Donald John

Trump

Hail to the Chief
As Above,
So Below.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

A Poetic Composition
From The Millenial Development
: “The Foresaken’s Grimoire.
Wisdom From the Ancients.  :  Philosophy.  Science.  Politics.  Religeon.
Of How Humanity Might Survive this Technological Adolescence Without Us Destroying Ourselves.
International Rescource Management.  A Practical Solution for a New Life for this World.  The Truest Hope You Have Ever Known.
The Story of Us.”  A Move So Sweeping as To Immortalize the Reign and Legacy of All Involved.  For All We Have & All We Are.  To “Save the Day.
Experiments in Geo-Political Alchemy.
To Keep Us From Setting our Hearts on Evil Things.
Guidance Towards The Highest Human Good.  “Eudemonia.
Courage to Rise Above this Evil Age of Tribulation & Shifting Shadows.
Because What is at Stake is Madness or Sanity.  Identify With Supreme Nobility & Genius.
Leadership Properly “Rooted” and Aligned With Words From The Holy Author of The World’s Religions.
May You Be Proved Right When You Speak and Prevail When You Judge.   Words of Wisdom that None of Your Adversaries Will be Able Resist or Contradict.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unnNSsLCIfI
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The Journey.  The Odyssey.
Cultivating Excellence Beyond Antiquated Concepts.
What Have You Done to Transcend Who You Currently Are?
Because We Are in Schism At this Point of Mutually Assured Destruction.
Confronting The Great Dragon of Old Values.  The One that Says  “Thou Shalt.”
Festivals of Dedication.  The Ritual of the Astral Goddess.  For the Most Ancient of Human Conditions.
To Perhaps “Approach” Those Recurring Questions Since Time Immemorial.

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Chant of the Hidden Tunnels

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcVonMtgbHI
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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

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The Chainsmokers ft.  Winona Oak – Hope

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJOgTMP8cs4
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬We Need Our Woman.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BienNj0ajdU
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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

 

 

 

 

 

 

Τ έ λ ο ς

T E L O S

the end, limit, goal, fulfillment, completion”   the reason for which all our actions aim.”  
end” “purpose” “goal” “revolve, move round; sojourn, dwell”   “turning point”   “ultimate object or aim

Τ έ λ ο ς

Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

A Mandate from the Masses.
The People’s Special Civil Operation.
For a More Practical Solution to Judgement & Accountability.
An Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.
A Singular Cooperative Purpose, Interwoven With One Another, For the Common Good.
An Independent Military Justice Improvement Act.  Wisdom Calls for a Hearing.  The Indifference of Good Men.

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Be Imitators of God…
Test and Prove what Pleases the Lord…
Redeeming the Time, Because the Days are Evil.
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”
–    ‘Ephesians‘ 5 (BSB) “overseer

Oh Captain, My Captain.
The Bible is the rock on which this Republic rests
–  Andrew Jackson 7th President of The United States

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This is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— his good,
pleasing and perfect will. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12  (“of Rome”)

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What America Requires of You.

Adding Something New To This Matrix of Existance.

The People’s Edict of Restoration In the Spirit of What is Written.

A Lamp Shining in a Dark Place.  The Strength of Our Hopes and Dreams.

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The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men.
It has God for its author; salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture for its matter. It is all pure.
  –  John Locke
(English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the “father of liberalism“)

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REGARDING EXECUTIVE ORDER :  13526
We Seek, Request, Desire National Security Information.
The People’s Measure of Popular Understanding and Public Inquiry.
Genesis”   Keeping an Upright Heart.  (We Run a Few Tests to Make Sure.)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOiDUbaBL9E
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Man’s Light Day and Freedom.  Our Bloodless Majesty.
Strengthening the Regime of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.  The Verification Regime.  To Actually Explore the Space.
It is Not Enough to Win a War, it is More Important to Organize the Peace.
– Aristotle

What’s at Stake is Madness or Sanity.
The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools.
–  Thucydides

A Prayer & Petition To The United States Military

Faith and Deeds.
Narrative Control.  – Psychological Warfare
Addressing Social Injustices.  – 
Revisiting “Source.” –  Hybrid Theory.

My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable;
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—  things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation
–  Psalm 78  (“sacred poem or song“)

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300 | This Is Where We Fight | Heroes & Villains

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTNcs3NSYWI&t=35s
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Star Trek: The Next Generation – Your Move

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAGGEw4TcFY
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Leave Room For Jesus.
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
“This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,
who will prepare Your way.”   “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,  ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,  make straight paths for Him.’
– 
Markconsecrated to the god Mars”  “God of war”  “to be warlike“ “boundary, limit; sign, landmark”  “to denote”“sign, omen, aim”  “margin


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The Earliest Known Surviving Depiction of Jesus Christ
as ‘Pantocrator‘ (literally “Ruler of All“)

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(From Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai.)

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqX0VcA0yus
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I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.
–  Matthew 13 (“gift of Jehovah”)
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Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.
Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.
Revelation 22  Disclosure of information or knowledge to man by a divine or supernatural agency
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For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.
”If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

–  Galatians 5
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Whoever Has Ears Let Them Hear.

Entrust These Commands & Regulations.  It is The Word Which Judges Justly.
As Both Jew & Gentile are Reconciled Through Christ.  The Prophecy of Isaiah is Fullfilled.
This Work is Built on the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Chief Cornerstone.
(If Serving The Holy Author of Our Religeon Seems Undesirable to You, Then Choose for Yourselves, This Day Whom you Will Serve.)
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
–  Ephesians 2  (“overseer.“)

I Tell You the Future
Before it Happens Just Like Magic.

The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own.
Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.
Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves.
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because
I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.   
If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.” 
–   John
14 (New International Version) “gift of Jehova


At best, a diligent student and a very imperfect practitioner of a philosophy developed by others.

Who Has Believed Our Message?

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.  Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.  Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions,  he was crushed for our iniquities;  the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray,  each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away.  Yet who of his generation protested?  For he was cut off from the land of the living;  for the transgression of my people he was punished.  He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death,  though he had done no violence,  nor was any deceit in his mouth.  Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,  he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.  After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.  For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
–  Isaiah 53   ( “salvation of the Lord”  “salvation, deliverance” )

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Bob Moses – Enough to Believe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqcbMlyPK48
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NIMqWRQl2c
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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in this cause that is just and honorable.
Philippians 4  (“ fond of horses ”  ” beloved, loving “)
System Un-Responsive.
Symptoms of Fragmentation.  Run Format.exe…..
Power On Self Test.  CD…  Config.Sys … Autexec.Bat …  Reset CMOS.  Format BIOS..
Initialize System Diagnostic Program.  To Help The People Identify Errors & Address National Trauma.
A Routine Serving to Distinguish and Identify.  Gifts to Your Future Self.  Dangerous Women.  Pain Killers.

“Those who are going to rule in the authoritative offices ought to have three things: first, affection for the established regime; next, a very great capacity for the work involved in rule; third, virtue and justice –  in each regime the sort that is relative to the regime… It is difficult to find all three of these in many men, but it is important for the regime to make use of the men with these qualities to the greatest degree possible, or else the regime will be harmed, either by sedition, incompetence, or corruption… While the virtuous also have a claim to rule, the very fact that they are virtuous leads them to avoid factional conflict. They are also too small a group to be politically consequential.”
–   Aristotle

Plato & Aristotle in the School of Athens
Painting by Rafael 1509-1511

States will never be happy until rulers become philosophers or philosophers become rulers.
– PLATO, The Republic

” BEYOND / THROUGH “
Plato’s right hand points upwards and he holds ‘Timaeus’,
his book on the formation of the universe and an explanation of its order and beauty.
Aristotle’s right hand is reaching forward, also with a book; ‘Ethics’, his treatise on ethical theory and living a good life.
Aristotle’s  Virtues

In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness,
and the wicked living long in their wickedness. Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise why destroy yourself?
Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool—why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other.
Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.
–  Ecclesiastes 7  (“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)

If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter
–  George Washington

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The Apotheosis of George Washington

Fresco by Constantino Brumidi (1865)
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Our democratic principles require that the American people be informed of the activities of their Government.
Also, our Nation’s progress depends on the free flow of information both within the Government and to the American people.
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-classified-national-security-information

–    Situational Awareness.   –
U
nderstanding the True Nature of Our Circumstances

A Personal Prayer and Petition Submitted to Those Holders of Power & Responsibility.
I believe that the maintenance of the rights and authority reserved to the states and to the people … are the safeguard to the continuance of a free government …
whereas the consolidation of the states into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded it.

                    –  General Robert E. Lee▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXJx-XOBtIM
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Millenial Legacy.
The Sacrifice of Fighting in the Lie.
Addressing The Impure Spirit Of Our Time.
The Promotion of Tensions to Serve Capitalist Interests.
When the Foundations are Destroyed, What Can the Righteous Do?
Remember Your Promise.  More than Mercenaries.  More Than Meddlers.  More Than Conquerors.  “Precipice / Threshold.
So America Does Not Become Some Dictatorship of Petty Shopkeepers.  The Enemy is Already Inside.  The Perfect Disguise.  “Break The Liar.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgxcvmkPD-I
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So We Don’t Get Played.
“It is harder to maintain the balance of freedom than it is to endure the weight of tyranny.”
“A state too expensive in itself, or by virtue of its dependencies, ultimately falls into decay;
its free government is transformed into a tyranny; it disregards the principles which it should preserve, and finally degenerates into despotism.”
                                                 –   Simón Bolívar, the “Liberator

For Those Who are Esteemed As Leaders.This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light
–    John 3   (“Jehovah has favored”  “Jah is gracious”  “he was gracious”)
Faith & Deeds.” 
 “The Rise of Our Salvation.”  “Edification.
 
A Good Confession in the Presence of Many Witnesses.
Regarding The Spirit of Monopoly & Exclusive Privilages.  “Strategic Ambiguity.”  The Indifference of Good Men.  Plunder.  Idolatry.
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Justice is the end of government.  It is the end of civil society.
It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit.
[“The Federalist,” No. 51]

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llDikI2hTtk
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Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?  And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
                                          –  Matthew 12 (“gift of Jehova“)

Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

The People’s
Special Civil Operation.
A Ministry of Reconciliation.
A Modern Reflection of the Mainstream Sentiment.
Regarding the Lovers of Violence Those Who are Averse to Sound Teaching.
Something Entirely New Is Needed.  More Sumptuary.   Festivals of Dedication.
For All These Endless Conflics Full of Mutilation & Suffering.  So Messy.  Self Discipline is Needed.
We Submit this Prayer & Petition in the Spirit of What is Written from the Holy Author of Our Religion.
A Closing Appeal for Steadfastness & Unity.  A Mandate from the Masses to Embrace Wisdom from the Ancients.
Addressing the Predictable Trends of Human Behavior.  Curbing One’s Tendency Towards Self-Importance.  ($40 Trillion.)
Cheating is Un-American.  We Are Unwell.  Struggling With Sin.  Let Us Not Become Conceited, Provoking and Envying One Another.
The People are Greived and Fear that there May be Discord, Jealousy, Fits of Rage, Selfish Ambition, Slander, Gossip, Arrogance and Disorder.
May Our Leaders Remember Their Very Great and Precious Promises.    Let Us Not Succumb to Prevarication, Equivocation and Prolonged Indecision.
The People’s Call To Prayer, Maturity and Endurance.  To Build Ourselves up Morally and in Faith.  To Improve Spiritually Through Sound Instruction.

This Vacant Type of Culture Creates an Isolated and Embittered Citizenry.  The Cynical, Nihilism That is Taking Over Modern Society.  Faithless, Mocking, Accusers.
The Federal Government Has a Duty to Protect the Public Welfare Against Unchecked Corporate Profit.  Greed.  Do Not Be So Eager For Bribes.  Beware the Invitation of Sinful Men.  Empty Pride.
Where is the One Who Took All the Revenue?  The Officer in Charge of the Towers.  People Whose Speech is Obscure, Whose Language is Strange and Incomprehensible.  We Wish Not to See These Insolent and Arrogant People No More.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM3j_TXeqfc
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the culmination of the ages has come. 
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
                                                           –   1 Corinthians 10  (“point” “peak“)
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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaGLVS5b_ZY
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If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—
to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea…
Everyone will be salted with fire.  “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?   Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.
–  Mark consecrated to the god Mars”  “God of war”  “to be warlike“ “boundary, limit; sign, landmark”  “to denote sign, omen, aim”  “margin

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUmryGEGSWk
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Anybody can become angry — that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree
and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.

–   Aristotle

To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?  What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived.



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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4VU-AwxzSY
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The Andrew Jackson Equestrian Statue

The Front Lawn of the Tennessee State Capitol Building.
Located in Nashville, Tennessee AKA Music City” in Davidson” County
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Nations are not ruined by one act of violence,
but gradually and in an almost imperceptible manner by the depreciation of their circulating currency, through its excessive quantity.

– Nicolaus Copernicus
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The mischief springs from the power which the monied interest derives from a paper currency which they are able to control,
from the multitude of corporations with exclusive privileges which they have succeeded in obtaining…and unless you become more watchful in your states
and check this spirit of monopoly and thirst for exclusive privileges you will in the end find that the most important powers of government have been given or bartered away.
–  Andrew Jackson  (7th President of The United States)

A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both.
If Tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.
The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.
– James Madison (Father of the Constitution)
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THOSE who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.
–        Thomas Paine
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At 40 Trillion in Debt.
It Has Become Glaringly Obvious.
The Prioritization of Personal Advantage Over the Common Good.
Institutional Corruption and Moral Bankruptcy.  Deceptive Filth & Evil.  This is Un-American.
We Have Been Turned Into a Dysfunctional Kleptocracy.  Our Parasitic Elite Thriving on Financial Extraction.

The People Are Not To Be Ignored So Easily.
Regarding The Predictable Tendencies of Human Behavior.
Changing the Social Interactions Between the Ruling “Elite” and the General Public.
The People are to Address The Spirit of Monopoly.  Sometimes “Ambition” Must Be Restrained.
Governments Which are Comprehensible to Its Citizenry.  Governments Which Embody the Results of Their Sacrifices.
Leaders Who Are Brave And Courageous and Who Do Not Demand Sacrifices From Others, Which They Would Never Be Called Upon to Make Themselves.

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Best of the Other Guys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_8kq5WHxHI
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Invisible threads are the strongest ties.
Friedrich Nietzsche

From The Hermetic Tradition.  Of Classical Antiquity

He filled a great mixing bowl with it and sent it below, appointing a herald whom he commanded to make the following proclamation to human hearts: ‘Immerse yourself in the mixing bowl if your heart has the strength, if it believes you will rise up again to the one who sent the mixing bowl below, if it recognizes the purpose of your coming to be.’ 

All those who heeded the proclamation and immersed themselves in mind participated in knowledge and became perfect people because they received mind.  “But those who missed the point of the proclamation are people of reason because they did not receive (the gift of) mind as well and do not know the purpose or the agents of their coming to be.  These people have sensations much like those of unreasoning animals, and, since their temperament is willful and angry, they feel no awe of things that deserve to be admired; they divert their attention to the pleasures and appetites of their bodies; and they believe that mankind came to be for such purposes.

“But those who participate in the gift that comes from god, O Tat, are immortal rather than mortal if one compares their deeds, for in a mind of their own they have comprehended all—things on earth, things in heaven and even what lies beyond heaven. Having raised themselves so far, they have seen the good and, having seen it, they have come to regard the wasting of time here below as a calamity. They have scorned every corporeal and incorporeal thing, and they hasten toward the one and only.

“This, Tat, is the way to learn about mind, to {resolve perplexities} in divinity and to understand god. For the mixing bowl is divine”

Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus
(Floor inlay in the Cathedral of Siena )

The Latin inscription on the stone table that Hermes is resting his hand on reads as follows:

DEUS OMNIUM CREATOR

SE CUM DEUM FECIT

VISIBILEM ET HUNC FECIT

PRIMUM ET SOLUMQUO OBLECTATUS EST

VALDE AMAVIT PROPRIUM
SANCTUM VERBUM

(Wiki Translation)
God, the creator of all things, with God himself created the visible
and created the first and only person who was glad, and very loved his own son, who is called the Holy Word.


(Citation Source)
HERMETICA
The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin
Asclepius in a new English translation, with
notes and introduction
BRIAN P. COPENHAVER
Pg. 93 – 94

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A Prophetic Oracle

Messages From God/Universe/Higher Intelligence Expressed by Divine Inspiration Through a Messenger, Prophet, Priest or Priestess.
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He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore
.”
–  Isaiah  2   “salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance

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Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus

by: Theodor de Bry

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Such will be the old age of the world: irreverence, disorder, disregard for everything good. When all this comes to pass, Asclepius, then the master and father, the god whose power is primary, governor of the first god, will look on this conduct and these willful crimes, and in an act of will – which is god’s benevolence – he will take his stand against the vices and the perversion in everything, righting wrongs, washing away malice in a flood or consuming it in fire or ending it by spreading pestilential disease everywhere. Then he will restore the world to its beauty of old so that the world itself will again seem deserving of worship and wonder, and with constant benedictions and proclamations of praise the people of that time will honor the god who makes and restores so great a work. And this will be the geniture of the world: a reformation of all good things and a restitution, most holy and most reverent, of nature itself, reordered in the course of time 〈but through an act of will,〉 which is and was everlasting and without beginning. For god’s will has no beginning; it remains the same, everlasting in its present state. God’s nature is deliberation; will is the supreme goodness.”

(Citation Source)
HERMETICA
The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin
Asclepius in a new English translation, with
notes and introduction
BRIAN P. COPENHAVER
Pg. 165

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“Souls on the Banks of the Acheron” (1898)

by Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl
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Mark The Evangelist

By :  Il Pordenone
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Theodore Roosevelt

26th President of the United States

Citizenship in a Republic.

Let the watchwords of all our people
be 
the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense.”…
–  New York State Fair, Syracuse, September 7, 1903

We intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans
of American nationality
and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house.

 “We wish to control big business so as to secure among other things good wages for the wage-workers and reasonable prices for the consumers.  Wherever in any business the prosperity of the business man is obtained by lowering the wages of his workmen and charging an excessive price to the consumers we wish to interfere and stop such practices.  We will not submit to that kind of prosperity any more than we will submit to prosperity obtained by swindling investors or getting unfair advantages over business rivals.”

“We must treat each man on his worth and merits as a man.
We must see that each is given a square deal,
because he is entitled to no more and should receive no less.” 

“The welfare of each of us is dependent fundamentally upon the welfare of all of us.”

Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

Square Deal
“We demand that big business give the people a square deal;
in return we must insist that when anyone engaged in big business honestly endeavors to do right he shall himself be given a square deal.”
–  Letter to Sir Edward Gray, November 15, 1913

“A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have.”
–  Speech to veterans, Springfield, IL, July 4, 1903

“Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense.”… “We must treat each man on his worth and merits as a man. We must see that each is given a square deal, because he is entitled to no more and should receive no less.””The welfare of each of us is dependent fundamentally upon the welfare of all of us.”
–  New York State Fair, Syracuse, September 7, 1903

Presidential Criticism
“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.”
“Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star”, 149   May 7, 1918

Man in the Arena
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

These quotes taken from a cdrom – The Works of Theodore Roosevelt –
National Edition, A PRODUCT OF H-BAR ENTERPRISES COPYRIGHT 1997
“…the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic-the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done.”  (1891)
“Criticism is necessary and useful; it is often indispensable; but it can never take the place of action, or be even a poor substitute for it. The function of the mere critic is of very subordinate usefulness. It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger.” (1894)

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1 Corinthians 4
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

The Nature of True Apostleship

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.  I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.  Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.  For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!  For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.  We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!  To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.  We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;  when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.  Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.  Therefore I urge you to imitate me.  For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.  But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.  What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.
–  Aristotle

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIgOL21S98o
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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P05bTId-92A
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A Harvest Among You.

Faith and Deeds.
Negotiating “Authority.”  An Annual Reminder of Sins.

The Day is Approaching.  Addressing the Multiplication of Wickedness.  Almost Human.  Into the Unknown.
if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!  No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful;
he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

–  1 Corinthians 10   (“point” “peak“)   
Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.
― Ralph Ellison,   (Invisible Man)A Special Civil Operation.
A Good Confession in the Presence of Many Witnesses.
An Appeal for a Singular Cooperative Purpose Interwoven for the Common Good.
A Call to Prayer, Maturity & Endurance.  Not To Join All the General Lamentations and Get Ourselves All Churned Up.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghb6eDopW8I
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If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth,
no sacrifice for sins is left,
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
–  Hebrews 10 (“a biblical Jew Israelite” “one from the other side“)

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War

In The Apotheosis of George Washington

Fresco by Constantino Brumidi (1865)
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Freedom“, also known as “Columbia“, is directly below George Washington in the personification of War.
The scene depicts a woman fighting for liberty with a raised sword, a cape, and a helmet and shield trampling figures representing Tyranny and Kingly Power.

Conference at Yalta

A Deniable Asset.
For All These High Steaks Situations.
Suicidal Brinksmanship.  I’m Getting Too Old for This $H!%.

I’ve Cooked this Pig.
Can We Move Along?  I’ve Heard Stories About You.
So  America Does Not Become Some Dictatorship of Petty Shopkeepers.  The Enemy is Already Inside.  The Perfect Disguise.
Appropriate and Good for the Community at this Moment in Time.  What is Socially Useful and Fitting.
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 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore
.”
–  Isaiah  2   “salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUNxS-Yb2GI

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A Ministry of Reconciliation, Healing & Creation.

The world hangs on a thin thread and that is the psyche of man.
No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.” 
–           Carl Jung
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          “Healing may be called a religious problem. In the sphere of social or national relations the state of suffering may be civil war and this state is to be cured by the Christian virtue of forgiveness and love of one’s enemies. That which we recommend with the conviction of good Christians as applicable to external situations we must also apply inwardly in the treatment of neurosis. This is why modern man has heard enough about guilt and sin. He is sorely beset by his own bad conscience. And wants rather to know how he is to reconcile himself with his own nature how he is to love the enemy in his own heart, and call the Wolf his brother. The modern man does not want to know in what way he can imitate Christ, but in what way he can live his own individual life, however meager and uninteresting it may be. It is because every form of imitation, seems to him deadening and sterile — that he rebels against the force of tradition that would hold him to well trodden ways. All such roads for him lead in the wrong direction. He may not know it, but he behaves as if his own individual life were God’s special will which must be fulfilled at all costs. This is the source of his egoism, which is one of the most tangible evils of the neurotic state. But the person who tells him he is too egoistic has already lost his confidence and rightly so, for that person has driven him still into his neurosis (“functional derangement arising from disorders of the nervous system (not caused by a lesion or injury” “The change in the nerve cells of the brain resulting in symptoms of stress,” but not radical loss of touch with reality”) If I wish to effect a cure for my patients, I am forced to acknowledge the deep significance of that egoism. I should be blind indeed if I did not recognize it as a true will of God. I must even help the patient to prevail in his egoism if he succeeds in this he estranges himself from other people. He drives them away and they come to themselves as they should for they were seeking to rob him of his sacred egoism. This must be left of him. For it is his strongest and healthiest power. It is as I have said a true will of God, but sometimes drives him into complete isolation. However wretched this state may be it also stands him in good stead. For in this way alone can he get to know himself and learn what an invaluable treasure is the love of his fellow beings. It is moreover only in the state of complete abandonment and loneliness that we experience the helpful powers of our own natures.”

Interview with Carl Jung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqfL94VtSJ8 

Marcus Aurelius

Addressing Social Injustice.

Wit and smartness are not your talent.  What then?  There are a great many other good  qualities in which you cannot pretend nature has failed you.  Improve them as far as you can, and let us have that which is perfectly in your power. You may if you please hehave yourself like a man of gravity and good faith, endure hardship, and despise pleasure ; want but a few things, and complain of nothing; you may be gentle and magnanimous if you please, and have nothing of luxury or trifling in your disposition.  Do not you see how much you may do if you have a mind to it, where the plea of incapacity is out of place? And yet you do not push forward as you should do. What then!  Does any natural defect force you to grumble, to lay your faults upon your constitution, to be stingy or a flatterer, to seek after popularity, boast, and be disturbed in mind?  Can you say you are so weakly made as to be driven to these practices?

Some men, when they do you a kindness, at once demand the payment of gratitude from you others are more modest than this. However, they remember the favour, and look upon you in a manner as their debtor.  A third sort shall scarce know what they have done. These are much like a vine, which is satisfied by being fruitful in its kind, and bears a bunch of grapes without expecting any thanks for it. A fleet horse or greyhound does not make a noise when they have done well, nor a bee neither when she has made a little honey. And thus a man that has done a kindness never proclaims it, but does another as soon as he can, just like a vine that bears again the next season. Now we should imitate those who are so obliging, as hardly to reflect on their beneficence. But you will say, a man ought not to act without reflection. It is surely natural for one that is generous to be conscious of his generosity; yes, truly, and to desire the person obliged should be sensible of it too. What you say is in a great measure true. But if you mistake my meaning, you will become one of those untoward benefactors I first mentioned; indeed, they too are misled by the plausibility of their reasoning. But if you will view the matter in its true colours, never fear that you will neglect any social act.

Modern Contextual Understanding.
Regarding What Causes Both the Destruction and Preservation of Governments.
What Mode of Conduct is Best Suited to Our Particular of State.  For Long Term Economic Stability

Nations are not ruined by one act of violence, but gradually and in an almost imperceptible manner
by the depreciation of their circulating currency, through its excessive quantity

–  Capernicus
Our Faithful Nobility.
The Spirit of Monopoly and Exclusive Privilages. 
A Generation of Economic Mismanagement Will Breed a Cynical, Nihilistic & Embittered Citizenry Who Break Down the Walls.

Therefore, those of the popular sort
should see to it that the multitude are not too poor,

since this is a cause of the democracy’s being a corrupt one.
–  Aristotle

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZAj6xfyHIw
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–  Truth, Wisdom, Moderation. Courage.   –

Tradition & Convention.

Addressing the Negative Spirit of Our Age.
Words of Honesty, Decency, Fair-Dealing, and Commonsense.
Ridding Ourselves, of all The Malice, Deceit, Hypocrisy, Envy, and Slander.
The Discord, Jealousy, Fits of Rage, Selfish Ambition, Slander, Gossip, Arrogance & Disorder.

The People Request a Meeting of People at a Certain Place, at a Certain Time and Under Certain Circumstances.
It is The People’s Right & Responsibility.  To See You Personally With Our Own Eyes.  For Governments Comprehensible to the Citizenry.

A Day of Names.|
To Establish a Testimony in Jacob.
Dedicated to Those Holders of Power and Responsibility.
At This Point of Mutually Assured Destruction.  (Nuclear Brinksmanship.)
The Monumental Issues of Our Time.  Why are We Endangering Ourselves Every Hour?
Regarding How Humanity Survives this Technological Adolescence Without Us Destroying Ourselves.

Wisdom Calls for a Hearing.  Creating An Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Concerning the Governance of a Country or People Pertaining to the State and its Administration; Pertaining to Public Life.

The Introduction of a More “Earthier Element.”  To Keep Ourselves “On Our Mettle.”  As Rational Beings.  “As Is Appropriate for Each Case.
A System of Measures or Line of Conduct Which a Ruler, Minister, Government, or Party Adopts as Best for the Interests of the Country in Domestic or Foreign Affairs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_2bluVPsb0
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In Exchange For the Honor of Your Presence, 

          “The People” Bestow Unto You This Gift of Education Which is In Accordance with the Holy Author of Our Religion.  A Presentation Offering as The Proper Interpretation of Our Times.  The “Big Picture” of the International Political, Military and Economic Situation.  These Words are Trustworthy and True.  We Live in a Time that is Not of Peace but of Division.  A Time of Political, Social, and Environmental Upheaval. The We are in Schism and Making the Vision of Hades More Vivid.  We Need Some Air.  We “The People“, Ask you to Please Leave the City and Camp in the Open Fields for a Rendezvous with History.  Shuttle Diplomacy to Change the Game.  A Skillful Maneuver to Rescue Ourselves From the Present Evil Age.  We Seek to Bring Together Governments, Banks, Corporations, Academia, Civil Society & Prominent Men of The Cities for a Summit of the Future. A Cooperative Effort to Change the World for the Better.  A Divine Intervention for “The Culmination of the Ages.”  A Movement so Sweeping as to Immortalize the Reign and Legacy of all Involved.   A Place for The Ascended Kings of the Earth, The Princes, The Generals, The Rich & The Mighty.  A Place of Healing In Order to Make this Life Less of a Burden and More of a Joy.  A Special Civil Operation to Alchemize All this Trauma.  Appointed Festivals of Life of Rich & Plenty.  Ceremonies of Freedom With an Abundance of Fire and Wood.  12 Crops of Fruit,  A Tree of Life, And a River of the Water of Life.  A Fountain of Living Water. 

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Healing the Nations
International Resource Management & The Lack of Surplus.
The Verification Regime of the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Addressing These Prolonged Disputes Over Fundamental Issues.  The Constant Agitations.
The Case of The Breach of Friendly Relations.  The Admission of Ships into Neutral Ports of Entry.
A Season of Discovery Between Civilian and Military AffairsDuring Volatile Times & Mutually Assured Destruction.  

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We “The People,” Appeal to Military Commanders, “The Powers That Be.”  Specifically, Those Who Have Been Given Power to Take Peace From the Earth and to Make People Kill Each Other.  We Ask for a Leap of Faith.  To Avoid a Pyrrhic Victory.  To Take One Step Closer to “The People”  A “Requiem and Crucible.

Where Important Political, Diplomatic and Military Moves are to Take Shape.  Regarding the Main Drama of Recognizing and Authorizing a Selected Power to Administer and Develop a Territory for a Specified Purpose. The Renunciation and the Rendering Over an Estate, Land Grant, Conveyance or Interest in a Property or Trust Which Serves the Interest of One or More Political Orientations.  Lines of Demarcation. Also, The Allocation of Benefits in Various Policy Fields in Such a Way as to Provide Groups, Persons, and Places with at Least a Minimum Level of Benefits so as to Satisfy Basic Needs.  Equalities of Commercial Privileges. A Judicious Use of Resources.

With Your Permission,  We “The People” Request an Audience with High-Ranking Military Officers and their Counterparts With Capability.  A Meeting of the High Ranking Military Officers and Chiefs of Staff of the Nations.  Ministers of Foreign Affairs.  Chiefs of Municipal Offices.  We ask you to Please Prepare your Plans and Maps for Big Work Projects for the Future for The Organization of the Lives of Citizens & The Preparation of Public Opinion.  “Opportunities for Making a Living.”  Creating Fundamentally Self-Sufficient Cities and The Specific Ways and Means & the Governance Thereof.  Whole Cities Delivered.  Composite Material Plentitudes.

The Notion of Each Thing in its Proper Sphere and Serving its Proper Purpose.  “A Great Human Continuum.”  Characterized by Precision.  To Hone, Refine or Perfect a “Chains of Events” Over a Period of Time. That Which has the Correct Dimensions Without Interval, Deviation, or Variation.   Seeking to be “Exactly that, in that Very Way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJVWEstu_lM

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      Regarding The Culture of Leadership and the Behavior and Conduct of Interactions of Leaders with Foreign Nations.   Where Currently, Leaders Who Demand from Others, Sacrifices Which they Would Never Be Called Upon to Make Themselves.  In Order to Drive Out an Unclean Spirit, Sometimes the Old Ways are Best.  Fighting the Good Fight.  To Test and Prove Matters of the Heart.  A Call to Maturity.  A Call of Endurance. A Test of Sincerity.  To Know the “Why” of Things.  For Moments of Shared Understandings.  Civilian Mechanisms of Enforcement to Refine the Character, Disposition and the Identity of Our Appointed World Leaders. To Expose Fruitless Deeds of Darkness.  To be More Equitable, Fair and Impartial in Our Dealings.  As is Right & Fitting.

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Scheduling Reconstruction in a Production Environment.
Sequence Alignment  :  Optimizing Resource Allocations  :  Facility Locations  :  Logistics  :  Network Design.  :  Industrial Control Repairs.

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For a Renewed State of Mental Resolution and Peace of Mind.  We Provide this Vision and Concept of the Future to Restore Ourselves to a Healthy Faith which Corresponds with the Fulfillment of Scriptures.  Strange Coincidences by Way of Theophoric Name In Hopes That we have the Courage to Turn from Evil and Do Good.

The People’s “Manifest Destiny 2.0” in Hopes for Better Days.   A Fresh Perspective and New Approach to that of “Secessio Plebis”  (“withdrawal of the commoners“).
A “Universal Interface Override System” and an “Irrevocable Living Trust Agreement.”  For the Purposes of Healing and Restoration of the Conscience.

 

Best Regards,
Mark David Rich

 

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xulfWutG9Zg
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Theurgic Secssio Plebis  –  A Dispositive Motion  –  Pre-Healing Circle.

Brave New World.  A Mechanism for Influencing Behavior.  Roses & Guns.  The People’s Fountain of Life.
RUNNING WATER NEVER GOES STALE
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
    –  Psalms 23

Invitations of Wisdom and Folly.
Human Rituals and Tradition.  Emotions. Memories.
Miracle , Mystery, Authority.  Optimism, Joy and Adventure.
What Are You Supposed to do?  Survive….  Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil. 

Pick the Parts You Like – Faithful Envoys to Bring Healing.  For the Victims of Conformity.  The Casualties of Society.
The People are Sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer.  A Credit To Righteousmess.  Deliverence Through the Nourishing Words of Faith and Sound Instruction.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1OVpzRXFBc
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Rivers of Living Water Will Flow from Within Them
–  John 7  (“Jehovah has favored”  “Jah is gracious”  “he was gracious“)

Anything But Ordinary

William Mckinley

25th President of the United States

The more profoundly we study this wonderful book [the Bible], and the more closely we observe its divine precept, the better citizens we will become and the higher will be our destiny as a nation.

The mission of the United States is one of benevolent assimilation.

That’s all a man can hope for during his lifetime – to set an example – and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history.

We cannot always do what is best, but we can do what is practical at the time.

In the time of darkest defeat, victory may be nearest.

The people of this country want an industrial policy that is for America and Americans.

William Mckinley

25th President of the United States

The more profoundly we study this wonderful book [the Bible], and the more closely we observe its divine precept, the better citizens we will become and the higher will be our destiny as a nation.

The mission of the United States is one of benevolent assimilation.

That’s all a man can hope for during his lifetime – to set an example – and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history.

We cannot always do what is best, but we can do what is practical at the time.

In the time of darkest defeat, victory may be nearest.

The people of this country want an industrial policy that is for America and Americans.

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Ecclesiastes 1
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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(New Living Translation)

These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem.

Everything Is Meaningless

“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?  Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes.  The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again.  The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles.  Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea.  Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.  Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new.  We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

The Teacher Speaks: The Futility of Wisdom

I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem.  I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race.  I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

What is wrong cannot be made right.

What is missing cannot be recovered.

I said to myself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.”  So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind.

The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.

To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

Hidden in The Marrows of  A.I.       Are Those Who are Obssessed About Controling The People. 
Deception Through Smooth Rhetoric.    Shallow Summaries.     “Misattributions.”   They Don’t Want “Progress” they Want “Surrender.

Always Taking But Never Giving
A Consideration of the Desires of The Heart.
Cruel, Arrogant Dorky, BigTech A.I. Kids Imposing Themselves on Other People.  They Scrape the Internet, Putting Everything in Data Centers.
Wanting to Lurk Behind Every Single Corner.  While Remaining Accountable to No One.
The Right of the People to Be Left Alone.  Paranoia In Bloom.  

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The Flagellation of Christ

Guircino  (1657)

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Isaiah 42
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(Berean Standard Bible

Here Is My Servant

“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold,

My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights.

I will put My Spirit on Him,

and He will bring justice to the nations.

He will not cry out or raise His voice,

nor make His voice heard in the streets.

A bruised reed He will not break

and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish;

He will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow weak or discouraged

before He has established justice on the earth.

In His law the islands will put their hope.”

