testified to a 2 Timothy 3:12-13, "Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." (ASV).  Remember, what occurred to Stephen a disciple of Jesus (Yeshua) our savior as recorded at Acts 7:58-60, "and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon [the Lord], and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (ASV).  This has always been the way of Satan and those who he has gained the mastery over as testified to at Psalms 27:12, "Deliver me not over unto the will of mine adversaries: For false witnesses are risen up against me, And such as breathe out cruelty." (ASV).
 
Remember, the first century true Christians suffered for Christ, not for any misdeeds, but for being who they were.
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT   WWW.JW.ORG

COMBINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES.   With the Scripture of the Day first.
 
[1]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 486A]
 
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.   Psalms 37:10, [authorized King James Bible; AV]
 
This scripture is particularly important to the present generation living deep in the time of the end, and this is made clear at Hebrews 10:37, [AV] “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”  And at 1 Peter 4:7, [AV] “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”  Almighty God (YHWH) intends to rid the earth of the evil ones shortly as testified to by
Psalms 52:5, [AV] “God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.  
 
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To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study 
 
Your Friend in Christ Iris89 
 
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!
 
[2]       Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Momordica charantia, known as bitter melon, bitter gourd, bitter squash orbalsam-pear[1] in English, has many other local names. Goya[2] from Okinawan andkarela from Sanskrit are also used by English-language speakers.
It is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia,Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, which is extremely bitter. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit.
Bitter melon originated on the Indian subcontinent, and was introduced into China in the 14th century. [3]
 
Description
This herbaceous, tendril-bearing vine grows to 5 m. It bears simple, alternate leaves 4–12 cm across, with three to seven deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears separate yellow male and female flowers. In the Northern Hemisphere, flowering occurs during June to July and fruiting during September to November.
The fruit has a distinct warty exterior and an oblong shape. It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large, flat seeds and pith. The fruit is most often eaten green, or as it is beginning to turn yellow. At this stage, the fruit's flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to cucumber,chayote or green bell pepper, but bitter. The skin is tender and edible. Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits; they are not intensely bitter and can be removed before cooking.
As the fruit ripens, the flesh (rind) becomes tougher, more bitter, and too distasteful to eat. On the other hand, the pith becomes sweet and intensely red; it can be eaten uncooked in this state, and is a popular ingredient in some Southeast Asian salads.
When the fruit is fully ripe, it turns orange and mushy, and splits into segments which curl back dramatically to expose seeds covered in bright red pulp.
 
Varieties
Bitter melon comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The cultivar common to China is 20–30 cm long, oblong with bluntly tapering ends and pale green in color, with a gently undulating, warty surface. The bitter melon more typical of India has a narrower shape with pointed ends, and a surface covered with jagged, triangular "teeth" and ridges. It is green to white in color. Between these two extremes are any number of intermediate forms. Some bear miniature fruit of only 6–10 cm in length, which may be served individually as stuffed vegetables. These miniature fruit are popular in Bangladesh, India (common name 'Karela'), Pakistan, Nepal and other countries in South Asia. The sub-continent variety is most popular in Bangladesh and India.
Culinary uses
Bitter gourd pods
boiled, drained, no salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy
79 kJ (19 kcal)

Carbohydrates
4.32 g
Sugars
1.95 g
Dietary fiber
2 g

Fat
0.18 g

Protein
0.84 g

Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.
beta-carotene
lutein zeaxanthin
(1%)
6 ?g
(1%)
68 ?g
1323 ?g
Thiamine (B1)
(4%)
0.051 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
(4%)
0.053 mg
Niacin (B3)
(2%)
0.28 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
(4%)
0.193 mg
Vitamin B6
(3%)
0.041 mg
Folate (B9)
(13%)
51 ?g
Vitamin C
(40%)
33 mg
Vitamin E
(1%)
0.14 mg
Vitamin K
(5%)
4.8 ?g

Trace metals
Calcium
(1%)
9 mg
Iron
(3%)
0.38 mg
Magnesium
(5%)
16 mg
Manganese
(4%)
0.086 mg
Phosphorus
(5%)
36 mg
Potassium
(7%)
319 mg
Sodium
(0%)
6 mg
Zinc
(8%)
0.77 mg

