Monday, 27 February 2017

WHO WHERE THE PHILISTINES?

The Philistines were an aggressive, warrior people, and are first recorded in Scripture in the Table of Nations (list of 70 nations descended from Noah). Also the Scripture records that the Philistines had contact with both Abraham and Isaac. At that time the Philistines resided at Gerar in Southern Canaan. They had a king, Abimelech, and an army under the command of a certain Phicol. (Genesis 20; 21; 26)
Because of their maritime history, they are often associated with "Sea Peoples."The term is descriptive for both the Scriptural and extra-biblical documents that place their origin in Crete and the islands  near Greece.
The name "Philistine" comes from the Hebrew word "Philistia," and the Greek rendering of the name "Palais'Tinei," which gave rise to the modern name "Palestine." The ancient Philistines occupied a territory South West of Israel, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
GENESIS 8, 9 and 10 explains how GOD decided to let humankind have the chance to choose between good and evil:  "Noah built an Altar to the LORD, he took one of each kind of "ritually clean animal and bird", and burned them whole as a Sacrifice on the Altar. The odor of the Sacrifice pleased the LORD, and HE said to Himself, "NEVER again will I put the EARTH under a CURSE because of WHAT PEOPLE DO; I know that from the time they are young their THOUGHTS are EVIL. NEVER again will I DESTROY  all living beings, as I have done this time. As long as the WORLD exists, there will be a TIME for PLANTING, and a TIME for HARVEST. There will always be COLD and HEAT, SUMMER and WINTER, DAY and NIGHT."(8: 20-22)
"GOD blessed Noah and his sons and said, "Have many CHILDREN, so that your DESCENDANTS will live all over the EARTH. All the animals (earth), birds (air), and fish (water) will live in FEAR of YOU. They are ALL PLACED UNDER YOUR POWER. Now you can EAT THEM, as well as GREEN PLANTS; I give them all to you for FOOD. The one thing YOU MUST NOT EAT is MEAT WIT BLOOD STILL IN IT; I forbid this because THE LIFE IS IN THE BLOOD. If anyone takes HUMAN LIFE, he will be punished. I WILL PUNISH WITH DEATH any animal that takes a human life. HUMAN beings WERE MADE LIKE GOD, so whoever murders one of them will be killed by someone else. (9: 1-8)"
GOD said to NOAH and his sons, "I am now MAKING a COVENANT with YOU and with your DESCENDANTS, and with ALL LIVING BEINGS -all birds (air) and all animals (earth) -EVERYTHING that came "OUT OF THE BOAT" with you. With these WORDS I make My Covenant with you: I PROMISE that never again will all living beings be destroyed by a Flood; never again will a Flood destroy the earth. As a SIGN of this EVERLASTING COVENANT which I am making with you and with ALL LIVING BEINGS, I Am putting MY BOW in the CLOUDS. It will be the SIGN OF the COVENANT WITH THE WORLD. Whenever I cover the sky with clouds and the rainbow appears, I will REMEMBER MY PROMISE to YOU and to ALL the ANIMALS that a Flood will never again destroy all living beings." (9: 9-15)
The SONS OF NOAH who went OUT OF the BOAT were Shem, Ham, and Japhet. (HAM was the Father of Canaan). These 3 sons of Noah were the ANCESTORS OF ALL the PEOPLE ON EARTH. (9: 18-19)  These 3 had sons after the Flood. (10:1)
- The SONS of JAPHET : -Gomer, -Magog, -Madai, -Javan, -Tubal, -Meshech, and Tiras. They were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. Gomer's descendants were the people of Ash'Kenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. Javan's descendants were the people of Eli'Shah, Spain, Cyprus, and Rhodes. They were the ancestors of the people who live along the coast and on the islands. These are Japheth's descendants, living in their different Tribes and Countries, each group speaking its own language.
- The SONS of HAM : -Cush, -Egypt (Mizraim), -Libya (Phut), -and Canaan. They were the ancestors of the people who bear their names. Cush's descendants were the people of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah's descendants were the people of Sheba and Dedan.
Cush had a son named Nimrod, who became the World's first great conqueror. By the Lord's help Nimrod was a great hunter, and that is why people say, "May the Lord make you as great a hunter as Nimrod!" At first Nimrod's kingdom included Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all 3 of them in Babylonia.
From that land Nimrod went to Assh'Ur and built the cities on Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city of Calah.
Egypt (Mizraim)'s descendants were the people of Lydia (Ludim), Anam (Anamim), Lehab (Lehabim), Naphtuh (Naphtuhim), Path'Rusim, Casluhim, (out of whom came PHILISTINES [Phi'Listim]) and of Crete (Caphtorim).
Canaan's sons : Sidon, the oldest, and Heth. They were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. Canaan was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. The different Tribes spread out, until the Canaanite borders reached from SIDON Southward to GERAR near Gaza, and Eastward to SODOM, GOMORRAH, ADMAH, and ZEBOIIM near Lasha. These are Ham's descendants, living in their different Tribes and Countries, each group speaking its own language.
- SHEM, the older brother of Japhet, was the ancestor of all HEBREWS. Shem's sons : -Elam, -Ass'Hur, -Ar'Pachshad, -Lud, and Aram. They were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names.
Aram's descendants were the people of Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshek. Ar'Pachshad was the father of Shelah, who was the father of Eber.   Eber had 2 sons: one was named Peleg, because during his time the People of the World were divided; and the other was named Joktan. Joktan's descendants were the people of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Hobab. The Land in which they lived extended from MESHA to SEPHAR in the Eastern Hill Country. These are Shem's descendants, living in their different Tribes and Countries, each group speaking its own language.
HAM, one of the 3 sons of Noah, father 4 sons that were born after the Flood: Ethiopians, Egyptians, some Arabian and African Tribes, and the Canaanites descended from these 4 sons. Ham became involved in an incident that brought a "curse" on his seed, his son Canaan. Noah, who was a farmer, was the first man to "plant" a "vineyard,"in the New World. After he drank some of the wine produced in the earth, Noah became intoxicated, took off his clothes, and lay naked in his Tent. Ham saw his father's nakedness, and instead of showing the proper respect, by walking backwards with a mantle to cover him so that he would not bring punishment on himself by looking on it, he told his 2 brothers of his discovery. Shem and Japhet exhibited the proper respect for Noah, as the family head and the Servant and Prophet whom GOD had made an instrument in the preservation of the human race.  Noah, on awakening, uttered a curse, not on Ham, but on Ham's son Canaan. In the accompanying blessing of Shem, which included a blessing for Japhet, Ham was passed over and ignored; only Canaan was mentioned and cursed and was prophetically foretold to become a slave to Shem and Japhet.
The PHILISTINES were descendants of Mizraim, one of the 4 sons of Ham. They are mentioned prominently in New Kingdom Egyptian documents (1200-1100BC)  as an element of the nefarious "Sea Peoples" who tried unsuccessfully to invade Egypt from the Mediterranean and Libya during the reigns of Rameses III and his immediate successors. This texts call the Philistines "Pele'Set."
The curse over Ham's son Canaan was partly fulfilled when the Semitic Israelites subjugated the Canaanites. Those who were not destroyed (for example , the Gibeonites, Joshua 9, were made slaves to Israel. Centuries later, the curse was further fulfilled when descendants of Ham's son Canaan came under the domination of the Japhetic world powers of Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
In the Psalms, Ham is associated with Egypt, it being called "the land of Ham," Psalm 78: 51; 105:23, 27; 106: 21, 22.
Amos (Hebrew name that means "Burden bearer") is the first prophet in the Scripture whose message (speeches, sayings and vision reports) was recorded at length. The approaching GOD's judgment  is outlined in his Book towards Syria, Philistia, and Tyre for cruel treatment to Israel; Edom (related through Esau), Ammon (related through Lot), for hatred and mistreatment of their brother Israelites; and Moab for burning the bones of the king of Edom for lime. Then Judah and Israel for revolts and gross violations of GOD's Law. GOD reveals its judgment and warns through Amos as a horn blown and a lion's roar. The judgment is sure to come with great calamity. Visions and prophecies show Israel's end and Amos does not intercede. The Priest of Bethel commands Amos to stop prophesying but he continue announcing the destruction of sinful Israel and reconstruction of the royal house of David.
Amos is the only available historical source of information of the World's reality that existed in his time. Amos was a businessman-farmer, resident of  Tekoa, a village 10km/6mi South of Jerusalem, on the boundary of the Judean Wilderness, who was called as a laymen to deliver a message of condemnation and judgment to the Israelites.
Amos tells nothing of his family or lineage but does provide more than usual amount of information about Time and his own geographical, chronological, and cultural setting in particular. Amos, besides of describing himself as "shepherd, and "herdssman" he also describes himself as "a dresser of sycamore-fig trees," to refer to the nipping or slitting of fruit in order to make it edible. He was an expert in fig cultivation as well as a successful dealer in sheep. With this information  Amos was either  a seasonal worker of varied skills or possibly a person of some means who owned sheep, cattle, fodder, sufficient to raise sycamore figs as cattle fodder.  He engaged self-consciously in the activity of prophesying, but he explicitly denied the vocation of a professional prophet supported by a cultic or royal shrine. He was at effort  to show that he prophesied only by "divine compulsion under extraordinary circumstances."(3:8; 7:15)
The fact that Amos' message portrays contemporary religious institutions as corrupt explains why a nonspecialist such as him was compelled to perform the prophetic role as a religious intermediary.
The angry roar of an enraged GOD  from HIS UNIVERSAL THRONE in Heavenly Jerusalem signals  DISTRESS and DESTRUCTION encompassing  the ENTIRE CREATED  ORDER, and demonstrates the COSMIC DIMENSION of Israel's MORAL and SOCIAL OFFENSES.
Like the shepherd David, who was called to public service by GOD, so also Amos was called by GOD and made him a prophet. From the solitude in the Wilderness of the South, he was sent to the idolatrous 10 -Tribes of the North Kingdom with its capital Samaria. Amos began his prophetical career 2 years before the Earthquake that occurred during the Time in which the reigns of Uzziah (Judah) and Jeroboam II (10-Tribes-Kingdom) overlapped. The Earthquake was of such magnitude that nearly 300 years later Zechariah (14: 5) made a particular mention of it. The prophecy was first delivered to the 2 kingdoms orally. When Amos returned to his homeland he published it. All the nations condemned by Amos were in due time devoured by the Fire of destruction. GOD's spirit moved Amos to employ simple, direct and picturesque language in a dignified manner befitting a prophet of GOD, in describing the ostentatious luxury language of the rich, which Amos referred to their thrones and stools, as "their houses of ivory" and "couches of ivory"(3:15; 6:4) Simple Words, powerful Words, Words full of meaning, were chosen so both the "high and the low"(descendants of Shem , Japhet and Ham) could understand and get sense of what Amos said. Amos used a variety of illustrations, some with rural flavor, in order to give vitality and force to God's message. (2:13; 4:2; 9:9) Historical events concerning the descendants of the 3 sons of Noah are accurately recalled (1:9,11, 13; 4:11) Allusion are made to familiar cultic practices and customs of the people. (2:8; 6:4-6) The whole GOD's Message is a well-ordered composition with definite form and purpose.
Amos magnified the WORD and NAME, the RIGHTEOUSNESS and SOVEREIGNTY of GOD. He describes how "the SOVEREIGN LORD, GOD OF the ARMIES" is infinitely great, that nothing is beyond His Reach or Power. (9: 2-5) The SUN, MOON, CONSTELLATIONS, and ELEMENTS (air, fire, water, earth) are subject to GOD's COMMANDS. (5:8; 8:9) It is therefore, a small matter for GOD to demonstrate His Supremacy over the power of the nations. (1:3-5; 2:1-3; 9:7)
GOD's purpose for Amos was to bore a weighty Message laden with Woe and denunciation against the power of evil, and on the other hand carrying a comforting Message of Restoration in which those with sincere heart and faithful to GOD could put their hope.