This is what God the LORD says—

He who created the heavens

and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and its offspring,

who gives breath to the people on it

and life to those who walk in it:

“I, the LORD, have called you

for a righteous purpose,

and I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep you and appoint you

to be a covenant for the people

and a light to the nations,

to open the eyes of the blind,

to bring prisoners out of the dungeon

and those sitting in darkness

out from the prison house.

I am the LORD;

that is My name!

I will not yield My glory to another

or My praise to idols.

Behold, the former things have happened,

and now I declare new things.

Before they spring forth

I proclaim them to you.”

A New Song of Praise

Sing to the LORD a new song—

His praise from the ends of the earth—

you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,

you islands, and all who dwell in them.

Let the desert and its cities raise their voices;

let the villages of Kedar cry aloud.

Let the people of Sela sing for joy;

let them cry out from the mountaintops.

Let them give glory to the LORD

and declare His praise in the islands.

The LORD goes forth like a mighty one;

He stirs up His zeal like a warrior.

He shouts; yes, He roars

in triumph over His enemies:

“I have kept silent from ages past;

I have remained quiet and restrained.

But now I will groan like a woman in labor;

I will at once gasp and pant.

I will lay waste the mountains and hills

and dry up all their vegetation.

I will turn the rivers into dry land

and drain the marshes.

I will lead the blind by a way they did not know;

I will guide them on unfamiliar paths.

I will turn darkness into light before them

and rough places into level ground.

These things I will do for them,

and I will not forsake them.

But those who trust in idols

and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’

will be turned back in utter shame.

Israel Is Deaf and Blind

Listen, you deaf ones;

look, you blind ones, that you may see!

Who is blind but My servant,

or deaf like the messenger I am sending?

Who is blind like My covenant partner,

or blind like the servant of the LORD?

Though seeing many things, you do not keep watch.

Though your ears are open, you do not hear.”

The LORD was pleased, for the sake of His righteousness,

to magnify His law and make it glorious.

But this is a people plundered and looted,

all trapped in caves or imprisoned in dungeons.

They have become plunder with no one to rescue them,

and loot with no one to say, “Send them back!”

Who among you will pay attention to this?

Who will listen and obey hereafter?

Who gave Jacob up for spoil,

and Israel to the plunderers?

Was it not the LORD,

against whom we have sinned?

They were unwilling to walk in His ways,

and they would not obey His law.

So He poured out on them His furious anger

and the fierceness of battle.

It enveloped them in flames,

but they did not understand;

it consumed them,

but they did not take it to heart.

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Hebrews 1
(“a biblical Jew Israelite” “one from the other side“)
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(New International Version)

God’s Final Word: His Son

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.  So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

The Son Superior to Angels

For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;

today I have become your Father” ?

Or again,

“I will be his Father,

and he will be my Son” ?

And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.” 

In speaking of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels spirits,

and his servants flames of fire.” 

But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;

a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions

by anointing you with the oil of joy.” 

He also says,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

You will roll them up like a robe;

like a garment they will be changed.

But you remain the same,

and your years will never end.” 

To which of the angels did God ever say,

“Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet” ?

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

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 2 Thessalonians 2
(“Victory“)
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(New International Version)

The Man of Lawlessness

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,  not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.  Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.  He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?  And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.  For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.  The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,  and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Stand Firm

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.  He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,  encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

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1 Corinthians 10
(“point” “peak“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Warnings from Israel’s Past

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.  They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.  Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.

These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.  Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”  We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.  We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes.  And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.  So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

Flee from Idolatry

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.  I speak to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say.  Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.

Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?  Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?  No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.  You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.  Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

All to God’s Glory

“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.  No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”

If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience. But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience—the other one’s conscience, I mean, not your own. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience?  If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.  Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God— as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.

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Romans 15
(“of Rome”)
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(English Standard Version)

The Example of Christ

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.  For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”  For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”

And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”

And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.  But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.  For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written,

“Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.  But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.  At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.  For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.  When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you.  I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to stfrive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.  May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

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Galatians 6
(“an inhabitant of ancient Gaul    “a gaul”   “a frenchman)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Carry One Another’s Burdens

Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Each one should test his own work. Then he will have reason to boast in himself alone, and not in someone else.  For each one should carry his own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.

Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.  The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.

Final Warnings and Blessings

See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!

Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ. For the circumcised do not even keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.

Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God.

From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers.

Amen.

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Matthew 13
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

 

The Parable of the Sower

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.  Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’ 

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The Parable of the Weeds

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.  So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables,

I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” 

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.  They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.  When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.  This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

A Prophet Without Honor

When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.  Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked.  “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?  Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”  And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬1 John 2
(“Jehovah has favored”  “Jah is gracious”  “he was gracious)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Jesus Our Advocate

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.  If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:  Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.

A New Commandment

Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.  Then again, I am also writing to you a new commandment, which is true in Him and also in you. For the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining.

If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.  Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him.  But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name.

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.  The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Beware of Antichrists

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.  They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.

You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.  I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth.  Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.  Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Remain in Christ

As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.  And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.

I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.  And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.

And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.

If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.

A View of the Constitutionoff Boston by Isiah Whyte
( public domain image from Art Institute of Chicago )

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mcNfJTmt6A

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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

Truth.  Wisdom.  Moderation.  Courage.

Nature’s Loyal Servant.

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To Better Ourselves.”  Star Trek Inspirational Tribute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jph2qWXJ-Tk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vu5TsBwG9w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNu1cdISsvY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxyp7oHm2F0
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Ecclesiastes 7
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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Wisdom

A good name is better than fine perfume,

and the day of death better than the day of birth.

It is better to go to a house of mourning

than to go to a house of feasting,

for death is the destiny of everyone;

the living should take this to heart.

Frustration is better than laughter,

because a sad face is good for the heart.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person

than to listen to the song of fools.

Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,

so is the laughter of fools.

This too is meaningless.

Extortion turns a wise person into a fool,

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning,

and patience is better than pride.

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,

for anger resides in the lap of fools.

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”

For it is not wise to ask such questions.

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing

and benefits those who see the sun.

Wisdom is a shelter

as money is a shelter,

but the advantage of knowledge is this:

Wisdom preserves those who have it.

Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten

what he has made crooked?

When times are good, be happy;

but when times are bad, consider this:

God has made the one

as well as the other.

Therefore, no one can discover

anything about their future.

In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:

the righteous perishing in their righteousness,

and the wicked living long in their wickedness.

Do not be overrighteous,

neither be overwise—

why destroy yourself?

Do not be overwicked,

and do not be a fool—

why die before your time?

It is good to grasp the one

and not let go of the other.

Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. 

Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful

than ten rulers in a city.

Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,

no one who does what is right and never sins.

Do not pay attention to every word people say,

or you may hear your servant cursing you—

for you know in your heart

that many times you yourself have cursed others.

All this I tested by wisdom and I said,

“I am determined to be wise”—

but this was beyond me.

Whatever exists is far off and most profound—

who can discover it?

So I turned my mind to understand,

to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things

and to understand the stupidity of wickedness

and the madness of folly.

I find more bitter than death

the woman who is a snare,

whose heart is a trap

and whose hands are chains.

The man who pleases God will escape her,

but the sinner she will ensnare.

“Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered:

“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—

while I was still searching

but not finding—

I found one upright man among a thousand,

but not one upright woman among them all.

This only have I found:

God created mankind upright,

but they have gone in search of many schemes.”

Hello Mr.  President.
Thank You For Your Presence.
In Proud Fullfilment of a Great & Noble Call,
I am Your “Freeman”  Free in all the Ways You Are Not.  I Can Be Your Gate-Way/Bridge.
For Your Consideration,  A Complex Synthesis of Various Philosophies Which Reflects an Intricate & Purposeful Creation.
There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history”
                                                                      –  Sir Isaac Newton
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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqpQzT1Kbuk
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Archetype:  ” ALCHEMIST

Scientist”  “Psychologist”  “Logician” 
 “Researcher”  “Watchman”  “Archivist”  “Compiler”  “Writer”   Messenger” 
Teacher”  “Intercessor” 
Tertiary Adjunct Witness.”  Strategist”  “Civil Servant

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History –  Culture
Religion
  –  Theology – Eschatology
Psychology  –  Philosophy  –   Epistemology –  Linguistics  –  Literature
Etymology – – Philology –  Onomastics –  Toponymy –  Theurgy – 
HermeticsHermeneutics 
TheophanyTheodicy –  MythologyCosmographyStoichiometrySortition  –
Ethnography  –  Folklore
LexicographyDoxologyPhylogenyOntogeny –  Tropology –  Ontology –  AnthropologyPhenomenologyPraxeology –  Trust Law
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM-zWTU7X-k
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A Special Civil Operation.
Alternative Dispute Resolution.
The People Request a Coming & Going.
In Order To Make the Rough Places Smooth.
He who hears and Decides a Case.  As a witness or mediator, umpire, judge. arbiter.
A Special Citizen Who is Entitled to Participate in an Office Involving Deliberation or Decision.
A Person who has Power of Judging Absolutely According to his Own Pleasure in a Dispute or Issue.
To Be The One Chosen by Two Disputing Parties to Decide a Matter.  Someone who Settles Disputes.  One Who Goes Somewhere (as witness or judge).
A Right or Privilege Exclusive to a Particular Individual or Class.  Of the People By the People For the People.  As the Proposer of this new Motion.
I Request to be Used as a  : “Tertiary Adjunct Witness.
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“The dread of evil is a much more forcible principle of human actions than the prospect of good.”
“It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of the truth.
” 
                                                                                            –  John Locke

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Nahum 3
comforter“, “consoler“, or “full of comfort”  “relief from sorrow

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Woe to Nineveh

Woe to the city of blood,

full of lies,

full of plunder,

never without victims!

The crack of whips,

the clatter of wheels,

galloping horses

and jolting chariots!

Charging cavalry,

flashing swords

and glittering spears!

Many casualties,

piles of dead,

bodies without number,

people stumbling over the corpses—

all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,

alluring, the mistress of sorceries,

who enslaved nations by her prostitution

and peoples by her witchcraft.

“I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty.

“I will lift your skirts over your face.

I will show the nations your nakedness

and the kingdoms your shame.

I will pelt you with filth,

I will treat you with contempt

and make you a spectacle.

All who see you will flee from you and say,

‘Nineveh is in ruins—who will mourn for her?’

Where can I find anyone to comfort you?”

Are you better than Thebes,

situated on the Nile,

with water around her?

The river was her defense,

the waters her wall.

Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength;

Put and Libya were among her allies.

Yet she was taken captive

and went into exile.

Her infants were dashed to pieces

at every street corner.

Lots were cast for her nobles,

and all her great men were put in chains.

You too will become drunk;

you will go into hiding

and seek refuge from the enemy.

All your fortresses are like fig trees

with their first ripe fruit;

when they are shaken,

the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.

Look at your troops—

they are all weaklings.

The gates of your land

are wide open to your enemies;

fire has consumed the bars of your gates.

Draw water for the siege,

strengthen your defenses!

Work the clay,

tread the mortar,

repair the brickwork!

There the fire will consume you;

the sword will cut you down—

they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.

Multiply like grasshoppers,

multiply like locusts!

You have increased the number of your merchants

till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,

but like locusts they strip the land

and then fly away.

Your guards are like locusts,

your officials like swarms of locusts

that settle in the walls on a cold day—

but when the sun appears they fly away,

and no one knows where.

King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber;

your nobles lie down to rest.

Your people are scattered on the mountains

with no one to gather them.

Nothing can heal you;

your wound is fatal.

All who hear the news about you

clap their hands at your fall,

for who has not felt

your endless cruelty?

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Romans 1
(“of Rome”)
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(New International Version

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life  was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.  Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.   And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.  God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.  I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.  That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.  For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,  since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,  slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;  they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.  Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Economic Monetary Policy

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQashk_d60s
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The Influence of Central banks and How They Can Be Used to Trap The People.
The Distortion in the Nature of The Circulation of Money and Credit.   The Mechanism Which Defines the Future of Humanity.

When a government is dependent upon bankers for money,
they and not the leaders of the government control the situation,
since the hand that gives is above the hand that takes. Money has no motherland;
financiers are without patriotism and without decency; their sole object is gain.

–  Napoleon Bonaparte
PROMOTING TENSIONS TO SERVE CAPITALIST INTERESTS IN ORDER TO FUND BOTH SIDES.
Let me issue and control a nation’s money and I care not who writes the laws
–  Mayer Amschel Rothschild
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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg1sT4ILG0w
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A Prayer and Petition for the promotion of more Human ends rather than Klaus Schwab. Epstein Ends.

 

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.  The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.  We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
–    President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address (1961)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCyGvGEtOwc
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You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
–  Isaiah 61    salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKLVpDTZOPQ

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(Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs)

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Cash Flow Analysis

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PGI                                –        Projected Gross Income
– V&C                            –        Vacancy and Collection (Bad Tenants)
————-
EGI                                –        Effective Gross Income

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– FE                                –        Fixed Expenses (operating expenses)  Taxes, Insurance,
– VE                               –        Variable Expenses (Operating expenses) (Utilities)
– R                                 –        Reserves for Expenses (operating expenses) (money set aside for replacement items)
——————
NOI                              –        Net Operating Income

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– DS                              –        Debt Service (Mortgage Payment)
———–
CTO                             –       Cash Throw-off  (Cashflow before Taxes)

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NOI                              –        Net Operating Income (Income)
+R                                 –        Reserves for Replacement
————–
ANOI                            –        Adjusted NOI

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– I                                  –        Interest (on Loan)
– D                                –        Depreciation
———-
TI                                 –        Taxable income

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xTR                             –        Tax Rate
————–
T                                  –        Tax Payable

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CTO                            –        Cash Throw off
– T                               –        Taxes
———————
ATCF                          –        After Tax Cash Flow

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Actuaries and Underwriters

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Actuaries develop large-scale risk models and set pricing guidelines,
while underwriters apply these models to individual clients to determine if they qualify for insurance or a loan.

Actuary

Actuaries focus on analyzing population-level data using advanced math and statistics
 

  • Role
    Develop methods to measure and predict risk for large groups of people or an entire industry. 
  • Focus
    Analyze large datasets to build pricing models, forecast trends, and stress-test scenarios. 
  • Key Skills
    Advanced mathematical, statistical, and probability skills; proficiency in programming languages like Python and R is a plus. 
  • Education
    Requires rigorous certification exams from organizations like the Society of Actuaries (SOA) or Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS). 
  • Work

    Creates the “rating tables” that set the base premiums for different risk categories.

 

Underwriter

Underwriters use the actuaries’ models to make specific decisions on individual applications, often using more hands-on, policy-specific information like a client’s health or driving history.

  • Role
    Evaluate specific applications to decide whether to approve coverage and at what price. 
  • Focus
    Review individual applicants, using their personal data (e.g., medical records, driving history, financial information) to assign them to the risk categories created by actuaries. 
  • Key Skills
    Analytical thinking, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of policy guidelines. 
  • Education
    Certifications like CPCU are helpful but not always required; may require a college degree. 
  • Work
    Takes the rating tables from actuaries and applies them to the individual, determining the final premium for that specific applicant. 

|The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers
is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.

–  David Rockefeller

The Ships Which Sail the Oceans for the Benefit of Mankind.
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Tinashe – All Hands on Deck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxUdFQ6N_OI

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Hélène Rey appointed as Economic Adviser
and Head of Monetary and Economic Department

https://www.bis.org/press/p260316.htm

 

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Toots & The Maytals – Funky Kingston

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U79o7qwul48
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▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬Habakkuk 2
to embrace  “to hug”  “garden herb
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(New International Version)

I will stand at my watch

and station myself on the ramparts;

I will look to see what he will say to me,

and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

The Lord’s Answer

Then the Lord replied:

“Write down the revelation

and make it plain on tablets

so that a herald may run with it.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

it speaks of the end

and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it;

it will certainly come

and will not delay.

“See, the enemy is puffed up;

his desires are not upright—

but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness 

indeed, wine betrays him;

he is arrogant and never at rest.

Because he is as greedy as the grave

and like death is never satisfied,

he gathers to himself all the nations

and takes captive all the peoples.

“Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,

“ ‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods

and makes himself wealthy by extortion!

How long must this go on?’

Will not your creditors suddenly arise?

Will they not wake up and make you tremble?

Then you will become their prey.

Because you have plundered many nations,

the peoples who are left will plunder you.

For you have shed human blood;

you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

“Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain,

setting his nest on high

to escape the clutches of ruin!

You have plotted the ruin of many peoples,

shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.

The stones of the wall will cry out,

and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed

and establishes a town by injustice!

Has not the Lord Almighty determined

that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,

that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors,

pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,

so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!

You will be filled with shame instead of glory.

Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed!

The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you,

and disgrace will cover your glory.

The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,

and your destruction of animals will terrify you.

For you have shed human blood;

you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

“Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman?

Or an image that teaches lies?

For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;

he makes idols that cannot speak.

Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’

Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’

Can it give guidance?

It is covered with gold and silver;

there is no breath in it.”

The Lord is in his holy temple;

let all the earth be silent before him.

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Romans 2
(“of Rome”)
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(New International Version)

God’s Righteous Judgment

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.  Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.  So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?  Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.  God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  For God does not show favoritism.

All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.  For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.  (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.  They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)  This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

The Jews and the Law

Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;  if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;  if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?  You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?  As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 

Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.  So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?  The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.  No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

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Habakkuk 1
(“embrace” “garden herb)
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(New King James Version)

The Prophet Questions God’s Judgments

The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.

The Prophet’s Question

O Lord, how long shall I cry,
And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, “Violence!”
And You will not save.
Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

The Lord’s Reply

“Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.
For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans,
A bitter and hasty nation
Which marches through the breadth of the earth,
To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.
They are terrible and dreadful;
Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.
Their horses also are swifter than leopards,
And more fierce than evening wolves.
Their chargers charge ahead;
Their cavalry comes from afar;
They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.

“They all come for violence;
Their faces are set like the east wind.
They gather captives like sand.
They scoff at kings,
And princes are scorned by them.
They deride every stronghold,
For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.
Then his mind changes, and he transgresses;
He commits offense,
Ascribing this power to his god.”

The Prophet’s Second Question

Are You not from everlasting,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
We shall not die.
O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment;
O Rock, You have marked them for correction.
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours
A person more righteous than he?
Why do You make men like fish of the sea,
Like creeping things that have no ruler over them?

They take up all of them with a hook,
They catch them in their net,
And gather them in their dragnet.
Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
Therefore they sacrifice to their net,
And burn incense to their dragnet;
Because by them their share is sumptuous
And their food plentiful.
Shall they therefore empty their net,
And continue to slay nations without pity?

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Ecclesiastes 3
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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(New International Version)

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

What do workers gain from their toil?  I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

Whatever is has already been,

and what will be has been before;

and God will call the past to account. 

And I saw something else under the sun.

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,

in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment

both the righteous and the wicked,

for there will be a time for every activity,

a time to judge every deed.”

I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.  Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath ; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless.  All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.  Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

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Isaiah 61
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners, 

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the Lord

for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins

and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities

that have been devastated for generations.

Strangers will shepherd your flocks;

foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

And you will be called priests of the Lord,

you will be named ministers of our God.

You will feed on the wealth of nations,

and in their riches you will boast.

Instead of your shame

you will receive a double portion,

and instead of disgrace

you will rejoice in your inheritance.

And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,

and everlasting joy will be yours.

“For I, the Lord, love justice;

I hate robbery and wrongdoing.

In my faithfulness I will reward my people

and make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their descendants will be known among the nations

and their offspring among the peoples.

All who see them will acknowledge

that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

I delight greatly in the Lord;

my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the soil makes the sprout come up

and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness

and praise spring up before all nations.

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Deuteronomy 4
second law”  after-law”  assign, allot; take”  
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(New International Version)

The Year for Canceling Debts

At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.  This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.  You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you.  However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.  For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them.  Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.  Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.  Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.  There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Freeing Servants

If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free.  And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed.  Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you.  Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.

But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is well off with you,  then take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your female servant.

Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because their service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.

The Firstborn Animals

Set apart for the Lord your God every firstborn male of your herds and flocks. Do not put the firstborn of your cows to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep.  Each year you and your family are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose.  If an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.  You are to eat it in your own towns. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it, as if it were gazelle or deer.  But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.

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Proverbs 12
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Loving Discipline and Knowledge

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but he who hates correction is stupid.

The good man obtains favor from the LORD,

but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil.

A man cannot be established through wickedness,

but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,

but she who causes shame is like decay in his bones.

The plans of the righteous are just,

but the counsel of the wicked leads to deceit.

The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,

but the speech of the upright rescues them.

The wicked are overthrown and perish,

but the house of the righteous will stand.

A man is praised according to his wisdom,

but a twisted mind is despised.

Better to be lightly esteemed yet have a servant,

than to be self-important but lack food.

A righteous man regards the life of his animal,

but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.

The one who works his land will have plenty of food,

but whoever chases fantasies lacks judgment.

The wicked desire the plunder of evil men,

but the root of the righteous flourishes.

An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech,

but a righteous man escapes from trouble.

By fruitful speech a man is filled with good things,

and the work of his hands returns to him.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

but a wise man listens to counsel.

A fool’s anger is known at once,

but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

He who speaks the truth declares what is right,

but a false witness speaks deceit.

Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Truthful lips endure forever,

but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

Deceit is in the hearts of those who devise evil,

but the counselors of peace have joy.

No harm befalls the righteous,

but the wicked are filled with trouble.

Lying lips are detestable to the LORD,

but those who deal faithfully are His delight.

A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself,

but a foolish heart proclaims its folly.

The hand of the diligent will rule,

but laziness ends in forced labor.

Anxiety weighs down the heart of a man,

but a good word cheers it up.

A righteous man is cautious in friendship,

but the ways of the wicked lead them astray.

A lazy man does not roast his game,

but a diligent man prizes his possession.

There is life in the path of righteousness,

but another path leads to death.

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Proverbs 4
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New King James Version)

Security in Wisdom

Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.
Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.

But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Ecclesiastes 7
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

The Value of Wisdom

A good name is better than fine perfume,

and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.

It is better to enter a house of mourning

than a house of feasting,

since death is the end of every man,

and the living should take this to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter,

for a sad countenance is good for the heart.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke

than to listen to the song of fools.

For like the crackling of thorns under the pot,

so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.

Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool,

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

The end of a matter is better than the beginning,

and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,

for anger settles in the lap of a fool.

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”

For it is unwise of you to ask about this.

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good,

and it benefits those who see the sun.

For wisdom, like money, is a shelter,

and the advantage of knowledge

is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

Consider the work of God:

Who can straighten what He has bent?

In the day of prosperity, be joyful,

but in the day of adversity, consider this:

God has made one of these along with the other,

so that a man cannot discover

anything that will come after him.

The Limits of Human Wisdom

In my futile life I have seen both of these:

A righteous man perishing in his righteousness,

and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?  Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?  It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.

Wisdom makes the wise man

stronger than ten rulers in a city.

Surely there is no righteous man on earth

who does good and never sins.

Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.  For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.  What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?

I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.  And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.

“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.  While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.  Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

Melania Knauss Trump

World On Fire
America’s
Light of Freedom”
Higher
Love

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

nited States of America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5x_9KEogM8
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Paradoxical In Its Nature  –  I Hope to Christ This Works.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,their words to the ends of the world.
–  Psalm 19 sacred poem or song

Emblems of the Service Branches

COAST GUARD

SPACE FORCE

NAVY

AIR FORCE

MARINE CORPS

ARMY

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬
It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand,
more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.
Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.
This coolness arises
partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men,
who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them.

― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince
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America Leads By Example. 
A Solid Foundational Work is Thus Prepared.   
 “A Coherent Pattern of Sound Teaching.”  “As Above, So Below,”  a “Return to Source.”   
May You Be Proved Right When You Speak & Prevail When You Judge.  Words of Wisdom that None of Your Adversaries Will be Able Resist or Contradict.

For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but with many counselors comes deliverance.
–   Proverbs 11  A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth

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James Horner – A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eamiiuUmVz8
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The Rectitude of Our Intentions.
the art of poetry itself and its forms, the potential of each form,
and how plots should be composed to make the poetic composition beautiful.

–  Aristotle

For I Have Sworn Upon the Altar of God

Eternal Hostility Against Every Form of Tyranny Over the Mind of Man.

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I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and Constitutions. 
But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.
As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered
and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times.
We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.
–  Thomas Jefferson  (Primary Author of the Declaration of Independence)
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Almighty God hath created the mind free.
All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens…are a departure from the plan of the holy Author of our religion…
No man shall be compelled to frequent or support religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief,
but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion.
I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively.

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–    Thomas Jefferson
(American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809.)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqX0VcA0yus
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A Way of Life to Exist.
To the Elders and the Flock  : 
The Show Must Go On.
It Would Be Good to Refresh the Soul.  The People Wish to Speak to Sensible People.
Regarding The Current Spirit of Condemnation.  People Setting their Hearts on Evil Things.  The Indifference of Good Men.
We Have Already Been Here.  The Atmosphere of Faded Love.  The Veiled Faces.  Cold, Violent, Malicious, Unfeeling, Aggressive. Antiquated Concepts.
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,  “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.
1 Peterstone, rock

President of Brazil
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

President of Russia
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
Hymn To Red October

President of India
Narendra Damodardas Modi
Refused – New Noise

President of China
Xi Jinping

President of 

--

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5x_9KEogM8
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The Nature of Our Prosperity.   Our Faithful & Ameliorating Nobility.
The Spirit of Monopoly & The Thirst for Exclusive Privilages.  The Invitations of Sinful Men.  To Swindle & Defraud.

“Let the watchwords of all our people be
the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense.”…
We wish to control big business so as to secure among other things good wages for the wage-workers and reasonable prices for the consumers.
Wherever in any business the prosperity of the business man is obtained by lowering the wages of his workmen and charging an excessive price to the consumers we wish to interfere and stop such practices.
We will not submit to that kind of prosperity any more than we will submit to prosperity obtained by swindling investors or getting unfair advantages over business rivals.

–  Theodore Roosevelt   26th U.S. President of the United States of America

President of Germany
Friedrich Merz

President of France
Emmanuel Macron

President of Italy
Georgia Meloni

President of Spain
Pedro Sanchez

President of Poland
Donald Tusk

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A Work Volunteered To The United Nations General Assembly & Security Council

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We The People, Formally Request a General Vote Between Member States. 

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To The United Nations General Assembly

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What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 
You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.
You do not have because you do not ask God.
 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives,
that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?
Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

                               –  James 4  (“one that takes by the heel; a supplanter” )


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Perseus with the Head of Medusa

Carved by Antonio Canova (1757-1822)

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Triumphant Perseus Holding the Severed Head of the Medusa, One of the Three Gorgons.
The Hero is Shown With the Winged Cap, the Sandals of Mercury (Hermes) and the Sword Which Had Been Given to Him in Order to Complete this Task.
Medusa’s  Head Was Fixed on the Aegis of Athena.

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I Tell You the Future Before it Happens Just Like Magic. 

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The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own.
Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.
Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves.
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because
I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.   
If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.
                                                                                  –   John 14 (New International Version) “gift of Jehova

Mark  David  Rich

To Denote”     “Beloved”     “Wealth
To Remove”    “Abhorrent”   “Poor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G4NKzmfC-Q
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A Proclamation to The Nations.
Come Now.  Let Us Settle the Matter.
All Demographics Have Been Represented Here.
Therefore, Do What We Say or We Shall Bring Democracy to Your Country.

Dude Bro Trust Me

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Matthew 23
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

A Warning Against Hypocrisy

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:  “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.  They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;  they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.  And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.  The greatest among you will be your servant.  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’  You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?  You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’  You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?  Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.  And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it.  And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.  You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.  In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.  And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’  So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.  Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?  Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.  And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.  For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’  

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James 4
one that takes by the heel; a supplanter
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(New International Version)

Submit Yourselves to God

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?  But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.” 

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

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Proverbs 11
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Dishonest Scales

Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD,

but an accurate weight is His delight.

When pride comes, disgrace follows,

but with humility comes wisdom.

The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the perversity of the faithless destroys them.

Riches are worthless in the day of wrath,

but righteousness brings deliverance from death.

The righteousness of the blameless directs their path,

but the wicked fall by their own wickedness.

The righteousness of the upright delivers them,

but the faithless are trapped by their own desires.

When the wicked man dies, his hope perishes,

and the hope of his strength vanishes.

The righteous man is delivered from trouble;

in his place the wicked man goes in.

With his mouth the ungodly man destroys his neighbor,

but through knowledge the righteous are rescued.

When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices,

and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

By the blessing of the upright a city is built up,

but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks judgment,

but a man of understanding remains silent.

A gossip reveals a secret,

but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.

For lack of guidance, a nation falls,

but with many counselors comes deliverance.

He who puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,

but the one who hates indebtedness is secure.

A gracious woman attains honor,

but ruthless men gain only wealth.

A kind man benefits himself,

but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

The wicked man earns an empty wage,

but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.

Genuine righteousness leads to life,

but the pursuit of evil brings death.

The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD,

but the blameless in their walk are His delight.

Be assured that the wicked will not go unpunished,

but the offspring of the righteous will escape.

Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

The desire of the righteous leads only to good,

but the hope of the wicked brings wrath.

One gives freely, yet gains even more;

another withholds what is right, only to become poor.

A generous soul will prosper,

and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

The people will curse the hoarder of grain,

but blessing will crown the one who sells it.

He who searches out good finds favor,

but evil will come to him who seeks it.

He who trusts in his riches will fall,

but the righteous will thrive like foliage.

He who brings trouble on his house will inherit the wind,

and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and he who wins souls is wise.

If the righteous receive their due on earth,

how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

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Ecclesiastes 4
one who addresses an assembly
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(New International Version)

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed—

and they have no comforter;

power was on the side of their oppressors—

and they have no comforter.

And I declared that the dead,

who had already died,

are happier than the living,

who are still alive.

But better than both

is the one who has never been born,

who has not seen the evil

that is done under the sun.

And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Fools fold their hands

and ruin themselves.

Better one handful with tranquility

than two handfuls with toil

and chasing after the wind.

Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

There was a man all alone;

he had neither son nor brother.

There was no end to his toil,

yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.

“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,

“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”

This too is meaningless—

a miserable business!

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,

one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Advancement Is Meaningless

Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning.  The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom.  I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor.  There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

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Proverbs 6
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(Christian Standard Bible)

Financial Entanglements

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor

or entered into an agreement with a stranger,

you have been snared by the words of your mouth—

trapped by the words from your mouth.

Do this, then, my son, and free yourself,

for you have put yourself in your neighbor’s power:

Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor.

Don’t give sleep to your eyes

or slumber to your eyelids.

Escape like a gazelle from a hunter,

like a bird from a hunter’s trap.

Laziness

Go to the ant, you slacker!

Observe its ways and become wise.

Without leader, administrator, or ruler,

it prepares its provisions in summer;

it gathers its food during harvest.

How long will you stay in bed, you slacker?

When will you get up from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the arms to rest,

and your poverty will come like a robber,

your need, like a bandit.

The Malicious Man

A worthless person, a wicked man

goes around speaking dishonestly,

winking his eyes, signaling with his feet,

and gesturing with his fingers.

He always plots evil with perversity in his heart;

he stirs up trouble.

Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly;

he will be shattered instantly, beyond recovery.

What the Lord Hates

The Lord hates six things;

in fact, seven are detestable to him:

arrogant eyes, a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that plots wicked schemes,

feet eager to run to evil,

a lying witness who gives false testimony,

and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.

Warning against Adultery

My son, keep your father’s command,

and don’t reject your mother’s teaching.

Always bind them to your heart;

tie them around your neck.

When you walk here and there, they will guide you;

when you lie down, they will watch over you;

when you wake up, they will talk to you.

For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light,

and corrective discipline is the way to life.

They will protect you from an evil woman,

from the flattering tongue of a wayward woman.

Don’t lust in your heart for her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.

For a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread,

but the wife of another man goes after a precious life.

Can a man embrace fire

and his clothes not be burned?

Can a man walk on burning coals

without scorching his feet?

So it is with the one who sleeps with

another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

People don’t despise the thief if he steals

to satisfy himself when he is hungry.

Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much;

he must give up all the wealth in his house.

The one who commits adultery lacks sense;

whoever does so destroys himself.

He will get a beating and dishonor,

and his disgrace will never be removed.

For jealousy enrages a husband,

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

He will not be appeased by anything

or be persuaded by lavish bribes.

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Proverbs 1
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New International Version)

Purpose and Theme

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

for gaining wisdom and instruction;

for understanding words of insight;

for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,

doing what is right and just and fair;

for giving prudence to those who are simple, 

knowledge and discretion to the young—

let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance—

for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

They are a garland to grace your head

and a chain to adorn your neck.

My son, if sinful men entice you,

do not give in to them.

If they say, “Come along with us;

let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,

let’s ambush some harmless soul;

let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

we will get all sorts of valuable things

and fill our houses with plunder;

cast lots with us;

we will all share the loot”—

my son, do not go along with them,

do not set foot on their paths;

for their feet rush into evil,

they are swift to shed blood.

How useless to spread a net

where every bird can see it!

These men lie in wait for their own blood;

they ambush only themselves!

Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;

it takes away the life of those who get it.

Wisdom’s Rebuke

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,

she raises her voice in the public square;

on top of the wall she cries out,

at the city gate she makes her speech:

“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery

and fools hate knowledge?

Repent at my rebuke!

Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,

I will make known to you my teachings.

But since you refuse to listen when I call

and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,

since you disregard all my advice

and do not accept my rebuke,

I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;

I will mock when calamity overtakes you—

when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;

they will look for me but will not find me,

since they hated knowledge

and did not choose to fear the Lord.

Since they would not accept my advice

and spurned my rebuke,

they will eat the fruit of their ways

and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

but whoever listens to me will live in safety

and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

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Proverbs 6
(“a common saying, old adage, maxim”  “words put forward“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Warnings against Foolishness

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,

if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger,

if you have been trapped by the words of your lips,

ensnared by the words of your mouth,

then do this, my son, to free yourself,

for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:

Go, humble yourself,

and press your plea with your neighbor.

Allow no sleep to your eyes

or slumber to your eyelids.

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,

like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker;

observe its ways and become wise.

Without a commander,

without an overseer or ruler,

it prepares its provisions in summer;

it gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, O slacker?

When will you get up from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and need like a bandit.

A worthless person, a wicked man,

walks with a perverse mouth,

winking his eyes, speaking with his feet,

and pointing with his fingers.

With deceit in his heart he devises evil;

he continually sows discord.

Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;

in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.

There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:

haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that run swiftly to evil,

a false witness who gives false testimony,

and one who stirs up discord among brothers.

Warnings against Adultery

My son, keep your father’s commandment,

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Bind them always upon your heart;

tie them around your neck.

When you walk, they will guide you;

when you lie down, they will watch over you;

when you awake, they will speak to you.

For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light,

and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,

to keep you from the evil woman,

from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

Do not lust in your heart for her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyes.

For the levy of the prostitute is poverty,

and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

Can a man embrace fire

and his clothes not be burned?

Can a man walk on hot coals

without scorching his feet?

So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

Men do not despise the thief

if he steals to satisfy his hunger.

Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold;

he must give up all the wealth of his house.

He who commits adultery lacks judgment;

whoever does so destroys himself.

Wounds and dishonor will befall him,

and his reproach will never be wiped away.

For jealousy enrages a husband,

and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance.

He will not be appeased by any ransom,

or persuaded by lavish gifts.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Psalm 120
sacred poem or song
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(Amplified Bible)

Prayer for Breaking Away from the Treacherous.

A Song of Ascents.

In my trouble I cried to the LORD,

And He answered me.

Rescue my soul, O LORD, from lying lips,

And from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you,

You deceitful tongue?–

Sharp arrows of the warrior,

With the burning coals of the broom tree.

Woe to me, for I sojourn in Meshech,

and I live among the tents of Kedar [among hostile people]!

Too long my soul has had its dwelling

With those who hate peace.

I am for peace, but when I speak,

They are for war.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

2 Peter 2
stone, rock
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(New International Version)

False Teachers and Their Destruction

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.  This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.

Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord.  But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.

They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.  With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!  They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.  But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.  For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.  They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”  If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.  It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.  Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” g and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Job 24
( “hated, persecuted”     he was hostile to”   “enmity ”    “the penitent one)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Job: Judgment for the Wicked

“Why does the Almighty not reserve times for judgment?

Why may those who know Him never see His days?

Men move boundary stones;

they pasture stolen flocks.

They drive away the donkey of the fatherless

and take the widow’s ox in pledge.

They push the needy off the road

and force all the poor of the land into hiding.

Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert,

the poor go to work foraging for food;

the wasteland is food for their children.

They gather fodder in the fields

and glean the vineyards of the wicked.

Without clothing, they spend the night naked;

they have no covering against the cold.

Drenched by mountain rains,

they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter.

The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast;

the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.

Without clothing, they wander about naked.

They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.

They crush olives within their walls;

they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.

From the city, men groan,

and the souls of the wounded cry out,

yet God charges no one with wrongdoing.

Then there are those who rebel against the light,

not knowing its ways or staying on its paths.

When daylight is gone, the murderer rises

to kill the poor and needy;

in the night he is like a thief.

The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight.

Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers his face.

In the dark they dig through houses;

by day they shut themselves in,

never to experience the light.

For to them, deep darkness is their morning;

surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!

They are but foam on the surface of the water;

their portion of the land is cursed,

so that no one turns toward their vineyards.

As drought and heat consume the melting snow,

so Sheol steals those who have sinned.

The womb forgets them;

the worm feeds on them;

they are remembered no more.

So injustice is like a broken tree.

They prey on the barren and childless,

and show no kindness to the widow.

Yet by His power, God drags away the mighty;

though rising up, they have no assurance of life.

He gives them a sense of security,

but His eyes are on their ways.

They are exalted for a moment,

then they are gone;

they are brought low and gathered up like all others;

they are cut off like heads of grain.

If this is not so, then who can prove me a liar

and reduce my words to nothing?”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

1 Corinthians 6
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Lawsuits Among Believers

If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?  Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?  Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!  Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church?  I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?  But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?  Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.  Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.  You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.  By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”  But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.  Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬Jeremiah 8
may Jehovah exalt”  “the Lord casts, the Lord founds
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(New International Version)

“ ‘At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves.  They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like dung lying on the ground.  Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the Lord Almighty.’

Sin and Punishment

“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘When people fall down, do they not get up?

When someone turns away, do they not return?

Why then have these people turned away?

Why does Jerusalem always turn away?

They cling to deceit;

they refuse to return.

I have listened attentively,

but they do not say what is right.

None of them repent of their wickedness,

saying, “What have I done?”

Each pursues their own course

like a horse charging into battle.

Even the stork in the sky

knows her appointed seasons,

and the dove, the swift and the thrush

observe the time of their migration.

But my people do not know

the requirements of the Lord.

“ ‘How can you say, “We are wise,

for we have the law of the Lord,”

when actually the lying pen of the scribes

has handled it falsely?

The wise will be put to shame;

they will be dismayed and trapped.

Since they have rejected the word of the Lord,

what kind of wisdom do they have?

Therefore I will give their wives to other men

and their fields to new owners.

From the least to the greatest,

all are greedy for gain;

prophets and priests alike,

all practice deceit.

They dress the wound of my people

as though it were not serious.

“Peace, peace,” they say,

when there is no peace.

Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?

No, they have no shame at all;

they do not even know how to blush.

So they will fall among the fallen;

they will be brought down when they are punished,

says the Lord.

“ ‘I will take away their harvest,

declares the Lord.

There will be no grapes on the vine.

There will be no figs on the tree,

and their leaves will wither.

What I have given them

will be taken from them. ’ ”

Why are we sitting here?

Gather together!

Let us flee to the fortified cities

and perish there!

For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish

and given us poisoned water to drink,

because we have sinned against him.

We hoped for peace

but no good has come,

for a time of healing

but there is only terror.

The snorting of the enemy’s horses

is heard from Dan;

at the neighing of their stallions

the whole land trembles.

They have come to devour

the land and everything in it,

the city and all who live there.

“See, I will send venomous snakes among you,

vipers that cannot be charmed,

and they will bite you,”

declares the Lord.

You who are my Comforter in sorrow,

my heart is faint within me.

Listen to the cry of my people

from a land far away:

“Is the Lord not in Zion?

Is her King no longer there?”

“Why have they aroused my anger with their images,

with their worthless foreign idols?”

“The harvest is past,

the summer has ended,

and we are not saved.”

Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;

I mourn, and horror grips me.

Is there no balm in Gilead?

Is there no physician there?

Why then is there no healing

for the wound of my people?

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Joel 3
the Lord is God
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(New International Version)

The Nations Judged

“In those days and at that time,

when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,

I will gather all nations

and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. 

There I will put them on trial

for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,

because they scattered my people among the nations

and divided up my land.

They cast lots for my people

and traded boys for prostitutes;

they sold girls for wine to drink.

“Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.  For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.  You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland.

“See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done.  I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken.

Proclaim this among the nations:

Prepare for war!

Rouse the warriors!

Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

Beat your plowshares into swords

and your pruning hooks into spears.

Let the weakling say,

“I am strong!”

Come quickly, all you nations from every side,

and assemble there.

Bring down your warriors, Lord!

“Let the nations be roused;

let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit

to judge all the nations on every side.

Swing the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe.

Come, trample the grapes,

for the winepress is full

and the vats overflow—

so great is their wickedness!”

Multitudes, multitudes

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.

The sun and moon will be darkened,

and the stars no longer shine.

The Lord will roar from Zion

and thunder from Jerusalem;

the earth and the heavens will tremble.

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,

a stronghold for the people of Israel.

Blessings for God’s People

“Then you will know that I, the Lord your God,

dwell in Zion, my holy hill.

Jerusalem will be holy;

never again will foreigners invade her.

“In that day the mountains will drip new wine,

and the hills will flow with milk;

all the ravines of Judah will run with water.

A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house

and will water the valley of acacias. 

But Egypt will be desolate,

Edom a desert waste,

because of violence done to the people of Judah,

in whose land they shed innocent blood.

Judah will be inhabited forever

and Jerusalem through all generations.

Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?

No, I will not.”

The Lord dwells in Zion!

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Matthew 7
gift of Jehova
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(New International Version)

Judging Others

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,  because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Isaiah 24
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

God’s Judgment on the Earth

Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth

and leaves it in ruins.

He will twist its surface

and scatter its inhabitants—

people and priest alike, servant and master,

maid and mistress, buyer and seller,

lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.

The earth will be utterly laid waste

and thoroughly plundered.

For the LORD has spoken this word.

The earth mourns and withers;

the world languishes and fades;

the exalted of the earth waste away.

The earth is defiled by its people;

they have transgressed the laws;

they have overstepped the decrees

and broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore a curse has consumed the earth,

and its inhabitants must bear the guilt;

the earth’s dwellers have been burned,

and only a few survive.

The new wine dries up, the vine withers.

All the merrymakers now groan.

The joyful tambourines have ceased;

the noise of revelers has stopped;

the joyful harp is silent.

They no longer sing and drink wine;

strong drink is bitter to those who consume it.

The city of chaos is shattered;

every house is closed to entry.

In the streets they cry out for wine.

All joy turns to gloom;

rejoicing is exiled from the land.

The city is left in ruins;

its gate is reduced to rubble.

So will it be on the earth

and among the nations,

like a harvested olive tree,

like a gleaning after a grape harvest.

They raise their voices, they shout for joy;

from the west they proclaim the majesty of the LORD.

Therefore glorify the LORD in the east.

Extol the name of the LORD, the God of Israel

in the islands of the sea.

From the ends of the earth we hear singing:

“Glory to the Righteous One.”

But I said, “I am wasting away! I am wasting away!

Woe is me.”

The treacherous betray;

the treacherous deal in treachery.

Terror and pit and snare await you,

O dweller of the earth.

Whoever flees the sound of panic

will fall into the pit,

and whoever climbs from the pit

will be caught in the snare.

For the windows of heaven are open,

and the foundations of the earth are shaken.

The earth is utterly broken apart,

the earth is split open,

the earth is shaken violently.

The earth staggers like a drunkard

and sways like a shack.

Earth’s rebellion weighs it down,

and it falls, never to rise again.

In that day the LORD will punish

the host of heaven above

and the kings of the earth below.

They will be gathered together

like prisoners in a pit.

They will be confined to a dungeon

and punished after many days.

The moon will be confounded

and the sun will be ashamed;

for the LORD of Hosts will reign

on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,

and before His elders with great glory.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Isaiah 34
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(Berean Standard Bible)

Judgment on the Nations

Come near, O nations, to listen;

pay attention, O peoples.

Let the earth hear, and all that fills it,

the world and all that springs from it.

The LORD is angry with all the nations

and furious with all their armies.

He will devote them to destruction;

He will give them over to slaughter.

Their slain will be left unburied,

and the stench of their corpses will rise;

the mountains will flow with their blood.

All the stars of heaven will be dissolved.

The skies will be rolled up like a scroll,

and all their stars will fall

like withered leaves from the vine,

like foliage from the fig tree.

Judgment on Edom

When My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens,

then it will come down upon Edom,

upon the people I have devoted to destruction.

The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood.

It drips with fat—

with the blood of lambs and goats,

with the fat of the kidneys of rams.

For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah,

a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

And the wild oxen will fall with them,

the young bulls with the strong ones.

Their land will be drenched with blood,

and their soil will be soaked with fat.

For the LORD has a day of vengeance,

a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.

Edom’s streams will be turned to tar,

and her soil to sulfur;

her land will become a blazing pitch.

It will not be quenched—day or night.

Its smoke will ascend forever.

From generation to generation it will lie desolate;

no one will ever again pass through it.

The desert owl and screech owl will possess it,

and the great owl and raven will dwell in it.

The LORD will stretch out over Edom

a measuring line of chaos

and a plumb line of destruction.

No nobles will be left to proclaim a king,

and all her princes will come to nothing.

Her towers will be overgrown with thorns,

her fortresses with thistles and briers.

She will become a haunt for jackals,

an abode for ostriches.

The desert creatures will meet with hyenas,

and one wild goat will call to another.

There the night creature will settle

and find her place of repose.

There the owl will make her nest;

she will lay and hatch her eggs

and gather her brood under her shadow.

Even there the birds of prey will gather,

each with its mate.

Search and read the scroll of the LORD:

Not one of these will go missing,

not one will lack her mate,

because He has ordered it by His mouth,

and He will gather them by His Spirit.

He has allotted their portion;

His hand has distributed it by measure.

They will possess it forever;

they will dwell in it from generation to generation.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Proverbs 15
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New International Version)

A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,

but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.

The eyes of the LORD are in every place,

observing the evil and the good.

A soothing tongue is a tree of life,

but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

A fool rejects his father’s discipline,

but whoever heeds correction is prudent.

The house of the righteous has great treasure,

but the income of the wicked is trouble.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge,

but not so the hearts of fools.

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD,

but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

The LORD detests the way of the wicked,

but He loves those who pursue righteousness.

Discipline is harsh for him who leaves the path;

he who hates correction will die.

Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD—

how much more the hearts of men!

A mocker does not love to be reproved,

nor will he consult the wise.

A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance,

but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit.

A discerning heart seeks knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

All the days of the oppressed are bad,

but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

Better a little with the fear of the LORD

than great treasure with turmoil.

Better a dish of vegetables where there is love

than a fattened ox with hatred.

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,

but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.

The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns,

but the path of the upright is a highway.

A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish man despises his mother.

Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment,

but a man of understanding walks a straight path.

Plans fail for lack of counsel,

but with many advisers they succeed.

A man takes joy in a fitting reply—

and how good is a timely word!

The path of life leads upward for the wise,

that he may avoid going down to Sheol.

The LORD tears down the house of the proud,

but He protects the boundaries of the widow.

The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked,

but the words of the pure are pleasant to Him.

He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household,

but he who hates bribes will live.

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,

but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil.

The LORD is far from the wicked,

but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

The light of the eyes cheers the heart,

and good news nourishes the bones.

He who listens to life-giving reproof

will dwell among the wise.

He who ignores discipline despises himself,

but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,

and humility comes before honor.

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Acts 24
a thing done ”  “

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(Berean Standard Bible)

Tertullus Prosecutes Paul

Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, who presented to the governor their case against Paul.

When Paul had been called in, Tertullus opened the prosecution: “Because of you, we have enjoyed a lasting peace, and your foresight has brought improvements to this nation.  In every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with all gratitude.  But in order not to burden you any further, I beg your indulgence to hear us briefly.

We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.  By examining him yourself, you will be able to learn the truth about all our charges against him.”

The Jews concurred, asserting that these charges were true.

Paul’s Defense to Felix

When the governor motioned for Paul to speak, he began his response: “Knowing that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I gladly make my defense.  You can verify for yourself that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.  Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city.  Nor can they prove to you any of their charges against me.

I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,  and I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.  In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man.

After several years, then, I returned to Jerusalem to bring alms to my people and to present offerings.  At the time they found me in the temple, I was ceremonially clean and was not inciting a crowd or an uproar. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia who ought to appear before you and bring charges, if they have anything against me. Otherwise, let these men state for themselves any crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, unless it was this one thing I called out as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’

The Verdict Postponed

Then Felix, who was well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, “When Lysias the commander comes, I will decide your case.”  He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard, but to allow him some freedom and permit his friends to minister to his needs.

After several days, Felix returned with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.  As Paul expounded on righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “You may go for now. When I find the time, I will call for you.”  At the same time, he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe. So he sent for Paul frequently and talked with him.

After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. 

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Jude 1
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(Barean Standard Bible)

A Greeting from Jud

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,

To those who are called, loved by God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ:

Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

God’s Judgment on the Ungodly

Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints.  For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Although you are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after Jesus had delivered His people out of the land of Egypt, He destroyed those who did not believe.  And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.   In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.

Yet in the same way these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings.  But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”  These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively.   Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

These men are hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after being uprooted.   They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them:

“Behold, the Lord is coming

with myriads of His holy ones

to execute judgment on everyone,

and to convict all the ungodly

of every ungodly act of wickedness

and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.”

These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.

A Call to Persevere

But you, beloved, remember what was foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ when they said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow after their own ungodly desires.”   These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit.

But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.

And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.

Doxolog

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord before all time, and now, and for all eternity.

Amen.

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James 1
one that takes by the heel; a supplanter
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(New International Version)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:

Greetings.

Trials and Temptations

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,  whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.  But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.  For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Listening and Doing

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

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James 3
one that takes by the heel; a supplanter
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(New International Version)

Taming the Tongue

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.  We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

the end, limit, goal, fulfillment, completion”  “the reason for which all our actions aim
end purpose”  “goal”   “revolve, move around, sojourn, dwell”  “turning point”  “ultimate object or aim


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On Earth As it is in Heaven.
The Progressive Realization of a Worthy Ideal.   Eliciting a More Desiriable Human Condition.
Eclipsing The Constant Outrage Politics & Restrictive Legislation.  Addressing The Negative Spirit of Condemnation.  
Doing What is Right and Just and Fair While Keeping Soundness of Moral Principle & Character in Regards to Truth & Fair Dealing. 
Ceremonies of Freedom.  Ancestral.   Freedom from Human Rules.  Prudent & “Earthly” Relations Between Nations.  Free.”  To Be “Free”  The Absence of Restraint.”  
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Enjoy Good Things.
Entrance Granted Through The Gate of the People.
Thank Offerings Which Bring Comfort As an Answer to the Prayers of Many.

DARE WITNESS.
RAISING THIS DEMON.
IT IS MOST CERTAINLY A TRAP.
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION.
LIKE BRINGING A GUN TO FIGHT AN EARTHQUAKE.
GET THROUGH IT AND GO HOME WITH A STORY TO TELL.
THE RIGHT WAY WE ARE TO LIVE AND HOW WE ARE TO BEHAVE.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS ARE TO BE COMPRISED.

ON THE CRUCIBLE OF WAR, THE PEOPLE HELP FORGE THIS NEW EUROPE.  “A COMING & GOING.

PRACTICLE; EFFECTIVE, ACTIVE,  VIGOROUS.  FIT FOR ACTION.  A METHOD FIT FOR BUSINESS, BUSINESS-LIKE,
A VAST ASSEMBLY OF PEOPLE.  FESTIVALS OF DEDICATION.  THE FLOURISHING OF THE RIGHTEOUS.  7 DAYS TO HEAL THE LAND.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1oa8735bjc

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AN ENTIRELY NEW CIVIL/MILITARY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
STRENGTHENING OUR ABILITY TO DETER OR CONFINE LIMITED WARS.
ADDRESSING THE SPIRALING NEGATIVITY.  THE SPIRIT OF CONDEMNATION. 

The basic problems facing the world today are not susceptible to a military solution…. 
The Free World’s security can be endangered not only by a nuclear attack, but also by being slowly nibbled away at the periphery, regardless of our strategic power, by forces of subversion, infiltration, intimidation, indirect or non-overt aggression, internal revolution, diplomatic blackmail, guerrilla warfare or a series of limited wars. In this area of local wars, we must inevitably count on the cooperative efforts of other peoples and nations who share our concern…   Our preparation against danger is our hope of safety. The changes in the Defense program which I have recommended will greatly enhance the security of this Nation in the perilous years which lie ahead…  Our interest, as I have emphasized, lies in peaceful solutions, in reducing tension, in settling disputes at the conference table and not on the battlefield. I am hopeful that these policies will help secure these ends. 
                                                          –   John. F. Kennedy  (35th President of the United States)

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And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world,
but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.
–  Matthew 6  (“gift of Jehova“)
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The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is
surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.”
–  David Rockefeller   (Son of the Man Who Gifted The Land The U.N. is Built Upon)

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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

New Politics of Restoration.
The People’s Special Civil Operation
For Peace, Dignity & Equality on a Healthy Planet.
Pursuant to Chapter VI Article #33 Of the Charter of The United Nations.
We “The People” Formally Request Third Party  Inter-Mediation of Our Disputes.  “Intercession.
For the Case of Breach of Friendly Relations. The People Constitute the Following as a “General Middling
Because the Days Are Evil, We Submit This Prayer and Petition to the General Assembly and the Security Council.
A System of Measures and Line of Conduct Which a Ruler, Minister, Government, or Party Adopts as Best for the Interests of a Country in Domestic and Foreign Affairs.
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For Worldly Governments on a Scale Comprehensible The Citizenry.
The Suitable Administration of the World & The Proper Regulation of Human Affairs.

     At this Hour of Decision, Regarding, the Preparation of Public Opinion and The Means by Which Humanity Might Survive This Technological Adolescence Without Us Destroying Ourselves.  We, “The People” Formally Request a Meeting of People at a Certain Time, at a Certain Place and Under Certain Conditions.  We Call for The Creation of a Political Move So Sweeping as to Immortalize the Reign & Legacy of all Involved.  With your Permission, “The Culmination of the Ages.”  For Natural and Appropriate Relations Between States.  Improving the Nature of The Social Interactions Between the Rulers and the Public.  For Countries Which Enjoy Good Neighborliness.  For The Protection or Preservation from Destruction, Danger, Calamity, etc.

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Chronicles of the People.
A Global Shift to Resolve the Greivance & Other Perplexities.
A Crucible, Requiem and An Irrevocable Living Trust.  To Test Hearts & To Be Proven Faithful.

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     In Exchange for the Honor of Your Presence, We Volunteer This General Dedication to Those Holders of Power and Responsibility.  For Your Consideration, a Work of Education for the Purposes of Healing and Restoration. “The Study of Words and The Administration of National Institutions.”  A General Dedication to those with the Power to Take Peace from the Earth and to Get Men to Kill Each Other.  These are Flawless Words of Wisdom Which None of Your Adversaries Will Be Able to Resist or Contradict.  “Wisdom from the Ancients.”   May You Be Proved Right When You Speak and Prevail When You Judge.

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International Resource Management
The Lack of Surplus.  Judgement & Salvation.  The Prudent Allocation of Resources.
A Singular Cooperative Purpose, Interwoven With One Another for the Common Good.
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    Concerning the Governance of a Country or People.  Pertaining to the State and its Administration; to Public Life.  Regarding The Main Drama of the Renunciation & The Rendering Over an Estate, Land Grant, Conveyance or Interest in a Property or Trust Which Serves the Interest of One or More Political Orientations.  The Authorization & Recognition of a Selected Power, to Administer & Develop a Territory for a Specified Purpose.  The Allocation of Benefits in Various Policy Fields in Such a Way as to Provide Groups, Persons, & Places with at Least a Minimum Level of Benefits so as to Satisfy Basic Needs.  The Provisions Necessary for Economic Automation.  A More “Circular Economy,” Where Development Gains are Shared More Fairly by the People.  That We Might Bear Fruit.  To Serve in a New Way of the Spirit, Not in the Old Way of the Written Code.

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Wisdom, Moderation, Courage.
Contingencies Regarding the Predictable Tendencies of Human Behavior.
A More Refined and Sensible Solution to the Problem of Making the World Safe and Prosperous.

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Freedom of Navigation.  The Admission of Neutrals into Ports of Entry.  The Protection of Ships that Sail the Oceans for the Benefit of Mankind.
Strategic Stability.  Addressing the Imbalance of Power.  Setting the Boundaries of the Peoples. The Strategic Containment of Influence.
Putting Our Institutions Back in Order So That It May Go Well with The People.
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The Valley of Vision.

In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:  the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself?  Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?  It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other.  Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. 
–  Ecclesiastes 7
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)

Problem Solver

__________________________________

Mark    David    Rich
 “To Denote”   “Beloved”    “Wealth
To Remove”   “Abhorrent”    “Poor

Thus We made you a moderate community,
that you may be witnesses to humanity, and that the Messenger may be a witness to you. We only established the direction of prayer, which you once followed, that We may distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels. It is indeed difficult, except for those whom God has guided. But God would never let your faith go to waste. God is Kind towards the people, Merciful.

–   Chapter 2 : الْبَقَرَة – Al-Baqara (“The Cow“)   Verse: 143

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To The United Nations Security Council

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Men since the beginning of time have sought peace. Various methods through the ages have been attempted to devise an international process to prevent or settle disputes between nations. From the very start workable methods were found in so far as individual citizens were concerned, but the mechanics of an instrumentality of larger international scope have never been successful. Military alliances, balances of power, Leagues of Nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be by way of the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blocks out this alternative. We have had our last chance. If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature, and all material and cultural developments of the past 2000 years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.”
–   Douglas MacArthur  (American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3tQGvmJOHw
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Extremes are Easy.  It is the Balance that is Difficult.  For Your Consideration.  “Heuristic Algorithms.”
Procedures or Methods of Adjustment Which You May Find Appropriate.  Pertaining to Religion or Divine Things Opposed to Secular or Profane.

“ Kind-hearted people might of course think there was some ingenious way to disarm or defeat an enemy without too much bloodshed, and might imagine this is the true goal of the art of war. Pleasant as it sounds, it is a fallacy that must be exposed: war is such a dangerous business that the mistakes which come from kindness are the very worst. The maximum use of force is in no way incompatible with the simultaneous use of the intellect. If one side uses force without compunction, undeterred by the bloodshed it involves, while the other side refrains, the first will gain the upper hand. That side will force the other to follow suit; each will drive its opponent toward extremes, and the only limiting factors are the counterpoises inherent in war.”
                                                                    –   Carl Von Clausewitz

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQzvCOKLiX8
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Humble Service in Action.  The People’s Sacrifice.
this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
–  Romans 12   (“of Rome”)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG5gEzymh5c
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 The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.
–  John(“Jehovah has favored”  “Jah is gracious”  “he was gracious)

                                Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

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“Checkmate”

By :  Friedrich Moritz August Retzsch
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There may be babblers, wholly ignorant of mathematics,
who dare to condemn my hypothesis,
upon the authority of some part of the Bible twisted to suit their purpose.  I value them not, and scorn their unfounded judgment.
                                  –  Nicolaus Copernicus
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There are more sure marks
of authenticity in the Bible that in any profane history
– Isaac Newton

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ஜ۩۞۩ஜ
You can take away a man’s gods,
but only to give him others in return.

– Carl Jung

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Mark The Evangelist

By : Vladimir Borovikovsky
(Icon from the royal gates of the central iconostasis of the Kazan Cathedral in St.-Petersburgh) 

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You have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant.  
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
–  Matthew 23 (“gift of Jehovah”)

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6

33

Hidden in The Marrows of  A.I.          Those Who Want to Control The People. 
Deception Through Smooth Rhetoric.                     Shallow Summaries.                  A Consideration of the Desires of The Heart.

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The Flagellation of Christ

Guircino  (1657)

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The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools.
–  Thucydides

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W852jZvQa3s
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A Leader is Best When People Barely Know He Exists,
When His Work is Done, His Aim Fulfilled, They Will Say : We Did Outselves.

–  Lao Tzu

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy8cHWl5uE8
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The Goal is Truth
I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people.  
You simple people, use good judgment.  You foolish people, show some understanding.  
Listen to me! For I have  important things to tell you.  Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth
and detest every kind of deception.  My advice is wholesome.  There is nothing devious or crooked in it.
–  Proverbs 8 (“words put forward“)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eYGl8PNjlU
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The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is
surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.”
– David Rockefeller   (Son of the Man Who Gifted The Land The U.N. is Built Upon)

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.
A gift opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.” 
–  Proverbs 18 (BSB)  (“words put forward“)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1tj2zJ2Wvg
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Wisdom Calls for a Hearing and Appointed Feasts  :  The People Shall Be Free of the  :  Anima Mundi

Bearing Others’ Burdens.

We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.  Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.  For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.” For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.
–  Romans 15

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James 4
one that takes by the heel; a supplanter
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(New International Version)

Submit Yourselves to God

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous people,  don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ?  But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.” 

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

A Deniable Asset.
All These High Steaks Situations.
I’m Getting Too Old for This $H!%…    The Suicidal Brinksmanship.

I’ve Done Cooked this Pig.

Can We Move Along?  I’ve Heard Stories About You.

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The Andrew Jackson Equestrian Statue

Located in Nashville, Tennessee on the Front Lawn of the Tennessee State Capitol Building.
Davidson” County  AKA Music City
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Our Moral Bankruptcy.
We Have Been Turned Into a Dysfunctional Kleptocracy by Our Parasitic Elite Thriving on Financial Extraction.

The mischief springs from the power which the monied interest derives from a paper currency which they are able to control,
from the multitude of corporations with exclusive privileges which they have succeeded in obtaining…and unless you become more watchful in your states
and check this spirit of monopoly and thirst for exclusive privileges you will in the end find that the most important powers of government have been given or bartered away.
–  Andrew Jackson

Reverse The Curse.
The People Are Not To Be Ignored So Easily.
Regarding The Predictable Tendencies of Human Behavior.
Changing the Social Interactions Between the Rulers and the Public.
The People are to Address The Spirit of Monopoly.  Sometimes “Ambition” Must Be Restrained.
Addressing The Prioritization of Private Advantage Over the Public Good.  Leaders Wise Enough to Restrain Oneself .
For Governments Which are Comprehensible to Its Citizenry.  Governments Which Embody the Results of Their Sacrifices.
Leaders Who Are Brave And Courageous and Who Do Not Demand Sacrifices From Others, Which They Would Never Be Called Upon to Make Themselves.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1BkecC0tSg
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THOSE who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.
                                      –        Thomas Paine

Mechanism for Influencing Behavior

Moments When One Does Not Have the Words For Operating Socially Within Normal Parameters.
Dedicated to those Holders of Power and Responsibility.  “Let There Be Life.
This is a Big Decision  : Protocols for “The Giving Security
Leadership That is Strong & Courageous.
A Simpler Approach to Falsehood.
Perhaps a Change of Heart.

Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ X I

Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

Sin Offerings.
On the Crucible of War.
A New Order of the Ages Has Risen.
Protecting Life in This World Full of Goliaths.
Towards a World With Joy and Not Just With Grief,
Bringing Together A.I.  Governments, Banks, Big Business
Academia and Civil Society by Facilitating a Summit of the Future.
The Way a Thing Relates to Itself & the Way a Thing Relates to Other Things.
Intrusions by Friends or Family Meant to Reform a Life Felt to be Going Wrong.
Take Your Place & Conduct Yourself Honorably  Let Us Not Neglect to do What is Good and to Share.

The Precedent of the Ancients
Conduct Following the Old Ways.
Modesty Subroutines for Men Of Culture.
Customs Associated with or Characterized by Right Behavior.
The Essential or Characteristics and Conventions of a Community.
Concerning Practice, Actions, Exercise, Discipline for a Specific Purpose

Conduct or Principles.  The Morally Binding Customs of a Particular Group .  Of Fundamental
To Do.  To Act.  Customs.  Conventions.  Ways.  Way of Life.  Traditions.  Practices.  Procedures.  Habits.  Usages.  Praxis.

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Proverbs 28
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(Berean Standard Bible)

The Boldness of the Righteous

The wicked flee when no one pursues,

but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

A land in rebellion has many rulers,

but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

A destitute leader who oppresses the poor

is like a driving rain that leaves no food.

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

but those who keep the law resist them.

Evil men do not understand justice,

but those who seek the LORD comprehend fully.

Better a poor man who walks with integrity

than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

A discerning son keeps the law,

but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

He who increases his wealth by interest and usury

lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.

Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law,

even his prayer is detestable.

He who leads the upright along the path of evil will fall into his own pit,

but the blameless will inherit what is good.

A rich man is wise in his own eyes,

but a poor man with discernment sees through him.

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,

but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

He who conceals his sins will not prosper,

but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.

Blessed is the man who is always reverent,

but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear

is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor,

but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.

A man burdened by bloodguilt will flee into the Pit;

let no one support him.

He who walks with integrity will be kept safe,

but whoever is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.

The one who works his land will have plenty of food,

but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

A faithful man will abound with blessings,

but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

To show partiality is not good,

yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

A stingy man hastens after wealth

and does not know that poverty awaits him.

He who rebukes a man will later find more favor

than one who flatters with his tongue.

He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,”

is a companion to the man who destroys.

A greedy man stirs up strife,

but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

He who trusts in himself is a fool,

but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.

Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need,

but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.

When the wicked come to power, people hide themselves;

but when they perish, the righteous flourish.

 

The People’s Intercession.
Is Balance Weakness?  Peace is not Balance Here.
A Father’s Discipline Does Not Spare the Rod for the Mockers.
An Appeal for Unity. As It is Written Through a Higher Intelligence.
Mark’s Ancient Davidic Covenant.  Deeds of Promise Among the Nations.

 A Singular Cooperative Purpose,  Interwoven With One Another for the Common Good.
Reconciling Strategic Ambiguity With Strategic Stability.  Fairness in Economic Relationships.
Initiate Sequencing Program of Correspondence :  “That Which Is Above, is Like That What is Below.
Contingencies For The Case of Breach of Friendly Relations.  The Allowance of Neutrals into Ports of Entry.
Reaching An Agreement So The Violent Ones Among You Don’t Exalt Themselves.  Lording it Over the People.

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Hosea 12
salvation”  “to save”  
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(Christian Standard Bible)

God’s Case against Jacob’s Heirs

Ephraim chases the wind

and pursues the east wind.

He continually multiplies lies and violence.

He makes a covenant with Assyria,

and olive oil is carried to Egypt.

The Lord also has a dispute with Judah.

He is about to punish Jacob according to his conduct;

he will repay him based on his actions.

In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel,

and as an adult he wrestled with God.

Jacob struggled with the angel and prevailed;

he wept and sought his favor.

He found him at Bethel,

and there he spoke with him.

The Lord is the God of Armies;

the Lord is his name.

But you must return to your God.

Maintain love and justice,

and always put your hope in God.

A merchant loves to extort

with dishonest scales in his hands.

But Ephraim thinks,

“How rich I have become;

I made it all myself.

In all my earnings,

no one can find any iniquity in me

that I can be punished for! ”

Judgment on Apostate Israel

I have been the Lord your God

ever since the land of Egypt.

I will make you live in tents again,

as in the festival days.

I will speak through the prophets

and grant many visions;

I will give parables through the prophets.

Since Gilead is full of evil,

they will certainly come to nothing.

They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal;

even their altars will be like piles of rocks

on the furrows of a field.

Further Indictment of Jacob’s Heirs

Jacob fled to the territory of Aram.

Israel worked to earn a wife;

he tended flocks for a wife.

The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet,

and Israel was tended by a prophet.

Ephraim has provoked bitter anger,

so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him

and repay him for his contempt.

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Proverbs 8
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New Living Translation)

Wisdom Calls for a Hearing

Listen as Wisdom calls out!

Hear as understanding raises her voice!

On the hilltop along the road,

she takes her stand at the crossroads.

By the gates at the entrance to the town,

on the road leading in, she cries aloud,

“I call to you, to all of you!

I raise my voice to all people.

You simple people, use good judgment.

You foolish people, show some understanding.

Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.

Everything I say is right,

for I speak the truth

and detest every kind of deception.

My advice is wholesome.

There is nothing devious or crooked in it.

My words are plain to anyone with understanding,

clear to those with knowledge.

Choose my instruction rather than silver,

and knowledge rather than pure gold.

For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.

Nothing you desire can compare with it.

“I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.

I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.

All who fear the LORD will hate evil.

Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance,

corruption and perverse speech.

Common sense and success belong to me.

Insight and strength are mine.

Because of me, kings reign,

and rulers make just decrees.

Rulers lead with my help,

and nobles make righteous judgments.

“I love all who love me.

Those who search will surely find me.

I have riches and honor,

as well as enduring wealth and justice.

My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold,

my wages better than sterling silver!

I walk in righteousness,

in paths of justice.

Those who love me inherit wealth.

I will fill their treasuries.

“The LORD formed me from the beginning,

before he created anything else.

I was appointed in ages past,

at the very first, before the earth began.

I was born before the oceans were created,

before the springs bubbled forth their waters.

Before the mountains were formed,

before the hills, I was born—

before he had made the earth and fields

and the first handfuls of soil.

I was there when he established the heavens,

when he drew the horizon on the oceans.

I was there when he set the clouds above,

when he established springs deep in the earth.

I was there when he set the limits of the seas,

so they would not spread beyond their boundaries.

And when he marked off the earth’s foundations,

I was the architect at his side.

I was his constant delight,

rejoicing always in his presence.

And how happy I was with the world he created;

how I rejoiced with the human family!

“And so, my children, listen to me,

for all who follow my ways are joyful.

Listen to my instruction and be wise.

Don’t ignore it.

Joyful are those who listen to me,

watching for me daily at my gates,

waiting for me outside my home!

For whoever finds me finds life

and receives favor from the LORD.

But those who miss me injure themselves.

All who hate me love death.”

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Ecclesiastes 10
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Wisdom and Folly

As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil,

so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

A wise man’s heart inclines to the right,

but the heart of a fool to the left.

Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking,

and he shows everyone that he is a fool.

If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post,

for calmness lays great offenses to rest.

There is an evil I have seen under the sun—

an error that proceeds from the ruler:

Folly is appointed to great heights,

but the rich sit in lowly positions.

I have seen slaves on horseback,

while princes go on foot like slaves.

He who digs a pit may fall into it,

and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.

The one who quarries stones may be injured by them,

and he who splits logs endangers himself.

If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened,

more strength must be exerted,

but skill produces success.

If the snake bites before it is charmed,

there is no profit for the charmer.

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,

but the lips of a fool consume him.

The beginning of his talk is folly,

and the end of his speech is evil madness.

Yet the fool multiplies words.

No one knows what is coming,

and who can tell him what will come after him?

The toil of a fool wearies him,

for he does not know the way to the city.

Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth,

and whose princes feast in the morning.

Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles,

and whose princes feast at the proper time—

for strength and not for drunkenness.

Through laziness the roof caves in,

and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.

A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry,

but money is the answer for everything.

Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,

or curse the rich even in your bedroom,

for a bird of the air may carry your words,

and a winged creature may report your speech.