Other constituents
Water
93.95 g

Link to USDA Database entry
* Units
* ?g = micrograms • mg = milligrams
* IU = International units
Percentages are roughly approximated usingUS recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database
Bitter melon is generally consumed cooked in the green or early yellowing stage. The young shoots and leaves of the bitter melon may also be eaten as greens.
Bitter melon is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavor, typically instir-fries (often with pork and douchi), soups, and herbal teas. It has also been used in place of hops as the bittering ingredient in some Chineseand Okinawan beers.[4]
It is very popular throughout South Asia. In North Indian cuisine, it is often served with yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, used in sabzi or stuffed with spices and then cooked in oil. In Southern India, it is used in the dishesthoran/thuvaran (mixed with grated coconut), mezhukkupuratti (stir fried with spices), theeyal (cooked with roasted coconut) and pachadi (which is considered a medicinal food for diabetics). Other popular recipes include preparations with curry, deep fried with peanuts or other ground nuts, andPachi Pulusu (??????? ????? ??????), a soup with fried onions and other spices. In Tamil Nadu, a special preparation called pagarkai pitla (????????? ??????), a kind of sour koottu (??????), variety is very popular. Also popular is kattu pagarkkai (????? ?????????), a curry that involves stuffing with onions, cooked lentil and grated coconut mix, tied with thread and fried in oil. In Konkan region of Maharashtra, salt is added to finely chopped bitter gourd and then it is squeezed, removing its bitter juice to some extent. After frying this with different spices, less bitter and crispy preparation is served with grated coconut.
In Pakistan and Bangladesh, bitter melon is often cooked with onions, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, coriander powder, and a pinch of cumin seeds. Another dish in Pakistan calls for whole, unpeeled bitter melon to be boiled and then stuffed with cooked minced beef, served with either hot tandoori bread,naan, chappati, or with khichri (a mixture of lentils and rice).
Bitter melon is a significant ingredient inOkinawan cuisine, and is increasingly used in mainland Japan. It is popularly credited with Okinawan life expectancies being higher than the already long Japanese ones.
In Indonesia, bitter melon is prepared in various dishes, such as gado-gado, and also stir fried, cooked in coconut milk, or steamed.
In Vietnam, raw bitter melon slices consumed with dried meat floss and bitter melon soup with shrimp are popular dishes. Bitter melons stuffed with ground pork are served as a popular summer soup in the south. It is also used as the main ingredient of "stewed bitter melon". This dish is usually cooked for the T?t holiday, where its "bitter" name is taken as a reminder of the poor living conditions experienced in the past.
In the Philippines, bitter melon may be stir-fried with ground beef and oyster sauce, or with eggs and diced tomato. The dish pinakbet, popular in the Ilocos region of Luzon, consists mainly of bitter melons, eggplant,okra, string beans, tomatoes, lima beans, and other various regional vegetables altogether stewed with a little bagoong-based stock.
In northern India and Nepal, bitter melon is prepared as a fresh pickle called achar. For this, the vegetable is cut into cubes or slices and sautéed covered in oil and a sprinkle of water. When it is softened and reduced, it is minced in a mortar with a few cloves of garlic, salt and a red or green pepper. It is also sautéed to golden-brown, stuffed, or as a curry on its own or with potatoes.
In Trinidad and Tobago bitter melons are usually sautéed with onion, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper until almost crisp.
Traditional medicinal uses
Bitter melon has been used in various Asian and African herbal medicine systems for a long time.[6][7][8] In Turkey, it has been used as a folk remedy for a variety of ailments, particularly stomach complaints.[9][10] In traditional medicine of India different parts of the plant are used to relieve diabetes, as a stomachic, laxative, antibilious, emetic, anthelmintic agent, for the treatment of cough, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, wounds, ulcer, gout, and rheumatism.[11]
According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Momordica charantia has a number of uses that are thought to be beneficial; including cancer prevention, treatment of diabetes, fever, HIV and AIDS, and infections.[12] While it has shown some potential clinical activity in laboratory experiments, "further studies are required to recommend its use".[12]
In regards to the use of Momordica charantia for diabetes, several animal studies and small scale human studies have demonstrated a hypoglycemic effect of concentrated bitter melon extracts.[13][14][15] In addition, a 2014 review shows evidence that Momordica charantia, when consumed in raw or juice form, can be efficacious in lowering blood glucoselevels. [16] Contrary to this evidence, multiple reviews have found that Momordica charantia does not significantly decrease fasting blood glucose levels or A1c, indicators of blood glucose control, when taken in capsule or tablet form. [16][17]Momordica charantia may be beneficial in diabetes, however the effects seem to depend on how it is consumed. [16] More studies need to be performed in order to verify this effect. [16]
 