Friday, 24 February 2017

THE UNFORTUNATE BELIEVERS OF TODAY.

The WORD of GOD commands us to be affirmed constantly in our Faith by the deep study of His Word and by being careful to maintain good works.
Titus, a Gentile converted to Christianity says, "I want you to give special emphasis to these matters, so that those who believe in GOD has to be concerned with giving their time to doing deeds, according to the Word of God, which are good and useful for everyone. Avoid stupid arguments, long lists of ancestors, quarrels, and fights about the Law. They are useless and worthless." (3: 8-9)
Unfortunately, the believers of today only quote a verse placed in Paul's Letter to the Romans: "If you CONFESS with your mouth that JESUS IS LORD and BELIEVE in your heart that GOD RAISED HIM FROM the DEAD, you will be saved." (Romans10: 9)  So people are told that all they have to do is quote the magical verse and they are saved.
In the Gospel according to Luke JESUS is presented as both the promised Savior of Israel and as the Savior of all people. JESUS himself said to the believers, "Why do you call ME, 'Lord, Lord, and yet do not do what I tell you?' Anyone who comes to ME and listens to MY WORDS and OBEYS THEM - I will show you what he is like. He is like a man who, in building his (spiritual) house, dug deep (study of the Word of God) and laid the foundation on rock (apply the Word of God in his life). The River flooded over (problems in life) and hit that (spiritual) house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But anyone who hears MY WORDS and DOES NOT OBEY them is like a man who built his (spiritual) house without laying a foundation (no regards in study the Word of God); when the flood hit that house it fell at once -and what a terrible (spiritual) crash that was!' " (Luke 6: 46-49)
In the Gospel according to Matthew JESUS is the One through Whom GOD fulfilled the Promises HE made  to His People and for the whole World. JESUS is presented as the GREAT TEACHER, Who has the AUTHORITY to INTERPRET the LAW of GOD, and Who TEACHES about KINGDOM of GOD.  JESUS said, "Not everyone who calls ME  'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but ONLY THOSE WHO DO What MY FATHER in heaven WANTS THEM TO DO. When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to ME, 'Lord, Lord! In Your Name we spoke GOD's Message, by Your Name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles! '  Then I will say to them,
'I NEVER KNEW YOU. Get away from ME, you wicked people! ' " (Matthew 7: 21-23)
Paul says, "I have complete confidence in the Scripture: It is GOD's power to save all who believe, first the Jews and also the Gentiles. For the Scripture reveals how GOD puts people right with Himself : it is through FAITH from beginning to end." (Romans 1: 16-17)
"My friends, how I wish with all my heart that my own people might be saved! How I pray to GOD for them! I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to GOD; but their devotion is not based in TRUE KNOWLEDGE.  They have not known the way in which GOD puts people right with Himself, and instead, they have tried to set up THEIR OWN WAY; and so they DID NOT SUBMIT themselves TO GOD's WAY of putting people right." (Romans 10: 1-3)


THE ORIGEN OF THE NEPHILIM.

According to the Scripture, the Nephilim were the offspring of the "sons of GOD" and the "daughters of men" before the Flood.
The Nephilim later inhabited Canaan at the time of the Israelite conquest of Canaan, and were known as 'Amorite', descendants from the Hamitic race. (Genesis 10; 1 Chronicle 1)
In Abraham's Time the King of Elam in coalition with 3 other kings raided to the SOUTH of Canaan and defeated some of the Amorites dwelling at Hazazon-Tamar, SOUTH WEST of the DEAD SEA.
Three Amorite Men living in Hebron were then confederates of Abraham and as such aided Abraham in pursuing and defeating the invading Kings, thereby rescuing his nephew Lot. (Genesis 14)
Sometime after GOD advised Abraham that when 'the error of the Amorites had finally come to completion,' Abraham's descendants would return to Canaan from an alien Land and would take possession of the Amorite's Land. (Genesis 15)
Still, shortly before Jacob's death in Egypt, he promised Joseph: "I do give you one shoulder of Land more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow." (Genesis 48) When he promised Joseph, Jacob's prophetic words envisioned the future conquest of Canaan by FAITH as though it were already effected, with Jacob taking the Land of the Amorite by LAW.
In Deuteronomy 3 we find a description of power that the sons of the Amorite had through the person of King Og, popularized as the King's Road to rule the World.
"We moved NORTH toward the REGION of BASHAN, and King Og came out with all his men to fight us near the Town of Edrei. But the LORD said to me (Moses), 'Do not be afraid of King Og, I am going to give him, his men, and all his territory to you. Do the same thing to him that you did to the Amorite king Sihon, who ruled in Hesbon." (3:1-2)
"At that Time we took from those 2 Amorite Kings (Sihon and Og) the Land EAST of the Jordan River, from the Arnon River to Mount Hermon. (Mount Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonians, and Senir by the Amorites)" (3: 8-9)
"We took all the territory of King Og of Bashan: the Cities on the Plateau, the Regions of Gilead and of Bashan, as far EAST as the Towns of Salecah and Edrei. (King Og was the last of the REPHAIM. His coffin, made of stone, was 6 feet wide and almost 14 feet long according to standard measurements. It can be still be seen in the Amorite city of Rabah)" (3: 10-11)
In Numbers 21, GOD received the vow that the Israelites did concerning the Nephilim.
"When the Canaanite king of Arad in the SOUTHERN part of Canaan heard that the Israelites were coming by Way of Atharim, he attacked them and captured some of them. Then the Israelites made a VOW to the LORD: "If YOU will let us conquer 'these people (the Nephilim)', we will unconditionally dedicate them (their power) and their cities to YOU and will destroy them. The LORD heard them and helped them to conquer the Canaanites. So the Israelites completely destroyed them and their cities, and named the place Hormah.
Ezekiel the prophet, who lived in exile in Babylon during the period before and after the Fall of Jerusalem, addressed these distinctive character of people, who were Amorite (Nephilim) in spirit, in a vivid and symbolic way, by saying:
In the 12 Year, in the 12 Month,  on the 1st Day of the month, the WORD of the LORD came to me:
"Son of a Man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: 'You consider yourself a Lion among the Nations, but you are like a Dragon in the Seas; you burst forth in your Rivers, trouble the Waters with your feet, and foul their Rivers.' " (32: 1-2)
Thus says the LORD GOD: "I will throw MY NET over you with a host of many peoples;  and I will haul you up in MY DRAGNET. And I will CAST you ON the GROUND, on the OPEN FIELD I will FLING you, and will CAUSE all the BIRDS of the AIR to SETTLE on you, and I will GORGE the BEASTS of the whole EARTH with you. I will STREW your FLESH upon the Mountains, and fill the Valleys with your CARCASS. I will DRENCH the Land even to the Mountains with your flowing BLOOD; and the WATERCOURSES will be FILL of you. When I BLOT you out, I will COVER the HEAVENS, and make their STARS DARK; I will COVER the SUN with a CLOUD, and the MOON shall NOT give its LIGHT. All the BRIGHT LIGHTS of HEAVEN will I make DARK over you, and put DARKNESS upon your Land." (32: 3-8)
"I will trouble the HEARTS of many peoples, when I carry you CAPTIVE among the Nations, into the countries which you have not known. I will make many peoples APPALLED at you, and their kings shall shudder because of you, when I brandish MY SWORD before them; they shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life, on the DAY of your DOWNFALL." (32: 9-10)

Saturday, 18 February 2017

LAKE OF GENNESARET.

The Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1), also known as Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1), Lake Kinneret (Num34:11), and Sea of Galilee (region named Galilee from 7thBC), is the largest freshwater inland Lake in North Palestine. From North-South this body of fresh water has  a length of 21km/13mi, with a maximum width of about 12km/7.5mi. Its greatest water depth is about 48km/157ft.
The Lake lies an average of 210m/700ft below the level of the Mediterranean Sea. Because of the low elevation the air temperature is much warmer there than in the surrounding plateaus and mountains. This result in atmospheric disturbances. Also, strong winds rush down the Jordan Valley from snowcapped Mount Hermon, not far to the North.
The Lake is fed partly by underground Springs related to the Jordan sector of the Great Rift Valley, but most of its water comes from the Jordan River, which enters from North. Depending upon the season, the clear fresh waters of the Lake vary  from green to blue in color, and the average water temperature ranges from 14*C/57*F in February to 30*C/86*F in August.
The bed of the Lake resembles a huge basin. Rising from its shores on the East side are steep limestone Mountains overlaid with lava, reaching an elevation of about 610m/2,000ft. But on the West the Mountains rise less abruptly. Hills and Mountains practically surround the Lake, except for the Plains around the Jordan, that is, the points where the Jordan River enters the Lake at the North end and where it renews its course at the South West.
The area to the North is occupied by a mass of large basalt boulders. Not far South of the city of Tiberias on the West shore, there are hot sulfur Springs that have long being famous for their medicinal properties. One of the 7 Springs there has a temperature of 58*C/136*F.
Gennesaret is the Greek form of Kinneret, and as other places rose to prominence, such as Tiberias, the name change names according to it.
The site of the ancient Town of Kinneretis, is a small somewhat triangular plain on a mound bordering on the North West shore of the Lake and measuring about 5by2.5km/3by1.5mi, known in modern Hebrew language as Tel Kinrot, halfway between Capernaum and Magdala.
In the Scripture, Kinneret was a Town alloted to the Tribe of Naphtali (Josh19:35). The name appears in singular form as "Kinneret"(Num34:11; Deut3:17) or plural form as "Kinneroth"(Jos11:2,12:3). In the New Testament the name appears changed to Gennesaret (Luke5:1).
This body of water figured prominently in JESUS' earthly Ministry. A number of times JESUS spoke from a boat to great crowds assembled on its wide, pebble shore. (Mr 3:9; 4:1; Luk 5:1-3) On one of this occasions HE caused some of His Disciples to have a miraculous catch of fish and called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be "Fishers of Men."(Mt 4:18-22; Luk 5:4-11)  In the vicinity of the Lake, JESUS performed many powerful works. HE healed the sick, expelled demons (Mr 3:7-12), calmed the wind and the sea (Mr 4:35-41), and walked on the water (John 6:16-21).
Once, JESUS miraculously fed more than 5,000 people. We find this awesome Miracle in Matthew 14.
Matthew14 says, "A that Time Herod, the Ruler of Galilee, heard about JESUS. 'He is really John the Baptist, who has come back to life,' Herod told his officials. 'That is why HE has THIS POWER to perform MIRACLES.' (1-2) "When JESUS hear the news about John the Baptist beheading in prison, HE left there in a boat and went to a lonely place by Himself. The people heard about it, and so they left their Towns and followed HIM by land. JESUS got out of the boat, and when HE saw the large crowd, HIS HEART WAS FILLED WITH PITY for them, and HE HEALED their sick." (13-14)
"That evening His Disciples came to HIM and said, 'It is already very late, and this is a lonely place. Send the people away and let them go to the Villages to buy food for themselves.' " (15)
"They do not have to leave,"answered JESUS. "You yourselves give them something to eat!" (16)
"All we have here are 5 loaves and 2 fish," His Disciples replied. "Then bring them to ME," JESUS said. HE ordered the people to sit down on the grass; then HE took the 5 loaves and the 2 fish, looked up to Heaven, and GAVE THANKS TO GOD. He broke the loaves and gave them to the Disciples, and the Disciples gave them to the people. Everyone ate and had enough. Then the Disciples took up 12 baskets full of what was left over. The number of men who ate was about 5,000, not counting the women and children." (17-21)
"Then JESUS made the Disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side of the Lake, while HE sent the people away. After sending the people away, HE went up a hill by Himself to PRAY. When evening came, JESUS was there alone; and by this Time the boat was far out in the Lake, tossed about by the waves, because the wind was blowing against it. Between 3 and 6 o'clock in the morning JESUS came to the Disciples, WALKING ON THE WATER. When the Disciples saw HIM walking on the water, they were terrified. 'It is a ghost!' they said, and screamed with fear. JESUS spoke to them at once, 'COURAGE!' He said. 'It is I. Do not be afraid!' Then Peter spoke out, 'LORD, if it is really you, order me to come out on the water to YOU.'  'COME!' answered JESUS. So Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to JESUS. But when Peter noticed the strong wind, he was afraid and started to sink down in the water. 'Save me, LORD!' Peter cried. At once JESUS reached out and grabbed hold on Peter and said, 'WHAT LITTLE FAITH you have! WHY did you DOUBT?' They both got into the boat, and the wind died down. Then the Disciples in the boat worshiped JESUS.
'TRULY YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD!' they exclaimed. " (22-32)
At another time JESUS fed more than 4,000, each time with only a few loaves of bread and several fish (Matthew 15:29, 34-38).
Rightly JESUS condemned 3 cities in that area, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, for remaining unresponsive despite the many powerful works their inhabitants had witnessed. (Matthew 11:20-24)
Ruins of the Town of Capernaum lie just North of Lake on the North Western shore. Excavations have revealed a synagogue from the 4th or 5th century, making it one of the oldest in the World.
After HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, Jesus appeared to some of His Disciples by the Lake and caused them to have a 2nd miraculous catch of fish. HE then stressed the importance of feeding His Sheep. (John 21:1, 4-19)

Friday, 17 February 2017

THE MEANING OF HOLINESS.

Holiness is the state or character of being holy, meaning cleanness or purity. The Hebrew Word 'holy' conveys the thought of separateness, exclusiveness, or sanctification to GOD, Who Is Holy; a state of being set aside to the service of GOD.
The quality of holiness belongs to GOD. In Exodus 28and 29, GOD gave this instructions: "Summon your brother Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. SEPARATE them FROM the people of Israel, so that they may SERVE ME as Priests. MAKE priestly GARMENTS for AARON your brother, to PROVIDE him with DIGNITY and BEAUTY."  (28:1-2)
"WITH the blue, purple, and red WOOL they made the MAGNIFICENT GARMENTS which the PRIESTS were TO WEAR when THEY SERVED IN the HOLY PLACE." (39:1)
The prophecies in the Book of Zechariah deals with this sacred Holiness that involves the purification of GOD's people in order to rebuild GOD's temple.
The Prophet declared: "The Day when the LORD will sit in JUDGMENT is near." (1)
"Then Jerusalem will be looted, and the loot will be divided up before your eyes. The LORD will BRING all the nations together to make WAR on Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half of the people will go into exile, but the rest of them will not be taken away from the city." (2)
"Then the LORD will GO OUT and FIGHT against those NATIONS, as HE has FOUGHT in times PAST." (3) "At that time HE will stand on the MOUNT of OLIVES, to the East of Jerusalem. Then the Mount of Olives will BE SPLIT in two from East to West BY al large VALLEY. One HALF of the Mountain will MOVE Northward, and the other HALF Southward."(4) "You will ESCAPE through this Valley that divides the Mountain in two. You will FLEE as your ancestors did when the earthquake struck in the time of King Uzziah of Judah." (5)
"The LORD my GOD will come, bringing all the angels with HIM. When that TIME COMES, there will no longer be cold or frost, nor ant darkness. There WILL ALWAYS BE daytime, even at night.
When this will happen is KNOWN ONLY TO the LORD." (6-7)
"When THAT DAY comes, FRESH WATER will flow from Jerusalem, half of it to the Dead Sea and the other half to the Mediterranean. It will flow all year long, in the dry season as well as the wet."(8)
"The the LORD will BE KING OVER all the EARTH; everyone will worship HIM AS GOD and KNOW HIM BY the SAME NAME." (9)
"The whole region, from Geba in the North to Rimmon in the South, will be made level. Jerusalem will tower above the land around it; the city will reach from the Benjamin Gate to the Corner Gate, where there had been an earlier Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal wine presses."(10)
"The people will live there in safety, no longer threatened by destruction." (11)
"The LORD will bring a terrible disease on all the nations that make war on Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot away while they are still alive; their eyes and tongues will rot away. At the same time the LORD will make them so confused and afraid that everyone will seize the man next to him and attack him."
"The men of Judah will fight to defend Jerusalem. They will take as loot the wealth of all the nations -gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance." "A terrible disease will also fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, and the donkeys -on all the animals in the camps of the enemy." (12-16)
"Then ALL OF  the SURVIVORS from the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go there each year to worship the LORD ALMIGHTY as KING and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. If any nation refuses to go and worship the LORD ALMIGHTY as KING, then rain will not fall on their land. It the Egyptians refuse to celebrate the Festival of Shelters, then they will be struck by the same disease that the LORD will send on every nation that refuses to go. This will be the punishment that will fall on Egypt and on all other nations if they do not celebrate the Festival of Shelters." (17-19)
"At that TIME even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with the Words "DEDICATED TO THE LORD." The cooking pots in the Temple will be as sacred as the bowls before the Altar."
"Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in all Judah will be SET APART for use in the worship of the LORD ALMIGHTY. The people who offer sacrifices will use them for boiling the meat of the sacrifices."  "When the TIME comes, there will no longer be any merchant in the Temple of the LORD ALMIGHTY. (20-21)
The Israelites were frequently reminded that GOD is the SOURCE of all HOLINESS as they observed the WORDS "HOLINESS BELONGS TO GOD" that were engraved on the shining gold plate of the High Priest's turban. This plate was called "the Holy Sign of Dedication," showing that the High Priest was set apart to a service of special Holiness.
In Moses' victory song after the deliverance through the Red Sea, Israel sang: "WHO among the gods is like YOU, O GOD? WHO is like YOU, proving Yourself MIGHTY IN HOLINESS? (Exodus 15 :11; 1Samuel 2:2). As an added GUARANTEE of the CARRYING OUT of HIS WORD, GOD has even SWORN BY HIS HOLINESS. (Amos 4:2)
GOD"S Name is sacred and HIS NAME is to be held as HOLY, sanctified ABOVE ALL others (Mt 6:9).  Disrespect for HIS NAME merits the punishment of death (Lev 24:10-16,23; Num 15:30).
Since GOD is the ORIGINATOR of all RIGHTEOUS PRINCIPLES and LAWS (Jas 4:12)  and is the basis of all Holiness, any person or thing that is Holy becomes so because of the relationship with GOD and His Worship. One cannot have UNDERSTANDING or WISDOM unless he has KNOWLEDGE of the MOST HOLY ONE. (Prov 9:10) GOD can be worshiped only in Holiness. One claiming to worship HIM but practicing uncleanness is disgusting in GOD's SIGHT (Prov 21:27).
When GOD foretold that HE would make THE WAY CLEAR for His People to RETURN to Jerusalem from the exile, GOD said: "The WAY of HOLINESS it will BE CALLED. The unclean one will not pass over it"(Isa 35:8).
The HOLY SPIRIT operating on a person is an active force for Holiness or cleanness. Any unclean or wrong practice constitutes a resisting or grieving of that Spirit (Eph 4:30). Though impersonal in itself, the HOLY SPIRIT is expressive of GOD's Holy Personality and therefore can be grieved or made to feel hurt and this may result in GOD's changing into an enemy of the rebellious one (Isa 63:10).
A person grieving the HOLY SPIRIT may go so far as to blaspheme against it, which JESUS CHRIST said about that specific sin, that it will not be forgiven in the present system of things nor in that to come. (Mt 12:31, 32; Mr 3:28-30)