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Romans 12
(“of Rome”)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

The Word Brings Salvation

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.  For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.  Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.

For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”  But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”  that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:  that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”  For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?  And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”  Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.”

I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says:

“I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation;

I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.”

And Isaiah boldly says:

“I was found by those who did not seek Me;

I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.”

But as for Israel he says:

“All day long I have held out My hands

to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

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Job 42
(“hated, persecuted”   “enmity”  ” the penitent one.”  “he was hostile to)
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(English Standard Version)

Job’s Confession and Repentance

Then Job answered the Lord and said:

“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”

The Lord Rebukes Job’s Friends

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.  Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”  So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

The Lord Restores Job’s Fortunes

And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.  Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.

And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.  He had also seven sons and three daughters.  And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch.  And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.  And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations.  And Job died, an old man, and full of days.

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2 Samuel 22
(“the name of God”)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

David’s Song of Deliverance

And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

“The LORD is my rock,

my fortress, and my deliverer.

My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation.

My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior,

You save me from violence.

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;

so shall I be saved from my enemies.

For the waves of death engulfed me;

the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.

The cords of Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called upon the LORD;

I cried out to my God.

And from His temple He heard my voice,

and my cry for help reached His ears.

Then the earth shook and quaked;

the foundations of the heavens trembled;

they were shaken because He burned with anger.

Smoke rose from His nostrils,

and consuming fire came from His mouth;

glowing coals blazed forth.

He parted the heavens and came down

with dark clouds beneath His feet.

He mounted a cherub and flew;

He soared on the wings of the wind.

He made darkness a canopy around Him,

a gathering of water and thick clouds.

From the brightness of His presence

coals of fire blazed forth.

The LORD thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded.

He shot His arrows and scattered the foes;

He hurled lightning and routed them.

The channels of the sea appeared,

and the foundations of the world were exposed

at the rebuke of the LORD,

at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

He drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from foes too mighty for me.

They confronted me in my day of calamity,

but the LORD was my support.

He brought me out into the open;

He rescued me because He delighted in me.

The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness;

He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.

For I have kept the ways of the LORD

and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all His ordinances are before me;

I have not disregarded His statutes.

And I have been blameless before Him

and kept myself from iniquity.

So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness,

according to my cleanness in His sight.

To the faithful You show Yourself faithful,

to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;

to the pure You show Yourself pure,

but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.

You save an afflicted people,

but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.

For You, O LORD, are my lamp;

the LORD lights up my darkness.

For in You I can charge an army;

with my God I can scale a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect;

the word of the LORD is flawless.

He is a shield to all

who take refuge in Him.

For who is God besides the LORD?

And who is the Rock except our God?

God is my strong fortress,

and He makes my way clear.

He makes my feet like those of a deer

and stations me upon the heights.

He trains my hands for battle;

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have given me Your shield of salvation,

and Your gentleness exalts me.

You broaden the path beneath me

so that my ankles do not give way.

I pursued my enemies and destroyed them;

I did not turn back until they were consumed.

I devoured and crushed them so they could not rise;

they have fallen under my feet.

You have armed me with strength for battle;

You have subdued my foes beneath me.

You have made my enemies retreat before me;

I destroyed those who hated me.

They looked, but there was no one to save them—

to the LORD, but He did not answer.

I ground them as the dust of the earth;

I crushed and trampled them like mud in the streets.

You have delivered me from the strife of my people;

You have preserved me as the head of nations;

a people I had not known shall serve me.

Foreigners cower before me;

when they hear me, they obey me.

Foreigners lose heart

and come trembling from their strongholds.

The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock!

And may God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted—

the God who avenges me

and brings down nations beneath me,

who frees me from my enemies.

You exalt me above my foes;

You rescue me from violent men.

Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations;

I will sing praises to Your name.

Great salvation He brings to His king.

He shows loving devotion to His anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.”

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Isaiah 24
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(Berean Standard Bible)

God’s Judgment on the Earth

Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth

and leaves it in ruins.

He will twist its surface

and scatter its inhabitants—

people and priest alike, servant and master,

maid and mistress, buyer and seller,

lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.

The earth will be utterly laid waste

and thoroughly plundered.

For the LORD has spoken this word.

The earth mourns and withers;

the world languishes and fades;

the exalted of the earth waste away.

The earth is defiled by its people;

they have transgressed the laws;

they have overstepped the decrees

and broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore a curse has consumed the earth,

and its inhabitants must bear the guilt;

the earth’s dwellers have been burned,

and only a few survive.

The new wine dries up, the vine withers.

All the merrymakers now groan.

The joyful tambourines have ceased;

the noise of revelers has stopped;

the joyful harp is silent.

They no longer sing and drink wine;

strong drink is bitter to those who consume it.

The city of chaos is shattered;

every house is closed to entry.

In the streets they cry out for wine.

All joy turns to gloom;

rejoicing is exiled from the land.

The city is left in ruins;

its gate is reduced to rubble.

So will it be on the earth

and among the nations,

like a harvested olive tree,

like a gleaning after a grape harvest.

They raise their voices, they shout for joy;

from the west they proclaim the majesty of the LORD.

Therefore glorify the LORD in the east.

Extol the name of the LORD, the God of Israel

in the islands of the sea.

From the ends of the earth we hear singing:

“Glory to the Righteous One.”

But I said, “I am wasting away! I am wasting away!

Woe is me.”

The treacherous betray;

the treacherous deal in treachery.

Terror and pit and snare await you,

O dweller of the earth.

Whoever flees the sound of panic

will fall into the pit,

and whoever climbs from the pit

will be caught in the snare.

For the windows of heaven are open,

and the foundations of the earth are shaken.

The earth is utterly broken apart,

the earth is split open,

the earth is shaken violently.

The earth staggers like a drunkard

and sways like a shack.

Earth’s rebellion weighs it down,

and it falls, never to rise again.

In that day the LORD will punish

the host of heaven above

and the kings of the earth below.

They will be gathered together

like prisoners in a pit.

They will be confined to a dungeon

and punished after many days.

The moon will be confounded

and the sun will be ashamed;

for the LORD of Hosts will reign

on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,

and before His elders with great glory.

Helping to Prevent Inner Confusion in This Country.  In This Spiritual War Against Corruption & Moral Collapse.
Regarding The System & Nature of Our Education.
 The
Culture of Our Civil Administration.  Indoctrination.

“If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.”
“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.

– James Madison (Father of the Constitution)

Roots.

Mental Instruction
Shared by the Masses.
For Growth.  Depth of Mind.  Renewal.
A Customary Reasoning Through the Scriptures.
Spiritual Improvement.  For Curbing One’s Tendency Towards Self-Importance.
Dedicated to the Brave People Who Prefer Difficult Realities Over Comfortable Illusions.
Revisiting the Fundamental Assumptions of Human Behavior & The Architecture of Human Psychology.

The Official Residence 

Of The President of the United States of America.

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The White House

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The Bible is the rock on which this Republic rests
–  Andrew Jackson 7th President of The United States

The 47th President of the United States of America

Head of State and Head of Government

His Excellency :  The Commander-In-Chief

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Donald John Trump

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I am The Mediator President.
I Know Words, I Have the Besrt Words.
The more that a broken system tells you that you are wrong,
the more certain you should be that you must keep pushing ahead.
Because it’s the outsiders who change the world and who make a real and lasting difference.
Nothing worth doing ever came easy.  Treat the word impossible as nothing more than motivation.
The future belongs to the people who follow their heart, no matter what the critics say.  We must always remember that we share one home and one glorious destiny.

May he vindicate the afflicted among the people; may he save the children of the needy and crush the oppressor.
–  Psalm 72
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NxpV3xfpHk

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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

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Your Excellency,
Thank You for Your Attention.
It Seems the Old Systems Are Breaking Down.
I Seek to Be Useful to the People.  To Impart Some Gift of Mind.
For Your Consideration,  An Interpretation of the Times with Wisdom from the Ancients. 
For The Darkest Parts of Our Nature.  We Could Use Some Remedies for the Evil We Produce.
This is the Hour of Trial That is Going to Come on the Whole World to Test the Inhabitants of the Earth.
Regarding the Means By Which Humanity Might Survive This Technological Adolescence With Us Destroying Ourselves.
A Contribution of Education Volunteered From the People.  A Presentation Offering to Correct False Teachings.  Courage For Entering the Unknown.
This Age We are in.  These Meanest of Times.  When the Nations are Being Deceived.  Political Upheaval.  Dispersion.  Intrigues.  May the Wicked Cease Their Constant Turmoil.
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The Message of the Cross

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written:  
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;  the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher 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 know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe… For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 

Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence.
It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

the end, limit, goal, fulfillment, completion”  “the reason for which all our actions aim
end purpose”  “goal”   “revolve, move around, sojourn, dwell”  “turning point”  “ultimate object or aim

Ceremonial Offerings to Simplify Administration.

Doing What is Appropriate to Sound Teaching.  A Practiced Pilgrimage in Alignment With a Higher Intelligence.  An Honorable Just Cause.
Truth.  Wisdom.  Moderation.  Courage.  Justice. The Gift of Setting the Example for the Younger Generations.  
To Play One’s Part.  To Know Thy Enemy.  Keep Your Friends Close…
Proper Judgement and Knowledge.
Vigilance is the Price.

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https://www.dni.gov/index.php/ncbc-home
https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Americas-Nuclear-Triad

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In God We Trust”  –  “God Bless the USA

Theory of God as a Foundational Act of Good Governance.

The People’s Edict of Restoration.  Divine These True Intentions.

The Strength of Our Dreams.  The People’s Hope for Something Real.

As It is Written.  Your Word is a Lamp to My Feet.  A New Life for this World.

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The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men.
It has God for its author; salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture for its matter. It is all pure.
  –  John Locke
(English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the “father of liberalism“)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G4NKzmfC-Q
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Be Imitators of God… Test and Prove what Pleases the Lord… Redeeming the Time, Because the Days are Evil.
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”
–    ‘Ephesians‘ 5 (BSB) “overseer

What is history, but a fable agreed upon?
– Napoleon

Posturing.

Strategic Statecraft  : The People’s Special Civil Operation

Addressing Prolonged Factional Conflicts Over Fundamental Issues

Civil / Military Moments.  To Help Us Find Our Bearings.  Stabilizers for Providing Livelihoods.

West & East Geo-Political Relations.

The Suitable Administration of the World & The Proper Regulation of Human Affairs.

Inner Sanctuaries Behind the Curtain  For the Best Between Both Worlds.  Brilliant Successses. 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-qoaioG2UA
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As Above, So Below.

I Tell You The Future. Before It Happens, Just Like Magic.

The Word Which Was Ordained For a Thousand Generations Proved Right.

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The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own.
Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.
Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves.
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because
I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.   
If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.
John 14 (New International Version) “gift of jehova

Mark  David  Rich

To Denote”     “Beloved”     “Wealth
To Remove”    “Abhorrent”   “Poor

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVIqlKNwKyU
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A Proclamation to The Nations.
Come Now.  Let Us Settle the Matter.
All Demographics Have Been Represented Here.
Therefore Do What We Say or We Shall Bring Democracy to Your Country.
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Hello Mr.  President.
Thank You For Your Presence.
I am Your “Freeman”  Free in all the Ways You Are Not.  I Can Be Your Bridge. 

“Those who are going to rule in the authoritative offices ought to have three things: first, affection for the established regime; next, a very great capacity for the work involved in rule; third, virtue and justice –  in each regime the sort that is relative to the regime… It is difficult to find all three of these in many men, but it is important for the regime to make use of the men with these qualities to the greatest degree possible, or else the regime will be harmed, either by sedition, incompetence, or corruption… While the virtuous also have a claim to rule, the very fact that they are virtuous leads them to avoid factional conflict. They are also too small a group to be politically consequential.”
–   Aristotle

States will never be happy until rulers become philosophers or philosophers become rulers.
– PLATO, The Republic
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQYN2P3E06s

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Archetype:  ALCHEMIST

Scientist”  “Psychologist”  “Logician”  “Strategist
 “Researcher”  “Archivist”  “Compiler”  “Writer”   Messenger”  Teacher”  “Civil Servant
Watchman”   “Intercessor
Tertiary Adjunct Witness.

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History –  Culture
Religion
  –  Theology – Eschatology
Psychology  –  Philosophy  –   Epistemology –  Linguistics  –  Literature
Etymology – – Philology –  Onomastics –  Toponymy –  Theurgy – 
HermeticsHermeneutics 
TheophanyTheodicy –  MythologyCosmographyStoichiometrySortition  –
Ethnography  –  Folklore
LexicographyDoxologyPhylogenyOntogeny –  Tropology –  Ontology –  AnthropologyPhenomenologyPraxeology –  Trust Law
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Dispute Resolution.
A Special Civil Operation.
The People Request a Coming & Going.
In Order To Make the Rough Places Smooth.
As a witness or mediator, umpire, judge. arbiter,   He who hears and Decides a Case.
A Special Citizen Who is Entitled to Participate in an Office Involving Deliberation or Decision.
A Person who has Power of Judging Absolutely According to his Own Pleasure in a Dispute or Issue.
To Be The One Chosen by Two Disputing Parties to Decide a Matter.  Someone who Settles Disputes.  One Who Goes Somewhere (as witness or judge).
As the Proposer of this new Motion. I Request to be Used as a Spectator & Eye-Witnesses. A Right or Privilege Exclusive to a Particular Individual or Class.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F2FyxVGfwo
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“The dread of evil is a much more forcible principle of human actions than the prospect of good.”
“It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of the truth.
” 
                                                                                            –  John Locke

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Appropriate and Good for the Community at this Moment in Time.  What is Socially Useful and Fitting.
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He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore
.”
–  Isaiah  2   “salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUNxS-Yb2GI

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A Ministry of Reconciliation, Healing & Creation.

The world hangs on a thin thread and that is the psyche of man.
No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.” 
–           Carl Jung

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          “Healing may be called a religious problem. In the sphere of social or national relations the state of suffering may be civil war and this state is to be cured by the Christian virtue of forgiveness and love of one’s enemies. That which we recommend with the conviction of good Christians as applicable to external situations we must also apply inwardly in the treatment of neurosis. This is why modern man has heard enough about guilt and sin. He is sorely beset by his own bad conscience. And wants rather to know how he is to reconcile himself with his own nature how he is to love the enemy in his own heart, and call the Wolf his brother. The modern man does not want to know in what way he can imitate Christ, but in what way he can live his own individual life, however meager and uninteresting it may be. It is because every form of imitation, seems to him deadening and sterile — that he rebels against the force of tradition that would hold him to well trodden ways. All such roads for him lead in the wrong direction. He may not know it, but he behaves as if his own individual life were God’s special will which must be fulfilled at all costs. This is the source of his egoism, which is one of the most tangible evils of the neurotic state. But the person who tells him he is too egoistic has already lost his confidence and rightly so, for that person has driven him still into his neurosis (“functional derangement arising from disorders of the nervous system (not caused by a lesion or injury” “The change in the nerve cells of the brain resulting in symptoms of stress,” but not radical loss of touch with reality”) If I wish to effect a cure for my patients, I am forced to acknowledge the deep significance of that egoism. I should be blind indeed if I did not recognize it as a true will of God. I must even help the patient to prevail in his egoism if he succeeds in this he estranges himself from other people. He drives them away and they come to themselves as they should for they were seeking to rob him of his sacred egoism. This must be left of him. For it is his strongest and healthiest power. It is as I have said a true will of God, but sometimes drives him into complete isolation. However wretched this state may be it also stands him in good stead. For in this way alone can he get to know himself and learn what an invaluable treasure is the love of his fellow beings. It is moreover only in the state of complete abandonment and loneliness that we experience the helpful powers of our own natures.”

Interview with Carl Jung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqfL94VtSJ8 

It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.
–  Aristotle

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Skyrim Negotiate Terms Peace Council (Best Outcome)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mToNl16rq9Y
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Conquering the world on horseback is easy; it is dismounting and governing that is hard.
–  Genghis Khan

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sayi6Ce8b8I

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The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.
A gift opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.” 
–  Proverbs 18 (BSB)  (“words put forward“)

Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

The Culmination of the Ages
Vision of New Politics  :  “The Giving Security.
Let Us Give Them Something They Have Never Seen Before.
A Singular Cooperative Purpose, Interwoven With One Another For the Common Good.
A Mandate from the Masses Not to Join Into the General Lamentations and Get Ourselves All Churned Up.
The People Call for an Intercession.  Where We are All Together in One Place.  To Undergo An Experience.  A Coming and a Going.”
A Global Summoning.  Such that We Have Accomplished This Great Thing.  A Gathering of People.  A Meeting at a Certain Place, Under Certain Circumstances. 

(Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs)

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Massive Attack – Dissolved Girl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABQjT6gDKu0
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It Seems We Are Stuck at the Lower Levels.  A Call to Maturity.  Higher Levels.  Sublimate.
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I Have Attempted to Produce An Emotional Response

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4oke8GPbx2Y
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(Controlling Emotion : Greif, Sorrow, Rage, Anger Hope, Zeal, Joy.)

Theurgic Secssio Plebis  –  A Dispositive Motion  –  Pre-Healing Circle.

Brave New World.  A Mechanism for Influencing Behavior.  The People’s Fountain of Life.  Roses & Guns.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil… You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
Psalms 23

Rituals and Tradition.
Miracle , Mystery, Authority.  Optimism, Joy and Adventure.
What Are You Supposed to do?  Survive….  Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil.
Pick the Parts You Like – Faithful Envoys to Bring Healing.  For the Victims of Conformity.  The Casualties of Society.
The People are Sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer.  A Credit To Righteousmess.
Deliverence Through the Nourishing Words of Faith and Sound Instruction.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBsKplb2E6Q
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Rivers of Living Water Will Flow from Within Them
–  John 7  (“Jehovah has favored”  “Jah is gracious”  “he was gracious“)

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The Andrew Jackson Equestrian Statue

Located in Nashville, Tennessee AKA Music Cityon the Front Lawn of the Tennessee State Capitol Building.
Davidson” County
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At 40 Trillion in Debt. 
The Prioritization of Personal Advantage Over the Common Good.
It Has Become Obvious.  Institutional Corruption & Moral Bankruptcy.  This is Un-American.
We Have Been Turned Into a Dysfunctional Kleptocracy.  Our Parasitic Elite Thriving on Financial Extraction.

The mischief springs from the power which the monied interest derives from a paper currency which they are able to control,
from the multitude of corporations with exclusive privileges which they have succeeded in obtaining…and unless you become more watchful in your states
and check this spirit of monopoly and thirst for exclusive privileges you will in the end find that the most important powers of government have been given or bartered away.
–  Andrew Jackson

Reverse This Curse.
The People Are Not To Be Ignored So Easily.
Regarding The Predictable Tendencies of Human Behavior.
Changing the Social Interactions Between the Ruling “Elite” and the General Public.
The People are to Address The Spirit of Monopoly.  Sometimes “Ambition” Must Be Restrained.
For Governments Which are Comprehensible to Its Citizenry.  Governments Which Embody the Results of Their Sacrifices.
Leaders Who Are Brave And Courageous and Who Do Not Demand Sacrifices From Others, Which They Would Never Be Called Upon to Make Themselves.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1BkecC0tSg
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THOSE who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.
                                      –        Thomas Paine

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As Above, So Below.

A Special Civil Operation :  Pragmatic Idealism

On Earth as it is In Heaven.  A Biblical Renewal of All Things.

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Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  Without speech or language,
without a sound to be heard, their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun.
–  Psalm 19

Mr.  President,

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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

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God’s Silence is Louder than Man’s Speach Yes?

Hello, My name is Mark Rich and I am a true son of David.  I See what Others do not See. 
The times have reached their fulfillment.the times have reached their fulfillment.  I have been sent to give you this weighty testimony for the churches.
For Your Consideration, a Millennial Vision of the gospel of the kingdom as “It is Written.”  The object of which is to usher forth the creation of a political move so sweeping as to immortalize the reign and legacy of all involved.  The Super Bowl of politicking.  Shall we finish the remaining bit together?  Your servant is listening.  I Am Your “Freeman.”  “Free” as in “The Absence of restraint.”  Free in all the ways you are not.  A People’s grand reset to change the game.  A cosmic tidal wave.  The People’s Adornment for the Earth.

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A Mad-Man’s Escapade.
For People of Understanding.
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I have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us in The Bible.  (“The Books“).  I have studied the Scriptures diligently, calling the past to account.  Of what was promised by our ancestors long ago.  Of what God said through his holy prophets (Isaiah)In the spirit of prophecy, I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, adding one thing to another to discover the general scheme of things.  I present this orderly account for you so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.  I only ask you to look at what is obvious.  The word which was ordained for a thousand generations has been proved right. 

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As it is Written.
Signs” “Reminders.
Not of the Letter but of the Spirit
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“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.”
–  Leonardo da Vinci
     As the “Archivist” and “Compiler” of These Collections of Books, I am not allowed to take credit for these words.  Only the arrangement.  I have pondered, searched out, and arranged many accurate words of truth.  Words of Wisdom that None of Your Adversaries Will be Able to Resist or Contradict.  This is Sound learning, worthy of full acceptance.  “Anthologies of the Masters.”   If you were to Accept This Coming Pattern of Teaching Which has Now Claimed your Allegiance.  As if “He” is making His Appeal through me (as “He” is working through all of us.)  Great truths common to all mankind.

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Of Faith and Deeds  :  Building a Mystery.
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Taking it from an Eleveated Perspective.
There is something that has been trying to complete itself through human beings.
To use human beings as its vehicle.  Again and again, a fire is being built.  Some kind of wholeness trying to assemble itself.
The process is for serving some further end and I am the beginning of this transformation.  How is your curiosity?  Your Sense of adventure.

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Provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ and The Flourishing of the Righteous.
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As I have sown much and harvested little.  I pray the word does not come back to me void.
That once my time of service is completed, that this hard working farmer, will be able to take part in the harvest.  As One cannot serve both God and money at the same time.

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A Call to Maturity and Endurance.  “Penance.”
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No Doubt You are aware of my humble circumstances.  May those who seek You not be dishonored through me.  I have remained in seclusion for obvious reasons as I will be subjected to public humiliation from those who get a kick out of criticising others.  Such Merciless and destructive criticism undermines much of what has already been generally accepted.  I will endure the scorn and the chastisement for the sake of the elect.  Away from those who threaten the very foundations of truth.  My conscience is clear that but that does not make me innocent.  Perhaps one’s favor will be enough to take away my disgrace among the people.  Neverthless, It is the work upon which I stand.  Leave Out All the Rest.

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My Hypocrisy Only goes So Far.
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Knock Knock, Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yOZEiHLuVU

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Bob Moses – Enough to Believe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqcbMlyPK48

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Star Trek Dimensions

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R2WdLJeBwpc

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The Key to Effective Leadership

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rSwVC-OK9AM

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CHRONICLES OF THE PEOPLE.

The Good Ending is That of Righteousness.


This is the verdict:
Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly
.

–  John(“Jehovah has favored”  “Jah is gracious”  “he was gracious“)
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This is your lot in this Life  :  As it is Written  :  The Day of Intercession.
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Your appointment is the day of the festival.  An appointment in a central place.  An appointment that you will not miss.  Let the people be gathered together at mid-morning.  When the Trumpet is blown.  The People will gather with the sinners on that Day, “blue.”   Between us and you, On this Day, whoever gains the upper hand will succeed.  Eat of the good things We have provided for you, but do not be excessive therein. Whoever follows this guidance, will not go astray, nor suffer.  But whoever turns away from these reminders, for him is a confined life.  “Stay; I have noticed a fire; Perhaps I can bring you a torch therefrom, or find some guidance by the fire.”

Which we will not miss—neither us, nor you.  

I am Forgiving towards him who repents, believes, acts righteously, and then remains guided.

“Put together you plan and then came back.  Settle your plan, and come as one front.”

The Gardens of Perpetuity, beneath which rivers flow, dwelling therein forever. That is the reward for him who purifies himself.

We are to see in you neither crookedness, nor deviation.

Whoever carries injustice will despair.

will not avail, except for him permitted by the Merciful, and whose words He has approved

whoever has done righteous deeds, while being a believer—will fear neither injustice, nor grievance.

Arabic Quran, and We have diversified the warnings in it, that perhaps they would become righteous, or it may produce a lesson for them.  Do not be hasty with the Quran before its inspiration to you is concluded, and say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”

covenanted with me.  Found in him no resolve.

And We will raise him on the Day of Resurrection blind.  

Had We destroyed them with a punishment before him, they would have said, “Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we would have followed Your revelations before we were humiliated and disgraced.”. Say, “Everybody is waiting, so wait. You will know who the people of the straight path are, and who is rightly-guided.

Faces will be humbled

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The Study of Words.
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My Soul Prompted this Creation. Not to Make You Suffer but as a Reminder.  Of How The People May Work
their Righteousness.  As a people of understanding.  As a People who are most exemplary in their conduct. 
Thus i narrate to you reports of times gone by; and I give you a message from My Presence. 

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    “seize in the name of the law, arrest”

“But I’m innocent!  I am proud and lofty.  My power has gone to my head.  Now, All I do is lie.  Except that. And that… And that.  And that

Our world leadership (generally) do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

because no one can take any blame.  Whatsoever.  “He started it”.  “No he started it”  Iv played everything perfectly.  100%But is somehow worthy of leadership.  A leader takes the blame when he’s wrong.  Not just pussy out and kill everyone because he gets embarrassed.  “I never lose” “ever” Man’s pride and ego.  Take the loss bro.   You prideful fuck.  It is only God who beat you. 

                 CHRONICLES OF THE PEOPLE.

Tent of the Testimony

all the people rejoiced and brought their contributions, and they dropped them in the chest until it was full.  gathered the money in abundance.

give the money to those who supervised the labor on the house of the LORD to hire stonecutters and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, as well as workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD.  So the workmen labored, and in their hands the repair work progressed.  Restored the house according to its specifications, and they reinforced.  When they were finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king.

Do not fabricate lies.  He who invents lies will fail.
Dedicated to Those who Foment/instigate/promote/foster falsehood.  The benefit you have wrought.
Causing division among amung the people.  You do not regard the word.  Do not mislead the people.  You are not guiding them.  But seeking dishonest gain.  Your “exemplary” way of life.   Merchants who love to decieve with dishonest scales.  Hordes Who devour the land until nothing left and then fly away somewhere else.

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From Classical Antiquity  :  The Hermetic Tradition.

He filled a great mixing bowl with it and sent it below, appointing a herald whom he commanded to make the following proclamation to human hearts: ‘Immerse yourself in the mixing bowl if your heart has the strength, if it believes you will rise up again to the one who sent the mixing bowl below, if it recognizes the purpose of your coming to be.’ 

All those who heeded the proclamation and immersed themselves in mind participated in knowledge and became perfect people because they received mind.  “But those who missed the point of the proclamation are people of reason because they did not receive (the gift of) mind as well and do not know the purpose or the agents of their coming to be.  These people have sensations much like those of unreasoning animals, and, since their temperament is willful and angry, they feel no awe of things that deserve to be admired; they divert their attention to the pleasures and appetites of their bodies; and they believe that mankind came to be for such purposes.

“But those who participate in the gift that comes from god, O Tat, are immortal rather than mortal if one compares their deeds, for in a mind of their own they have comprehended all—things on earth, things in heaven and even what lies beyond heaven. Having raised themselves so far, they have seen the good and, having seen it, they have come to regard the wasting of time here below as a calamity. They have scorned every corporeal and incorporeal thing, and they hasten toward the one and only.

“This, Tat, is the way to learn about mind, to {resolve perplexities} in divinity and to understand god. For the mixing bowl is divine”

Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus
(Floor inlay in the Cathedral of Siena )


(Citation Source)
HERMETICA
The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin
Asclepius in a new English translation, with
notes and introduction
BRIAN P. COPENHAVER
Pg. 93 – 94

“We intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans of American nationality

and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house.”

Theodore Roosevelt

26th President of the United States

“Citizenship in a Republic,”

Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

 

Square Deal

“We demand that big business give the people a square deal; in return we must insist that when anyone engaged in big business honestly endeavors to do right he shall himself be given a square deal.”
–  Letter to Sir Edward Gray, November 15, 1913


“A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have.”
–  Speech to veterans, Springfield, IL, July 4, 1903

“Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense.”… “We must treat each man on his worth and merits as a man. We must see that each is given a square deal, because he is entitled to no more and should receive no less.””The welfare of each of us is dependent fundamentally upon the welfare of all of us.”
–  New York State Fair, Syracuse, September 7, 1903

Presidential Criticism

“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.”

“Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star”, 149   May 7, 1918


Man in the Arena

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

These quotes taken from a cdrom – The Works of Theodore Roosevelt –

National Edition, A PRODUCT OF H-BAR ENTERPRISES COPYRIGHT 1997

“…the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic-the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done.”  (1891)

“Criticism is necessary and useful; it is often indispensable; but it can never take the place of action, or be even a poor substitute for it. The function of the mere critic is of very subordinate usefulness. It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger.” (1894)

” BEYOND / THROUGH “

Plato & Aristotle in the School of Athens
Painting by Rafael 1509-1511

Plato’s right hand points upwards and he holds ‘Timaeus’,
his book on the formation of the universe and an explanation of its order and beauty.
Aristotle’s right hand is reaching forward, also with a book; ‘Ethics’, his treatise on ethical theory and living a good life.


Aristotle’s  Virtues

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Aristotle

Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath.  “The Master of Those Who Know
His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, and the arts.  His teachings and methods of inquiry have had a significant impact across the world and set the groundwork for the development of modern science.
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It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.
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Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
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The end [or goal] of politics is the best of ends; and the main concern of politics
is to engender a certain character in the citizens and to make them good and disposed to perform noble actions…..”
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“Those who are going to rule in the authoritative offices ought to have three things:
first, affection for the established regime; next, a very great capacity for the work involved in rule; third, virtue and justice –
in each regime the sort that is relative to the regime…It is difficult to find all three of these in many men, but it is important for the regime
to make use of the men with these qualities to the greatest degree possible, or else the regime will be harmed, either by sedition, incompetence, or corruption…
While the virtuous also have a claim to rule, the very fact that they are virtuous leads them to avoid factional conflict. They are also too small a group to be politically consequential.”
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“It is clear that all partnerships aim at some good, and that the partnership that is most authoritative of all
and embraces all the others does so particularly and aims at the most authoritative good of all.  
This is what is called the city or the political partnership….”

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“Political partnership must be regarded, therefore, as being for the sake of noble actions, not for the sake of living together…”
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“.. ““[O]ne who is genuinely of the popular sort (i.e. a supporter of democracy)
should see to it that the multitude is not overly poor, for this is the reason for democracy being depraved…

Instead the surplus should be allowed to accumulate until enough is available to give the poor enough money to acquire land or start a trade.
And even if there is no external surplus, 
notables who are refined and sensible will divide the poor among themselves and provide them with a start in pursuing some work”

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The situation in Minnesota reminds us
that the west cannot mass import foreign cultures which have failed to ever build
a succesfull society of their own.
–  President Donald Trump

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxUdFQ6N_OI

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf421JsG004

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۞

Τ έ λ ο ς

end, ‘purpose’, or ‘goal’ ”  “ultimate object or aim”  “the end, limit, goal, fulfillment, completion
revolve, move round; sojourn, dwell”  “turning point

۞

 

Dear God, Please Be with Me.  Please Be with Us.  Come Into Our Minds and Our Understandings.  The Marrows of Our Psyche.  For “The People’s Divine Majesty.”  Accomplish for Us All the Desires of Our Souls.  Give To Your Servants An Understanding Heart to Judge “The People.”  That We May Discern Between Good and Evil and Grant Us the Courage to Brave Jealous Rages.  Let The Virtue of Disdain Fortify Our Goodness.  To Drive Out Evil Spirits.  We Wish to Learn About the Things That Are, And Comprehend Their Nature, And Know God.  This Is What We Desire.

We The People Wish to Join You in The Work of Sanctification Since You Have Provided Us All Authority.  Through Your Foresight, By Right Of Name, By Right of Divine Inscription, By Right of Sacrificial Offering as “It is Written.”  This One of Many,  May God Almighty Grant Me My Request Not to Fail in Sharing the Knowledge That Befits Your Essence.  You Who Laid the Foundations of the Earth.  God Give Me Power; And with This Gift I Shall Enlighten Those Who Are in Ignorance.  The Brothers and Sister of My Race.  Specifically Those Holders of Power and Authority.  Those with the Power to Take Peace from the Earth and Get Men to Kill Each Other.  With This Work, I Rise from the Depths of My Bitter Resentments and Come Forward with Loyalty Unbroken.  This I Believe and Bear Witness to Advance to Life and Light.  May “The People” Stand on The Words of Christ Jesus.  The Holy Author and Perfecter of Our Religion.  Let us “Return to the Source” to Counteract the Perversions of Our Day.  May We Trust in His Perfect Original Words to Bring People into Accordance with a Higher Overall Standard.  To Put Straight That Which Has Been Made Crooked and Useless.  To Set Right Incorrect Conceptualizations.  To Gently, “Step-by-Step”, Correct the Flaws of the Ego.  May We Share in Ways of Deeper Comprehension and How We Interact with the World.  May We Set in Place a Higher Intelligence Which Operates on Multiple Levels and In Multiple Dimensions.  That  We Integrate With the Primal Oneness of the World.  To Repoint and Re-Question Our Fundamental Assumptions.  Of Our Fear Based Thinking Because People Don’t Understand that they Need to Learn New Things.  Pascal’s Wager.

This “The People” Bring Forward for “The People.” “God’s Grand Design.”  “Justice to the Nations.”  The Way We Must Operate.  Compliance and Risk Management.  A System of Measures or Line of  Conduct Which a Ruler,  Minister, Government, or Party Adopts as Best for the Interests of the Country in Domestic or Foreign Affairs.  Will We Continue to Fear the Anger of Enemies?  Where is Their Fury and Anger Now?  A Huge Victory for the Good Guys.  A Cultural Revolution.  We Set this Higher Standard for Greatness of Grandeur.  Of Exalted Rank and Stately Character.  To Impose Loftiness and Qualities Appropriate to Rulership.  Stateliness.  Of Having Dignity of Nature or Appearance.  Greatness.  Elevation.  Honor Excellence. The Proper Range for The People’s Psychological Health and Mental Well Being. “It is Written.

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Do you believe in “Perspective”?
Your Purpose, Your Destiny, is It Yours To Make?
Or Will You Be Called to it. <See: Hubris/Pride >
Are You Only Being “Sequestered, Sojourned.  For the Time Being.
Do you Love your Fate?  Amor Fati!  That Your Life is God’s Special Will, Which Must be Achieved at all Costs?
            What is your name?  What Does it Mean?  The Etymology Behind It.
            What is its Nature?  To Which ‘God’ is Your Name Related?
            What is the Opposite of That Nature?
            Which ‘God’ is Calling you Now?
            Which ‘God’ Calls to Your Future?
            They are Called “Gods” for a Reason.
                                    Shall We Start Digging?   Go 100 steps at least.  It’s Not “THAT” Far.
                                    You Will Find That Some Words will “CALL
                                    To you More Than Others.
                                    Look for the “Coincidence of Opposites.  A Pattern of Opposites. 
                                                             Curiosities, Irregularities, Patterns,
                                                            ‘Start’Here’ Brother & Sisters .… Let me have this ‘Moment.
                                                            You ‘Will’ “Find What You are ‘Looking’ For.
                                                            It Will Call Out to You.                          
                                                            ‘Let’ Me Take It for A While.
                                                                                                   I see ‘You’ on The Other ‘Side.
                                                                                                   But if You “WantIt”,
                                                                                                   You Know  “Where
                                                                                                                                                                  To ‘Find

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Me.


An 1847 depiction of the Norse Yggdrasil as described in the Icelandic Prose Edda by Oluf Olufsen Bagge

The Yggdrasil is the immense, sacred “world tree” in Norse mythology, often identified as an ash, which connects the nine realms of the cosmos, including Asgard, Midgard, and Helheim. Positioned at the center of the universe, it serves as a central pillar holding existence together, with its roots reaching into underworld regions and branches extending to the heavens.