Adverse effects
Reported side effects include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, hypoglycemia, urinary incontinence, and chest pain. Symptoms were generally mild, did not require treatment, and resolved with rest. [17]
References
1. Jump up^ "BSBI List 2007" (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
2. Jump up^ Tritten, Travis J. (March 9, 2011). "State Dept. official in Japan fired over alleged derogatory remarks". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
3. Jump up^ Bagchi, Indrani (11 April 2005). "Food for thought: Green 'karela' for Red China". Times of India.
4. Jump up^ For example, Goya Dry by Helios brewery of Okinawa
5. Jump up^ Lim, T. K. (2013). Edible medicinal and non-medicinal plants. Dordrecht: Springer. pp. 331–332.ISBN 9789400717640.
6. Jump up^ Grover, J. K.; Yadav, S. P. (2004). "Pharmacological actions and potential uses of Momordica charantia: A review". Journal of Ethnopharmacology 93 (1): 123–132.doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.03.035. PMID 15182917. edit
7. Jump up^ Beloin, N.; Gbeassor, M.; Akpagana, K.; Hudson, J.; De Soussa, K.; Koumaglo, K.; Arnason, J. T. (2005). "Ethnomedicinal uses of Momordica charantia (Cucurbitaceae) in Togo and relation to its phytochemistry and biological activity". Journal of Ethnopharmacology 96(1–2): 49–55. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.08.009.PMID 15588650. edit
8. Jump up^ Ananya Paul and Sarmistha Sen Raychaudhuri (2010)."Medicinal uses and molecular identification of twoMomordica charantia varieties – a review". Electronic Journal of Biology 6 (2): 43–51.
9. Jump up^ "Kudret Nar? Faydalar?". Beslenme Deste?i. Retrieved2011-10-03.
10. Jump up^ Semiz, A, Sen A. (February 2007). "Antioxidant and chemoprotective properties of Momordica charantia L. (bitter melon) fruit extract". African Journal of Biotechnology 6 (3): 273–277.
11. Jump up^ Wang L, Waltenberger B, Pferschy-Wenzig EM, Blunder M, Liu X, Malainer C, Blazevic T, Schwaiger S, Rollinger JM, Heiss EH, Schuster D, Kopp B, Bauer R, Stuppner H, Dirsch VM, Atanasov AG. Natural product agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR?): a review. Biochem Pharmacol. 2014 Jul 29. pii: S0006-2952(14)00424-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2014.07.018. PubMed PMID: 25083916.
12. ^ Jump up to:a b c "Bitter Melon". Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
13. Jump up^ Wang, B. L.; Zhang, W. J.; Zhao, J; Wang, F. J.; Fan, L. Q.; Wu, Y. X.; Hu, Z. B. (2011). "Gene cloning and expression of a novel hypoglycaemic peptide from Momordica charantia". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 91 (13): 2443–8. doi:10.1002/jsfa.4485.PMID 21626510. edit
14. Jump up^ Lo, H. Y.; Ho, T. Y.; Lin, C; Li, C. C.; Hsiang, C. Y. (2013). "Momordica charantia and its novel polypeptide regulate glucose homeostasis in mice via binding to insulin receptor". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 61(10): 2461–8. doi:10.1021/jf3042402.PMID 23414136. edit
15. Jump up^ Chen, Q; Chan, L. L.; Li, E. T. (2003). "Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) reduces adiposity, lowers serum insulin and normalizes glucose tolerance in rats fed a high fat diet". The Journal of nutrition 133 (4): 1088–93.PMID 12672924. edit
16. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Bachok, M. F.; Yusof, B. N.; Ismail, A; Hamid, A. A. (2014). "Effectiveness of traditional Malaysian vegetables (ulam) in modulating blood glucose levels". Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition 23 (3): 369–76.doi:10.6133/apjcn.2014.23.3.01 (inactive 2015-01-09).PMID 25164446. edit
17. ^ Jump up to:a b Ooi, C. P.; Yassin, Z; Hamid, T. A. (2012). "Momordica charantia for type 2 diabetes mellitus". The Cochrane Library 8: CD007845.doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007845.pub3.PMID 22895968. edit
 [source - retrieved from   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia  on  1/22/2015]
 
Bitter melon is a plant. The fruit and seeds are used to make medicine.
 