THE NICOLAITANS. Part 2

In the Book of Revelation the Nicolatians are mentioned twice, and they were known in the cities of Ephesus and Pergamum. The more we know about  the places mentioned in the Scripture, the more we will be able to understand, accurately and precisely, the meaning that the narrative was meant to be, as the account of experiences by real people in real places.
Ephesus is one of the most important cities in early Christianity. It attracted many influential Christian leaders, including Paul, John, and Timothy. The remains of the city lies on the Western edge of modern Turkey, just about 5 miles inland from the Aegean Coast. It was once a major port city which went right up to the water but sediments from the Cayster River eventually filled the harbor. The steep hills guarded the ancient city from enemy attacks because it was placed in a Valley between two hills which sloped toward the sea.
The apostle Paul lived in Ephesus for 2 years during his 3rd missionary journey to Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece. The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians follows his Letter to the Galatians and precedes his Letter to the Philippians in the New Testament. The Letter to the Ephesians  is most noted for its description OF CHRIST and the Church. Paul speaks OF GOD's Plan for Salvation (1:3-6); calls for the Unity of the Church IN CHRIST (1:15-2:22); the Church as BODY OF CHRIST (1:22-23); and the UNITY of the BODY OF CHRIST in ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT, ONE HOPE, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, and ONE GOD and FATHER OF ALL. (4:4-6)
Paul outlines the 5-Fold Ministry -Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers - and its purpose, (4:11-13) and the exemplary living of its members through ONE's DAILY CONDUCT (4:1-5:5), living as CHILDREN OF LIGHT (5:8-5:20). Paul compares the RELATIONSHIP of CHRIST and the CHURCH to the MARRIAGE relationship of HUSBAND and WIFE.  (5:21-33)
The Nicolatians did not care how they were living their lives and believed that the Faith they professed was enough to put them right to GOD. They excused certain forms of impurity and made the Grace of GOD a cloak for lasciviousness, teaching that GOD did not required obedience to any new covenant and salvation was attained solely through Faith and deeds with no need of repentance or sanctification.
They practiced ritualism without spirituality, knowledge without practice and justification by Faith without holiness.
This dangerous reasoning was taught in the Church of Ephesus in the 1st century. In the Book of Jude, a warning is placed about these ungodly reasoning of men. They used the Grace of GOD as an excuse for the violation of GOD's Law - the Moral Law, falling themselves into profound immorality. They denied the moral example of our Lord JESUS which they willingly acknowledged Him as their Saviour but not as their LORD and MASTER.
It was this teaching and reasoning of the Nicolatians in the 1st century that was corrupting the Church of Pergamos. They sought hidden spiritual knowledge through mystical experiences and believed that this knowledge alone was perfectly sufficient for salvation. They also believed that  man's spiritual and physical nature were two completely and separated entities, implying that the freedom to commit immoralities and overindulge themselves in any and every way of it was part of the physical entity but not spiritual and hence GOD's Grace override them. They said that the precepts of the Commandments, Ordinances and Statutes bared not with the Christian life because JESUS CHRIST had come to destroy it and not to fulfill it.
The Grace of GOD covers all time and spans all history in the Scripture. The young Gentile Titus who, by Faith, became a Christian believer, a fellow worker, and an assistant to Paul in his missionary work, received a Letter addressed to him from Paul, when he was helping with the GOD's Work in Crete. His job was to supervise the work of the believers inside the Church. First, Titus is reminded of the kind of character that church leaders should have, especially in view of the bad attitude of many Cretans had towards the sanctification of the body in Christ. Next, Titus is advised How to Teach the various groups in the Church, the older men, the older women who in turn had to teach the younger women, the young men, and the slaves. Finally, Paul gives Titus advice regarding Christian conduct, especially the need to be peaceful, and friendly, and to avoid hatred, argument, and division in the Church.
Paul says to Titus in chapter 2: "You must teach what agrees with 'sound doctrine' (according to the Word of GOD). Instruct the older men to be sober, sensible, and self-controlled (from the things of the flesh); to be sound in their Faith, Love, and Endurance. In the same way instruct the older women to behave as women should who live a Holy life. They must not be slanderers or slaves to wine (overindulge in the things of the flesh). They must teach what is good, in order to train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, and to be good housewives who submit themselves to their husbands, so that no one will speak evil of the Message that Comes From GOD." (1-5)
"In the same way urge the young men to be self-controlled. In all things you yourself must be an example of good behavior. Be sincere and serious in your teaching. Use SOUND WORDS (GOD's WORDS) that cannot be criticized, so that your enemies may be put to shame by not having anything bad to say about us." (6-8)
"Slaves are to submit themselves to their masters and please them in all things (examples are placed in the Scripture since the beginning of time). They must not talk back to their masters or steal from them. Instead, slaves must show that they are always good and faithful, so as to BRING CREDIT TO the TEACHINGS ABOUT GOD IUR SAVIOR in all they do. For GOD HAS REVEALED HIS GRACE FOR the SALVATION OF ALL PEOPLE." (9-11)

THE NICOLAITANS. Part 1

The Nicolaitans were a kind of people within or in close contact with the churches of Asia Minor in the latter part of the Apostolic Age. They are expressly named only in the Book of Revelation. JESUS loathed the Nicolaitans' doctrine and hated their deeds.
To understand why, let's begin reading Revelation 2 :"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'This is the Message from the One Who Holds the 7 Stars in His Right Hand and Who Walks among the 7 Gold Lamp-stands." (1)
"I know what you have done; I know how hard you have worked and how patient you have been. I know that you cannot tolerate evil people and that you have tested those who say they are apostles but are not, and have found out that they are liars. You are patient, you have suffered for my sake, and you have not given up." (2-3)
"But this is what I have against you: 'YOU DO NOT LOVE ME NOW as you did at first. Think HOW FAR YOU HAVE FALLEN! Turn from your sins and DO WHAT YOU DID AT FIRST. If you do not turn from your sins, I will come to you and take your Lamp-stand from its place.' " (4-5)
"But this is what you have in your favor: 'YOU HATE WHAT THE NICOLAITANS DO, as much as I do." (6)
Ephesus, once called by a Roman writer "The Light of Asia, with a population of 300,000, was the chief commercial port city of the Province on the West Coast of Asia Minor. It was the center of the worship of the Mother Earth's power in Western Asia and the city was full of wizards, sorcerers, witches, astrologers, diviners who used all kind of ritual practices, and magic.
Ephesus was the Gate-Way of Asia. One of its distinctions, laid down by STATUTE, was that  when a  Roman proconsul came to take up office as governor of Asia, he must 'disembark at Ephesus' or 'be baptized by the power of Mother Earth' and then enter his province invested with her power.
For all travelers and trade, from Cayster and the Maeander Valleys, from Galatia, from Euphrates and from Mesopotamia, EPHESUS WAS THE HIGHWAY TO ROME.
In the New Testament Era Ephesus was the 4th greatest city in the World, after Rome, Alexandria in Egypt, and Antioch of Syria. Christians were brought from Asia to be flung to the lions in Rome's arena, and, because of it, Ephesus was called THE HIGHWAY OF THE MARTYRS.
The apostle Paul first visited Ephesus on return from his missionary journey where he "entered the synagogue and 'reasoned' with the Jews. Before that episode he went first to Corinth.
Acts 18, says: "Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently came from Italy with his wife Priscilla, for Emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and stayed and worked with them, because he earned his living by 'making tents,' just as they did. He held discussions in the synagogue every Sabbath, trying to 'convince' both Jews and Greeks." (1-5)
"When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul gave his whole time to preaching the Message testifying to the Jews that JESUS IS THE MESSIAH. When they 'opposed him' and said 'evil things' about JESUS, Paul protested by shaking  the dust from his clothes and saying to them, "IF YOU ARE LOST, YOU YOURSELVES MUST TAKE THE BLAME FOR IT!  I am Paul, and I am not responsible for it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." (6-7)
"Paul left them and went and went to live in the house of a Gentile named Titius Justus, who worshiped GOD; his house was next to the synagogue. Crispus, who was the leader of the synagogue, believed in the LORD, together with all his family; and many other people in Corinth  heard the Message, believed and were baptized." (8)
"One night Paul had a VISION in which the LORD said to him, "DO NOT BE AFRAID, but KEEP ON SPEAKING and DO NOT GIVE UP, for I AM WITH YOU. No one will be able to harm you, for MANY IN THIS CITY ARE MY PEOPLE." So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching the people the WORD OF GOD." (9-11)
When Gallio was made the Roman governor of Achaia, Jews there (against the Message) got together and 'seized Paul,' and took him into Court. "This man," they said, "is trying to 'persuade' people to 'worship GOD in 'a Way' that is against our Law!"
Paul was about to speak when Gallio said to the Jews there, "If this were a matter of some evil crime or wrong that has been committed, it would be reasonable for me to be patient with you Jews. But since IT IS AN ARGUMENT about WORDS and NAMES and YOUR OWN LAW, you yourselves must settle it. I will not be the Judge of such things!"  Gallio drove them out of the Court.  Then,  they all grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the Court. But that did not bother Gallio a bit." (12-17)
After staying with the believers in Corinth for a time, Paul left them and sailed off with Priscilla and Aquila for Syria. Before sailing from Cenchreae Paul had his head shaved because of a Vow he had taken. They arrived in Ephesus , where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He went into the synagogue and held discussions with the Jews. The people asked Paul to stay longer, but Paul would not consent. Instead, Paul told them as he left, "If it is the WILL OF GOD, I will come back to you."
And so Paul sailed from Ephesus. When he arrived at Caesarea, he went to Jerusalem and greeted the Church, and then went to Antioch. After spending some time there, he left and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the Believers." (18-23)
"At that time a Jew named Apollos, who had been born in Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker and had a thorough knowledge of the Scripture. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm he proclaimed and taught correctly the Facts about Jesus. However, Apollo knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took Apollos home with them and explained to him more correctly the Way of God. Apollos then decided to go Achaia, so the believers in Ephesus helped him by writing to the believers in Achaia, urging them to welcome him. When Apollos arrived, he was a great help to those who through GOD's Grace had become believers. For with his strong arguments Apollos defeated the Jews (against the Message) in public debates by proving from the Scripture that JESUS IS THE MESSIAH. (24-28)
The name "Nicolaitans"  comes from the Greek word "Nikolaus," which is a compound of the words Nikos, meaning 'to conquer' or 'to subdue' and Laos, meaning 'the people,' from where we get 'laity.'
When these two words are compunded into one, they form the name "Nikolaus," which literally means "one who conquers and subdues the people."