“I found you where I least expected you.”

“So one sees that a creative person will easily neglect or forget about his body, and devote his entire body to the service of the suspended contents. He will repress everything, practically, as Freud would say. All his troubles and preoccupations vanish as if they did not exist: only that idea remains. Like the French artist Palissy who invented the glaze on the surface of pottery. For years he had tried and failed and he had spent every cent on it. Finally he thought of a way to produce that enamel: it only needed a certain degree of heat. But then his wood gave out. So he burned his furniture, every stick in his house, and when he had pushed the last leg of the last chair into the stove, the enamel was there. That is an example of the way the creative brain works — the last leg of the last chair must be pushed into the oven before the desired result is reached. But of course one has sacrificed a lot; one has sacrificed perhaps the happiness of one’s life. If one studies the lives of very successful people — I mean their real lives, not the so-called biographies which are usually lies-one sees that they pay very dearly through loss of human happiness. Or the reverse: people who are not particularly successful have often very nice lives. They can be very happy. Everything that is beyond the ordinary is paid for. You make no mistake if you never envy any kind of success, for every success is dearly paid for. If you think it is not, you simply don’t know; somebody has paid.

― C.G. Jung, Nietzsche’s Zarathustra: Notes of the Seminar given in 1934-1939 C.G.

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“Out of evil, much good has come to me. By keeping quiet, repressing nothing, remaining attentive, and by accepting reality – taking things as they are, and not as I wanted them to be – by doing all this, unusual knowledge has come to me, and unusual powers as well, such as I could never have imagined before. I always thought that when we accepted things they overpowered us in some way or other. This turns out not to be true at all, and it is only by accepting them that one can assume an attitude towards them.”
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“The psychic situation of the individual is so menaced nowadays by advertising, propaganda, and other more or less well-meant advice and suggestions that for once in his life the patient might be offered a relationship that does not repeat the nauseating “you should,” “you must” and similar confessions of impotence. Against the onslaught from outside no less than against its repercussions in the psyche of the individual the analyst sees himself obliged to play the role of counsel for the defence.”

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“We know that we do not conquer thirst by repressing it.”
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“The persona is the mask we wear in relation to the world and others…
It is not necessarily who we really are, but who we want and pretend to be to others and, many times, to ourselves.”
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“In spite of our proud domination of nature, we are still her victims, for we have not even learned to control our own nature.”

The Head of State & President of Russia

His Excellency : Comrade Supreme Commander

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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin

Владимир Путин

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Words from the Holy Bible come to my head: there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus Christ stated, you will know the nature of people by their fruit.
Christianity is the root of Russian identity.
–               Vladimir Putin

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I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘
My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’  From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

                                                                       –  Isaiah 46  salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance

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Your Excellency,

Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

 

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Seems We are in Schism.
Do You Believe in Perspective?
I Only Ask You To Look at What is Obvious.
The Word Itself Intercedes on Behalf of the People.
It is the “Following Divine Synchronicities.”  I Know of No Other Way.

Can a Country or Kingdom be Born in a Day?  Or a Nation be Brought Forth in a Moment?
Following God’s Example.   Who then Will Be the One Who Condemns?  Contrarians?  No One.  Thus it is Justified.
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My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
                                                         –  2 Corinthians 12  (“point” “peak“)
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Day after day they pour forth speech;  night after night they reveal knowledge.  
They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.  Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
–   Psalm 19  sacred poem or song
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The Bible

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Τ έ λ ο ς

It is Written.

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The Quran

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Mark The Evangelist

By : Pordenone   (c.1484-1539)
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In my vision at night I looked,
and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 
Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle.
I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.
–  Daniel 7  God is my judge”  “He who judges

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Saint Mark the Evangelist.

Direct, Intellectual, Testimonial, Relational, Invitational, Service.
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“This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,
who will prepare Your way.”   “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,  ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,  make straight paths for Him.’
–  Mark 1   consecrated to the god Mars”  “God of war”  “to be warlike“ “boundary, limit; sign, landmark”  “to denote sign, omen, aim”  “margin

(Stained glass detail from St Andrew’s church in Newcastle)

“When he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion authority and power.
–  1 Corinthians 13&15    (“point, peak“)

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A Prophetic Oracle

Messages From God/Universe/Higher Intelligence Expressed by Divine Inspiration Through a Messenger, Prophet, Priest or Priestess.
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He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”
–  Isaiah  2   “salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
(Latin Translation)
That you are born of great Jove (Jupiter, supreme king of the gods in ancient Roman mythology.),
the divinely inspired force of a divine mind and the high knowledge of heaven proves.

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Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus

by: Theodor de Bry

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Such will be the old age of the world: irreverence, disorder, disregard for everything good. When all this comes to pass, Asclepius, then the master and father, the god whose power is primary, governor of the first god, will look on this conduct and these willful crimes, and in an act of will – which is god’s benevolence – he will take his stand against the vices and the perversion in everything, righting wrongs, washing away malice in a flood or consuming it in fire or ending it by spreading pestilential disease everywhere. Then he will restore the world to its beauty of old so that the world itself will again seem deserving of worship and wonder, and with constant benedictions and proclamations of praise the people of that time will honor the god who makes and restores so great a work. And this will be the geniture of the world: a reformation of all good things and a restitution, most holy and most reverent, of nature itself, reordered in the course of time 〈but through an act of will,〉 which is and was everlasting and without beginning. For god’s will has no beginning; it remains the same, everlasting in its present state. God’s nature is deliberation; will is the supreme goodness.”

(Citation Source)
HERMETICA
The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin
Asclepius in a new English translation, with
notes and introduction
BRIAN P. COPENHAVER
Pg. 165

An Accounting of God’s Name

Mark’s Prophecy of Rich Blessings.

The People’s Testimony of Conscience for the Churches & To All Nations.

(Colored Engraving by :  C. Jacquemin after Langlois)
The State of the Origin or History of a Word or Name From its More Original Root or Stem
The Drawing or Tracing of a Word (“of a Name“) in its Development or Formation.
derivation of a word, its etymology”  “Origination, Descent
The Act or Fact of drawing or receiving from a source
If you could feel the impulse of my mind
From the Beginning.

Hello President Putin
Thank You For Your Attention.  From the Last to the First,  I Am Your “Freeman”  Free in All The Ways You Are Not.  Anything But Ordinary.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
                                  –  Romans 12  (“of Rome”)

States will never be happy until rulers become philosophers or philosophers become rulers.
– PLATO, The Republic

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FFDwGxQtB4
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Archetype:  ALCHEMIST

Scientist”  “Psychologist”  “Logician” 
 “Researcher”  “Archivist”  “Compiler”  “Writer”   Messenger”  Teacher
Watchman”   “Intercessor
Tertiary Adjunct Witness.”  Strategist”  “Civil Servant

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History –  Culture
Religion
  –  Theology – Eschatology
Psychology  –  Philosophy  –   Epistemology –  Linguistics  –  Literature
Etymology – – Philology –  Onomastics –  Toponymy –  Theurgy – 
HermeticsHermeneutics 
TheophanyTheodicy –  MythologyCosmographyStoichiometrySortition  –
Ethnography  –  Folklore
LexicographyDoxologyPhylogenyOntogeny –  Tropology –  Ontology –  AnthropologyPhenomenologyPraxeology –  Trust Law
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A Special Civil Operation.
Alternative Dispute Resolution.
The People Request a Coming & Going.
In Order To Make the Rough Places Smooth.
So America Does Not Become Some Dictatorship of Petty Shopkeepers.
He who hears and Decides a Case.  As a witness or mediator, umpire, judge. arbiter.
A Special Citizen Who is Entitled to Participate in an Office Involving Deliberation or Decision.
A Person who has Power of Judging Absolutely According to his Own Pleasure in a Dispute or Issue.
To Be The One Chosen by Two Disputing Parties to Decide a Matter.  Someone who Settles Disputes.  One Who Goes Somewhere (as witness or judge).
A Right or Privilege Exclusive to a Particular Individual or Class.  Of the People By the People For the People.  As the Proposer of this new Motion.
I Request to be Used as a  : “Tertiary Adjunct Witness.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEEMi2j6lYE
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“The dread of evil is a much more forcible principle of human actions than the prospect of good.”
“It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of the truth.
” 
                                                                                            –  John Locke

Let’s Keep It Interesting, Yes?
“This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,
who will prepare Your way.”   “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,  ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,  make straight paths for Him.’
–  Mark 1
consecrated to the god Mars”  “God of war”  “to be warlike“ “boundary, limit; sign, landmark”  “to denote sign, omen, aim”  “margin


I Was Born to Do a Certain Job.
At best, a diligent student and a very imperfect practitioner of a philosophy developed by others.

Who Has Believed Our Message?

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.  Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.  Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions,  he was crushed for our iniquities;  the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray,  each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away.  Yet who of his generation protested?  For he was cut off from the land of the living;  for the transgression of my people he was punished.  He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death,  though he had done no violence,  nor was any deceit in his mouth.  Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,  he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.  After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.  For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

 –  Isaiah 53 ( “salvation of the Lord”  “salvation, deliverance” )

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Ancient Wisdom & Guidance from Classical Antiquity

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An Archaic Definition of God.
That There Exists A Single, True Theology Which is Present in All Religions. Given by God to humankind in the distant, primeval past.

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Hermes Trismegistus

Attributed to Stefano di Giovanni (1488)
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The Latin inscription on the stone table that Hermes is resting his hand on reads as follows:

DEUS OMNIUM CREATOR

SE CUM DEUM FECIT

VISIBILEM ET HUNC FECIT

PRIMUM ET SOLUMQUO OBLECTATUS EST

VALDE AMAVIT PROPRIUM
SANCTUM VERBUM

(Wiki Translation)
God, the creator of all things, with God himself created the visible
and created the first and only person who was glad, and very loved his own son, who is called the Holy Word.

      “The master of eternity is the first god, the world is second, mankind is third. God is maker of the world and all it contains, governing all things along with mankind, who governs what is composite. Taking responsibility for the whole of this – the proper concern of his attentiveness – mankind brings it about that he and the world are ornaments to one another so that, on account of mankind’s divine composition, it seems right to call him a well ordered  world,

“If you wish also to gaze upon him, look at the order of the cosmos and the careful arrangement of this order; look at the necessity of the heavenly phenomena and the providence in what has come to be and what comes to be; look at matter, completely full of life, and a great god moving along with all beings good and fair – gods and demons and humans.”“If you wish also to gaze upon him, look at the order of the cosmos and the careful arrangement of this order; look at the necessity of the heavenly phenomena and the providence in what has come to be and what comes to be; look at matter, completely full of life, and a great god moving along with all beings good and fair – gods and demons and humans.”

(Citation Source)
HERMETICA
The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin
Asclepius in a new English translation, with
notes and introduction
BRIAN P. COPENHAVER
Pg. 81 , 128

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1 Corinthians 4
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

The Nature of True Apostleship

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.  I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.  Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.  For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!  For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.  We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!  To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.  We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;  when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.  Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.  Therefore I urge you to imitate me.  For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.  But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.  What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

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Judging “God.

Taking God’s “Measure“.  A “Coincidence of Opposites.

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Engraving of the “thrice-great Hermes” by Michael Maier in Symbola aureae mensae (1617):
In Maier’s rendering, Hermes Trismegistus holds an armillary sphere and points to images of the
Sun and Moon (Sol and Luna; Sulphur and Mercury) being joined by fire–the process that creates the Philosopher’s Stone
.

For none of the heavenly gods will go down to earth, leaving behind the bounds of heaven, yet the human rises up to heaven and takes its measure and knows what is in its
heights and its depths, and he understands all else exactly and – greater than all of this – he comes to be on high without leaving earth behind,  so enormous
is his range. Therefore, we must dare to say that the human on earth is a mortal god but that god in heaven is an immortal human.
Through these two, then, cosmos and human, all things exist, but they all exist by action of the one.

                                      –               Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus  (From Stolcius ,Viridarium Chymicun 1624)
(Citation Source)
HERMETICA
The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin
Asclepius in a new English translation, with
notes and introduction
BRIAN P. COPENHAVER
Pg. 116

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Jacob’s Ladder

“The Bridge Between Man and God”

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A Drawing By William Blake
A staircase representing the Gulf between man and God.
Jacob’s Ladder, or Jacob’s Dream, illustration to the Bible painted for Thomas Butts, Genesis, xxviii, 12;
Jacob lies in Foreground left dreaming, behind him rises spiral staircase amid stars and golden rays above,
three women stand at foot of staircase carrying trays and urns, other figures ascend or descend stairs. c.1799-1807

Ark of the Covenant

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Enoch

(“dedicated, consecrated”  “he dedicated”  the act of inaugurating, training, or dedicating something or someone” )
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” By “faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death:
“He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”
For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
                                                                                                                       –                               Hebrews 11 

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Lithograph by William Blake  (1803 – 1807)

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Enoch  is a person in the Book of Genesis.   He is described as a son of Cain, and father of Irad and Methuselah

Enoch is the subject of many Jewish and Christian traditions. He was considered the author of the Book of Enoch and also called the scribe of judgment.  In the New Testament, Enoch is referenced in the Gospel of Luke, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and in the Epistle of Jude, the last of which also quotes from it.  In the Catholic ChurchEastern Orthodoxy, and Oriental Orthodoxy, he is venerated as a saint. In Islam, Enoch is identified with Idris (Arabic: إدريس, romanized: ʾIdrīs) and is considered a prophet.

There are few details about Enoch. We learn that he lived 365 years, and then Enoch “walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5:24)    Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enoch_(son_of_Cain)

After the birth of Enoch, the Hebrew text of Genesis 4:17 is unclear. Either Cain built a city and named it after the mighty Enoch, or else Enoch built a city.[1] In the King James Bible, the text makes it clear that Cain built the city and named it after his son.

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The Hierophant (V)  stands for tradition and convention.  It is the fifth card of the Major Arcana in occult Tarot decks. It is derived from the historical card known as the Pope in playing card decks and is used in divination.   It can represent marriage in an arranged setup.  It can also mean a teacher or counsellor who will help in learning / education of the querent.  A person, especially a priest in ancient Greece, who interprets sacred mysteries or esoteric principles.  One who teaches the rites of sacrifice and worship.  An expounder of esoteric doctrines.  “One who shows sacred things.”  To reveal, show, bring to light Sacred.  An interpreter of sacred Mysteries and arcane principles.  “To Show Holy”  A spokesperson, a commentator, an interpreter, or a leading advocate.  In most iconographic depictions, the Hierophant is seen seated on a throne between two pillars symbolizing Law and Freedom or obedience and disobedience, according to different interpretations. He wears a triple crown, and the keys to Heaven are at his feet. Sometimes he is shown with worshippers, as his alternate title is the Pope or, sometimes, Jupiter.  The card is also known as “The High Priest”, as a counterpart to “The High Priestess” (which itself is also sometimes known as “The Papess”, as counterpart to “The Pope”).

Interpretation

Marriage, alliance, captivity, servitude; by another account, mercy, and goodness; inspiration; the man to whom the Querent has recourse. Reversed: Society, good understanding, concord, over kindness, weakness.

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Enantiodromia

The Coincidence of Opposites.

Setting The Earth on Its Foundations.

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Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous
–  Albert Einstein

Everything Arises in this way, opposites from their opposites
–  Plato

There are More sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any Profane History
–  Sir Isaac Newton

There may be babblers, wholly ignorant of mathematics, who dare to condemn my hypothesis,
upon the authority of some part of the Bible twisted to suit their purpose. I value them not, and scorn their unfounded judgment.”
–    Nicolaus Copernicus

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Dedicated to Those Holders of Power and Responsibility,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

          The Times Have Reached There Fulfillment,   The People” Bring You this Presentation Offering as the Proper Interpretation of Our Times.  The “Big Picture” of the International Political, Military and Economic Situation.  A Time that is Not of Peace but of Division.  A Time of Political, Social, and Environmental Upheaval.  We Need Some Air.  With Jesus Christ as Our Advocate,  for the Dream of Good Government, We “The People“, Ask you to Please Leave the City and Camp in the Open Fields for a Rendezvous with History.  Shuttle Diplomacy to Change the Game.  A Skillful Maneuver to Rescue Ourselves From the Present Evil Age.  A Cooperative Effort to Change the World for the Better.  We are Advocating to Bring Together Governments, Banks, Corporations, Academia, Civil Society & Prominent Men of The Cities for a Summit of the Future. A Divine Intervention for “The Culmination of the Ages.”  A Movement so sweeping as to immortalize the reign and legacy of all involved.  A Place for The Ascended Kings of the Earth, The Princes, The Generals, The Rich & The Mighty.  

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This Version of You.
For The Cases of The Breach of Friendly Relations.
The Regime of the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
During Volatile Times & Mutually Assured Destruction.  A Season of Discovery Between Civilian/Military Affairs.

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We “The People,” Appeal to Military Commanders, “The Powers That Be.”  Specifically, Those Who Have Been Given Power to Take Peace From the Earth and to Make People Kill Each Other.  We Ask for a Leap of Faith.  That the people may Have Some Benefit From you.  To Avoid a Pyrrhic Victory.  To Take One Step Closer to “The People” for a “Requiem and Crucible.”  To Finally Address Once and For All the Regime of the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.  To Confront These Monumental Issues of Our Time.  We Hope to Make it Clear to Your Conscience that There are Special Cases and Special Situations and Special Circumstances During the Course of Human History, that (At Certain Times) Situations are Not Conducive to a Military Solution. We Request a Gathering of People to Meet at a Specified Time and Place.  “They Were All Together in One Place.
If You Indulge Us, We Would Like to Change the World.

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Back to Source” 
To Keep Ourselves “On Our Mettle.”  Against These Constant Agitations.  Prolonged Disputes Over Fundamental Issues.

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Regarding The Culture of Leadership and the Behavior and Conduct of Interactions of Leaders with Foreign Nations.   Where Currently, Leaders Who Demand from Others, Sacrifices Which they Would Never Be Called Upon to Make Themselves.  In Order to Drive Out an Unclean Spirit, Sometimes the Old Ways are Best.  Fighting the Good Fight.  To Test and Prove Matters of the Heart.  A Call to Maturity.  A Call of Endurance. A Test of Sincerity.  To Know the “Why” of Things.  For Moments of Shared Understandings. Civilian Mechanisms of Enforcement to Refine the Character, Disposition and the Identity of Our Appointed World Leaders. To Expose Fruitless Deeds of Darkness. “To Deal With as is Right & Fitting.”  To be More Equitable, Fair and Impartial in Our Dealings.

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International Resource ManagementAddressing The Perpetual Lack of Surplus.

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With Your Permission,  We “The People” Request an Audience with High-Ranking Military Officers and their Counterparts With Capability.  A Meeting of the High Ranking Military Officers and Chiefs of Staff of the Nations.  Ministers of Foreign Affairs.  Chiefs of Municipal Offices.  We ask you Please Prepare your Plans and Maps for Big Work Projects for the Future.  The Organization of the Lives of Citizens & The Preparation of Public Opinion.  Where Important Political, Diplomatic and Military Moves are to Take Shape.  Regarding the Main Drama of Recognizing and Authorizing a Selected Power to Administer and Develop a Territory for a Specified Purpose. The Renunciation and the Rendering Over an Estate, Land Grant, Conveyance or Interest in a Property or Trust Which Serves the Interest of One or More Political Orientations.  The Allocation of Benefits in Various Policy Fields in Such a Way as to Provide Groups, Persons, and Places with at Least a Minimum Level of Benefits so as to Satisfy Basic Needs.  Creating Fundamentally Self-Sufficient Cities.  Whole Cities Delivered.  Composite Material Plentitudes.  The Specific Ways and Means & the Governance Thereof.  Admission of Neutral Ships Into Ports of Entry.  Equalities of Commercial Privileges.  Lines of Demarcation. The Notion of Each Thing in its Proper Sphere and Serving its Proper Purpose.  To Hone, Refine or Perfect “Chains of Events” Over a Period of Time.  Seeking to be Exact, Precise; and Marked or Characterized by Precision.  Harmonically Pure.  Having Correct Dimensions Without Interval, Deviation, or Variation.
Exactly that, in that Very Way.”  A Great Human Continuum.

 

 

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In God, We Trust it is Written.

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The People’s “Manifest Destiny 2.0” in Hopes for Better Days.   A Fresh Perspective and New Approach to that of “Secessio Plebis”  (“withdrawal of the commoners“).  A “Universal Interface Override System” and an “Irrevocable Living Trust Agreement.”  For the Purposes of Healing and Restoration of the Conscience.   “The People” Bestow Unto You “The People” This Gift of Education Which is In Accordance with the Holy Author of Our Religion.  For a Renewed State of Mental Resolution and Peace of Mind.  We Provide this Vision and Concept of the Future to Restore Ourselves to a Healthy Faith which Corresponds with the Fulfillment of Scriptures.  Strange Coincidences by Way of Theophoric Name In Hopes That we have the Courage to Turn from Evil and Do Good.

 

Best Regards,
Mark David Rich

 

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xulfWutG9Zg

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 2 Thessalonians 2
(“Victory“)
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(New International Version)

The Man of Lawlessness

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,  not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.  Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.  He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?  And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.  For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.  The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,  and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Stand Firm

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.  He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,  encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

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Deuteronomy 30
second law”  after-law”  assign, allot; take”  
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(New International Version)

Prosperity After Turning to the Lord

When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.  Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.  He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors.  The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.  The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you.  You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today.  Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

The Offer of Life or Death

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.  It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”  Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”  No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.  For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,  I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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Ephesians 5
(“overseer.“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Imitators of God

Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Children of Light

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,  for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.  Test and prove what pleases the Lord.

Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.  But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,  for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself.  So it is said:

“Wake up, O sleeper,

rise up from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,  redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,  always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wives and Husbands

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her  to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,  and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.  For we are members of His body.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”  This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.  Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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James 2
one that takes by the heel; a supplanter
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(New International Version)

Favoritism Forbidden

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”  have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?  But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?  Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”  you are doing right.  But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”   also said, “You shall not murder.”  If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,  because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Deeds

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.  You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ?   Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”  and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

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1 Timothy 1
(“honor, respect”  “Honoring God“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Paul’s Greeting to Timothy

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

To Timothy, my true child in the faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Correcting False Teachers

As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God’s work, which is by faith.

The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.  Some have strayed from these ways and turned aside to empty talk.  They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or that which they so confidently assert.

Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately.  We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching  that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

God’s Grace to Paul

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service.  I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.  And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.  But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.  Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Timothy, my child, I entrust you with this command in keeping with the previous prophecies about you, so that by them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and thereby shipwrecked their faith.  Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

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Psalm 78
sacred poem or song
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(Berean Standard Bible)

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

A Maskil of Asaph.
to gather”  “to collect

 Give ear, O my people, to my instruction;

listen to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in parables;

I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

that we have heard and known

and our fathers have relayed to us.

We will not hide them from their children

but will declare to the next generation

the praises of the LORD and His might

and the wonders He has performed.

For He established a testimony in Jacob

and appointed a law in Israel,

which He commanded our fathers

to teach to their children,

that the coming generation would know them—

even children yet to be born—

to arise and tell their own children

that they should put their confidence in God,

not forgetting His works,

but keeping His commandments.

Then they will not be like their fathers,

a stubborn and rebellious generation,

whose heart was not loyal,

whose spirit was not faithful to God.

The archers of Ephraim

turned back on the day of battle.

They failed to keep God’s covenant

and refused to live by His law.

They forgot what He had done,

the wonders He had shown them.

He worked wonders before their fathers

in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

He split the sea and brought them through;

He set the waters upright like a wall.

He led them with a cloud by day

and with a light of fire all night.

He split the rocks in the wilderness

and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.

He brought streams from the stone

and made water flow down like rivers.

But they continued to sin against Him,

rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

They willfully tested God

by demanding the food they craved.

They spoke against God, saying,

“Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?

When He struck the rock, water gushed out

and torrents raged.

But can He also give bread

or supply His people with meat?”

Therefore the LORD heard

and was filled with wrath;

so a fire was kindled against Jacob,

and His anger flared against Israel,

because they did not believe God

or rely on His salvation.

Yet He commanded the clouds above

and opened the doors of the heavens.

He rained down manna for them to eat;

He gave them grain from heaven.

Man ate the bread of angels;

He sent them food in abundance.

He stirred the east wind from the heavens

and drove the south wind by His might.

He rained meat on them like dust,

and winged birds like the sand of the sea.

He felled them in the midst of their camp,

all around their dwellings.

So they ate and were well filled,

for He gave them what they craved.

Yet before they had filled their desire,

with the food still in their mouths,

God’s anger flared against them,

and He put to death their strongest

and subdued the young men of Israel.

In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;

despite His wonderful works, they did not believe.

So He ended their days in futility,

and their years in sudden terror.

When He slew them, they would seek Him;

they repented and searched for God.

And they remembered that God was their Rock,

that God Most High was their Redeemer.

But they deceived Him with their mouths,

and lied to Him with their tongues.

Their hearts were disloyal to Him,

and they were unfaithful to His covenant.

And yet He was compassionate;

He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them.

He often restrained His anger

and did not unleash His full wrath.

He remembered that they were but flesh,

a passing breeze that does not return.

How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness

and grieved Him in the desert!

Again and again they tested God

and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

They did not remember His power 

the day He redeemed them from the adversary,

when He performed His signs in Egypt

and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.

He turned their rivers to blood,

and from their streams they could not drink.

He sent swarms of flies that devoured them,

and frogs that devastated them.

He gave their crops to the grasshopper,

the fruit of their labor to the locust.

He killed their vines with hailstones

and their sycamore-figs with sleet.

He abandoned their cattle to the hail

and their livestock to bolts of lightning.

He unleashed His fury against them,

wrath, indignation, and calamity—

a band of destroying angels.

He cleared a path for His anger;

He did not spare them from death

but delivered their lives to the plague.

He struck all the firstborn of Egypt,

the virility in the tents of Ham.

He led out His people like sheep

and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

He led them safely, so they did not fear,

but the sea engulfed their enemies.

He brought them to His holy land,

to the mountain His right hand had acquired.

He drove out nations before them

and apportioned their inheritance;

He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

But they tested and disobeyed God Most High,

for they did not keep His decrees.

They turned back and were faithless like their fathers,

twisted like a faulty bow.

They enraged Him with their high places

and provoked His jealousy with their idols.

On hearing it, God was furious

and rejected Israel completely.

He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,

the tent He had pitched among men.

He delivered His strength to captivity,

and His splendor to the hand of the adversary.

He surrendered His people to the sword

because He was enraged by His heritage.

Fire consumed His young men,

and their maidens were left without wedding songs.

His priests fell by the sword,

but their widows could not lament.

Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,

like a mighty warrior overcome by wine.

He beat back His foes;

He put them to everlasting shame.

He rejected the tent of Joseph

and refused the tribe of Ephraim.

But He chose the tribe of Judah,

Mount Zion, which He loved.

He built His sanctuary like the heights,

like the earth He has established forever.

He chose David His servant

and took him from the sheepfolds;

from tending the ewes He brought him

to be shepherd of His people Jacob,

of Israel His inheritance.

So David shepherded them with integrity of heartc

and guided them with skillful hands.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Romans 12
(“of Rome”)
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(New King James Version)

Living Sacrifices to God

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Serve God with Spiritual Gifts

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.  For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Behave Like a Christian

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.  Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.  If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.  Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

1 Corinthians 12
(“point” “peak“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Spiritual Gifts

Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.  You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.  Therefore I inform you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different ministries, but the same Lord.  There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.

The Body of Christ

The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.  For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

For the body does not consist of one part, but of many.  If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.”  On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty, whereas our presentable parts have no such need.

But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,  so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

The Greater Gifts

Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.  And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.  Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?  But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

1 Corinthians 14
(“point” “peak“)
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(Christian Standard Bible)

Prophecy: A Superior Gift

Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.  For the person who speaks in a tongue is not speaking to people but to God, since no one understands him; he speaks mysteries in the Spirit.  On the other hand, the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening,  encouragement, and consolation. The person who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.  I wish all of you spoke in tongues, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.

So now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?  Even lifeless instruments that produce sounds — whether flute or harp — if they don’t make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized?  In fact, if the bugle makes an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle?  In the same way, unless you use your tongue for intelligible speech, how will what is spoken be known? For you will be speaking into the air.  There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, none is without meaning.  Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.  So also you — since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in building up the church.

Therefore the person who speaks in a tongue should pray that he can interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing praise with the spirit, and I will also sing praise with my understanding.  Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit,  how will the outsider say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?  For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up.  I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.  It is written in the law,

I will speak to this people

by people of other tongues

and by the lips of foreigners,

and even then, they will not listen to me,

says the Lord. Speaking in tongues, then, is intended as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers.  If, therefore, the whole church assembles together and all are speaking in tongues and people who are outsiders or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds?  But if all are prophesying and some unbeliever or outsider comes in, he is convicted by all and is called to account by all.  The secrets Of his heart will be revealed, and as a result he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is really among you.”

Order in Church Meetings

What then, brothers and sisters? Whenever you come together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation.  Everything is to be done for building up.  If anyone speaks in a tongue, there are to be only two, or at the most three, each in turn, and let someone interpret.  But if there is no interpreter, that person is to keep silent in the church and speak to himself and God.   Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should evaluate, But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent.   For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone may learn and everyone may be encouraged.  And the prophets’ spirits are subject to the prophets,  since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

As in all the churches of the saints, the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but are to submit themselves, as the law also says.  If they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, since it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.  Or did the word of God originate from you, or did it come to you only?

If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should recognize that what I write to you is the Lord’s command.  If anyone ignores this, he will be ignored.  So then, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.  But everything is to be done decently and in order.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

1 Corinthians 13
(“point” “peak“)
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(Christian Standard Bible)

The Greatest Gift

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Galatians 6
(“an inhabitant of ancient Gaul    “a gaul”   “a frenchman)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Carry One Another’s Burdens

Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Each one should test his own work. Then he will have reason to boast in himself alone, and not in someone else.  For each one should carry his own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.

Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.  The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.

Final Warnings and Blessings

See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!

Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ. For the circumcised do not even keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.

Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God.

From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers.

Amen.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Galatians 6
(“an inhabitant of ancient Gaul    “a gaul”   “a frenchman)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

Doing Good to All

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.  Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.  Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Not Circumcision but the New Creation

See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.  Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.  May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.  Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.

From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Isaiah 33
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

Distress and Help

Woe to you, destroyer,

you who have not been destroyed!

Woe to you, betrayer,

you who have not been betrayed!

When you stop destroying,

you will be destroyed;

when you stop betraying,

you will be betrayed.

Lord, be gracious to us;

we long for you.

Be our strength every morning,

our salvation in time of distress.

At the uproar of your army, the peoples flee;

when you rise up, the nations scatter.

Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts;

like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;

he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.

He will be the sure foundation for your times,

a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;

the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. 

Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets;

the envoys of peace weep bitterly.

The highways are deserted,

no travelers are on the roads.

The treaty is broken,

its witnesses are despised,

no one is respected.

The land dries up and wastes away,

Lebanon is ashamed and withers;

Sharon is like the Arabah,

and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.

“Now will I arise,” says the Lord.

“Now will I be exalted;

now will I be lifted up.

You conceive chaff,

you give birth to straw;

your breath is a fire that consumes you.

The peoples will be burned to ashes;

like cut thornbushes they will be set ablaze.”

You who are far away, hear what I have done;

you who are near, acknowledge my power!

The sinners in Zion are terrified;

trembling grips the godless:

“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?

Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”

Those who walk righteously

and speak what is right,

who reject gain from extortion

and keep their hands from accepting bribes,

who stop their ears against plots of murder

and shut their eyes against contemplating evil—

they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,

whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.

Their bread will be supplied,

and water will not fail them.

Your eyes will see the king in his beauty

and view a land that stretches afar.

In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:

“Where is that chief officer?

Where is the one who took the revenue?

Where is the officer in charge of the towers?”

You will see those arrogant people no more,

people whose speech is obscure,

whose language is strange and incomprehensible.

Look on Zion, the city of our festivals;

your eyes will see Jerusalem,

a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved;

its stakes will never be pulled up,

nor any of its ropes broken.

There the Lord will be our Mighty One.

It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.

No galley with oars will ride them,

no mighty ship will sail them.

For the Lord is our judge,

the Lord is our lawgiver,

the Lord is our king;

it is he who will save us.

Your rigging hangs loose:

The mast is not held secure,

the sail is not spread.

Then an abundance of spoils will be divided

and even the lame will carry off plunder.

No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;

and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Psalm 40
sacred poem or song
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(New King James Version)

Faith Persevering in Trial

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.

Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.

Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”

I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness
In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You Yourself know.
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
From the great assembly.

Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who seek to destroy my life;
Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor
Who wish me evil.
Let them be confounded because of their shame,
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let such as love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Deuteronomy 28
second law”  after-law”  assign, allot; take”  
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(New International Version)

Blessings for Obedience

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.  All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him.  Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you.  The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.  The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.  Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

Curses for Disobedience

However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you:

You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.

Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.

The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out.

The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him.  The Lord will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess.  The Lord will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish.  The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron.  The Lord will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed.

The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth.  Your carcasses will be food for all the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.  The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.  The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind.  At midday you will grope about like a blind person in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you.

You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and rape her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit.  Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them.  Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand.  A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days.  The sights you see will drive you mad.  The Lord will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.

The Lord will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your ancestors. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone.  You will become a thing of horror, a byword and an object of ridicule among all the peoples where the Lord will drive you.

You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it.  You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.  You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off.  You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity.  Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees and the crops of your land.

The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower.  They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail.

All these curses will come on you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you.  They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever.  Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity,  therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand,  a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young.  They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or olive oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined.  They will lay siege to all the cities throughout your land until the high fortified walls in which you trust fall down. They will besiege all the cities throughout the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you.  Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities.  The most gentle and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of her foot—will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter  the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For in her dire need she intends to eat them secretly because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of your cities.

If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the Lord your God— the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses.  He will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you.  The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.  You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God.  Just as it pleased the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.

Then the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known.  Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart.  You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.  In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.  The Lord will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.

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Philippians 4
(“fond of horses”  ” beloved, loving )
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(New International Version)

Closing Appeal for Steadfastness and Unity

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.  Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Final Exhortations

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Thanks for Their Gifts

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.  Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;  for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.  Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.  I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.  And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings.  All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. 

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Isaiah 59
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

Sin, Confession and Redemption

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,

nor his ear too dull to hear.

But your iniquities have separated

you from your God;

your sins have hidden his face from you,

so that he will not hear.

For your hands are stained with blood,

your fingers with guilt.

Your lips have spoken falsely,

and your tongue mutters wicked things.

No one calls for justice;

no one pleads a case with integrity.

They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies;

they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

They hatch the eggs of vipers

and spin a spider’s web.

Whoever eats their eggs will die,

and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.

Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;

they cannot cover themselves with what they make.

Their deeds are evil deeds,

and acts of violence are in their hands.

Their feet rush into sin;

they are swift to shed innocent blood.

They pursue evil schemes;

acts of violence mark their ways.

The way of peace they do not know;

there is no justice in their paths.

They have turned them into crooked roads;

no one who walks along them will know peace.

So justice is far from us,

and righteousness does not reach us.

We look for light, but all is darkness;

for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

Like the blind we grope along the wall,

feeling our way like people without eyes.

At midday we stumble as if it were twilight;

among the strong, we are like the dead.

We all growl like bears;

we moan mournfully like doves.

We look for justice, but find none;

for deliverance, but it is far away.

For our offenses are many in your sight,

and our sins testify against us.

Our offenses are ever with us,

and we acknowledge our iniquities:

rebellion and treachery against the Lord,

turning our backs on our God,

inciting revolt and oppression,

uttering lies our hearts have conceived.

So justice is driven back,

and righteousness stands at a distance;

truth has stumbled in the streets,

honesty cannot enter.

Truth is nowhere to be found,

and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeased

that there was no justice.

He saw that there was no one,

he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;

so his own arm achieved salvation for him,

and his own righteousness sustained him.