Bitter melon is used for various stomach and intestinal disorders including gastrointestinal (GI) upset, ulcers, colitis, constipation, and intestinal worms. It is also used for diabetes, kidney stones, fever, a skin condition called psoriasis, andliver disease; to start menstruation; and as supportive treatment for people withHIV/AIDS.
 
Topically, bitter melon is used for deep skin infections (abscesses) and wounds.
 
Bitter melon is used as a vegetable in India and other Asian countries and as an ingredient in some kinds of curries.
How does it work?
Bitter melon contains a chemical that acts like insulin to help reduce blood sugar levels.  [source - retrieved from  http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-795-BITTER%20MELON.aspx?activeIngredientId=795&activeIngredientName=BITTER%20MELON   on  1/22/2015]
 
 
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to  www.jw.org].
 
For pictures of this Karla Bitter Gourd and pictures of its uses, go to,  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia
 
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Your Friend in Christ Iris89 
 
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org! 
 
 

COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    GOD'S VIEWS ON DEVIANT SEX AND OUTCOMES IN THE PRESENT
 
[1]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 488A]
 
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  Matthew 24:21,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]
 
And those coming out of the great tribulation are as per John’s question, Revelation 7:13 – 15, [AV] “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?  14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”  And Daniel 12:1, [AV] “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” 
 
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To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study 
 
Your Friend in Christ Iris89 
 
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!
 
[2]       GOD'S VIEWS ON DEVIANT SEX AND OUTCOMES IN THE PRESENT
 
Bad moral upbringing results in crime, disrespect for the rights of others, and an ever spiraling down quality of life for all, this must change if society is to survive, good moral role models must be a top priority. This was highlighted in several articles in The Palm Beach Post with respect priests, ministers, rabbis, and bishops who sexually abused children. One article, "Vatican struggles with issue of suspected pedophile priest," Sunday, January 13, 2002, clearly details how many who we look to for moral guidance are themselves morally bankrupt. This is a dysfunctional situation that we should NOT let continue, i.e., organizations and their leaders that should be active in combating or ameliorating this disastrous trend are in many cases contributing to it. The police, charitable organizations, and the churches should be in the forefront with respect to stopping and reversing this downward spiral toward complete moral bankruptcy, but unfortunately in many cases are doing just the opposite
 
This over emphasis on sex in modern society is the root cause behind many of the maladies afflicting our modern world, such as:
 
1. The AIDS/HIV epidemic.
2. The overpopulation serious situation existing in many countries.
3. Street children who have been tossed out and abandoned through the world.
4. Prostitution.
5. Unnatural sex perversion such as pedophiliasm, sex between members of the same sex, sex with animals, etc.
6. Slave trade in women for sexual purposes.
7. Sexually explicit material for minors.
8. Rapes.
9. Love triangle murders.
10. Lack of true neighborly love and fellow felling among many in the modern world.
 
The Greatest Plague Ever on Mankind:
 
First the "high-road" approach: With respect another very serious matter, the world wide plague of AIDS; this plague could quickly be stopped from acquiring new victims by living one's life in harmony with God's requirements. However, many nations and people seem to be looking in all the wrong places for answers such as medical science, when the answer to eliminating this plague is simple. It is, stop deviant and out-of- marriage sexual behavior. Homosexual conduct is condemned by God's word the Holy Bible and should be recognized as an unacceptable life style just as other deviant sex practices such as child sexual molestation are. Also, practices such as adultery and pre-marital sex are condemned.
 
To use a President W. Clinton era cliché, inappropriate sexual conduct and/or touching is the cause of Mankind's Greatest Plague Ever, AIDS. If it were not for widespread inappropriate sexual conduct and/or touching there would NOT BE ANY PLAGUE OF AIDS. Even those AIDS cases contacted from unclean needles and body fluids are the once or more removed results of inappropriate sexual conduct and/or touching as are most other sexually transmitted diseases. It is not a question of "safer sex," the development of vaccines, etc. as these are only the superficial treatment of this plague; whereas, the root cause is as just mentioned, inappropriate sexual conduct and/or touching. This plague and others like it will only truly be defeated when the root cause is eradicated; let's face reality/facts.
 