Saturday, 11 February 2017

DREAMS AND THE SCRIPTURE. Part 4

In the Scriprure, False Dreams are condemned. According to the Law, a false dreamer who urged the committing of idolatry was put to death.
In Deuteronomy 12 and 13, GOD teaches us by saying, "The LORD your GOD will destroy the nations as you invade their land, and you will occupy it and settle there. After the LORD destroys those nations, make sure that you do not follow their religious practices, because that would be fatal. (29-30) Do not try to find out how they worship their gods, so that you can worship in the same way. Do not worship the LORD your GOD in the way they worship their gods, for in the worship of their gods they do all the disgusting things that the LORD hates. They even sacrifice their children in the fires on their altars." (31)
"Do everything that I Have Commanded you; do not add anything to it or take anything from it. (12:32)
Follow the LORD and honor Him, obey Him and keep His Commands; worship Him and be faithful to Him. (13:4) But put to death any interpreters of dreams or prophets that tell you to rebel against the LORD, Who Rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. Such people are evil and are trying to lead you away from the live that the LORD Has Commanded you to live. They must be put to death, in order to rid yourselves of this evil. (5)  GOD will be Merciful to you and make you a numerous people, as HE promised your ancestors, if you obey All His Commands and do What He requires."(18)
"Prophets or interpreters of dreams may promise a miracle or a wonder, in order to lead you to worship and serve gods that you have not worshipped before. Even if what they promise comes true, do not pay any attention to them. The LORD your GOD is using them to 'test you', to see 'if you love the LORD' with all your heart." (13: 1-3)
GOD speaks to His True Prophets by means of dreams. In Numbers 12 GOD teaches us HOW and to WHOM He manifested Himself:
Numbers 12: "Moses  had married a Cushite woman, and Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses for it. Both of them said, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn't HE also spoken through us?" (1-2)  The LORD heard what both of them said. (Moses was a humble man, more humble than anyone else on earth). (3)
Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "I WANT THE 3 OF YOU TO COME OUT TO THE TENT OF MY PRESENCE." They went and the LORD came down in  Pillar of Cloud, stood at the Entrance of the Tent, and Called Out,  "Aaron! Miriam!" The 2 of them stepped forward, and the LORD said, "NOW HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY!"  "When there are Prophets among you, I REVEAL MYSELF to them IN VISIONS and SPEAK to them IN DREAMS."
"IT IS DIFFERENT WHEN I SPEAK with My Servant MOSES, I HAVE PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF ALL MY PEOPLE. So I SPEAK TO MOSES FACE-TO-FACE, CLEARLY AND NOT IN RIDDLES; MOSES HAS EVEN SEEN MY FORM!"  "HOW DARE you SPEAK AGAINST My Servant MOSES?"  The LORD was angry with them; and so as HE departed and the Cloud left the Tent, Miriam's skin was suddenly covered with a dreaded disease and turned as white as snow. When Aaron looked at her and saw that she was covered with the disease, Aaron said to Moses, "Please, sir, do not make us suffer this punishment for our foolish sin. Do not let her become like something born dead with half its flesh eaten away." So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O GOD, heal her!"
The LORD answered, "IF HER FATHER HAD SPIT IN HER FACE , she would have to bear her disgrace for 7 Days. So LET HER SHUT OUT OF THE CAMP FOR A WEEK, and after that she can be brought back in." (4-14)
GOD was against "the prophets of false dreams," who led His People away from True Worship.
The Scripture speaks of dreams describing the ungodly defilers of the flesh who slipped into the Christian congregation. Jude warned the Believers against such men "indulging in dreams"apparently imagining that they could violate GOD's WORD and defile the flesh with impunity. This was a mistake, for they would inescapably receive adverse Judgment from the Supreme Judge.
Jude says in his letter, "For even though you know all this, I want to remind you of How the LORD once rescued His People from Egypt, but afterward destroyed those who did not believe. Remember the angels who did not stay within the limits of their proper authority, but abandoned their own dwelling place : they are bound with eternal chains in the Darkness below, where GOD is keeping them for that Great Day on which they will be condemned. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah, and the nearby Towns, whose people acted as those angels did and indulged in sexual immorality and perversion : they suffer the punishment of eternal fire as a plain warning to all."  (5-7)
"In the same way also, these godless people (that slipped inside the congregation unnoticed, who distort the Message about the Grace of our GOD in order to excuse their immoral ways, who rejects JESUS CHRIST, our Master and Lord, and who long ago the Scripture predicted the condemnation they have received) have visions which make them sin against their own bodies, they despise GOD's Authority and insult the glorious beings above. Not even the chief angel Michael did this in his quarrel with the Devil when they argued about who would have the 'body of Moses.' Michael did not dare to condemn the Devil with insulting words, but said, "The LORD rebuke you!"  But these people attack with insults anything they do not understand; and those things that they know by instinct, like wild animals, are the very things that destroy them. How terrible for them! They have followed the way that Cain took. For the sake of money they have given themselves over to the error that Balaam committed. (8-11).
1 Corinthians 6 says to the Believers : "If any of you have a dispute with another Christian, how dare you go before the World court system who provide heathen judges instead of letting GOD's People settle the matter? Don't you know that GOD's People will judge the World? Well, then, if you are to judge the World, aren't you capable of judging small matters? Do you not know that we shall judge the angels? How much more, then, the things of this life!" (1-3)
"If such matters come up, are you going to have them settled by people who have no standing in the Church? Shame of you! Surely there is at least one wise person in your fellowship who can settle a dispute between fellow Christians. Instead, one Christian goes to court against another and lets unbelievers judge the case!" (4-6)
"The very fact that you have legal disputes among yourselves shows that you have failed completely." (7)   "Surely you know that the wicked will not possess GOD's Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship thoughts or images or are adulterers or homosexual perverts or who steal or are greedy or lack self-control or who slanders others or are thieves -none of these will possess GOD's Kingdom. (9-10)








DREAMS AND THE SCRIPTURE. Part 3

The natural dreams created by Theta Waves that sort out our memories and help to coordinate new opinions, learn new tasks, and update our emotional outlook are the ones considered from the flesh. These activities in the brain only take place during the sleep hours allowing all the neuronal gates to open up.
Early information about the analysis of these type of dreams comes from Mesopotamia (land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers). The civilizations that existed there around 5,000 BC left behind what is believed to be  the World's First Book of Dreams - a compilation of symbols and their meaning.
The people from the city of Summer viewed their dreams as signs sent from elemental spirits whose habitat were in  a plane different that earth's. People had their dreams translated by "dream priests" who foretold the dreamer's future according to the signs produced by the process of incubation of the person's declared words and thoughts in his waking hours, and the summoning of the elemental spirits in control of them, by means of special rituals. These practices then spread  throughout the ancient World and survived in various forms until the 20th century.
The Egyptians took many ideas from the people of Summer.They also viewed dreams as messages from elemental spirits living in a different plane and created their own Dream Book (currently at the British Museum in London). In temples, where special dream interpreters lived, rituals were celebrated, also they gave sacrifices and recited prayers in hopes that their dreams reveal fragments of the future. The Pharaoh's dreams attracted  the most attention, because they were seen as gods themselves.
In Greece, around 335 BC, Greek philosopher Aristotle said that human beings are capable of achieving the pure form of wisdom only during sleep hours, where the minds liberate themselves from ant source of slavery. At that time Greece was the most powerful civilization on earth and played a significant role that impacted the development of the ancient world. The source of their wisdom was the oracle of Delphi, who had influence on even the most important decisions in the country. The oracle's prophecies were created based on dreams, and played a significant role in military decisions as well as family life and the assurance of prosperity in one's life.
Hippocrates, regarded as the father of modern medicine, saw dreams as important indicators of physical and mental health. He did not place dreams as coming from elemental spirits living in a different plane, instead he placed them as coming from human thoughts.
The Greeks created the most significant book about dreams that have ever written "Oneirocritica" (Interpretation of Dreams) written by Artemidorus. Today, this book is the basis for many modern books about dreams.
The Roman Augustus, the successor of Julius Caesar, believed so strongly in the prophetic nature of dreams that he created a law requiring every citizen who had a dream about the empire, to talk about it on the market in their Town.  Moreover, the existence of unfair or unpopular laws was justified by the fact that they were suggested in dreams. In Rome, the importance of natural dreams was widely discussed among its scholars who openly proclaimed that dreams were inspired or stimulated by certain thoughts or emotions, internal passions, sensations or daily activities of the dreamer.
In Ecclesiastes 5, the Scripture teaches us the difference between dreams who have divine significance and the ones who do not have it: "Be careful about going to the Temple. It is better to go there to learn than to offer sacrifices like foolish people do, because they do not know right from wrong." (1)
"Think before you speak, and do not make any rash promises to GOD. He is in heaven and you are on earth, so do not say any more than you have to." (2)  "The more you worry, the more likely you are to have bad dreams, and the more you talk, the more likely you are to say something foolish. So when you make a promise to GOD, keep it as quickly as possible. He has no use for a fool. Do what you promise to do. Better not to promise at all than to make a promise and not keep it." (3-4)
Psalm 73 says, "GOD is indeed good to His People, those who have pure hearts. But I had nearly lost Confidence; my Faith was almost gone because I was jealous of the proud when I saw that things go well for the wicked."(1-3)   "They speak evil of GOD in heaven and give arrogant orders to everyone on earth, so that even GOD's people turn to them and eagerly believe whatever they say. They say, 'GOD will not know; the MOST HIGH will not find out.' That is what the wicked are like. They have plenty and are always getting more." (9-10)  "If I had said such things, I would not be acting as one of Your People. I tried to think this problem through, but it was too difficult for me until I went into Your Temple. Then I understood what will happen to the wicked. You will put them in slippery places and make them fall to destruction! They instantly destroyed; they go down to a horrible end. They are like a dream that goes away in the morning; when You rose Yourself, O LORD, they disappear." (15-20)
"When my thoughts were bitter and my feelings were hurt, I was as stupid as an animal; I did not understand You, and You hold me by the hand. You guide me with Your Instruction and at the end YOU will receive me with honor. What else do I have in heaven but YOU? and since I have YOU, what else could I want on earth?" (21-25)
In natural dreams a hungry person may dream of eating and a thirst one of drinking, but they awake unsatisfied. Comparable delusion was in store for all the nations "waging war against the Mount of the Lord, Mount Zion." (Isaiah 29)
The Scripture warns against looking for omens, whether in natural dreams or in various incidents. (Deuteronomy 18)