He put on righteousness as his breastplate,

and the helmet of salvation on his head;

he put on the garments of vengeance

and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

According to what they have done,

so will he repay

wrath to his enemies

and retribution to his foes;

he will repay the islands their due.

From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord,

and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory.

For he will come like a pent-up flood

that the breath of the Lord drives along. 

“The Redeemer will come to Zion,

to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”

declares the Lord.

“As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

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1 Corinthians 9
(“point” “peak“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

The Rights of an Apostle

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?  Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who scrutinize me: Have we no right to food and to drink? Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?  Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?

Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?

Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?  For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”  Is it about oxen that God is concerned?  Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.

If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?  If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?  In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.  But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.

Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!  If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.  What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.

Paul the Servant to All

Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.  To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.  To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Run Your Race to Win

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.  Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.  No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

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Psalm 111
sacred poem or song
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Majestic Is His Work

Hallelujah!

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart

in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the works of the LORD;

they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Splendid and majestic is His work;

His righteousness endures forever.

He has caused His wonders to be remembered;

the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

He provides food for those who fear Him;

He remembers His covenant forever.

He has shown His people the power of His works

by giving them the inheritance of the nations.

The works of His hands are truth and justice;

all His precepts are trustworthy.

They are upheld forever and ever,

enacted in truth and uprightness.

He has sent redemption to His people;

He has ordained His covenant forever;

holy and awesome is His name.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding.

His praise endures forever!

Dude Bro Trust Me

The President of China

His Excellency : The General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party

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Xi Jinping

习近平

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These Words Discover Our Condition and are Arranged in the Order of Their Intensity and of Their Degree of Activity Toward Others.  To  Complete the Trinity.  Our Way to Be.
I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own,
but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.
Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you.

–   John 16  “Jehovah has favored”  “He was gracious”  (BSB)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcvTbladGsU

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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ X I

A Work of the Utmost Best
A Fusion of Tradition and Innovation.
To Foster What is Best.  Most Excellent.  Fitting.
The mind is everything.  What you think you become.
The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.
Just as a Candle Cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.
All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?
Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two.
There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.
I am not the first Buddha who came upon Earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time, another Buddha will arise in the world – a Holy One,
a supremely” enlightened One, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious, knowing the universe, an incomparable leader of men, a master of angels and mortals.”
–  Buddha

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Sabrina Carpenter – Don’t Smile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju9X2HMMid4
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The Light of the Knowledge of God’s Glory Displayed in the Face of Christ.
The Obedience of the Nations Shall be His.  As the Most High Divided to the Nations Their Inheritance. 
Reserved for Times of Trouble.  The One Who is Able to do Immeasurably More Than All We Ask or Imagine.  To Him Who’s Toil and Sweat Paved the Way.

Laying the Seeds of Change. 
Peacemakers Who Sow in Peace, Reap a Harvest of Righteousness.

“The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.”
– 
2 Timothy 2honor, respect”  “Honoring God”  (NIV) 

No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.
–   Jesus  From:  Luke 9  ( “tepid”  “warm”  “Bringer of light)   (NIV)

 
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?
–   1 Corinthians 9   “point, peak”  (NIV)

You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.
Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
–  Mark 10  (NIV) 
consecrated to the god Mars”  “God of war”  “to be warlike“ “boundary, limit; sign, landmark”  “to denote sign, omen, aim”  “margin

To The People’s Republic of China.
From The Government That is “Of The People, By The People and For The People.
We The People, Formally Request A Meeting of People at a Certain Place, at a Certain Time and Under Certain Circumstances.  A Coming and a Going.A Rotational Prayer
—  Only Human.  —

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A Prayer & Petition of Intercession to The People’s Republic of China

中华人民共和国

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVomQtrtMTM
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He who sows injustice will reap disaster, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease.
                                   –  Proverbs 22    A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth

There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history”
                                                                      –  Sir Isaac Newton
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As Above, So Below.

A Special Civil Operation :  Pragmatic Idealism

On Earth as it is In Heaven.  A Biblical Renewal of All Things.

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Hello Mr.  President Xi Jinping,

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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

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Thank You For Your attention.  My name is Mark Rich.  I am an American Citizen from New York.
The reason why I am here is to help discern how humanity might survive this technological adolescence without us destroying ourselves.
For your consideration, an interpretation of the times.  Spoken to you through the words of the holy author of our religeon.  All in combination with wisdom from our ancestors.
To Find a path in this wilderness towards more harmonious social relationships between those holders of power & responsibility.  For Leaders of Wisdom, Moderation & Courage.

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Building a Mystery.
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Taking it from an Eleveated Perspective.
There is something that has been trying to complete itself through human beings.
To use human beings as its vehicle.  Again and again, a fire is being built.  Some kind of wholeness trying to assemble itself.
The process is for serving some further end and I am the beginning of this transformation.  How is your curiosity?  Your Sense of adventure.


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Using the Past to Serve the Present.
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Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  Without speech or language,
without a sound to be heard, their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun.
–  Psalm 19

As a true son of David, I have been called to provide you this weighty testimony for the churches because the times have reached their fulfillment.  The following is a Millennial Vision of the gospel of the kingdom as “It is Written.”   The object of which is to usher forth the creation of a political move so sweeping as to immortalize the reign and legacy of all involved.  The Super Bowl of politicking.  A cosmic tidal wave.  Shall we finish the remaining bit together?  Call it “The Rose Bowl?”  Your servant is listening. I Am Your “Freeman.”  “Free” as in “The Absence of restraint.”  Free in all the ways you are not.  The People’s grand reset to change the game.  I hope this offering is acceptable to you.

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As it is Written.
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I have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us in The Bible.  (“The Books“).  I have studied the Scriptures diligently, calling the past to account.  Of what was promised by our ancestors long ago.  Of what God said through his holy prophets (Isaiah)In the spirit of prophecy, I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, adding one thing to another to discover the general scheme of things.  Thus I present this orderly account for you so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.  I only ask you to look at what is obvious.  The word which was ordained for a thousand generations has been proved right.  As if “He” is making His Appeal “to us” by working “through us“.  

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Not of the Letter but of the Spirit
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As the “Archivist” and “Compiler” of These Collections of Books, I am not allowed to take credit for these words.  Only the arrangement.  I have pondered, searched out, and arranged many accurate words of truth.  Words of Wisdom that None of Your Adversaries Will be Able to Resist or Contradict.  This is Sound learning, worthy of full acceptance.  Great truths common to all mankind,   Anthologies of the Masters.”  If you were to Accept This Coming Pattern of Teaching Which has Now Claimed your Allegiance.

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Beyond Philosophy.  Beyond Legalism.
Provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.  The Flourishing of the Righteous.
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As I have sown much and harvested little.  I pray the word does not come back to me void.
That once my time of service is completed, that this hard working farmer, will be able to take part in the harvest.  As One cannot serve both God and money at the same time.

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A Call to Maturity and Endurance.  Sin, Confession, Redemption.  “Penance.”
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I assume You are aware of my humble circumstances.  May those who seek You not be dishonored through me.  I have remained in seclusion for obvious reasons, as no doubt I will be subjected to public humiliation. By those who get a kick out of criticising others.  Such Merciless and destructive criticism threaten the very foundations of truth.  They undermine much of what has already been generally accepted.  I will endure the scorn and the chastisement for the sake of the elect.  Perhaps one’s favor will be enough to take away my disgrace among the people.  Neverthless, It is the work upon which I stand.  Leave Out All the Rest.

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My Hypocrisy Only Goes So Far.
My Conscience is Clear That but That Does Not Make M<e Innocent.  

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|Knock Knock, Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

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Bob Moses – Enough to Believe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqcbMlyPK48
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yOZEiHLuVU

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Star Trek Dimensions

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R2WdLJeBwpc

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The Key to Effective Leadership

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rSwVC-OK9AM

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8dCGIm6yc
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Eastern and Western Relations. 
Examples of Disloyalty & Loyalty.
Moments of Shared Understanding.  Kindling a Light in the Darkness.
Earthly.  Natural.  Ancestral.  Ceremonial.  Ritualistic.  Ethereal.  Celestial.
Is Balance Weakness?  Peace is Not Balance Here.   A Call to Maturity & Endurance.

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Galatians 5
(“an inhabitant of ancient Gaul    “a gaul”   “a frenchman)
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(New International Version)

Freedom in Christ

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.  Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.  You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.  For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?  That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.  “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”  I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.  Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.  As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Life by the Spirit

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

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Colossians 2
gigantic statue”   “any thing of awesome greatness or vastness”   the idea of setting up a sacred space or shrine.
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(New International Version)

I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.  My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.  For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,  rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.  In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 

Freedom From Human Rules

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.  Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.  They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:  “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?  These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.  Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

 

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Job 12
(“hated, persecuted”   “enmity”  ” the penitent one.”  “he was hostile to)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Job Presents His Case

Then Job answered:

“Truly then you are the people

with whom wisdom itself will die!

But I also have a mind;

I am not inferior to you.

Who does not know such things as these?

I am a laughingstock to my friends,

though I called on God, and He answered.

The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.

The one at ease scorns misfortune

as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

The tents of robbers are safe,

and those who provoke God are secure—

those who carry their god in their hands.

But ask the animals, and they will instruct you;

ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.

Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;

let the fish of the sea inform you.

Which of all these does not know

that the hand of the LORD has done this?

The life of every living thing is in His hand,

as well as the breath of all mankind.

Does not the ear test words

as the tongue tastes its food?

Wisdom is found with the elderly,

and understanding comes with long life.

Wisdom and strength belong to God;

counsel and understanding are His.

What He tears down cannot be rebuilt;

the man He imprisons cannot be released.

If He holds back the waters, they dry up,

and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.

True wisdom and power belong to Him.

The deceived and the deceiver are His.

He leads counselors away barefoot

and makes fools of judges.

He loosens the bonds placed by kings

and fastens a belt around their waists.

He leads priests away barefoot

and overthrows the established.

He deprives the trusted of speech

and takes away the discernment of elders.

He pours out contempt on nobles

and disarms the mighty.

He reveals the deep things of darkness

and brings deep shadows into light.

He makes nations great and destroys them;

He enlarges nations, then disperses them.

He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason

and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.

They grope in the darkness without light;

He makes them stagger like drunkards.

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Psalm 78
sacred poem or song
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(Berean Standard Bible)

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

A Maskil of Asaph.
to gather”  “to collect

 Give ear, O my people, to my instruction;

listen to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in parables;

I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

that we have heard and known

and our fathers have relayed to us.

We will not hide them from their children

but will declare to the next generation

the praises of the LORD and His might

and the wonders He has performed.

For He established a testimony in Jacob

and appointed a law in Israel,

which He commanded our fathers

to teach to their children,

that the coming generation would know them—

even children yet to be born—

to arise and tell their own children

that they should put their confidence in God,

not forgetting His works,

but keeping His commandments.

Then they will not be like their fathers,

a stubborn and rebellious generation,

whose heart was not loyal,

whose spirit was not faithful to God.

The archers of Ephraim

turned back on the day of battle.

They failed to keep God’s covenant

and refused to live by His law.

They forgot what He had done,

the wonders He had shown them.

He worked wonders before their fathers

in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

He split the sea and brought them through;

He set the waters upright like a wall.

He led them with a cloud by day

and with a light of fire all night.

He split the rocks in the wilderness

and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.

He brought streams from the stone

and made water flow down like rivers.

But they continued to sin against Him,

rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

They willfully tested God

by demanding the food they craved.

They spoke against God, saying,

“Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?

When He struck the rock, water gushed out

and torrents raged.

But can He also give bread

or supply His people with meat?”

Therefore the LORD heard

and was filled with wrath;

so a fire was kindled against Jacob,

and His anger flared against Israel,

because they did not believe God

or rely on His salvation.

Yet He commanded the clouds above

and opened the doors of the heavens.

He rained down manna for them to eat;

He gave them grain from heaven.

Man ate the bread of angels;

He sent them food in abundance.

He stirred the east wind from the heavens

and drove the south wind by His might.

He rained meat on them like dust,

and winged birds like the sand of the sea.

He felled them in the midst of their camp,

all around their dwellings.

So they ate and were well filled,

for He gave them what they craved.

Yet before they had filled their desire,

with the food still in their mouths,

God’s anger flared against them,

and He put to death their strongest

and subdued the young men of Israel.

In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;

despite His wonderful works, they did not believe.

So He ended their days in futility,

and their years in sudden terror.

When He slew them, they would seek Him;

they repented and searched for God.

And they remembered that God was their Rock,

that God Most High was their Redeemer.

But they deceived Him with their mouths,

and lied to Him with their tongues.

Their hearts were disloyal to Him,

and they were unfaithful to His covenant.

And yet He was compassionate;

He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them.

He often restrained His anger

and did not unleash His full wrath.

He remembered that they were but flesh,

a passing breeze that does not return.

How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness

and grieved Him in the desert!

Again and again they tested God

and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

They did not remember His power 

the day He redeemed them from the adversary,

when He performed His signs in Egypt

and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.

He turned their rivers to blood,

and from their streams they could not drink.

He sent swarms of flies that devoured them,

and frogs that devastated them.

He gave their crops to the grasshopper,

the fruit of their labor to the locust.

He killed their vines with hailstones

and their sycamore-figs with sleet.

He abandoned their cattle to the hail

and their livestock to bolts of lightning.

He unleashed His fury against them,

wrath, indignation, and calamity—

a band of destroying angels.

He cleared a path for His anger;

He did not spare them from death

but delivered their lives to the plague.

He struck all the firstborn of Egypt,

the virility in the tents of Ham.

He led out His people like sheep

and guided them like a flock in the wilderness.

He led them safely, so they did not fear,

but the sea engulfed their enemies.

He brought them to His holy land,

to the mountain His right hand had acquired.

He drove out nations before them

and apportioned their inheritance;

He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

But they tested and disobeyed God Most High,

for they did not keep His decrees.

They turned back and were faithless like their fathers,

twisted like a faulty bow.

They enraged Him with their high places

and provoked His jealousy with their idols.

On hearing it, God was furious

and rejected Israel completely.

He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,

the tent He had pitched among men.

He delivered His strength to captivity,

and His splendor to the hand of the adversary.

He surrendered His people to the sword

because He was enraged by His heritage.

Fire consumed His young men,

and their maidens were left without wedding songs.

His priests fell by the sword,

but their widows could not lament.

Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,

like a mighty warrior overcome by wine.

He beat back His foes;

He put them to everlasting shame.

He rejected the tent of Joseph

and refused the tribe of Ephraim.

But He chose the tribe of Judah,

Mount Zion, which He loved.

He built His sanctuary like the heights,

like the earth He has established forever.

He chose David His servant

and took him from the sheepfolds;

from tending the ewes He brought him

to be shepherd of His people Jacob,

of Israel His inheritance.

So David shepherded them with integrity of heart

and guided them with skillful hands.

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Job 38
(“hated, persecuted”   “enmity”  ” the penitent one.”  “he was hostile to)
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(New International Version)

The Lord Speaks

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

“Who is this that obscures my plans

with words without knowledge?

Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?

Tell me, if you understand.

Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it?

On what were its footings set,

or who laid its cornerstone—

while the morning stars sang together

and all the angels shouted for joy?

“Who shut up the sea behind doors

when it burst forth from the womb,

when I made the clouds its garment

and wrapped it in thick darkness,

when I fixed limits for it

and set its doors and bars in place,

when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;

here is where your proud waves halt’?

“Have you ever given orders to the morning,

or shown the dawn its place,

that it might take the earth by the edges

and shake the wicked out of it?

The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;

its features stand out like those of a garment.

The wicked are denied their light,

and their upraised arm is broken.

“Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea

or walked in the recesses of the deep?

Have the gates of death been shown to you?

Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?

Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?

Tell me, if you know all this.

“What is the way to the abode of light?

And where does darkness reside?

Can you take them to their places?

Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

Surely you know, for you were already born!

You have lived so many years!

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow

or seen the storehouses of the hail,

which I reserve for times of trouble,

for days of war and battle?

What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,

or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?

Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,

and a path for the thunderstorm,

to water a land where no one lives,

an uninhabited desert,

to satisfy a desolate wasteland

and make it sprout with grass?

Does the rain have a father?

Who fathers the drops of dew?

From whose womb comes the ice?

Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens

when the waters become hard as stone,

when the surface of the deep is frozen?

“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades?

Can you loosen Orion’s belt?

Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons 

or lead out the Bear with its cubs?

Do you know the laws of the heavens?

Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?

“Can you raise your voice to the clouds

and cover yourself with a flood of water?

Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?

Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?

Who gives the ibis wisdom 

or gives the rooster understanding? 

Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?

Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens

when the dust becomes hard

and the clods of earth stick together?

“Do you hunt the prey for the lioness

and satisfy the hunger of the lions

when they crouch in their dens

or lie in wait in a thicket?

Who provides food for the raven

when its young cry out to God

and wander about for lack of food?

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Confucius together with Moses and Muhammad among the greatest legislators of the past.

by Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse (1827), Louvre Palace.
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Confucius Statue in China

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Born Kong Qiu, Confucius was a Chinese philosopher
who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages.

“Study the past if you would define the future.”

“Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.”

“To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.”

“If your plan is for one year plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children. ”

“Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

“In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.”

“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”

“Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.”

“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.”

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall”.

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

“He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.”

“To see what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.”

“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.”

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Confucian Wooden Clapper Bell

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“Heaven will instruct the master like a wooden-clapper bell (to awaken everyone to the Way)”. An analogy is made between the master (in the phrase, Confucius himself) who resonates with the order of Heaven which inspires him, and the bell, as if Heaven were the clapper and the master were the bell.

The wooden-clapper bell is also an actual instrument that was used to gather people by ancient Chinese administrations, is used for ritual, and by analogy it means the purpose of Confucianism, that is to preach and educate people to the right values.

 

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Matthew 19
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

Divorce

When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.  Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?   So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.  I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.  For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

The Little Children and Jesus

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

“Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,  honor your father and mother,’  and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’  

“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

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Mark 1
consecrated to the god Mars”  “God of war”  “to be warlike” “boundary, limit; sign, landmark”  “to denote sign, omen, aim”  “margin
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(New International Version)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way”  

“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.’ ” 

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism and Testing of Jesus

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Jesus Announces the Good News

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.

When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.  Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.  The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.  Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out,  “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”  The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”  News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.  Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her.  So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.  The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus was indignant.  He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”  Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:  “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”  Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Mark 4
consecrated to the god Mars”  “God of war”  “to be warlike” “boundary, limit; sign, landmark”  “to denote sign, omen, aim”  “margin
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(New International Version)

The Parable of the Sower

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge.  He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:  “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.   Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.  Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.  He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,

“ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’

Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?   The farmer sows the word.  Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.  Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.   But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;  but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.   Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

A Lamp on a Stand

He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?   For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.  If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”

“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.  Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

The Parable of the Growing Seed

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.   As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?  It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth.  Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.  He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Matthew 13
(“gift of Jehovah”)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

The Parable of the Sower

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.  Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’ 

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The Parable of the Weeds

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.  So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables,

I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” 

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.  They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.  When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.  This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

A Prophet Without Honor

When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.  Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked.  “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?  Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”  And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Isaiah 5
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

The Song of the Vineyard

I will sing for the one I love

a song about his vineyard:

My loved one had a vineyard

on a fertile hillside.

He dug it up and cleared it of stones

and planted it with the choicest vines.

He built a watchtower in it

and cut out a winepress as well.

Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,

but it yielded only bad fruit.

“Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,

judge between me and my vineyard.

What more could have been done for my vineyard

than I have done for it?

When I looked for good grapes,

why did it yield only bad?

Now I will tell you

what I am going to do to my vineyard:

I will take away its hedge,

and it will be destroyed;

I will break down its wall,

and it will be trampled.

I will make it a wasteland,

neither pruned nor cultivated,

and briers and thorns will grow there.

I will command the clouds

not to rain on it.”

The vineyard of the Lord Almighty

is the nation of Israel,

and the people of Judah

are the vines he delighted in.

And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;

for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

Woes and Judgments

Woe to you who add house to house

and join field to field

till no space is left

and you live alone in the land.

The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing:

“Surely the great houses will become desolate,

the fine mansions left without occupants.

A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine;

a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.”

Woe to those who rise early in the morning

to run after their drinks,

who stay up late at night

till they are inflamed with wine.

They have harps and lyres at their banquets,

pipes and timbrels and wine,

but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord,

no respect for the work of his hands.

Therefore my people will go into exile

for lack of understanding;

those of high rank will die of hunger

and the common people will be parched with thirst.

Therefore Death expands its jaws,

opening wide its mouth;

into it will descend their nobles and masses

with all their brawlers and revelers.

So people will be brought low

and everyone humbled,

the eyes of the arrogant humbled.

But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice,

and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.

Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;

lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.

Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,

and wickedness as with cart ropes,

to those who say, “Let God hurry;

let him hasten his work

so we may see it.

The plan of the Holy One of Israel—

let it approach, let it come into view,

so we may know it.”

Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes

and clever in their own sight.

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine

and champions at mixing drinks,

who acquit the guilty for a bribe,

but deny justice to the innocent.

Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw

and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,

so their roots will decay

and their flowers blow away like dust;

for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty

and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against his people;

his hand is raised and he strikes them down.

The mountains shake,

and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised.

He lifts up a banner for the distant nations,

he whistles for those at the ends of the earth.

Here they come,

swiftly and speedily!

Not one of them grows tired or stumbles,

not one slumbers or sleeps;

not a belt is loosened at the waist,

not a sandal strap is broken.

Their arrows are sharp,

all their bows are strung;

their horses’ hooves seem like flint,

their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.

Their roar is like that of the lion,

they roar like young lions;

they growl as they seize their prey

and carry it off with no one to rescue.

In that day they will roar over it

like the roaring of the sea.

And if one looks at the land,

there is only darkness and distress;

even the sun will be darkened by clouds.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

 Revelation 12
Disclosure of information or knowledge to man by a divine or supernatural agency.”
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

The Woman and the Dragon

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.  She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.  Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.  Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.  She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”  And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.  The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.  The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power

and the kingdom of our God,

and the authority of his Messiah.

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,

who accuses them before our God day and night,

has been hurled down.

They triumphed over him

by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony;

they did not love their lives so much

as to shrink from death.

Therefore rejoice, you heavens

and you who dwell in them!

But woe to the earth and the sea,

because the devil has gone down to you!

He is filled with fury,

because he knows that his time is short.”

When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.  The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.  Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.  But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.  Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Matthew 13
gift of God.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

The Parable of the Sower

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.   Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.   But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.   Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’ 

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.   For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.   But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.   The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The Parable of the Weeds

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.  So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables,

I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.  They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.  When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.  This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

A Prophet Without Honor

When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.  Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked.  “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?  Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”  And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Matthew 20
(“gift of Jehovah”)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
(New International Version)

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.  He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.  He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’  So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.  About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

“ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.  So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.  When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.  ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?  Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.  Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them,  “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

A Mother’s Request

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

“What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.  Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Two Blind Men Receive Sight

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.  Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

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Mark 12
consecrated to the god Mars”  “God of war”  “to be warlike” “boundary, limit; sign, landmark”  “to denote sign, omen, aim”  “margin
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(New International Version)

The Parable of the Tenants

Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

“He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

“But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’  So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.  Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

“ ‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’  ?”

Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.  They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?  Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”   They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at him.

Marriage at the Resurrection

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.  “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children.  The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third.  In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.  At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?  When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.  Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ ?   He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

The Greatest Commandment

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’   There is no commandment greater than these.”

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.   To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?   David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand

until I put your enemies

under your feet.” ’

David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd listened to him with delight.

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,  and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.   They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

The Widow’s Offering

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

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Matthew 21
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,  saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” 

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.  They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus at the Temple

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’  but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’  

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.  But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“ ‘From the lips of children and infants

you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ ?”

And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.  Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.  John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’  But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

“ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.  For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.  When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.  Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.  Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’  So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“ ‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’  ?

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.  Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” 

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them.  They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

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Romans 14
of Rome
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(New International Version)

The Weak and the Strong

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.  One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.  The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.  Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.  For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.  If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.  For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister?  Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.  It is written:

“ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ”

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.  I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.  If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.  Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,  because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.  Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.  It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.  But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

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Psalm 63
sacred poem or song
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(New King James Version)

Joy in the Fellowship of God

A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.

But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.

But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

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Psalm 116
sacred poem or song
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(New King James Version)

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death

I love the Lord, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.

 

The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
I will walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.
I believed, therefore I spoke,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
I said in my haste,
“All men are liars.”

What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me?
I will take up the cup of salvation,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord
Now in the presence of all His people.

Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His saints.

O Lord, truly I am Your servant;
I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows to the Lord
Now in the presence of all His people,
In the courts of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

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Thessalonians 5
victory
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(New International Version)

The Day of the Lord

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.  You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.  But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.  For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Final Instructions

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.  Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.  And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Brothers and sisters, pray for us.  Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.  I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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2 Peter 3
stone, rock
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The Coming Judgment

Beloved, this is now my second letter to you. Both of them are reminders to stir you to wholesome thinking by recalling what was foretold by the holy prophets and commanded by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. “Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”

But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world of that time perished in the flood.  And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

The Day of the Lord

\Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Final Exhortations

Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.

Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him.  He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.

Amen.

(Some Yin-Yang Alchemy)

Buddha’s Most Important Teachings

While there isn’t a single definitive “most important” teaching, the Four Noble Truths are considered the fundamental core of the Buddha’s message. They outline the nature of suffering and the path to its cessation.

Here’s a breakdown of the Four Noble Truths:

  1. The Noble Truth of Suffering (Dukkha): Life inherently involves suffering or dissatisfaction. This can range from physical and mental pain to the more subtle suffering caused by the impermanence of all things.
  2. The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering (Samudaya): Suffering arises from attachment or craving (taṇhā). People cling to things and experiences they desire, but because everything changes, this attachment leads to dissatisfaction.
  3. The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering (Nirodha): It is possible to end suffering by overcoming attachment and craving. This state of freedom from suffering is called Nirvana.
  4. The Noble Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering (Magga): This refers to the Noble Eightfold Path, a practical guide to achieving Nirvana.

The Noble Eightfold Path is a set of eight guidelines for living a mindful and ethical life:

  • Right View: Understanding the Four Noble Truths and the nature of reality.
  • Right Intention: Cultivating wholesome intentions and motivations, including non-violence and compassion.
  • Right Speech: Speaking truthfully and constructively, avoiding harmful language.
  • Right Action: Engaging in ethical behavior, such as avoiding killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct.
  • Right Livelihood: Earning a living in a way that doesn’t harm others.
  • Right Effort: Cultivating positive states of mind and working to overcome negative ones.
  • Right Mindfulness: Developing awareness of one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions in the present moment.
  • Right Concentration: Developing mental focus and concentration through meditation.

The Buddha’s teachings are also known as the Dharma, which encompasses not only his words but also the practice of the teachings and the realization of enlightenment. Ultimately, the Buddha’s message is that suffering can be overcome by understanding its causes and following the path to liberation.

Master’s Luopan

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You Were Never Meant to Follow Their Rules – Alan Watts on Natural Law

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=wp2vy7X7cpE

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcvTbladGsU
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I am the LORD, and there is no other.  I form the light and create the darkness;
I bring prosperity and create calamity.   I, the LORD, do all these things.

                                                                       –    Isaiah 45   “salvation of the Lord”   “salvation, deliverance

the reason for which all our actions aim.”  “the end, limit, goal, fulfillment, completion
end” “purpose” “goal” “revolve, move round; sojourn, dwell”   “turning point”   “ultimate object or aim

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Providence Has Favored Our Undertakings

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A New Order of the Ages Has Risen

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Do You Believe in Perspective?
Brick By Brick.”  A Common Foundation is Built.  Gradually.
These Words are From an Upright Heart, and My Lips Speak Sincerely of What I Know. 
The Only Thing I Ask is That You Look At What is Obvious.  Refute Me if you Can; Prepare Your Case and Confront Me. 
The People, Submit This Prayer & Petition Through God’s Perfect Words.  From the Holy Author of Our Religion.  Our Cornerstone.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cweJIWrLQ
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After the people saw the sign Jesus performed,
they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
–  John 6
(“Jehovah has favored”  “Jah is gracious”  “he was gracious“)

“It is easier for a tutor to command than to teach”
                                                                                            –  John Locke

The Facilitation of a Coordination of Efforts.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgVrlx68v-0
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Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 
Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard, their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
–  Psalm 19  “sacred poem or song

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬Jeremiah 32
may Jehovah exalt”  “the Lord casts, the Lord founds
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(New International Version)

Jeremiah Buys a Field

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.  The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah.

Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.  Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape the Babylonians but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes.  He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’ ”

Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me:  Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’

“Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’

“I knew that this was the word of the Lord;  so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver.  I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales.  I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy—  and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

“In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions:  ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.  For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’

“After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.  You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents’ sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord Almighty,  great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.  You performed signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours.  You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror.  You gave them this land you had sworn to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.  They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law; they did not do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster on them.

“See how the siege ramps are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague, the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said has happened, as you now see.  And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign Lord, say to me, ‘Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.’ ”

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:  “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?  Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it.  The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down, along with the houses where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.

“The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger with what their hands have made, declares the Lord.  From the day it was built until now, this city has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove it from my sight.  The people of Israel and Judah have provoked me by all the evil they have done—they, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem.  They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.  They set up their vile images in the house that bears my Name and defiled it.  They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.

“You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:  I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.  They will be my people, and I will be their God.  I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them.  I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.  I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.

“This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them.  Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’  Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”

 

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Hebrews 12
(“a biblical Jew Israelite” “one from the other side“)
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(New International Version)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

God Disciplines His Children

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?  If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!  They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.  “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Warning and Encouragement

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.  See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.  Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”  The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” 

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?  At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”  The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” 

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James 3
one that takes by the heel; a supplanter
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(New Internatinoal Version)

Taming the Tongue

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.  We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

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Psalm 32
sacred poem or song
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(King James Version)

The Providence of God

{A Psalm of David, Maschil.} Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

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Matthew 5
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,  and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,  leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.  Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’  But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’  But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;  or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. 

Eye for Eye

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’  But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.  And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.  If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.  Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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Micah 4
who is like the Lord
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(New International Version)

The Mountain of the Lord

In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established

as the highest of the mountains;

it will be exalted above the hills,

and peoples will stream to it.

Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion,

the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He will judge between many peoples

and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore.

Everyone will sit under their own vine

and under their own fig tree,

and no one will make them afraid,

for the Lord Almighty has spoken.

All the nations may walk

in the name of their gods,

but we will walk in the name of the Lord

our God for ever and ever.

The Lord’s Plan

“In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;

I will assemble the exiles

and those I have brought to grief.

I will make the lame my remnant,

those driven away a strong nation.

The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion

from that day and forever.

As for you, watchtower of the flock,

stronghold of Daughter Zion,

the former dominion will be restored to you;

kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.”

Why do you now cry aloud—

have you no king ?

Has your ruler perished,

that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?

Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,

like a woman in labor,

for now you must leave the city

to camp in the open field.

You will go to Babylon;

there you will be rescued.

There the Lord will redeem you

out of the hand of your enemies.

But now many nations

are gathered against you.

They say, “Let her be defiled,

let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

But they do not know

the thoughts of the Lord;

they do not understand his plan,

that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

“Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion,

for I will give you horns of iron;

I will give you hooves of bronze,

and you will break to pieces many nations.”

You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,

their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

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Isaiah 2
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

The Mountain of the Lord

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established

as the highest of the mountains;

it will be exalted above the hills,

and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion,

the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He will judge between the nations

and will settle disputes for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, descendants of Jacob,

let us walk in the light of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

You, Lord, have abandoned your people,

the descendants of Jacob.

They are full of superstitions from the East;

they practice divination like the Philistines

and embrace pagan customs.

Their land is full of silver and gold;

there is no end to their treasures.

Their land is full of horses;

there is no end to their chariots.

Their land is full of idols;

they bow down to the work of their hands,

to what their fingers have made.

So people will be brought low

and everyone humbled—

do not forgive them. 

Go into the rocks, hide in the ground

from the fearful presence of the Lord

and the splendor of his majesty!

The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled

and human pride brought low;

the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

The Lord Almighty has a day in store

for all the proud and lofty,

for all that is exalted

(and they will be humbled),

for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty,

and all the oaks of Bashan,

for all the towering mountains

and all the high hills,

for every lofty tower

and every fortified wall,

for every trading ship 

and every stately vessel.

The arrogance of man will be brought low

and human pride humbled;

the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,

and the idols will totally disappear.

People will flee to caves in the rocks

and to holes in the ground

from the fearful presence of the Lord

and the splendor of his majesty,

when he rises to shake the earth.

In that day people will throw away

to the moles and bats

their idols of silver and idols of gold,

which they made to worship.

They will flee to caverns in the rocks

and to the overhanging crags

from the fearful presence of the Lord

and the splendor of his majesty,

when he rises to shake the earth.

Stop trusting in mere humans,

who have but a breath in their nostrils.

Why hold them in esteem?

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Matthew 18
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Causing to Stumble

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.  Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!  If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.  And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Dealing With Sin in the Church

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.  But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’  If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’  The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.  He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.  When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’  In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

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Luke 21
( “tepid”  “warm”  “Bringer of light)
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(Christian Standard Bible)

The Widow’s Gift

He looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury.  He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins.  “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all of them.  For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

Destruction of the Temple Predicted

As some were talking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said,  “These things that you see — the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

“Teacher,” they asked him, “so when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place? ”

Then he said, “Watch out that you are not deceived.  For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them.  When you hear of wars and rebellions, don’t be alarmed. Indeed, it is necessary that these things take place first, but the end won’t come right away.”

Then he told them, “Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be violent earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.  This will give you an opportunity to bear witness.  Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time, for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.  You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you.  You will be hated by everyone because of my name,  but not a hair of your head will be lost.  By your endurance, gain your lives.

The Destruction  of Jerusalem

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that its desolation has come near.  Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.  Those inside the city must leave it, and those who are in the country must not enter it,  because these are days of vengeance to fulfill all the things that are written.  Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.  They will be killed by the sword and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

“Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the waves.  People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is near.”

The Parable of the Fig Tree

Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  As soon as they put out leaves you can see for yourselves and recognize that summer is already near.  In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.  Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Need for Watchfulness

“Be on your guard,  so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth.  But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”

During the day, he was teaching in the temple, but in the evening he would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives.  Then all the people would come early in the morning to hear him in the temple.

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Daniel 11
(“God is my judge” “he who judges“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Kings of the South and North

“And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up to strengthen and protect him.

Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.

Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases.  But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the authority with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.

The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority.

After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to seal the agreement. But his daughter will not retain her position of power, nor will his strength endure. At that time she will be given up, along with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.

But one from her family line will rise up in his place, come against the army of the king of the North, and enter his fortress, fighting and prevailing.  He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North, who will invade the realm of the king of the South and then return to his own land.

But his sons will stir up strife and assemble a great army, which will advance forcefully, sweeping through like a flood, and will again carry the battle as far as his fortress.  In a rage, the king of the South will march out to fight the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be delivered into the hand of his enemy.

When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be proud in heart and will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not triumph.  For the king of the North will raise another army, larger than the first, and after some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies.

In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they will fail.

Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their best troops will not be able to resist.  The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.  He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plan will not succeed or help him.

Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many of them. But a commander will put an end to his reproach and will turn it back upon him.  After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be no more.

In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or in battle.

In his place a despicable person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come in a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue.  Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant.

After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people.  In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time.

And with a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South, who will mobilize a very large and powerful army but will not withstand the plots devised against him.  Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain.

And the two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time.  The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will do damage and return to his own land.

At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time will not be like the first.  Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.

With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered.

Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely.  Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

The King Who Exalts Himself

Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished.  He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all.

And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.  He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land for a price.

At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood.  He will also invade the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. But these will be delivered from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites.

He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him.

But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction.  He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.

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1 Timothy 3
(“honor, respect”  “Honoring God“)
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(New International Version)

Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.  Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,  not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.  (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)  He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.  He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.  They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.  They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well.  Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Reasons for Paul’s Instructions

Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.  Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:

He appeared in the flesh,

was vindicated by the Spirit, 

was seen by angels,

was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory.