If God's condemnation of all these deviant sexual practices was respected, our society would not be plagued by the greatest disease plague of all times, AIDS, today, nor by all the other sexually transmitted diseases such as Hepatitis 'B,' 'C,' Genital Herpes, etc. Many nations in Africa say they do not know how to control the spread of AIDS, but the answer is simple, stop practicing deviant sex, adultery, and pre-marital sex, i.e., remain chaste.
 
Today many immoral things are practiced by a great number of people, but this widespread committing of wickedness does not make it any less wrong. In fact, this condition, now existing, was foretold long ago in the Holy Bible at 2nd. Timothy 3:1-5 which reads as follows, "Do not forget this: there will be terrible times in the last days...Men will be lovers of self...They will be treacherous, reckless, pompous, lovers of pleasure rather than of God as they make a pretense of religion but negate its power..." (NAB). Immorality in its many forms is unlike other sins in that it is a sin against one's own body as shown at I Corinthians 6:18-19, "...Every other sin a man commits is outside his body, but the fornicator sins against his own body...(NAB). In fact, the truth that fornication is a sin against one's body can readily be seen from recent medical reports even without recourse to the Bible, God's written instructions for us. Specifically, reports about many types of diseases transmitted by illicit sexual relationships of various forms such as sodomy and adultery are much in the news. Who has not heard of AIDS, Herpes, Gonorrhea, etc. that plague homosexuals and other promiscuous individuals? Thus, obviously all forms of illicit sexual relationships, homosexual or heterosexual, are indeed sins against one's own body.
 
All forms of illicit sexual relationships are clearly works of the flesh and the Apostle Paul said, "Now the work of the flesh are...adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness..." (Galatians 6:18-19 per KJV). God does not view these unclean "works" of the flesh with pleasure no matter who may endorse them be he/she a high governmental official, a church leader, a community leader, or a common citizen. These works remain condemned by God as shown by the Apostle Paul at I Corinthians 6:9-10, "Know ye...the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God...be not deceived: neither fornicators,...nor adulteress, nor effeminate,...shall inherit the Kingdom of God." (KJV). In fact is plainly recorded that God will judge all fornicators at Hebrews 13:4 which reads, "...God himself will judge those who traffic in the bodies of others or defile the relationship of marriage." (TNTMB). This fact that God will punish those who practice illicit sexual relationships is made very clear by his actions in the past as shown by his destruction of the inhabitants of ancient Sodom for the practice of homosexuality which now is also known as Sodomy due to the well known sinful practice of homosexuality among the inhabitants of ancient Sodom. Their sinful practice of homosexuality was so salient that Moses wrote at Genesis 14:13 under God's inspiration, "...the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked in the sins they committed against the Lord." (NAB). Their evil practice of sodomy was so flagrant they even tried to have homosexual relationships with materialized angles of God as recorded at Genesis 19:1-7, "The two Angles reached Sodom in the evening...Before they went to bed, all the townsmen of Sodom,...closed in on the house. They called to Lot and said to him, 'Where are the men who came to your house tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have intimacies with them.'" (NAB). Because of their wicked action God destroyed the Sodomites as recorded at Genesis 19:24, "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom...brimstone and fire...out of heaven;" (KJV).
 
In fact, God so detested the practice of homosexuality (sodomy), including marriages of same gender individuals, he not only destroyed Sodom, but caused several Bible writers to specifically warn his followers against this practice. Moses wrote under inspiration at Leviticus 18:22. "You shall not lie with a male as with a women; such A thing is an abomination." (NAB), and the Apostle Paul wrote at I Timothy 1:9-10, "...for persons lawless and unruly,...fornicators, men who lie with males...and whatever other thing is in opposition to the healthful teaching." (NWT). Also, Hebrews 13:4 plainly shows that all illicit sex practices are condemned by God as follows, "...but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge," (KJV).
 
Therefore let no one deceive you--illicit sexual practices b ring God's disfavor as shown by many passages in God's written work, the Holy Scriptures. This point is made clear at Romans 1:24-25, "In consequence, God delivered them up in their lusts to unclean practices; they engaged in the mutual degradation of their bodies, these men who exchanged the truth of God for a lie....: (NAB). Rightly, as stated in the Bible at Ecclesiastes 7:29, "...God made mankind upright, but they themselves have sought out many plans." (NWT). These works or plans of the fallen flesh are clearly identified, and I Corinthians 6:13 states, "...God will do away with them in the end--but the body is not for immorality; it is for the lord...." (NAB). In addition, I Corinthians 6:18 warns all wishing to win God's favor to, "Shun lewd conduct." (NAB), since this sin is within the body; whereas, "Every other sin a man commits is outside his body." (NAB). Also, I Corinthians 7:2 warns us to avoid illicit sexual relations in the following words, "But to avoid immorality...." (NAB). The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians warned at Colossians 3:5, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence..." (KJV).
 