Friday, 10 February 2017

DREAMS AND THE SCRIPTURE. Part 2

Dreams from GOD furnish warnings that protect His Servants, or give them guidance and assurance of divine favor. Also dreams helped His Servants to understand how GOD was adding them.
In Genesis 15, when GOD was about to conclude a Covenant with Abram (Abraham), a 'deep sleep' and 'great darkness' fell upon him, and then GOD spoke to him in a dream, about how the World will yet be recovered from the 'curse' (Genesis 3) and divisiveness (Genesis 11) of 'sin'. (Genesis 22)
Fifteen years after Abram's arrival in Canaan (Gen 12; 17) and 13 years after the Hagar-compromise (Gen 16), GOD came to Abram "to complete the Covenant arrangement." In Genesis 15 the Hebrew Word for "inaugurating" a Covenant is used; in Genesis 6 the Word means "to implement", "to put in action"; in Genesis 17 the Word is "to confirm", literally "put, place" and signifies that "from now on" the Covenant will be "the changeless mode" of the "relationship between GOD and Abram." A searching requirement of Holiness within divine fellowship was put in place covering 4 categories: personal, domestic, spiritual, and territorial, and sealed with the "sign of circumcision." (Genesis 17)
In Genesis 20-21, God warned Abimelech the king of Gerar, not to touch Sarah, with the result that she remained undefiled, in a dream. Abimelec, either an official tittle representing the spirit of the monarchy governing the earth, or a personal name, was an official identification of several Philistine kings, similar to the title Pharaoh among the Egyptians and Caesar among the Romans. This king Abimelech was in charge of the city of Gerar, where Abraham and Sarah took up temporary residence. Thinking the couple were brother and sister, the king took Sarah to become his wife. GOD warned him in a dream, the king returned Sarah to Abraham together with a compensation consisting on livestock and slaves and, in addition, 1,000 pieces of silver as a guarantee of Sarah's chastity. Sometime later this same king concluded a Covenant of Peace and Mutual Confidence with Abraham at Beer-Sheba.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the Scripture reveals that complying with 'Divine Warning in a dream,' the astrologers who visited JESUS did not return to murderous Herod (2:11,12). Also, in response to angelic instruction in dreams, Joseph took Mary as his wife and also fled with JESUS and Mary into Egypt. Later dreams from GOD led Joseph to return from Egypt with Mary and JESUS and settle in Nazareth in order to fulfill the Prophecy, "He will be called a Nazarene." (Mt. 1-2)
At a placed named Luz (Bethel) GOD caused Jacob to have a dream in which he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, denoting communication between them. Angels ascended and descended on it, a representation of GOD was stationed above it, and GOD pronounced a blessing on Jacob. (Gen 28)
It was also by means of a dream that GOD, years later, showed His Aproval of Jacob and gave him "angelic instruction" to return to his homeland. (Gen 31).
Jacob's son Joseph, as a youth, had prophetic dreams that indicated he had divine favor. In one, Jacob and his brothers were binding sheaves in the Field. Joseph's sheaf stood erect, and those of his brothers encircled it and bowed down to it. In another dream, the sun, moon, and 11 stars bowed down to him.  Both of these dreams were fulfilled when Jacob and his household moved to Egypt during a severe famine. To obtain food, they all became dependent upon Joseph, who was then Egypt's food administrator. (Genesis 37; 42)
The dreams that are experienced by persons that do not belong to God's household are also prophetic.
The Scripture mentions an example of it that happened in Egypt while Joseph was imprisoned with Pharaoh's chief of the cupbearers and chief of the bakers. These men had dreams that God enabled Joseph to explain and prophetically meaning that in 3 Days the chief of the cupbearers would be restored to his position, whereas the chief of the bakers would be executed. These events occurred 3 Days later, on Pharaoh's birthday. In time these dreams served the 'purpose' of bringing Joseph to Pharaoh's Attention as a man having GOD's Spirit. (Genesis 40)
Warning and Prophetic elements were combined in 2 dreams that Pharaoh of Joseph's day had in one night. In the first, Pharaoh saw 7 fat-fleshed cows devoured by 7 poor, thin-fleshed cows. In the second, 7 full and good ears of grain came up on one stalk, only to be swallowed up by 7 shriveled, thin, wind-scorched ears of grain. Joseph, ascribing the interpretation to God, correctly explained that both dreams pointed to 7 years of plenty to be followed by 7 of famine. (Genesis 41)
It was GOD's Plan to Save many from starvation and particularly to preserve the life of Abraham's descendants (Faith), to fulfill the His Promises to Abraham. (Genesis 45)
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar also had 2 prophetic dreams from GOD. One was a metallic image  with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of copper, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay. A stone cut out without hands struck and crushed its feet and then pulverized the rest of the image. Daniel identified Nebuchadnezzar as the "head of gold" and explained that a succession of human kingdoms would follow. Ultimately, GOD Himself would set up a Kingdom that would "never be brought to ruin." (Daniel 2)
In another dream from GOD, Nebuchadnezzar beheld a great tree that was chopped down, its rootstock that remained being restrained with "a banding of iron and of copper" until "7 times"passed over it.
In keeping with Daniel's explanation, the boasting king (great tree that was cut down) went mad, remaining in that mental state until 7 times, or years, passed. Thereafter the king acknowledged GOD's Supremacy, and his sanity having returned, he was reestablished in his kingdom. (Daniel 4)
Daniel himself had a dream from GOD in which he beheld 4 huge beasts coming up out of the sea, these creatures representing human kingdoms or form of governments. Daniel also saw the "Ancient of Days," from whom "someone like a Son of Man "received lasting "Ruler-ship and Dignity and Kingdom." (Daniel 7)
Joel foretold the outpouring of God's Spirit will be followed by such manifestations as prophesying and the dreaming of inspired dreams. (Joel 2) It was on the Day of Pentecost in the Year 33 CE that 120 Disciples of JESUS CHRIST received the Holy Spirit and began speaking in various tongues to the people who came from different parts of the World "about the magnificent things of GOD" in their own and particular languages. (Acts 2) Later, other Believers, including Saul (Paul), the former persecutor, received the Holy Spirit and were empowered with supernatural gifts. (Acts 8; 9)  While in Troas, Paul had a night vision or dream that provided guidance as to where he and his associates were to preach the "Good News." (Acts 16)  The prophetic words of Joel were fulfilled.
Later on, when JESUS stood on trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor's wife sent him this message respecting JESUS : "Have nothing to do with this Righteous Man, for I suffered a lot today in a dream because of HIM." (Matthew 27)

Thursday, 9 February 2017

DREAMS AND THE SCRIPTURE. Part 1

The meaning of dreams has been one of the most fascinating topics of discussion around the World. The answer depends on Who you ask.
Cultures around the World have developed their own traditions for interpreting dreams. Some people believe dreams are just a byproduct of Brain Wave activity, and that dreams do not have any psychologically significant meaning at all, other people argue that our dreams are a reflection of our deepest desires, and some believe that dreams connect us to God.
To the Egyptians, dreams were a perception of things that existed but could not be seen or heard during the waking hours of the brain. They tried to make contact with their dream world by performing ritual incantations and using potion ointments to summon the invisible spirits. They believed that contacts with those elemental spirits would bring warnings, advice, success or other ventures, recovery from illness, or merely pleasurable experiences. They had especial facilities where dream incubation occurred by laying down in dream beds carefully made of every single word or action that the individual performed in his waking hours.
The Scripture teaches that from ancient times, GOD relayed His Messages through the power of His Spirit, to His Chosen Servants by visions and dreams. The Scripture refers to Dreams from God, Natural Dreams, and False Dreams.
Dreams from God were received by GOD's servants and, at the same time, by persons not devoted to Him. Amos, for example, was not born as the son of a prophet. His home was the town of Tekoa, South of Jerusalem, at an elevation of about 820m(2,700ft). To the East, and sloping toward the Dead Sea (1200m[4,000ft] below sea level), was the Wilderness of Judah, where in his early life, Amos found employment as a Humble Sheep Raiser. The Hebrew Word "noqedhim" (sheep raisers) occurs in only one place in the Scripture, 2 Kings3:4 -"King Mesha of Moab raised sheep, and every year he gave as tribute to the king of Israel  100,000 lambs and the wool from 100,000 sheep." The Hebrew Word "noqedhim" is related to the Arabic Word "naqqad"for a special, unattractive, but highly valued fleece, breed of sheep. Amos also engaged in menial seasonal work as a nipper of sycamore figs, a variety considered food 'only for the poor.' The practice of pinching or puncturing the figs (symbolic to the testing of Faith that Believers must endure) was to hasten the ripening and increase the size and sweetness of the fruit. Like the shepherd David, who was called to public service by GOD to govern the Jews, so also, God proceeded to take Amos from following the flock of his hometown and made him His Prophet. Amos 7:15 Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without Revealing His Plan to His Servants using visions and dreams.
In 1 Kings 3, GOD teaches us how dreams work: "Solomon made an alliance with the king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. He brought her to live in David's city until he had finished building his palace, the Temple, and the wall around Jerusalem."(1)
"A Temple had not yet been built for the Lord, and so the people were still offering sacrifices at many different altars."(2)   "Solomon loved the Lord and followed the instructions of his father David, but Solomon also slaughtered animals and offered them as sacrifices on various altars."(3)
"On one occasion Solomon went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices because that was where the most famous altar was. Solomon had offered hundreds of Burnt Offerings there in the past. That Night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him, "What would you like ME to give you?"
Solomon answered, "YOU always showed Great Love for my father David, Your servant, and he was Good, Loyal, and Honest in his Relation With YOU. And YOU Have Continued To Show him Your Great and Constant Love by giving him a son who today rules in his palace. O Lord GOD, You have let me succeed my father as king, even though I am very young and do not know how to rule. Here I am among the people YOU Have Chosen to Be Your Own, a people who are so many that they cannot be counted. So give me the Wisdom I Need To Rule Your People with Justice and To Know the Difference Between Good and Evil. Otherwise, How would I ever be able to rule this great people of Yours?" (4-9)
The LORD was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, and so GOD said to him, "Because you have asked for the Wisdom to Rule Justly, instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your enemies, I Will Do What you have asked. I Will Give you more WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING than ANYONE HAS EVER HAD BEFORE or WILL EVER HAVE AGAIN.  I Will ALSO give you What you have Not Asked for : ALL YOUR LIFE you will have WEALTH and HONOR, more than that of any other king. And IF YOU OBEY ME and KEEP MY LAWS and COMMANDS, as your father David did, I WILL GIVE you A LONG LIFE."(10-14)  
Solomon woke up and realized that GOD HAD SPOKEN TO him in the Dream.
The Book of Judges, chapter 7, teaches us GOD's Way of Selection of His People whom are able to carry His Spirit and interpret dreams and visions, in order to obtain Victory over His Enemies : "One Day Gideon and all men got up early and camped beside Harod Spring. The Midianite Camp was in the Valley to the North of them by Moreh Hill. The LORD said to Gideon, "The men you have are too many for ME to give them Victory over the Midianites. They might think that they had won by themselves and so give ME no credit."(1-2)
"Announce to the people, 'Anyone who is afraid should go back home, and we will stay here at Mount Gilead.' "  So 22,000 went back, but 10,000 stayed. (3)
Then the LORD said to Gideon, "You still have too many men. Take them down to the Water, and I WILL SEPARATE THEM FOR YOU there. IF I TELL you A MAN should GO WITH YOU, he will go. IF I TELL you, A MAN should NOT GO WITH YOU, he will not go." (4)
Gideon took the men Down to the Water, and the LORD TOLD him, "SEPARATE everyone WHO LAPS UP the water WITH HIS TONGUE like a dog, FROM everyone WHO GETS DOWN ON HIS KNEES to drink."(5) There were 300 men who scooped up Water in their hands and lapped it; all the others got down on their knees to drink. (6)
The LORD said to Gideon, "I WILL RESCUE you and GIVE you VICTORY over the Midianites WITH the 300 MEN who lapped the Water. Tell everyone else to go home." So Gideon sent all the Israelites home, except the 300, who kept all the supplies and trumpets. The Midianite Camp was below them in the Valley. (7-8)

Wednesday, 8 February 2017

THE TORRENT VALLEY OF KIDRON.