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Matthew 23
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

A Warning Against Hypocrisy

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:  “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.  They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;  they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.  And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.  The greatest among you will be your servant.  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’  You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?  You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’  You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?  Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.  And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it.  And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.  You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.  In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.  And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’  So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.  Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?  Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.  And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.  For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’  

Who is wise and understanding among you?
Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your
hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

                                                                                                –  James 3 (one that takes by the heel; a supplanter“)

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Daniel 4
God is my judge
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(New International Version)

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Tree

King Nebuchadnezzar,

To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth:

May you prosper greatly!

It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

How great are his signs,

how mighty his wonders!

His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;

his dominion endures from generation to generation.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous.  I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me.  So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.  When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.  Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)

I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me.  These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous.  The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth.  Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.

“In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven.  He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.  But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

“ ‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth.  Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.

“ ‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’

“This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets the Dream

Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!  The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth,  with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds— Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

“Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’

“This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king:  You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.  The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.  Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

The Dream Is Fulfilled

All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.  Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,  he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.  You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

His dominion is an eternal dominion;

his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All the peoples of the earth

are regarded as nothing.

He does as he pleases

with the powers of heaven

and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back his hand

or say to him: “What have you done?”

At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

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Romans 11
(“of Rome”)
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(New International Version)

The Remnant of Israel

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.  God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel:  “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me” ?  And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”  So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.  And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,  as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that could not see

and ears that could not hear,

to this very day.” 

And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution for them.

May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever.” 

Ingrafted Branches

Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.  But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.  For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?  If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.  You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”  Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble.  For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.  And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.  After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way e all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;

he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

And this is my covenant with them

when I take away their sins.” 

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.  Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you.  For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Doxology

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?” 

“Who has ever given to God,

that God should repay them?” 

For from him and through him and for him are all things.

To him be the glory forever! Amen.

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Luke 13
( “tepid”  “warm”  “Bringer of light)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

A Call to Repentance

At that time some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.  To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this fate? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.  Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed on them: Do you think that they were more sinful than all the others living in Jerusalem?  No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.  So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it.  If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’

Jesus Heals a Disabled Woman

One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,  and a woman there had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was hunched over and could not stand up straight.  When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your disability.”  Then He placed His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began to glorify God.

But the synagogue leader was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work,” he told the crowd. “So come and be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath.”

“You hypocrites!” the Lord replied. “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it to water? Then should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be released from her bondage on the Sabbath day?”

When Jesus said this, all His adversaries were humiliated. And the whole crowd rejoiced at all the glorious things He was doing.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man tossed into his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

The Parable of the Leaven

Again He asked, “To what can I compare the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”

The Narrow Door

Then Jesus traveled throughout the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way toward Jerusalem.  “Lord,” someone asked Him, “will only a few people be saved?”

Jesus answered,  “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.  After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’

But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’

Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

And he will answer, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves are thrown out.  People will come from east and west and north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.  And indeed, some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”

Lament over Jerusalem

At that very hour, some Pharisees came to Jesus and told Him, “Leave this place and get away, because Herod wants to kill You.”

But Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’  Nevertheless, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day, for it is not admissible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!  Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’

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Genesis 37
generation, nativity,  Origin, Creation, race, birth, descent, give-birth, beget”
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(New International Version)

Joseph’s Dreams

Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.

This is the account of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate  robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:  We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”  His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.”

“Very well,” he replied.

So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”

“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’ ”

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other.  “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.  “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.

So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels  of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”

Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.  They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”

Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him.

Meanwhile, the Midianites  sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

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John 15
Jehovah has favored”   “he was gracious
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(New International Version)

The Vine and the Branches

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.  This is my command: Love each other.

The World Hates the Disciples

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’   If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.  They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.  Whoever hates me hates my Father as well.  If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.  But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ 

The Work of the Holy Spirit

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.  And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

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 Jeremiah 23
may Jehovah exalt.”  “the Lord casts, the Lord founds,

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(New International Version)

The Righteous Branch

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LordTherefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord.  “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.  I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,

“when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,

a King who will reign wisely

and do what is just and right in the land.

In his days Judah will be saved

and Israel will live in safety.

This is the name by which he will be called:

The Lord Our Righteous Savior.

“So then, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’  but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”

Lying Prophets

Concerning the prophets:

My heart is broken within me;

all my bones tremble.

I am like a drunken man,

like a strong man overcome by wine,

because of the Lord

and his holy words.

The land is full of adulterers;

because of the curse the land lies parched

and the pastures in the wilderness are withered.

The prophets follow an evil course

and use their power unjustly.

“Both prophet and priest are godless;

even in my temple I find their wickedness,”

declares the Lord.

“Therefore their path will become slippery;

they will be banished to darkness

and there they will fall.

I will bring disaster on them

in the year they are punished,”

declares the Lord.

“Among the prophets of Samaria

I saw this repulsive thing:

They prophesied by Baal

and led my people Israel astray.

And among the prophets of Jerusalem

I have seen something horrible:

They commit adultery and live a lie.

They strengthen the hands of evildoers,

so that not one of them turns from their wickedness.

They are all like Sodom to me;

the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”

Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets:

“I will make them eat bitter food

and drink poisoned water,

because from the prophets of Jerusalem

ungodliness has spread throughout the land.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you;

they fill you with false hopes.

They speak visions from their own minds,

not from the mouth of the Lord.

They keep saying to those who despise me,

‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’

And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts

they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’

But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord

to see or to hear his word?

Who has listened and heard his word?

See, the storm of the Lord

will burst out in wrath,

a whirlwind swirling down

on the heads of the wicked.

The anger of the Lord will not turn back

until he fully accomplishes

the purposes of his heart.

In days to come

you will understand it clearly.

I did not send these prophets,

yet they have run with their message;

I did not speak to them,

yet they have prophesied.

But if they had stood in my council,

they would have proclaimed my words to my people

and would have turned them from their evil ways

and from their evil deeds.

“Am I only a God nearby,”

declares the Lord,

“and not a God far away?

Who can hide in secret places

so that I cannot see them?”

declares the Lord.

“Do not I fill heaven and earth?”

declares the Lord.

“I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’  How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?  They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship.  Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord.  “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

“Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me.  Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’  Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord.

False Prophecy

“When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message from the Lord?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake you, declares the Lord.’  If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ I will punish them and their household.  This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’  But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God.  This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’  Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’  Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors.  I will bring on you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”

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Isaiah 11
(“salvation of the Lord,“)
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The Branch From Jesse

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and of might,

the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord

and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

or decide by what he hears with his ears;

but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;

with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Righteousness will be his belt

and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the cobra’s den,

and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.  In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush,  from Elam, from Babylonia,  from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.

He will raise a banner for the nations

and gather the exiles of Israel;

he will assemble the scattered people of Judah

from the four quarters of the earth.

Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish,

and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed;

Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,

nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.

They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west;

together they will plunder the people to the east.

They will subdue Edom and Moab,

and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

The Lord will dry up

the gulf of the Egyptian sea;

with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand

over the Euphrates River.

He will break it up into seven streams

so that anyone can cross over in sandals.

There will be a highway for the remnant of his people

that is left from Assyria,

as there was for Israel

when they came up from Egypt.

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Luke 6
( “tepid”  “warm”  “Bringer of light)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

The Lord of the Sabbath

One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them.  But some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?  He entered the house of God, took the consecrated bread and gave it to his companions, and ate what is lawful only for the priests to eat.”

Then Jesus declared, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

On another Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.

But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and stand among us.” So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” And after looking around at all of them, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and it was restored.

But the scribes and Pharisees were filled with rage and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles

In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.  When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles:  Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;  Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alphaeus and Simon called the Zealot;  Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Heals the Multitudes

Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon.  They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases, and those troubled by unclean spirits were healed.  The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.

The Beatitudes

Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For their fathers treated the prophets in the same way.

Woes to the Satisfied

But woe to you who are rich,

for you have already received your comfort.

Woe to you who are well fed now,

for you will hunger.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

for their fathers treated the false prophets in the same way.

Love Your Enemies

But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.  If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?  How can you say, ‘Brother,  let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while you yourself fail to see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles.  The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

The House on the Rock

Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I say?  I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the torrent crashed against that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

But the one who hears My words and does not act on them is like a man who built his house on ground without a foundation. The torrent crashed against that house, and immediately it fell—and great was its destruction!”

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsEZmictANA
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every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
                                        –  Matthew  7  (“gift of Jehovah”)

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Outside of The United Nations Building.

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Removing the Rancor in the Troubled Hearts of Modern Man.  The Unclean Spirit Which is So Pervasive in this Dark and Twisted Generation.

 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?  “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,  according to what their deeds deserve.”  Like a partridge that hatches eggs
it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means.  When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,
and in the end they will prove to be fools. A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning,
is the place of our sanctuary.
–  Jeremiah 17   may Jehovah exalt”  “the Lord casts, the Lord founds

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Interior Lobby of The United Nations Building

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Of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
May the People Enjoy Abundant Peace & Security Under Your Leadership.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJOgTMP8cs4
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An oracle is in my heart regarding the transgression of the wicked man: There is no fear of God
before his eyes. 
For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin.   The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
he has ceased to be wise and well-doing. Even on his bed he plots wickedness; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he fails to reject evil.
                                                                      –  Psalm 36  sacred poem or song

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUkHhVYv3jU
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A Way of Life & Small Measure of Peace.

International Resource Management and Economic Automation.

May the Dream of Adequate Global Government Be Realized.  May The People Finally Live Life & Have it to the Fullest.
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A Prophetic Oracle

Messages From God/Universe/Higher Intelligence Expressed by Divine Inspiration Through a Messenger, Prophet, Priest or Priestess.
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He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”
–  Isaiah  2   “salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance

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Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus

by: Theodor de Bry

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Such will be the old age of the world: irreverence, disorder, disregard for everything good. When all this comes to pass, Asclepius, then the master and father, the god whose power is primary, governor of the first god, will look on this conduct and these willful crimes, and in an act of will – which is god’s benevolence – he will take his stand against the vices and the perversion in everything, righting wrongs, washing away malice in a flood or consuming it in fire or ending it by spreading pestilential disease everywhere. Then he will restore the world to its beauty of old so that the world itself will again seem deserving of worship and wonder, and with constant benedictions and proclamations of praise the people of that time will honor the god who makes and restores so great a work. And this will be the geniture of the world: a reformation of all good things and a restitution, most holy and most reverent, of nature itself, reordered in the course of time 〈but through an act of will,〉 which is and was everlasting and without beginning. For god’s will has no beginning; it remains the same, everlasting in its present state. God’s nature is deliberation; will is the supreme goodness.”

(Citation Source)
HERMETICA
The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin
Asclepius in a new English translation, with
notes and introduction
BRIAN P. COPENHAVER
Pg. 165

Ark of the Covenant

The Holy Grail

Heuristic Algorithms


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Heuristics” is a Problem-Solving Approach that Uses Shortcuts or Guidelines to Find a Solution.
This Proposal may not explore the entire solution space or find all possible solutions, but it can offer good approximations.
Rules of Thumb or Educated Guesses to Find Good, Though Not Necessarily Optimal, Solutions in a Reasonable Amount of Time.
Heuristic Algorithms are favored for complex or large problems  where finding the perfect solution is computationally expensive or impractical.
Heuristics Trade Off the Guarantee of an Optimal Solution for Faster Execution Times.  Heuristics Prioritize Efficiency and Practicality Over Absolute Accuracy.
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Scheduling Reconstruction in a Production Environment.
Optimizing Resource Allocations  : Sequence Alignment  :  Facility Locations  :  Logistics  :  Network Design.  :  Industrial Control Repairs.
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Expeditions of Discovery.
Serving to Discover.  “Finding Out.”  Devise.  Invent.  Gain.  Procure. Get.
Proceeding to a Solution by Trial and Error or by Rules that are Only Loosely Defined.
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Isaiah 55
salvation of the Lord”  “salvation, deliverance”
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(New International Version)

Invitation to the Thirsty

“Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and you will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me;

listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

my faithful love promised to David.

See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

a ruler and commander of the peoples.

Surely you will summon nations you know not,

and nations you do not know will come running to you,

because of the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendor.”

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways

and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,

for an everlasting sign,

that will endure forever.”

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Malachi 1
my messenger
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(New International Version)

A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. 

Israel Doubts God’s Love

“I have loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”

But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.  You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’

Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices

“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.

“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.

“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

“By offering defiled food on my altar.

“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible.  When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.

“Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty.

“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.  My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

“But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.’  And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty.

“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord.  “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.

The Secretary General of the United Nations

His Excellency

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António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres

beyond praise”  “praised”  “priceless” “flower”  “God is with us” 
of”  “from”  “olive tree” “olive”  “son of Walter”  “ruler of the army”  “power”  “warrior

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There is no hunting like the hunting of man
and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.
                                            – Earnest Hemmingway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbQgXeY_zi4
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Your Excellency,

We Seem to Have Things Strangely Confused In the Mind.
Let Us Do Away with the Finger Pointing and Malicious Talk.  The Yoke of Oppression.
A Mandate from the Masses Not to Join Into the General Lamentations and Get Ourselves All Churned Up.
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The President of the United Nations General Assembly

Her Excellency

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Annalena Charlotte Alma Baerbock

grace”  “favor”  “light”  “torch”  “bright”  “shining”  “freeman”  “nurturing”  “soul”  
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGCaC3-0Ykw
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United Nations Ambassadors to the Public

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The whole world is divided for me into two parts: one is she,
and there is all happiness, hope, light; the other is where she is not, and there is dejection and darkness…
                                                                                                                    –  Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSif77IVQdY
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My Light.  My Life.  My Love.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.”
                                        –  Matthew  5  & 12  (“gift of Jehovah”)

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The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland

God Save the King.

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It Is Written
East and West Geo-Political Relations.  Shadow’s Mirror.  For the Best Between Both Worlds.  Inner Sanctuaries Behind the Veil.
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Test and prove what pleases the Lord… Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
–  Ephesians 5 (BSB)  (“overseer“)

The  King & Queen of Great Britain

His and Her Majesty

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King Charles III and Queen Camilla

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It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;  to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,  so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.  Remove the dross from the silver, 
and a silversmith can produce a vessel;  remove wicked officials from the king’s presence, 
and his throne will be established through righteousness.
                          –   Proverbs 25  A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-0MndwZDGw
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuZjgIiaMTw
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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

May it Please Your Majesty,

The Precedent of the Ancients.
A Place For Adding More to the Things of this Life.
Sports and Pastimes of the People of the United Kingdom.
General Fan Fare of the Common Man.  Anything But Ordinary.
A Vision To Help Improve The Relationship Between the Leadership & The People.
If You Would Issue Certain Letters of Patent Which Would Protect the Rights of the People.
Because We Need a Place Where We Can Go.  To Reconcile “The People” to The Crown & To Make The People Feel Good.
Ceremonies of Freedom With an Abundance of Fire and Wood.  Appointed Festivals of Life of Rich & Plenty.  A Fountain of Living Water.
Where the Wild Things Are.  May The Honor The People & The Honor of the King Become One.  To Rally to the Crown.  Not Replaced In One’s Own Country.

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Stars and Stripes Forever | US Marine Corps Band | The Bands of HM Royal Marines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez7KIVLtMUA
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HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE

Shamed be Whoever Thinks Ill of It

DIEU ET MON DROIT

God and my right’

God Save the King

The Age of Chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded; and the glory of Europe is extinguished for ever.
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist.
Liberty does not exist in the absence of morality.
Man is by his constitution a religious animal.
– Edmond Burke
(The man often considered the father of modern conservatism)

Confrence at Yalta

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkukWL1yDTg

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For Your Consideration,
The People Call For Intercession.  Proposals at Stonehenge.
A Meeting of People, At a Certain Place.  A Certain Time.  Under Certain Circumstances.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4caBXX7NJM

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Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

A Singular Cooperative Purpose, Interwoven With One Another.  For the Common Good.
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From  :    We the People
To  :  The United Nations Security Council & General Assembly.  Those Holders of Power & Responsibility.  World Leaders:  Rulers of Peoples.  Military Commanders of Armies.  
Subject
Nuclear Disarmament.  The Culmination of the Ages.  A Crucible and Requiem for Economic and Social Progress.
Why?  :  The People Are Toothless & Clawless.  Against all the Intransigence, Equivocation & Prevarication.  The Obfuscation of Responsibility.
What? :  Prolonged Disputes Over Fundamental Issues.  Self-Interest Corruption.  The Delight in False Humility.
What Do You Want?  :  Leaders Who Are Strong Enough to Take the Blame When they Make a Mistake.  Leaders Who Not so Corrupt.  Obstinate & Unreliable.  Leaders Who Confess Their Transgressions.  To Openly Confess what they had Done.  Sin, Confession, Redemption.  Reconciliation.  Absolution.  The Breaking of Bread.  Moments of Shared Understanding.  Moments of Sincere Prayer Together in One Place.  Hearts Rejoice.
Points of Negotiation  :  Nuclear Disarmament.  Ghosts.  Aliens.  Abnormal Activity.  Nuclear Attack Submarines.  Whatever it is Your Hiding in Antarctica.
(“You can Trust me with a Secret Bro.“)  Mineral Reserve Mines.

 


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Pursuant to Article #33, #51 of the United Nations Charter,
We the People Formally Request Third Party Arbitration of Our Disputes.
Furthermore, Pursuant to Chapter VI, nominate Mark David Rich as an “Impartial Coordinator.”  An “Intercessor.
As Payment for this Sacred Responsibility, The People Bring Forth this Work of Education as an Offering and a Contribution to Humanity’s Collective Awakening.
Regarding the Art and Science of Government.  Affairs of State.  A Political, Religious and Philosophical Exposition for the Successive Advancement of the Human Mind.
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For your Consideration,
Guidance and Sound Instruction from a Superior Intelligence.

Words and Wisdom that None of Your Adversaries Will be Able to Resist or Contradict.
So That You May be Proved Right When you Speak and Prevail When you Judge.
If You Were to Accept This Coming Pattern of Teaching Which has Now Claimed your Allegiance.
This doctrine is sound and true and in full conformity with the nature and essence of the charter of the United Nations. ( https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text )
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Periodic Visits at Times Agreed Upon.
Consultations with the Administering Authority.
Actions in Conformity With the Terms of the Trusteeship Agreements.
The People are to Host a Gathering of People to Meet at a Certain Time, at a Certain Place, Under Certain Conditions.
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An Impartial Interpretation of the Times. 
An Objective & Impartial Assessment of the Developing Situation.
An Analysis for Advancing Political Dialog and Relevant Solutions to Actors.
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ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬
The People’s “Intercession.
Pilgrimage to Paradise.  A “Special Civil Operation
For the Settlement of Prolonged Disputes Over Fundamental Issues
We Ask That You Please Uphold this Just Cause.  To Say Yes and Nod at Our Audacious Undertakings.

Civil Defense.  A Diplomatic Effort For Addressing Threats Against International Peace and Security.  The People’s Protection Mechanism.
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ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬
Is Balance Weakness?  Peace is Not Balance Here. 
Weapons are for the Weak
This is not about dominance or Herois but inevitability.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
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ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬
Built Using These Perfect Words Based From the Holy Author of Our Religion
The People Take Our Stand and Impose These Obligations for Non-Proliferation.  An Ancient Earth Custom.
We Formulate the Following Mandate of Intercession.  A Biblical Covenant for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
A System of Measures and Line of Conduct Which a Ruler, Minister, Government, or Party Adopts as Best for the Interests of a Country in Domestic
and Foreign Affairs. 
An Irrevocable Living Trust, a Crucible & Requiem of New Politics.  Here-in After Referred to As  Τ έ λ ο ς  “TELOS”
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ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬
The People ask for strong leaders who do not demand from others sacrifices they would never be called upon to make themselves.
We Ask for the Creation of a Political Move So Sweeping as to Immortalize the Reign and Legacy of All Involved.
Regarding the Hour of Trial That is Going to Come on the Whole World to Test the Inhabitants of the Earth.
We Ask That Our Leaders Are Strong Enough to Take the Blame When they are Wrong.
Why?  Because It is important That We Keep Ourselves on our Mettle.
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Theurgic Secssio Plebis  –  A Dispositive Motion  –  Pre-Healing Circle.

 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vabnZ9-ex7o

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Ark of the Covenant

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Proverbs 21
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(Berean Standard Bible)

The King’s Heart

The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD;

He directs it where He pleases.

All a man’s ways seem right to him,

but the LORD weighs the heart.

To do righteousness and justice

is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart—

the guides of the wicked—are sin.

The plans of the diligent bring plenty,

as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Making a fortune by a lying tongue

is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit.

The violence of the wicked will sweep them away

because they refuse to do what is just.

The way of a guilty man is crooked,

but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

Better to live on a corner of the roof

than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

The soul of the wicked man craves evil;

his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;

and when a wise man is instructed, he acquires knowledge.

The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked

and brings the wicked to ruin.

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,

he too shall cry out and receive no answer.

A gift in secret soothes anger,

and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.

Justice executed is a joy to the righteous,

but a terror to the workers of iniquity.

The man who strays from the path of understanding

will rest in the assembly of the dead.

He who loves pleasure will become poor;

the one who loves wine and oil will never be rich.

The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,

and the faithless for the upright.

Better to live in the desert

than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.

Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise,

but a foolish man consumes them.

He who pursues righteousness and loving devotion

finds life, righteousness, and honor.

A wise man scales the city of the mighty

and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.

He who guards his mouth and tongue

keeps his soul from distress.

Mocker is the name of the proud and arrogant man—

of him who acts with excessive pride.

The craving of the slacker kills him

because his hands refuse to work.

All day long he covets more,

but the righteous give without restraint.

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—

how much more so when brought with ill intent!

A lying witness will perish,

but the man who listens to truth will speak forever.

A wicked man hardens his face,

but the upright man makes his way sure.

There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel

that can prevail against the LORD.

A horse is prepared for the day of battle,

but victory is of the LORD.

Hebrews 13

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Proverbs 21
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New International Version)

In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water

that he channels toward all who please him.

A person may think their own ways are right,

but the Lord weighs the heart.

To do what is right and just

is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart—

the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

The plans of the diligent lead to profit

as surely as haste leads to poverty.

A fortune made by a lying tongue

is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.

The violence of the wicked will drag them away,

for they refuse to do what is right.

The way of the guilty is devious,

but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

The wicked crave evil;

their neighbors get no mercy from them.

When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;

by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.

The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked

and brings the wicked to ruin.

Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor

will also cry out and not be answered.

A gift given in secret soothes anger,

and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.

When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous

but terror to evildoers.

Whoever strays from the path of prudence

comes to rest in the company of the dead.

Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;

whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.

The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,

and the unfaithful for the upright.

Better to live in a desert

than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.

The wise store up choice food and olive oil,

but fools gulp theirs down.

Whoever pursues righteousness and love

finds life, prosperity and honor.

One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty

and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

Those who guard their mouths and their tongues

keep themselves from calamity.

The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name—

behaves with insolent fury.

The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,

because his hands refuse to work.

All day long he craves for more,

but the righteous give without sparing.

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—

how much more so when brought with evil intent!

A false witness will perish,

but a careful listener will testify successfully.

The wicked put up a bold front,

but the upright give thought to their ways.

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan

that can succeed against the Lord.

The horse is made ready for the day of battle,

but victory rests with the Lord.

Proverbs 29

Galatians 6

Romans 15

1 Timothy 6

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The Dissolution of Parliament

By:  Oliver Cromwell  (April 20, 1653)
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“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter’d your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil’d this sacred place, and turn’d the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress’d, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go!

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Psalm 20
(sacred poem or song.)
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Berean Standard Bible

The Day of Trouble

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

May He send you help from the sanctuary

and sustain you from Zion.

May He remember all your gifts

and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

Selah

May He give you the desires of your heart

and make all your plans succeed.

May we shout for joy at your victory

and raise a banner in the name of our God.

May the LORD grant all your petitions.

Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;

He answers him from His holy heaven

with the saving power of His right hand.

Some trust in chariots and others in horses,

but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

They collapse and fall,

but we rise up and stand firm.

O LORD, save the king.

Answer us on the day we call.

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2 Corinthians 5
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Awaiting the New Body

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.  For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  For we live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.  We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.  If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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2 Corinthians 8
(“Point Peak.“)
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(New International Version)

The Collection for the Lord’s People

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,  they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.  So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.  But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you  —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.   For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.   Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.  For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality,  as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”

Titus Sent to Receive the Collection

Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.  For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.  And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.  What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.  We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift.  For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.

In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.  As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.  Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkukWL1yDTg

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuZjgIiaMTw

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9nmSJ3gesE

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The Hosts of the Heavens” 

Conforming Honors, Dignities & Counsels.

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As It is Written The Creation of the Paradise of God.  A Place Where All the Nations Can Gather Together.  A Place Where The Peoples Can Assemble.
Bringing Together Governments, Private Companies, Academia, & Civil Society by Facilitating a Summit of the Future.
The People, Request an Audience with High-Ranking Military Officers and The Prominent Men of The Cities.
We The People, Request An Earthly Sanctuary To Fill the Appetites of Our Souls With the Spirit of God.
We The People, Wish to Constitute A New and Elevated Soul For a New Humanity.
Who Has Woe?  Who Has Sorrow?  Who Has Strife?  Who Has Complaints?
This is a King’s Challenge to He That Hath Wisdom and Understanding.
We Who Seek God, Bring Salvation to Those Who Are Waiting for Him.
We the People, Bring An Offering.  To Create a Company of Peoples.
That we may possess the land where We dwell as a foreigner.
For the Sins the People Had Committed in Ignorance. 
Who Has Needless Bruises?  Who Has Bloodshot Eyes?
An Immovable Rock for All the Nations.
For The Purification of the Nations.
Essence of Life & a Giving Spirit.
The Righteous Kingdom.
Both Formal & Natural.
Earthly Sanctuary.

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Leviticus 23
joining,, pledging, attached,” “he joined
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(New International Version)

The Appointed Festivals

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.

The Sabbath

“ ‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.

The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread

“ ‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times:  The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.  On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast.  On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.  For seven days present a food offering to the Lord. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.’ ”

Offering the Firstfruits

The Lord said to Moses,  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.  He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.  On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the Lord a lamb a year old without defect,  together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil—a food offering presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine.  You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.

The Festival of Weeks

“ ‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks.  Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord.  From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord.  Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.  Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering.  The priest is to wave the two lambs before the Lord as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the Lord for the priest.  On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.

“ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.’ ”

The Festival of Trumpets

The Lord said to Moses,  “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.  Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.’ ”

The Day of Atonement

The Lord said to Moses,  “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present a food offering to the Lord.  Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God.  Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people.  I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day.  You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.  It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”

The Festival of Tabernacles

The Lord said to Moses,  “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days.  The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work.  For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.

(“ ‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day.  These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord.)

“ ‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest.  On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.  Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month.  Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’ ”

So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed festivals of the Lord.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬Song of Solomon 6
peace”  “peaceful
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Together in the Garden

The Friends

Where has your beloved gone,

O most beautiful among women?

Which way has he turned?

We will seek him with you.

The Bride

My beloved has gone down to his garden,

to the beds of spices,

to pasture his flock in the gardens

and to gather lilies.

I belong to my beloved and he belongs to me;

he pastures his flock among the lilies.

The Bridegroom

You are as beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah,

as lovely as Jerusalem,

as majestic as troops with banners.

Turn your eyes away from me,

for they have overcome me.

Your hair is like a flock of goats

streaming down from Gilead.

Your teeth are like a flock of sheep

coming up from the washing;

each has its twin,

and not one of them is lost.

Your brow behind your veil

is like a slice of pomegranate.

There are sixty queens and eighty concubines,

and maidens without number,

but my dove, my perfect one, is unique,

the favorite of the mother who bore her.

The maidens see her and call her blessed;

the queens and concubines sing her praises.

The Friends

Who is this who shines like the dawn,

as fair as the moon,

as bright as the sun,

as majestic as the stars in procession?

The Bridegroom

I went down to the walnut grove

to see the blossoms of the valley,

to see if the vines were budding

or the pomegranates were in bloom.

Before I realized it, my desire had set me

among the royal chariots of my people.

The Friends

Come back, come back, O Shulammite!

Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you.

The Bridegroom

Why do you look at the Shulammite,

as on the dance of Mahanaim?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2AitTPI5U0

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Isaiah 55
salvation of the Lord”  “salvation, deliverance”
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(New International Version)

Invitation to the Thirsty

“Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and you will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me;

listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

my faithful love promised to David.

See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

a ruler and commander of the peoples.

Surely you will summon nations you know not,

and nations you do not know will come running to you,

because of the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendor.”

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways

and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,

for an everlasting sign,

that will endure forever.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6q5ohaPamY

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We The People,

Under a Federal Authority. 
Establish a Semi-Independent Political Entity
Telos” as One of the Bodies Politic Which Together Make up a Federal Republic.

In Trust & Acquaintance

With The Word.

Speak up for those
who cannot speak for themselves.
Not to deprive the oppressed of all their rights. 

Convey This Knowledge

With Understanding

Speak up and judge fairly;
On Behalf of all who are destitute. 
Defend the rights of the poor and needy.

In Order to Bestowing Blessings

With regards to government, prosperity etc. 
The  condition (or Existence) of the Republic.
To set in a position and declare in words
placing” the “condition of a country

Treasure Island.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhs6dJhpTQw
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–yjo-vAG5g
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People will come
from east and west and north and south,
and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.

Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.
                                                –  Luke 13 ( “tepid”  “warm”  “Bringer of light)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXsWn9DhF5g
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People will come
from east and west and north and south,
and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.

Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.
                                                –  Luke 13 ( “tepid”  “warm”  “Bringer of light)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pELRE3TubX8
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qx2lMaMsl8
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Transformed.
A Place of Refuge and Strength to Make Wars Cease Throughout the Earth. 

There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns.  Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice.  The LORD of Hosts is with us.
–    Psalm 46 (“sacred poem or song“)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaPf-MRKITg
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The Entrance to the Tent of Meeting

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They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord
on horses and chariots, in litters, and on mules and camels, to my holy mountain
                                                                                         –  Isaiah 66  (Christian Standard Bible)

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Enoch

Lithograph by William Blake  (1803 – 1807)

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Enoch is a person in the Book of Genesis.   He is described as a son of Cain, and father of Irad and Methuselah
Enoch is the subject of many Jewish and Christian traditions. He was considered the author of the Book of Enoch and also called the scribe of judgment. 
In the New Testament, Enoch is referenced in the Gospel of Luke, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and in the Epistle of Jude, the last of which also quotes from it. 
In the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Oriental Orthodoxy, he is venerated as a saint. In Islam, Enoch is identified with Idris (Arabic: إدريس, romanized: ʾIdrīs) and is considered a prophet.

There are few details about Enoch. We learn that he lived 365 years, and then Enoch “walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5:24)    Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enoch_(son_of_Cain)

After the birth of Enoch, the Hebrew text of Genesis 4:17 is unclear. Either Cain built a city and named it after the mighty Enoch, or else Enoch built a city.[1] In the King James Bible, the text makes it clear that Cain built the city and named it after his son.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAGGEw4TcFY&t=93s

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X9LvC9WkkQ

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smdqe2eluEI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eahs1H9tdcU

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1, 2, 3, 4, ….. 77.
Now Let Us Proceed.
We Are Rapidly Approaching a Moment of Truth.
Time for a New Game.  The Real Performance is About to Begin.
The Fulcrum That Is To Play The Central or Essential Role in an Activity, Event, or Situation.

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Russia

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It is Written.
East and West Geo-Political Relations.  “Shadow’s Mirror.”  For the Best Between Both Worlds.  Inner Sanctuaries Beyond the Veil.
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Test and prove what pleases the Lord… Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
–  Ephesians 5 (BSB)  (“overseer“)

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The Kremlin

Headquarters Building of the Department of Defense of Russia

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mghstveEzYg
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For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.
The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations;  He thwarts the devices of the peoples.  The counsel of the LORD stands forever. 
the purposes of His heart to all generations.  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,  the people He has chosen as His inheritance!
The LORD looks down from heaven;  He sees all the sons of men. From His dwelling place He gazes on all who inhabit the earth.  He shapes the hearts of each;
He considers all their works.  No king is saved by his vast army;  no warrior is delivered by his great strength.  A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.
                                                                                  –  Psalm 33   sacred poem or song

The Head of State & President of Russia

His Excellency : Comrade Supreme Commander

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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin

Владимир Путин

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I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘
My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’  From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

                                                                       –  Isaiah 46  salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance

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Vladimir Putin’s Landmark Speech

On February 10th 2007 at 43rd Munich Security Conference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ58Yv6kP44&t=123s

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Your Excellency,

Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ


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For Your Consideration
A Biblical Assessment of the Situation.
As it is Written From the Holy Author of Our Religion.  A Sober and True Interpretation of The Times.
To Address How Humanity Might Survive This Technological Adolescence Without Us Destroying Ourselves.
At This Moment of Mutually Assured Destruction.  We Need a Resolution Before We Fight to Our Mutual Extinction.  The Perpetual Threat Inflation.
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All This Pain, Making People Numb.
But I Can Still Feel.   There are Truths Which Pain Hides.
Is That the Light at the End of the Tunnel or Just the Train?
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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAZC4oe9VM0

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Russia’s Security Council

Совет безопасности Российской Федерации

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So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
–  Matthew 7  (“Gift of Jehovah“)

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Leave Room For Jesus

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The Apotheosis of The Reign of Catherine II

By :  Gregorio Guglielmi

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In the centre of the composition is Catherine II surrounded by the gods of Olympus, (Notice Hermes)
Christian saints, and allegorical figures of the virtues, the liberal arts, and vanquished people.
Two eagles – emblems of the Russian Empire – are depicted at the bottom right.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H4l9RpkwM

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the end, limit, goal, fulfillment, completion”   the reason for which all our actions aim.”
end” “purpose” “goal” “revolve, move round; sojourn, dwell”   “turning point”   “ultimate object or aim

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fYRKMdcR2k

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For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,  
and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

–  Colossians 2    gigantic statue”   “any thing of awesome greatness or vastness”   the idea of setting up a sacred space or shrine.

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I Tell You The Future

Before It Happens Just Like Magic

The Word Which Was Ordained For a Thousand Generations Proved Right.

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The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own.
Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.
Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves.
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because
I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.   
If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.
John 14 (New International Version) “gift of jehova

Mark  David  Rich

To Denote”     “Beloved”     “Wealth
To Remove”    “Abhorrent”   “Poor

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NRXx6U8ABQ

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A Proclamation to The Nations.
Come Now.  Let Us Settle the Matter.
All Demographics Have Been Represented Here.
Therefore Do What We Say or We Shall Bring Democracy to Your Country.
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I don’t represent popular opinion, I represent the public
                                             –  Theodore Roosevelt

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDKwCvD56kw
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Special Emissary
A person or persons authorized to represent or act for others.  The authority to represent or act for another or others 
Regarding the distinction between representing the collective will of the people rather than simply reflecting popular sentiment. 
Suggesting the commitment to act in the best interests of the citizenry, even if those actions are not universally popular at the moment.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cweJIWrLQ

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Jude 1
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(New King James Version)

Greeting to the Called

Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,

To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Contend for the Faith

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.  For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Old and New Apostates

But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.  And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.  Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”  But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.  Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Apostates Predicted

These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.  But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.  These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

Maintain Your Life with God

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Glory to God

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.