Since as can be plainly seen from the foregoing we should strive not to be a part of the wrong doing of this sinful generation noted at Mark 8:38, "...this faithless and corrupt age..." (NAB), where all sort of uncleanness exist as noted at Ephesians 4:19 as follows, "Having come to be past all moral sense, they gave themselves over to loose conduct to work uncleanness of every sort...." (NWT). We should take heed to abstain from these things by noting what is God's will as expressed at I Thessalonians 4:3-5, "It is god's will that you grow in holiness: that you abstain from immorality, each of you guarding his members in sanctity and honor, not in passionate desire as do the Gentiles who know not God." (NAB). Not only must we not commit homosexuality (sodomy), adultery, and other illicit forms of sexual relationships; we must not as recorded at Matthew 5:28, "...look at a women lustfully...." (TNTMB). Specifically we must guard against committing any form of illicit sexual act as God wants us as shown at Hebrews 12:16, "that there may be no fornicator nor anyone not appreciating sacred things...." (NWT) among you; but wishes all to stop these wicked practices and repent as noted at Acts 26:20 as follows, "...they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance." (KJB)>
 
However, for those who refuse to repent and turn aside from wicked acts of illicit sexual relationships such as homosexuality (sodomy), adultery, fornication, beastality, and all other forms of sex with other than one;s marriage mate of the opposite gender, and as directed at Romans 6:6, "...our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed and we might be slaves to sin no longer." (NAB). For those who refuse to repent and stop these things a certain judgment awaits as God will give them up to destruction as shown by what he did to Sodom. Also, as shown by his action at Sodom, he can deliver the righteous as recorded at 2 Peter 3:7, "He did deliver Lot...." (NAB). Thus in closing it is imperative to recall to memory that he destroyed Sodom as an example to the ungodly per 2nd Peter 3:6, "And turning the cities of Sodom...into ashes condemned them...making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly." (KJV). To emphasize this he caused to be recorded for our guidance a warning with respect to what will come to pass on those rejecting his teachings and practicing wrong acts such as sodomy at Matthew 10:15 which reads, "Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom...in the day of judgment, than for that city." Be of good cheer win God's approval by rejecting wickedness.
 
NAB ----- The New American Bible, St. Joseph Edition (Catholic Book Publishing Company)
KJV ----- King James Version of the Holy Bible
TNTMB --- The New Testament in Modern English by J.B. Phillips
NWT ----- The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures by The New World Bible Translation Committee
 
As can be seen, the AIDS plague can be quickly controlled by the elimination of inappropriate sexual conduct and/or touching since this is the root cause of its rapid and very destructive spread. In other words, a simple, known modification of our conduct would quickly make this plague "history." Our creator well knew his creation and as can be seen from the forgoing evidence how the plague of AIDS could devastate mankind long in advance of its actually happening. In other words, our society is now reaping its own recompense. We need to turn around.
 
Second, the "low-road" approach: Today AIDS is proving to be the greatest plague ever to hit mankind and at the same time the most preventable. Over a third of the workforce of several African countries are now afflicted with AIDS, i.e., test HIV positive. In several countries mine owners are having extreme difficulty maintaining a workforce as so many workers have contacted this disease. Recently the president of one of these countries appeared on a US television program telling of the devastation AIDS has wrought on his country. His story was truly dramatic. He detailed how many children were being born with aids and how many of the workers of his country were afflicted. Truly a bad scene, yes, but also truly preventable.
 
This president, instead dealing with the root cause, was looking for a medical solution to the effects of aids. He wanted the pharmaceutical companies to cut prices on AIDS drugs to poor African countries as they really should. He was also looking for various cheap devices to permit what he called "safer sex." This president is not alone, the governments of many African and non-African countries are looking for the same things. This approach to this terrible plague is a foolish approach that may stem the tide of the plague a little in the short run, but will ultimately fail in the long term.
 