The Kidron is a deep Valley that separates Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and runs, from the vicinity of Jerusalem, South-East-course, and then South-Ward along the city, extending through the Wilderness of Judah, meeting the Dead Sea below the mouth of the Jordan River. The Valley and the Mount of Olives lies East of Jerusalem while the old Walled City of Jerusalem is on its West.
The name comes from a root word meaning "black, dirty, dark, not clear, turbid," or one meaning "glow, burn, radiate heat," because the stream at its starting point is thick and opaque, and at the end is clear and temperate.
The Kidron is waterless even in winter, except during times of heavy rain. The Valley and the Brook running through it, starts some distance to the North of Jerusalem's Walls. At first the Valley presents itself so broad and shallow, then, it continues to narrow and deepen. By the time it is opposite to Stephen's Gate near the former Temple area, it is approximately 30m (100ft) deep and 120m (400ft) wide.
To the South of the former Temple area the Kidron is joined by the Tyropean Valley and the Hinnon Valley respectively. From then on the Kidron continues South-East-Ward across the arid Wilderness of Judah to the Dead Sea.
On the Eastern slope of the Valley, opposite Jerusalem, on the steep and rocky slopes, are many ancient rock-cut Tombs where certain royal officials, and possibly some of Judah's kings may have been buried.
On the Western slope of the Valley, about midway between the former Temple area and the junction of the Tyropean and the Kidron valleys, is the Spring of Gihon, ancient Jerusalem's primary water supply. Not far from this Spring the Kidron Valley widens forming an open space. This Spring flowed into the Valley, but with the building of Hezekiah's tunnel (2Kings20) its waters were diverted to the Pool of Siloam inside the city.
This Valley is first mentioned in the Scripture as the place King David crossed (the Eastern boundary of the city), as he fled Jerusalem because of the rebellion of his son Absalom (2Samuel15), and crossed the Kidron on foot. For cursing David on that occasion, Solomon later restricted Shimei to Jerusalem, not permitting him to cross the Kidron under pain of death (1King2).
During the Monarchy, the Kidron Valley was identified as the place of the King's Garden (2King25; Nehemiah 3). Adjacent to the Temple Mount, the Kidron (Valley/Brook/Field) served as a convenient place where images and altars of entities were taken to be destroyed by reformer kings: Asa (1King15), Hezekiah (2Chronicles 15-29-30), and Josiah (2King23). This made the Kidron Valley an unclean area and it is therefore significant that Jeremiah's prophecy pointed to a Time when, by contrast, "all the terraces as far as the Torrent Valley of Kidron" would be "something Holy to GOD."(Jeremiah31)
The Kidron is mentioned only once in the New Testament. After the farewell discourse, JESUS along with His Disciples went "across the Kidron Valley to a place where there was a Garden, which He and His Disciples entered" (John 18).
John 15 says, "If the World hates you, just remember that the World has hated Me first. If you belonged to the World, then the World would love you as its own. But I chose you from this World, and you do not belong to it; that is Why the World hates you."(18-19)
John 16 says, "I did not tell you these things at the beginning, for I was with you. But now I am going to Him Who sent Me, yet none of you asks Me Where I am going. And now that I have told you, your hearts are full of sadness. But I am telling you the Truth: it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send Him to you. And when He comes, He will prove to the people of the World that they are wrong about 'sin' and about 'what is right' and about 'God's Judgment.' (4-8) "The time is coming, and is already here, when all of you will be scattered, each of you to your own home, and I will be left alone, because the Father is with Me. The World will make you suffer. But Be Brave! I have defeated the World!" (32-33)
John 17 says, After JESUS finished saying this, He looked up to Heaven and said:
"FATHER, the HOUR HAS COME. Give Glory to Your Son, so that the Son may give Glory to You. For You gave Him AUTHORITY OVER ALL PEOPLE, so that He might give ETERNAL LIFE TO ALL THOSE YOU GAVE HIM. And eternal life MEANS TO KNOW YOU, the ONLY TRUE GOD, and to KNOW JESUS CHRIST, Whom You sent. I HAVE SHOW YOUR GLORY ON EARTH: I HAVE FINISHED THE WORK YOU GAVE ME TO DO." (1-4)
"FATHER! GIVE ME GLORY IN YOUR PRESENCE NOW, the SAME GLORY I HAD WITH YOU BEFORE THE WORLD WAS MADE." (5)       ....
John 18 says,  After JESUS had said this Prayer, He left with His Disciples and went across Kidron Brook. There was a Garden in that Place, and JESUS and His Disciples went in." (1)
Judas the Traitor, knew where the Kidron Book was, because many times JESUS had met there with His Disciples. So Judas went to the Garden in Kidron, taking with him a group of Roman soldiers, and some Temple guards sent by the Chief Priests and the Pharisees; they were armed and carried lanterns and torches. JESUS KNEW EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO HIM, so He stepped forward and asked them, "WHO IS IT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR?" (2-4)        ....

Tuesday, 7 February 2017

THE MOUNT TABOR.

Mount Tabor is located in Lower Galilee, at the Eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, West of the Sea of Galilee, a large freshwater Lake, at 215m (705ft) below sea level, with a maximum depth of 43m (141ft). It is the lowest freshwater Lake on Earth and the 2nd lowest Lake in the World (after the Dead Sea, a saltwater Lake).
Mount Tabor is an isolated hill shaped like a half-sphere, suddenly rising from rather flat surroundings and reaching a height of 575m (1,886ft). At its base it is almost fully surrounded by Arab Villages.
Mount Tabor is not volcanic, and in spite of its proximity to the Nazareth mountains, it constitutes a separate geological form. An ancient trade route passed there from the Jezreel Valley Northward towards Damascus. Its location on the road junction and its bulgy formation above its environment gave mount Tabor a strategic value and control of the junction of the Galilee's North-South route with the East-West highway of the Jezreel Valley, and wars were conducted in its area in different periods in history.
The Scriptural Battle of Mount Tabor during the time of the Book of Judges, took place in this mount, between Canaanite forces of the king of Hazor and the Israelite army led by Barak and Deborah.
Hazor was located in upper Galilee, North of the sea of Galilee, in the Southern Hula Valley overlooking Lake Merom.
The mountain is mentioned for the first time in the Book of Joshua as border of 3 tribes: Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali. According to the Book of Joshua, Hazor was the seat of Jabin, a powerful Canaanite king that led a confederation against Joshua, but was defeated by Joshua, who burnt Hazor to the ground.
According to the Book of Judges, Hazor was the seat of Jabin, the king of Canaan, whose commander Sisera, led an army against Barak, but was ultimately defeated. Barak was the next judge after Deborah and preceded Gideon. Barak's mother was from the Tribe of Benjamin and he was the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali.
In the Battle at Mount Tabor, the armies met on the Plain of Esdraelon (it is the Koine Greek rendering Jezreel), South of the Lower Galilee. A cloudburst occurred, causing the River  Kishon to overflow its banks, thus limiting the maneuverability of the Canaanite iron-bound chariots, that became hampered by the mud caused by the downpour during the night.  Sisera fled on foot, seeking refuge in the Tent of Heber the Kenite on the Plain of Zaanaim. Heber's wife Jael (whose Tent was separated from Heber's) welcomed Sisera into her Tent and covered him with a blanket. As Sisera was thirsty, she gave him a jug of milk. Exhausted, Sisera lay down and soon fell asleep. While he was sleeping, Jael took a hammer and drove a tent peg into his head, killing him instantly. The Song of Deborah recounts: "Extolled above women be Jael, Extolled above women in the Tent. He asked for water, she gave him milk; she brought him cream in a lordly dish. She stretched forth her hand to the nail, her right hand to the workman's hammer, and she smote Sisera; she crushed his head, she crashed through and transfixed his temples."
 The Kenites were a nomadic Tribe, some of whom lived in close proximity to the Israelites. The Scripture records a number of cases of intermarriage; the father-in-law of Moses was a Kenite.
Judges 4 states that there was peace between the Canaanites and Heber's clan. They were familiar to the Israelites through the connection of Jethro to Moses, and their skill as metalworkers was welcomed wherever they camped. Both sides in the conflict would have considered the Kenites a neutral party.
Mount Tabor was entirely covered with vegetation typical of Northern Palestine until the reign of the Ottoman Empire, during which period most of the trees were felled for use in the charcoal industry. Efforts to recreate the landscape of the area were made, and the area was reforested with trees which are similar to its original vegetation during the 1960s and the 1970s. Today, most of Mount Tabor is covered with oak trees. The woodland vegetation is the habitat for various animals, including wolves and jackals, foxes, porcupines, and the broad-toothed field mouse. In a cave at the top of the Mount, long-fingered bats can be found roosting. Various reptiles can also be found including the Greek tortoise, the Lebanon lizard and the red whip snake. It is also a good habitat for various birds including jays, Syrian woodpeckers, great spotted cuckoos, and snake eagles.

THE DEEP MEANING OF ANATOLIA.

ANATOLIA (Greek: "East" or "Sunrise"; also "Asia Minor"; modern "Turkish") is a geographical and historical term  denoting the Westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey. The Region is bounded by the Black Sea to the North, Georgia to the North East, the Armenian Highland to the East, Mesopotamia to the South East, the Mediterranean Sea to the South and the Aegean Sea to the West.
ANATOLIA has been home to many civilizations throughout history, such as the Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Greeks, Assyrians, Armenians, Romans, Byzantines, Anatolia Seljuks, Ottomans.
The cultic life of Anatolia reflects diverse cultural influences over the course of several thousand years. From as early as 7th BC, bull's heads and a mother goddess featured prominently in domestic shrines found in different regions. Worship of the mother of gods (Meter Theon) was a consistent feature of Anatolian cultic practice. Her later Hellenized portrayal, seated between 2 lions. In modern sources she is called Cybele, and one of her earlier names was Kubaba. In the Greco-Roman era, she was known as Agdistis or by a local place name, usually a mountain overlooking her Temple state at Passimus. During the Hittite era, a huge image of the goddess was carved into Mount Sipylus. Similar huge rock-cut figures survive from the Phrygians.
The mother of the gods was served by self castrated functionaries called 'gulli.' Her male companion, also castrated, was Attis, and the priest-king of her temple state  was called 'the Attis.' In Cappadocia, she gave way to the goddees Ma (Bellona).
Several features characterize the distinctive cult ethics of Anatolia, including Temple-states ruled by priest-kings and inhabited by sacred slaves.
Many Anatolians perceived their deities as powerful monarchical figures who administered 'justice' at all levels of community life. Confession inscriptions from Phrygia and Lydia recount the experience of punishment of the 'offender' by these 'enforcer' deities. Having been punished by the deity, they inscribed a stela to 'confess' and to 'commemorate' the deity's power as a form of recompense. Abundant curses invoke divine punishment upon potential offenders, especially as protection for graves and tombstones. Victims also placed written curses in temples to plead their case and to invoke 'divine' action against 'culprits.'
Angels and scepters also played a role in this supernatural judicial system. This 'judicial' ethos is seen in the names of its distinctive Anatolian deities as the 'divine' pair Holy and Just (Hosios and Dikaios), portrayed with scales and scepter, and the goddess Dikaiosyne.
Anatolian worship cults included spirit possession and treated as a divine possession. The castrated functionaries (gulli) were known for their frenzied possession by her in their act of self-castration and subsequent bloody performances of self-punishment.
Tablets from 3rd BC begin the historical record and interactions between Old Assyrian trading colonies and local Anatolian rulers. The Hittite civilization dominated most of the peninsula in 2nd BC. They left huge rock sculptures of their deities, including a gallery of 63 deities in the natural rock shrine at Yazilikaya, their national sanctuary near their capital, Hattusa, East of Ankara. The short-lived Phrygian Empire rose in the West, succeeded by the Lydian Empire centered at Sardis. Persian domination left its legacy in the worship of deities such as the moon-god Men and the goddess Anaietis (Anahita) and in religious cults which persisted well into the Christian era. Persians held the priesthood of Artemis at Ephesus until 4th BC. In addition, Lycians, Pisidians, Pamphylians, Carians, Lycaonians, Cilicians, and Cappadocians each represented distinct cultures in their respective languages in their ethnic territories. In the Hellenistic era Greek and Anatolia cults should be seen as overlapping entities which mutually influenced one another. Jewish  settlements were known as early as 3rd BC when Antiochus III resettled 2,000 Jewish families from Babylonia into  Lydia and Phrygia. The Galatians crossed from Europe into Anatolia as a mass migration of hundreds of thousands of marauding Celts. They maintained their tribal organization and were a dominant presence in the interior even after  they were contained by Attalus I of Pergamum. Galatians adopted many cult practices of the territories they occupied and found their way into major positions in the Temple state at Pessinus. Roman imperial cult became another major feature of Anatolia cultic life. The emperors were incorporated into the Anatolian pattern of monarchical deities. Emperor worship added impressive sanctuaries to Anatolian cities, and a Roman style of public religious activity, including games, banquets, and food distributions.
In the Scripture, the term "Asia Minor" is used as referring to the Roman Province occupying the Western Part of Asia Minor. It included the older countries of Mysia, Lydia, Caria, and, at times, part of Phrygia, as well as the adjacent islands. It was thus bounded  by the Aegean Sea  and the Provinces of Bithynia, Galatia (which embraced  part of Phyrgia), and Lycia. The precise borders, however, are difficult to define because of repeated shifting.
Initially, the capital was at Pergamon in Mysia, but during the reign of Augustus it was transferred to Ephesus, farther to the South. In the year 27BC, the Province was made senatorial and was thereafter governed by a proconsul. (Acts 19:38) It was also divided into 9 judicial districts and subdivided into 44 city districts.
Luke, in describing the regions from which the Jews had come to Jerusalem at the Time of Pentecost in the year 33 CE, lists Asia Minor along with the Provinces of Cappadocia, Pontus, and Pamphylia.
ACTS 2 says,"When the Day of Pentecost came, all the Believers were gathered together in 'one place.'
Suddenly there was 'a noise' from the sky which sounded like a strong Wind blowing and 'it filled the whole house' where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like 'tongues of fire' which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak. "(1-4) "There were Jews living in Jerusalem, religious people who had come from every country in the World. When they heard 'this noise', a large crowd gathered. They were all excited, because all of them heard the Believers talking in their own languages.
In amazement and wonder they exclaimed, 'These people who are talking like this are Galileans! How is it, then, that all of us hear them speaking in our 'own native languages?' We are from Parthia, Media, and Elam; from Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia; from Pontus and Asia; from Phyrgia and Pamphilia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene. Some of us are from Rome, both Jews and Gentiles converted to Judaism, and some of us are from Crete and Arabia -yet all of us hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things that GOD has done!' Amazed and confused, they kept asking each other, 'What does this mean?'"
Paul there lists Phyrgia apart from Asia, as he does again at Acts 16: "Paul traveled on to Derbe and Lystra, where a Christian named Timothy lived. His mother, who was also a Christian, was Jewish, but his father was a Greek. All the Believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy. Paul wanted to take Timothy along with him, so Paul circumcised Timothy. He did so because all the Jews who lived in those places knew that Timothy's father was Greek. As they went through the Towns, Paul and Timothy delivered to the Believers the Rules decided upon by the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem, and Paul and Timothy told the Believers to 'Obey those Rules.' So the churches were made stronger in the Faith and grew in numbers every day. Paul and Timothy traveled through the Region of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit did not let them 'preach the Message' in the Province of Asia. When they reached the 'border of Mysia,' Paul and Timothy tried to go into the Province of Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them." (1-7)
1 Peter 1 says, "From Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, to GOD's chosen people who live as refugees scattered throughout the Provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. You were chosen according to the Purpose of God the Father and were made a Holy People by His Spirit, 'to Obey Jesus Christ and Be Purified By His Blood.'"(1-2)  "Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their purpose is 'to prove that your Faith is genuine.' Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by Fire; and so your Faith, which is much more precious  than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure."(6-7)
The Anatolian context is very significant in the writings of the New Testament, including Acts, Galatians, Colossians, 1 Peter, and Revelation.

Monday, 6 February 2017

WHAT IS INTELLIGENCE IN GOD's SIGHT?

Daniel 1:17 says, "For these 4 Youths, GOD gave them Knowledge and Intelligence in every branch of Literature and Wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams." Youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of Wisdom, endowed with Understanding and Discerning Knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the Literature and Language of the Chaldeans."(1: 4)
Daniel 5:13-14, says "Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, 'Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?' 'Now I have heard about you that a Spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you."
Daniel 10:12 says, "GOD said to me, 'Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your GOD, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.' "
Acts 7:22 says, "Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a Man of power in words and deeds."
Ezra 7:10 says, "Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His Statutes and Ordinances in Israel."
1 Corinthians 1:20-21 says, "Where is the Wise Man? Where is the Scribe? Where is the Debater of this Age? Has not GOD made Foolish the Wisdom of the World? For since in the Wisdom of GOD the World through its Wisdom did not come to know GOD, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the Message preached to save those who believe."
James 3:14-16 says, "If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the Truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing."
Colossians 2 23 says, "These are matters  which have, to be sure, the appearance of Wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement ... but are of no value against fleshly indulgence."
Romans 1:22-23 says, "Professing to be Wise, they became fools, and exchanged the Glory of the Incorruptible GOD for an image in the form of corruptible Man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures."
Colossians 2:8 says, "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of Men, according to the elementary principles of the World, rather than according to Christ."
Proverbs 9:10 says, "The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom, and Knowledge of the Holy One is Understanding."
Job 28:28 says, And to Man HE said, "Behold, the Fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom; and to Depart from Evil is Understanding."
Psalm 111:10 says, "The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom; and a Good Understanding have all those who Do His Commandments; His praise endures forever."
James 3:13 says, "Who among you is Wise and Understanding? Let him show by his Good Behavior his Deeds in the gentleness of Wisdom."
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 says, "For consider your calling, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but GOD has chosen the foolish things of the World to shame the Wise, and GOD has chosen the weak things of the World to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the World and the despised GOD has chosen, the things that are not, so that HE may nulify the things that are, so that no Man may boast before GOD."
1 Corinthians 7:37 says, "The Believer who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, ... he will do well."
Romans 12:2 says,"Do not be conformed to this World, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove What the Will of GOD is, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect."
Romans 8: 5-6 says, "For those according to the Flesh set their Minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the Mind set on the Flesh is Dead, but the Mind set on the Spirit is Life and Peace." "Set your Mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth."(Col.3:2)
1 Corinthians 14:15-18 says, "I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and i will sing with the mind also. Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how the one who fills the place of the mind say the 'Amen' at your giving of thanks, since he does not what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified."
Acts 17:11 says, "These Believers were more noble-minded that those in Thessalonica, for they received the WORD with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether this things were so." "Be diligent to present yourself approved to GOD as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the WORD OF TRUTH." (2 Tim.2:15)
Hebrews 10:16 says, "This is the Covenant that I will make with Man after those Days,"says the Lord.
"I will put My Laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them," He then says.
Luke 1:3-4 says, "It seemed fitting for me, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, ... so that you may know the exact TRUTH about the things you have been taught."


Saturday, 4 February 2017

ARIUS THE PRIEST.

Arius (250-336), son of Ammonius, was a popular, ascetic (abstinence from Worldly pleasures), Christian Priest appointed Presbyter (overseer) of Berber (North Africa) origin, for the district of Baucalis, Alexandria, Egypt, in 313 CE. The Egyptian Church is more than 1,900 years old, and most likely the oldest Christian church in the World, and is believed to be founded by the apostle Mark at around 42 CE.
A great multitude of common native Egyptians (as opposed to Greek or Jews), who spoke Coptic language, embraced the Christian faith. There were also Alexandrian Jews such as Theophilus, whom the apostle Luke addresses in the introductory chapter of his Gospel.
Reconstructing the life and doctrine of Arius has proven to be difficult task as none of his originals writings survive. Emperor Constantine ordered their burning while Arius was still living.
Arius had been a student at the exegetical school of Lucian's private academy in Antioch. Lucian was a Christian Presbyter, noted for his scholarship and ascetic piety. Arian inherited from him a modified form of the teachings of Paul of Samosata. He taught that God the Father and the Son of God did not always exist together eternally. Arian taught that the Word was a divine being created by God the Father before the Creation of the World, made Him a medium through whom everything else was created, and that the Son of God is subordinate to God the Father. A verse of Proverbs was used as a proof of the statement, "The Lord created Me first of all, the first of His Works, long ago. I was made in the very beginning, at the first, before the World began. I was born before the oceans, when there were no springs of water. I was born before the mountains, before the hills were set in place, before God made the earth and its fields or even the first handful of soil. I was there when He set the sky in place, when he stretched the horizon across the ocean, when He placed the clouds in the sky, when He opened the springs of the ocean and ordered the waters of the sea to rise no further than He said. I was there when He laid the earth's foundations. I was beside Him like an architect, I was His daily source of Joy, always happy in His Presence -happy with the World and pleased with the human race." Prov. 8
Arian is notable for his role in the Arian controversy, a great fourth-century theological conflict that rocked the Christian World and led to the calling of the first ecumenical council of the Church. This controversy centered upon the nature of the Son of God, and his precise relationship to God the Father. It involved most church members -from simple believers, priests, and monks to bishops, emperors, and members of Rome's imperial family. Two Roman emperors, Constantius II and valens, became Arians, as did prominent Gothic, Vandal, and Lombard warlords both before and after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
Arius made the following logical argument: "If the Father begat the Son, he that was begotten had a beginning of existence -from this it is evident, that there was a time when the Son was not. It therefore necessarily follows, that He had his substance from nothing." The other notion that Christ was co-eternal and con-substantial with the Father was led by the young archdeacon Athanasius. Each notions appealed to Scripture to justify their respective positions. Arius maintained that the Son of God was a Creature, made from nothing; and that He was God's First Production, before all ages. And he argued that everything else was created through the Son. Thus, only the Son was directly created and begotten of God; furthermore, there was a time that He had no existence. He was capable of His own free will, and thus "were He in the truest sense a Son, He must have come after the Father, therefore the Time obviously was when He was not, and hence He was a finite being."
After his condemnation in 321 CE, Arius withdrew to Palestine with the support of Eusebius of Caesarea.
Eusebius of Caesarea was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete (to lead out), and polemicist. He became Bishop of Caesarea Maritima about 314 CE. Together with Pamphilus (chief among biblical scholars and was from a very rich and honorable family of Beirut), he was a scholar of the Biblical canon and is regarded as an extremely well learned Christian of his time. Little is known about the life of Eusebius. By the 3rd century, Caesarea had a population of about 100,000. It had been a Gentile city since Pompey had given them the control of the city during his command of the Eastern provinces in the 60s BC. They retained control of the city for the 3 centuries to follow, despite Jewish petition for joint governorship. Gentile government was strengthened by the city refoundation under Herod the Great (37- 4BC), when it had taken on the name of Augustus Caesar. In addition to gentile settlers, Caesarea had large Jewish and Samaritan minorities. No Bishops are attested for the Town before about 190. Caesarea became a center of Christian learning.
Arians do not believe in the traditional doctrine of the Trinity. A letter from Arius to the Arian Eusebius of Nicomedia (died in 341) states the core of the belief of the Arians:
"Some of them say the Son is an eructation, others that He is a production, others that He is also unbegotten. These are impieties to which we cannot listen, even though the heretics threaten us with a thousand deaths. But we say and believe and have a taught, and do teach, that the Son is not unbegotten, nor in any way part of the unbegotten; and that He does not derive His subsistence from any matter; but that by His own will and counsel He has subsisted before time and before ages as perfect as God, only begotten and unchangeable, and that before He was begotten, or created, or purposed, or established, He was not. For He was not unbegotten. We are persecuted because we say that the Son has a beginning but God is without beginning.