In California and elsewhere the medical world is now discovering that all of the drugs used to treat AIDS start to lose their effectiveness over the long term. The drugs that were heralded as major breakthroughs when first used because of their short term miraculous results are losing their punch. Long term AIDS patients once more are on a downward spiral. Perhaps some new medical breakthrough will once more slow this inevitable downward spiral, but the victims quality of life will continue to decrease. Eventually all AIDS suffers will end up dying a painful death unless they die of an accident or other unforeseen circumstance first. Therefore, the only sensible course is to take all reasonable measures to prevent the spread of AIDS.
 
To prevent the spread of AIDS or any other infectious medium, its mechanism of spreading must be known. For example, it was discovered that Yellow Fever was spread by mosquitoes and great efforts were undertaken to eradicate the mosquitoes. Also, a vaccine was eventually developed. With respect AIDS, its common mechanisms of spreading, i.e., root causes, are well known. They are by contact with body fluids of an infected individual. Most commonly this occurs during sexual conduct of one type or another, by blood transfusion with contaminated blood, or by sharing unclean medical needles.
 
Since it is well known how AIDS spreads, the control and prevention of AIDS is rather simple. Stop doing the things that spread AIDS. To do this, we should do a Pareto's analysis of these root causes as to which contributes to the greater number of the AIDS cases. When this is done, it is quickly noted/found that over ninety (90) percent of all cases are the result of sexual contact; therefore, it is obvious this is the mechanism of spread to be reduced and/or eliminated just as mosquitoes in the case of Yellow Fever.
 
Now of course not all sexual contact can be eliminated as it is necessary for the reproduction of the human race. However, all none essential sexual contact should be eliminated/stopped immediately; both homosexual, heterosexual, and with animals by humans. Essential sexual contact should be made significantly safer by requiring HIV blood test of all couples applying for marriage certificates and requiring monogamy of them as part of the marriage contract. If these actions are taken, the number of new cases of AIDS will be so small as to be statistically insignificant. In addition, many other problems will go away such as illegitimate children, adultery and the resultant breakdown of marriages, etc. In fact, there are even so called charitable organizations, The United Way of Palm Beach County, who want to stop supporting the Boy Scouts of America just because they took a stand against the low moral tide sweeping the world.
 
Of course, to eliminate unnecessary sexual contact and to make essential sexual contact significantly safer requires drastic action by the governments of the world. This would not be easily acceptable by the populace, but the results would be outstanding, i.e., new AIDS cases would become statistically insignificant and many other problems would just go away. The world would become a healthier and better place to live in.
 
In addition, ceasing to do things that spread AIDS, i.e., inappropriate sexual touching, has other beneficial results. It also eliminates the risk of acquiring other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as chlamydia, trichomoniasis, herpes, gonorrhea, and human papillomavirus (HPV), and others. Women are anatomically more vulnerable to STDs than men. When a woman is exposed to infection, the warm, moist, internal environment of the vagina is a perfect place for bacteria and viruses to grow. The actual risks of inappropriate sexual touching are greater than most realize since individuals committing this folly fail to consider the fact that indulging in this wrongful practice actually exposes the individual to a risk from every man/women his/her partner has ever slept with. In fact, almost all cases of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous abnormalities are caused by a STD transmitted disease called human papillomavirus, or HPV according to Mary Jane Minkin, MD a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist in New Haven, CT and clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicing. Thus, inappropriate sexual touching is nothing short of playing Russian Roulette with ones health and life.
 
Details On AIDS Plague In Africa:
1. Some 20% of adults are infected in South Africa; and 36% of adults are infected in Botswana.
2. South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria all have more than 2 million people with HIV/AIDS.
3. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe all have between 1 and 2 million people with HIV/AIDS.
4. Burkina Faso, Cote D'Ivorie, Ghana, Cameroon, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mali, and Central African Republic all have between 100,000 and 1 million people with HIV/AIDS.
5. Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania all have over 1 million children orphaned by aids.
6. Burkina Faso, Cote D'Ivoire, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa all have between 100,000 and 1 million children orphaned by aids.
7. AIDS has become the leading cause of deaths in South Africa, and young adults are especially hard hit, says The New York Times, commenting on a study of South Africa's Medical Research Council. The researchers estimate that during the next decade, between five and seven million people in South Africa will die from AIDS. Young women in their 20's are dying at a greater rate than women in their 60's. South Africa "has more people known to be infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, than any other country," the article adds. "One in neine South Africans, and one in four adults [ages 30-34], is not believed to be living with H.I.V., government officials say," (Awake! June 8, 2002)
 
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