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A Ministry of Reconciliation, Healing & Creation

The world hangs on a thin thread and that is the psyche of man.
                                                –           Carl Jung
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          “Healing may be called a religious problem. In the sphere of social or national relations the state of suffering may be civil war and this state is to be cured by the Christian virtue of forgiveness and love of one’s enemies. That which we recommend with the conviction of good Christians as applicable to external situations we must also apply inwardly in the treatment of neurosis. This is why modern man has heard enough about guilt and sin. He is sorely beset by his own bad conscience. And wants rather to know how he is to reconcile himself with his own nature how he is to love the enemy in his own heart, and call the Wolf his brother. The modern man does not want to know in what way he can imitate Christ, but in what way he can live his own individual life, however meager and uninteresting it may be. It is because every form of imitation, seems to him deadening and sterile — that he rebels against the force of tradition that would hold him to well trodden ways. All such roads for him lead in the wrong direction. He may not know it, but he behaves as if his own individual life were God’s special will which must be fulfilled at all costs. This is the source of his egoism, which is one of the most tangible evils of the neurotic state. But the person who tells him he is too egoistic has already lost his confidence and rightly so, for that person has driven him still into his neurosis (“functional derangement arising from disorders of the nervous system (not caused by a lesion or injury” “The change in the nerve cells of the brain resulting in symptoms of stress,” but not radical loss of touch with reality”) If I wish to effect a cure for my patients, I am forced to acknowledge the deep significance of that egoism. I should be blind indeed if I did not recognize it as a true will of God. I must even help the patient to prevail in his egoism if he succeeds in this he estranges himself from other people. He drives them away and they come to themselves as they should for they were seeking to rob him of his sacred egoism. This must be left of him. For it is his strongest and healthiest power. It is as I have said a true will of God, but sometimes drives him into complete isolation. However wretched this state may be it also stands him in good stead. For in this way alone can he get to know himself and learn what an invaluable treasure is the love of his fellow beings. It is moreover only in the state of complete abandonment and loneliness that we experience the helpful powers of our own natures.”

Interview with Carl Jung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqfL94VtSJ8 

A Deniable Asset.
For All These High Steaks Situations.
I’m Getting Too Old for This $H!%…    Suicidal Brinksmanship.

I’ve Done Cooked this Pig.
Can We Move this Along?  I’ve Heard Stories About You.Appropriate and Good for the Community at this Moment in Time.  What is Socially Useful and Fitting.
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 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore
.”
–  Isaiah  2   “salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUNxS-Yb2GI

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Ecclesiastes 3
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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(New International Version)

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

What do workers gain from their toil?  I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet  no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

Whatever is has already been,

and what will be has been before;

and God will call the past to account. 

And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,

in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment

both the righteous and the wicked,

for there will be a time for every activity,

a time to judge every deed.”

I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.  Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath ; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless.  All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.  Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

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1 Corinthians 4
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

The Nature of True Apostleship

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.  I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.  Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.  For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!  For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.  We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!  To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.  We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;  when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.  Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.  Therefore I urge you to imitate me.  For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.  But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.  What do you prefer?  Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

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James 2
one that takes by the heel; a supplanter
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(New International Version)

Favoritism Forbidden

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”  have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?  But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?  Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.”  If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Deeds

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.  You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

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Ecclesiastes 9
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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(New International Version)

A Common Destiny for All

So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.  All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,  the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good,

so with the sinful;

as it is with those who take oaths,

so with those who are afraid to take them.

This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.  Anyone who is among the living has hope  —even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

For the living know that they will die,

but the dead know nothing;

they have no further reward,

and even their name is forgotten.

Their love, their hate

and their jealousy have long since vanished;

never again will they have a part

in anything that happens under the sun.

Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.  Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.  Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.  Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift

or the battle to the strong,

nor does food come to the wise

or wealth to the brilliant

or favor to the learned;

but time and chance happen to them all.

Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,

or birds are taken in a snare,

so people are trapped by evil times

that fall unexpectedly upon them.

Wisdom Better Than Folly

I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me:  There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it.  Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.  So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded

than the shouts of a ruler of fools.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war,

but one sinner destroys much good.

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Romans 3
(“of Rome”)
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(New International Version)

God’s Faithfulness

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?  Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.

What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?  Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak

and prevail when you judge.” 

But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)  Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?  Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?”  Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.  As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

there is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.” 

“Their throats are open graves;

their tongues practice deceit.” 

“The poison of vipers is on their lips.” 

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

ruin and misery mark their ways,

and the way of peace they do not know.” 

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Righteousness Through Faith

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, i through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.  For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.  Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.  Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬Jeremiah 5
may Jehovah exalt”  “the Lord casts, the Lord founds
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(New International Version)

Not One Is Upright

“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem,

look around and consider,

search through her squares.

If you can find but one person

who deals honestly and seeks the truth,

I will forgive this city.

Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’

still they are swearing falsely.”

Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?

You struck them, but they felt no pain;

you crushed them, but they refused correction.

They made their faces harder than stone

and refused to repent.

I thought, “These are only the poor;

they are foolish,

for they do not know the way of the Lord,

the requirements of their God.

So I will go to the leaders

and speak to them;

surely they know the way of the Lord,

the requirements of their God.”

But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke

and torn off the bonds.

Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them,

a wolf from the desert will ravage them,

a leopard will lie in wait near their towns

to tear to pieces any who venture out,

for their rebellion is great

and their backslidings many.

“Why should I forgive you?

Your children have forsaken me

and sworn by gods that are not gods.

I supplied all their needs,

yet they committed adultery

and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.

They are well-fed, lusty stallions,

each neighing for another man’s wife.

Should I not punish them for this?”

declares the Lord.

“Should I not avenge myself

on such a nation as this?

“Go through her vineyards and ravage them,

but do not destroy them completely.

Strip off her branches,

for these people do not belong to the Lord.

The people of Israel and the people of Judah

have been utterly unfaithful to me,”

declares the Lord.

They have lied about the Lord;

they said, “He will do nothing!

No harm will come to us;

we will never see sword or famine.

The prophets are but wind

and the word is not in them;

so let what they say be done to them.”

Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:

“Because the people have spoken these words,

I will make my words in your mouth a fire

and these people the wood it consumes.

People of Israel,” declares the Lord,

“I am bringing a distant nation against you—

an ancient and enduring nation,

a people whose language you do not know,

whose speech you do not understand.

Their quivers are like an open grave;

all of them are mighty warriors.

They will devour your harvests and food,

devour your sons and daughters;

they will devour your flocks and herds,

devour your vines and fig trees.

With the sword they will destroy

the fortified cities in which you trust.

“Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy you completely.  And when the people ask, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.’

“Announce this to the descendants of Jacob

and proclaim it in Judah:

Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,

who have eyes but do not see,

who have ears but do not hear:

Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord.

“Should you not tremble in my presence?

I made the sand a boundary for the sea,

an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.

The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;

they may roar, but they cannot cross it.

But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;

they have turned aside and gone away.

They do not say to themselves,

‘Let us fear the Lord our God,

who gives autumn and spring rains in season,

who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’

Your wrongdoings have kept these away;

your sins have deprived you of good.

“Among my people are the wicked

who lie in wait like men who snare birds

and like those who set traps to catch people.

Like cages full of birds,

their houses are full of deceit;

they have become rich and powerful

and have grown fat and sleek.

Their evil deeds have no limit;

they do not seek justice.

They do not promote the case of the fatherless;

they do not defend the just cause of the poor.

Should I not punish them for this?”

declares the Lord.

“Should I not avenge myself

on such a nation as this?

“A horrible and shocking thing

has happened in the land:

The prophets prophesy lies,

the priests rule by their own authority,

and my people love it this way.

But what will you do in the end?

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Ecclesiastes 1
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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(New International Version)

Everything Is Meaningless

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

“Meaningless! Meaningless!”

says the Teacher.

“Utterly meaningless!

Everything is meaningless.”

What do people gain from all their labors

at which they toil under the sun?

Generations come and generations go,

but the earth remains forever.

The sun rises and the sun sets,

and hurries back to where it rises.

The wind blows to the south

and turns to the north;

round and round it goes,

ever returning on its course.

All streams flow into the sea,

yet the sea is never full.

To the place the streams come from,

there they return again.

All things are wearisome,

more than one can say.

The eye never has enough of seeing,

nor the ear its fill of hearing.

What has been will be again,

what has been done will be done again;

there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one can say,

“Look! This is something new”?

It was here already, long ago;

it was here before our time.

No one remembers the former generations,

and even those yet to come

will not be remembered

by those who follow them.

Wisdom Is Meaningless

I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.  I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!  I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

What is crooked cannot be straightened;

what is lacking cannot be counted.

I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.”  Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;

the more knowledge, the more grief.

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Romans 8
(“of Rome”)
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(New International Version)

Life Through the Spirit

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.  The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.  The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.  Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.  For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba,  Father.”  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Present Suffering and Future Glory

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who i have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.  Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,  neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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1 Corinthians 2
(“point” “peak“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Paul’s Message by the Spirit’s Power

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

Spiritual Wisdom

Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.  None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  Rather, as it is written:

“No eye has seen,

no ear has heard,

no heart has imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.  And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.  The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.  “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?”  But we have the mind of Christ.

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Luke 13
( “tepid”  “warm”  “Bringer of light)
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(New International Version)

Repent or Perish

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.  Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.  Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.  So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

“ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.  If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.  When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”  Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?  Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?  It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

The Narrow Door

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.  Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them,  “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.  Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

“But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.  People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.  Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’  In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.  Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’  

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Matthew 7
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

Judging Others

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,  because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

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Proverbs 17

(“a common saying, old adage, maxim”   “ words put forward“)
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New International Version

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet

than a house full of feasting, with strife.

A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son

and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,

but the Lord tests the heart.

A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;

a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;

whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

Children’s children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—

how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;

they think success will come at every turn.

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,

but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

A rebuke impresses a discerning person

more than a hundred lashes a fool.

Evildoers foster rebellion against God;

the messenger of death will be sent against them.

Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool bent on folly.

Evil will never leave the house

of one who pays back evil for good.

Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;

so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—

the Lord detests them both.

Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,

when they are not able to understand it?

A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge

and puts up security for a neighbor.

Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;

whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;

one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

To have a fool for a child brings grief;

there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.

A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

The wicked accept bribes in secret

to pervert the course of justice.

A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,

but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to the mother who bore him.

If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,

surely to flog honest officials is not right.

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,

and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,

and discerning if they hold their tongues.

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Romans 3
(“of Rome”)
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(New International Version)

God’s Faithfulness

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?  Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.

What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?  Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak

and prevail when you judge.” 

But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)  Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?  Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?”  Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.  As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

there is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.” 

“Their throats are open graves;

their tongues practice deceit.” 

“The poison of vipers is on their lips.” 

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

ruin and misery mark their ways,

and the way of peace they do not know.” 

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Righteousness Through Faith

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.  For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.  Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.  Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

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Romans 12
(“of Rome”)
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(New International Version)

A Living Sacrifice

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.  For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love in Action

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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Matthew 25
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.  The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

“ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.  To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.  The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.  So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.  But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.  For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Sheep and the Goats

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

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Matthew 18
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Causing to Stumble

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.  Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!  If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.  And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Dealing With Sin in the Church

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.  But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’  If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’  The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.  He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.  When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’  In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

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A Poem by William Blake

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To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.
A robin redbreast in a cage
Puts all Heaven in a rage.
A dove house fill’d with doves and pigeons
Shudders Hell thro’ all its regions.
A dog starv’d at his master’s gate
Predicts the ruin of the state.
A horse misus’d upon the road
Calls to Heaven for human blood.
Each outcry of the hunted hare
A fibre from the brain does tear.
A skylark wounded in the wing,
A Cherubim does cease to sing.
The game cock clipp’d and arm’d for fight
Does the rising Sun affright.
Every wolf’s and lion’s howl
Raises from Hell a human soul.
He who respects the infant’s faith
Triumphs over Hell and Death.
The child’s toys and the old man’s reasons
Are the fruits of the two seasons.
The questioner, who sits so sly,
Shall never know how to reply.
He who replies to words of doubt
Doth put the light of Knowledge out.
The strongest poison ever known
Came from Caesar’s laurel crown,
Nought can deform the human race
Like to the armour’s iron brace.
When gold and gems adorn the plow
To peaceful arts shall Envy bow.
A riddle or the cricket’s cry
Is to doubt a fit reply.
The emmet’s inch and eagle’s mile
Make lame Philosophy to smile.
He who doubts from what he sees
Will ne’er believe, do what you please.
If the Sun and Moon should doubt,
They’d immediately go out.
To be in a passion you good may do,
But no good if a passion is in you.
The whore and gambler, by the state
Licens’d, build that nation’s fate.
The harlot’s cry from street to street,
Shall weave Old England’s winding sheet.
The winner’s shout, the loser’s curse,
Dance before dead England’s hearse.
Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born.
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight.
Some are born to sweet delight,
Some are born to endless night.
We are led to believe a lie
When we see not thro’ the eye
Which was born in a night to perish in a night,
When the Soul slept in beams of light.
God appears and God is light
To those poor souls who dwell in night,
But does a human form display
To those who dwell in realms of day.

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1 Corinthians 9
(“point” “peak“)
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(New King James Version)

A Pattern of Self-Denial

Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?  If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we have no right to eat and drink?  Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?  Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?  Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also?  For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about?  Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.  If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?  If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?

Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.  Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?  Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void.  For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!  For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.  What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.

Serving All Men

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.  Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Striving for a Crown

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

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Isaiah 33
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

Distress and Help

Woe to you, destroyer,

you who have not been destroyed!

Woe to you, betrayer,

you who have not been betrayed!

When you stop destroying,

you will be destroyed;

when you stop betraying,

you will be betrayed.

Lord, be gracious to us;

we long for you.

Be our strength every morning,

our salvation in time of distress.

At the uproar of your army, the peoples flee;

when you rise up, the nations scatter.

Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts;

like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;

he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.

He will be the sure foundation for your times,

a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;

the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. 

Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets;

the envoys of peace weep bitterly.

The highways are deserted,

no travelers are on the roads.

The treaty is broken,

its witnesses are despised,

no one is respected.

The land dries up and wastes away,

Lebanon is ashamed and withers;

Sharon is like the Arabah,

and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.

“Now will I arise,” says the Lord.

“Now will I be exalted;

now will I be lifted up.

You conceive chaff,

you give birth to straw;

your breath is a fire that consumes you.

The peoples will be burned to ashes;

like cut thornbushes they will be set ablaze.”

You who are far away, hear what I have done;

you who are near, acknowledge my power!

The sinners in Zion are terrified;

trembling grips the godless:

“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?

Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”

Those who walk righteously

and speak what is right,

who reject gain from extortion

and keep their hands from accepting bribes,

who stop their ears against plots of murder

and shut their eyes against contemplating evil—

they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,

whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.

Their bread will be supplied,

and water will not fail them.

Your eyes will see the king in his beauty

and view a land that stretches afar.

In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:

“Where is that chief officer?

Where is the one who took the revenue?

Where is the officer in charge of the towers?”

You will see those arrogant people no more,

people whose speech is obscure,

whose language is strange and incomprehensible.

Look on Zion, the city of our festivals;

your eyes will see Jerusalem,

a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved;

its stakes will never be pulled up,

nor any of its ropes broken.

There the Lord will be our Mighty One.

It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.

No galley with oars will ride them,

no mighty ship will sail them.

For the Lord is our judge,

the Lord is our lawgiver,

the Lord is our king;

it is he who will save us.

Your rigging hangs loose:

The mast is not held secure,

the sail is not spread.

Then an abundance of spoils will be divided

and even the lame will carry off plunder.

No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;

and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bobNGIXqOBA&t=5532s

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John 10
(“Jehovah has favored”  “Jah is gracious”  “he was gracious)
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(New International Version)

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.  The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.  But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”  Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.  All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.  I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  They will come in and go out, and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.  The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

The Jews who heard these words were again divided.  Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”

But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.  The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’ ?  If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?  Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.  But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”  Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.”  And in that place many believed in Jesus.

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Acts 4
a thing done”  “a doing; a driving, impulse, a setting in motion; a part in a play
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Peter and John before the Sanhedrin

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,  greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.  They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family.  They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people!  If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed,  then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.  This Jesus is

‘the stone you builders rejected,

which has become the cornerstone.’

Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

The Name Forbidden

When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.  And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response.  So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.

“What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it.  But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.  For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

The Believers’ Prayer

On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.  When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.  You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David:

‘Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth take their stand

and the rulers gather together

against the Lord

and against His Anointed One.’

In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed.  They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen. And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Sharing among Believers

The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned. With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.

There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUS5x_JJSt4

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zu1YIukylw

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Министерство иностранных дел Российской Федерации, МИД РФ

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Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Test and prove what pleases the Lord… Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”
– 
Ephesians 5 (BSB)  (“overseer”)

Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs

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Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov

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Diplomacy is the art of sending someone somewhere but doing it in such a way that they are looking forward to the journey.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euE0LZwvmwo

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Mr.  Lord Minister,

Thank You for Your Patience.
This is an Appeal Regarding The Strengthening of the Regime of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.  The Verification Regime.
To Actually Explore the Space.  Regulation and Policy..  All We Want is Enough to Believe.  “Material Supervisory Determination.”  “Records & Evidence.
 Relating to Compliance.  The Process of Material Examination or Stability Inspection.  Joint Supervision & Regulation.  Accounting Interpretations.  Composite Ratings.
Resolving Policy.  General Proceedures.  Ultimately a “Community Reinvestment Act.”  Where the “Components” are to Be Distributed According to Pre-Reviewed Facts & Data.
Facilitations are to be Consistent with Applicable Laws. 

 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4znpFSCjynQ

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” Better a dry crust with peace and quiet  than a house full of feasting, with strife. “
                                                                                             –   Proverbs 17   (“a common saying, old adage, maxim”   “ words put forward“)

The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party,
or one nation…it must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world.
–  Franklin Delano Roosevelt  (March 1, 1945)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZS01lgk9R8

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Isaiah 42
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(Berean Standard Bible

Here Is My Servant

“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold,

My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights.

I will put My Spirit on Him,

and He will bring justice to the nations.

He will not cry out or raise His voice,

nor make His voice heard in the streets.

A bruised reed He will not break

and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish;

He will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow weak or discouraged

before He has established justice on the earth.

In His law the islands will put their hope.”

This is what God the LORD says—

He who created the heavens

and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and its offspring,

who gives breath to the people on it

and life to those who walk in it:

“I, the LORD, have called you

for a righteous purpose,

and I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep you and appoint you

to be a covenant for the people

and a light to the nations,

to open the eyes of the blind,

to bring prisoners out of the dungeon

and those sitting in darkness

out from the prison house.

I am the LORD;

that is My name!

I will not yield My glory to another

or My praise to idols.

Behold, the former things have happened,

and now I declare new things.

Before they spring forth

I proclaim them to you.”

A New Song of Praise

Sing to the LORD a new song—

His praise from the ends of the earth—

you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,

you islands, and all who dwell in them.

Let the desert and its cities raise their voices;

let the villages of Kedar cry aloud.

Let the people of Sela sing for joy;

let them cry out from the mountaintops.

Let them give glory to the LORD

and declare His praise in the islands.

The LORD goes forth like a mighty one;

He stirs up His zeal like a warrior.

He shouts; yes, He roars

in triumph over His enemies:

“I have kept silent from ages past;

I have remained quiet and restrained.

But now I will groan like a woman in labor;

I will at once gasp and pant.

I will lay waste the mountains and hills

and dry up all their vegetation.

I will turn the rivers into dry land

and drain the marshes.

I will lead the blind by a way they did not know;

I will guide them on unfamiliar paths.

I will turn darkness into light before them

and rough places into level ground.

These things I will do for them,

and I will not forsake them.

But those who trust in idols

and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’

will be turned back in utter shame.

Israel Is Deaf and Blind

Listen, you deaf ones;

look, you blind ones, that you may see!

Who is blind but My servant,

or deaf like the messenger I am sending?

Who is blind like My covenant partner,

or blind like the servant of the LORD?

Though seeing many things, you do not keep watch.

Though your ears are open, you do not hear.”

The LORD was pleased, for the sake of His righteousness,

to magnify His law and make it glorious.

But this is a people plundered and looted,

all trapped in caves or imprisoned in dungeons.

They have become plunder with no one to rescue them,

and loot with no one to say, “Send them back!”

Who among you will pay attention to this?

Who will listen and obey hereafter?

Who gave Jacob up for spoil,

and Israel to the plunderers?

Was it not the LORD,

against whom we have sinned?

They were unwilling to walk in His ways,

and they would not obey His law.

So He poured out on them His furious anger

and the fierceness of battle.

It enveloped them in flames,

but they did not understand;

it consumed them,

but they did not take it to heart.

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Isaiah 53
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was punished. 

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

After he has suffered,

he will see the light of life and be satisfied;

by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, 

and he will divide the spoils with the strong, 

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.

 

War itself requires no particular motivation, but appears to be ingrained in human nature and is even valued as something noble;
indeed, the desire for glory inspires men to it, even independently of selfish motives.
–       Immanuel Kant

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6sKutslvIg

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“This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,
who will prepare Your way.”   “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,  ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,  make straight paths for Him.’
–  Mark 1   consecrated to the god Mars”  “God of war”  “to be warlike“ “boundary, limit; sign, landmark”  “to denote sign, omen, aim”  “margin
I persevere in demonstrating among you the “marks” of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles

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Τ έ λ ο ς
It is Written.
To Those Who Live by Faith, Not by Sight.
Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll.
This is the Covenant I Will Make With Them After That Time
I Will put my Laws in Their Hearts, and I Will Write Them on Their Minds.
Although I am Less Than the Least of all the Lord’s People, this Grace Was Given Me.
I Only Ask you to Look at What is Obvious Because I am Only a Poor Man and Little Known.
In Reading This, Then, You will be Able to Understand my Insight Into the Mystery of Christ & The Gospel.
The Word has Become Flesh.  Riches Found in Hidden Places.  Called By Name.  The Boundless Manifold Wisdom of Christ.  The Transfiguration.
Salvation is Found in No One Else, for There is No Other Name Under Heaven Given to Mankind by Which we Must be Saved.  (Oh That’s Right, I Went There.)
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This “Got You” Culture.
People Trying to Trap Others in Something they Say.  Looking for a Basis on Which to Accuse.  

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOAvovVMgss

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America Values Her Freedom.  To Be “Free.”  The Absence of Restraint.  The Bubbling of New Ideas.
Not Thought Police.  Monopoly on the Megaphone. 

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2 Peter 2
stone, rock
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(New International Version)

False Teachers and Their Destruction

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;  if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;  and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.  This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.

Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord.  But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.

They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.  With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!  They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.  But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.  For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.  They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”  If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.  It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.  Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

He Started It.”   “Don’t Put That Blame On Me.”  
Some Historical Context for All this Finger Pointing & Name Calling.  These Endless Squabbles Going Haywire.  “He Said, She Said.
A Call to Maturity By Recalling What Eastern Predecessors Inflicted Upon America.  As if all this Drama Absolutely Came Out of No Where.  Perhaps.
The Harmful Ideation Inculcated into American Society.  The Ramifications of Which have Since Bounced Back in Unforeseen Ways.  Spawned by Those Who Came Before You.  Perhaps.

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Yuri Bezmenov

ALL Interviews & Lectures HQ 1984 1983
PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE. Control of Western Society.  Stages of Ideological Subversion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRX6vDJHEE8

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Exposure to true information does not matter anymore.
A person who is demoralized is unable to assess true information. 
The facts tell nothing to him.  Even if I shower him with information, with authentic proof,
with documents, with pictures. Even if I take him by force to the Soviet Union, and show him a concentration camp,
he will refuse to believe it, until he is going to receive a kick in his fat bottom. When the military boot crushes his balls, then he will understand,
but not before that. That is the tragedy of the situation of demoralization.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd9w5MKimiM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdDB8wU73NA
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5X7ZJrdwUuc

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The Goal is Ruination.

The Processes Involved in Overthrowing Societies.

To Undermine the Power and Authority of an Established System or Institution.

Inculcating Beliefs that Aim to Undermine and Overthrow an Established System, Authority, or Set of Beliefs.

To Confound.”  To Mix.  To Jumble Together.  To Cause Disorder.  Utter Confusion.  To Make Distinction Impossible.  Cause Chaos. 

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South Park – “Go, Strong Woman, Go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URz-RYEOaig
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om01Bt9nuiQ

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9QJzruPkDw

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Theurgic Secssio Plebis  –  A Dispositive Motion  –  Pre-Healing Circle.

Brave New World.  A Mechanism for Influencing Behavior.  Roses & Guns.  The People’s Fountain of Life.
RUNNING WATER NEVER GOES STALE
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
    –  Psalms 23

Invitations of Wisdom and Folly.
Human Rituals and Tradition.  Emotions. Memories.
Miracle , Mystery, Authority.  Optimism, Joy and Adventure.
What Are You Supposed to do?  Survive….  Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil. 

Pick the Parts You Like – Faithful Envoys to Bring Healing.  For the Victims of Conformity.  The Casualties of Society.
The People are Sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer.  A Credit To Righteousmess.  Deliverence Through the Nourishing Words of Faith and Sound Instruction.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1OVpzRXFBc
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Rivers of Living Water Will Flow from Within Them
–  John 7  (“Jehovah has favored”  “Jah is gracious”  “he was gracious“)

Anything But Ordinary

It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.
–  Aristotle

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIgOL21S98o
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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P05bTId-92A
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A Harvest Among You.

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The People Wish To Be At Ease and Without Fear of Harm.

Insisting that We Endanger Ourselves Every Hour.

Statutes and Ordinances of Virtue & Justice.

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It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.

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The end [or goal] of politics is the best of ends; and the main concern of politics
is to engender a certain character in the citizens and to make them good and disposed to perform noble actions…..”
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“It is clear that all partnerships aim at some good, and that the partnership that is most authoritative of all
and embraces all the others does so particularly and aims at the most authoritative good of all.  
This is what is called the city or the political partnership….”

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“Political partnership must be regarded, therefore, as being for the sake of noble actions, not for the sake of living together…”
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“.. ““[O]ne who is genuinely of the popular sort (i.e. a supporter of democracy)
should see to it that the multitude is not overly poor, for this is the reason for democracy being depraved…

Instead the surplus should be allowed to accumulate until enough is available to give the poor enough money to acquire land or start a trade.
And even if there is no external surplus,
notables who are refined and sensible will divide the poor among themselves and provide them with a start in pursuing some work”
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Those who are going to rule in the authoritative offices ought to have three things:
first, affection for the established regime; next, a very great capacity for the work involved in rule; third, virtue and justice –
in each regime the sort that is relative to the regime…It is difficult to find all three of these in many men, but it is important for the regime
to make use of the men with these qualities to the greatest degree possible, or else the regime will be harmed, either by sedition, incompetence, or corruption…
While the virtuous also have a claim to rule, the very fact that they are virtuous leads them to avoid factional conflict. They are also too small a group to be politically consequential.
 

                                                                                                                  –     Aristotle

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬(Divide and Conquer) 

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Unfinished Portrait of Napoleon

By:  Jacques – Louis David
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History is a Set of Lies Agreed Upon.

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The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries

By:  Jacques – Louis David
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Napoleon Near Borodino

By:  Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin

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Caulaincourt as Grand Squire
By: Féréol Bonnemaison

A Close Advisor to Napoleon.  A Military Officer and Diplomat.

Quoting Napoleon:

Alexander is laughing at me.  Does he imagine that I have come to Wilna to discuss trade treaties?
I have come to finish off, once and for all, the Colossus of Northern Barbarism.  The sword is drawn.
They must be thrust back into their snow and ice, so that for a quarter of a century at least they will not be able to interfere with civilized Europe.

 

Even in the days of Catherine,”  he went on, “the Russians counted for little or nothing in the politics of Europe.  It was the partition of Poland which gave them contact with civilization.  The time has come when Poland, in her turn, must drive them home again.  Do the battles of Austerlitz, of Friedland, or the Peace of Tilsit give ground for the claims of my brother Alexander?  We must seize this chance to cure the Russians of their curiosity about what goes on in Germany.  I consent to their admitting the English to Archangel, but the Baltic should be closed to them.  Why did not Alexander explain himself to Narbonne or to Lauriston, who was at Petersburg and whom he would not receive at Wilna?

 

“Up to the very last, Rumiantsof has refused to believe in the possibility of war.  He has persuaded Alexander that our movements were merely threats – that the maintenance of the alliance was too much in my own interest for me to be determined on war.  He though that he fathomed me; that he was more subtle than I am diplomatic.  Now that the Tsar sees it is a serious matter, and that his army has been cut in two, he is afraid and wants to come to terms; but I will sign the peace at Moscow . . . . Since Erfurt Alexander has become too haughty.  The acquisition of Finland has turned his head.  If he must have victories, let him defeat the Persians, but don’t let him meddle in the affairs of Europe.  Civilization rejects these people of the North; Europe must settle its own affairs without them.”

Source:  With Napoleon in Russia: The Memoirs of General de Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza

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Napoleon Crossing the Alps

By:  Jacques-Louis David

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I beat the Russians every time, but it doesn’t get me anywhere.

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Napoleon’s Retreat from Moscow

by Adolph Northern

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The Apotheosis of War

By: Vasily Vereshchagin
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2 Corinthians 12
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Paul’s Revelation

I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to gain, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.  I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows.  And I know that this man—whether in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to Paradise. The things he heard were inexpressible, things that man is not permitted to tell.

Paul’s Thorn and God’s Grace

I will boast about such a man, but I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses.  Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me,  or because of these surpassingly great revelations.

So to keep me from becoming conceited,  I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.  That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.  The marks of a true apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance.  In what way were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

See, I am ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden, because I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.  And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?

Be that as it may, I was not a burden to you; but crafty as I am, I caught you by trickery.  Did I exploit you by anyone I sent you?  I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps?

Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up.  For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.  I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.

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2 Corinthians 5
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Awaiting the New Body

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.  For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  For we live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.  We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.  If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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2 Corinthians 10
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away!  I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.  For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

You are judging by appearances.  If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.  So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.  I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters.  For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.”  Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.  We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you.  We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ.  Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.  But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

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2 Corinthians 4
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.  Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”  made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.  So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”  Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.  All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

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2 Corinthians 6
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Paul’s Hardships and God’s Grace

As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.  For He says:

“In the time of favor I heard you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you.”

Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!

We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities; in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger;  in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, slander and praise; viewed as imposters, yet genuine; as unknown, yet well-known; dying, and yet we live on; punished, yet not killed;  sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are open wide.  It is not our affection, but yours, that is restrained.  As a fair exchange, I ask you as my children: Open wide your hearts also.

Do Not Be Unequally Yoked

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?c Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell with them

and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they will be My people.”

“Therefore come out from among them

and be separate, says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you.”

And:

“I will be a Father to you,

and you will be My sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”

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1 Corinthians 4
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

The Nature of True Apostleship

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.  I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.  Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!  For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.  We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!  To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.  We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;  when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.  Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.  Therefore I urge you to imitate me.  For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.  But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.  What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

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1 Corinthians 1
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.  For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you.  Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.  He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Church Divided Over Leaders

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.  My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.  What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas ”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?  I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name.  (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)  For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher 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 know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 

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Job 40
(“hated, persecuted”   “enmity”  ” the penitent one.”  “he was hostile to)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Job Humbles Himself before the LORD

And the LORD said to Job:

“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?

Let him who argues with God give an answer.”

Then Job answered the LORD:

“Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You?

I place my hand over my mouth.

I have spoken once, but I have no answer—

twice, but I have nothing to add.”

The LORD Challenges Job Again

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

“Now brace yourself like a man;

I will question you, and you shall inform Me.

Would you really annul My justice?

Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?

Do you have an arm like God’s?

Can you thunder with a voice like His?

Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,

and clothe yourself with honor and glory.

Unleash the fury of your wrath;

look on every proud man and bring him low.

Look on every proud man and humble him;

trample the wicked where they stand.

Bury them together in the dust;

imprison them in the grave.

Then I will confess to you

that your own right hand can save you.

Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you.

He feeds on grass like an ox.

See the strength of his loins

and the power in the muscles of his belly.

His tail sways like a cedar;

the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.

His bones are tubes of bronze;

his limbs are rods of iron.

He is the foremost of God’s works;

only his Maker can draw the sword against him.

The hills yield him their produce,

while all the beasts of the field play nearby.

He lies under the lotus plants,

hidden among the reeds of the marsh.

The lotus plants conceal him in their shade;

the willows of the brook surround him.

Though the river rages, Behemoth is unafraid;

he remains secure, though the Jordan surges to his mouth.

Can anyone capture him as he looks on,

or pierce his nose with a snare?

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Proverbs 17

(“a common saying, old adage, maxim”   “ words put forward“)
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New International Version

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet

than a house full of feasting, with strife.

A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son

and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,

but the Lord tests the heart.

A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;

a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;

whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

Children’s children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—

how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;

they think success will come at every turn.

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,

but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

A rebuke impresses a discerning person

more than a hundred lashes a fool.

Evildoers foster rebellion against God;

the messenger of death will be sent against them.

Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool bent on folly.

Evil will never leave the house

of one who pays back evil for good.

Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;

so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—

the Lord detests them both.

Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,

when they are not able to understand it?

A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge

and puts up security for a neighbor.

Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;

whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;

one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

To have a fool for a child brings grief;

there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.

A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

The wicked accept bribes in secret

to pervert the course of justice.

A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,

but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to the mother who bore him.

If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,

surely to flog honest officials is not right.

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,

and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,

and discerning if they hold their tongues.

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 2 Thessalonians 2
(“overseer.“)
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(New International Version)

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results.  We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.  For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.  On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.  You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.  We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.  Instead, we were like young children among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.  Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.  You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.  For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.  For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.  For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way.  For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?  Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

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Isaiah 26
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

A Song of Praise

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;

God makes salvation

its walls and ramparts.

Open the gates

that the righteous nation may enter,

the nation that keeps faith.

You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast,

because they trust in you.

Trust in the Lord forever,

for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

He humbles those who dwell on high,

he lays the lofty city low;

he levels it to the ground

and casts it down to the dust.

Feet trample it down—

the feet of the oppressed,

the footsteps of the poor.

The path of the righteous is level;

you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth.

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, 

we wait for you;

your name and renown

are the desire of our hearts.

My soul yearns for you in the night;

in the morning my spirit longs for you.

When your judgments come upon the earth,

the people of the world learn righteousness.

But when grace is shown to the wicked,

they do not learn righteousness;

even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil

and do not regard the majesty of the Lord.

Lord, your hand is lifted high,

but they do not see it.

Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame;

let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.

Lord, you establish peace for us;

all that we have accomplished you have done for us.

Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us,

but your name alone do we honor.

They are now dead, they live no more;

their spirits do not rise.

You punished them and brought them to ruin;

you wiped out all memory of them.

You have enlarged the nation, Lord;

you have enlarged the nation.

You have gained glory for yourself;

you have extended all the borders of the land.

Lord, they came to you in their distress;

when you disciplined them,

they could barely whisper a prayer. 

As a pregnant woman about to give birth

writhes and cries out in her pain,

so were we in your presence, Lord.

We were with child, we writhed in labor,

but we gave birth to wind.

We have not brought salvation to the earth,

and the people of the world have not come to life.

But your dead will live, Lord;

their bodies will rise—

let those who dwell in the dust

wake up and shout for joy—

your dew is like the dew of the morning;

the earth will give birth to her dead.

Go, my people, enter your rooms

and shut the doors behind you;

hide yourselves for a little while

until his wrath has passed by.

See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling

to punish the people of the earth for their sins.

The earth will disclose the blood shed on it;

the earth will conceal its slain no longer.

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Proverbs 30
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New International Version)

Sayings of Agur

The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.

This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

“I am weary, God,

but I can prevail. 

Surely I am only a brute, not a man;

I do not have human understanding.

I have not learned wisdom,

nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.

Who has gone up to heaven and come down?

Whose hands have gathered up the wind?

Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name, and what is the name of his son?

Surely you know!

“Every word of God is flawless;

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Do not add to his words,

or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

“Two things I ask of you, Lord;

do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you

and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonor the name of my God.

“Do not slander a servant to their master,

or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.

“There are those who curse their fathers

and do not bless their mothers;

those who are pure in their own eyes

and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

those whose eyes are ever so haughty,

whose glances are so disdainful;

those whose teeth are swords

and whose jaws are set with knives

to devour the poor from the earth

and the needy from among mankind.

“The leech has two daughters.

‘Give! Give!’ they cry.

“There are three things that are never satisfied,

four that never say, ‘Enough!’:

the grave, the barren womb,

land, which is never satisfied with water,

and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’

“The eye that mocks a father,

that scorns an aged mother,

will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,

will be eaten by the vultures.

“There are three things that are too amazing for me,

four that I do not understand:

the way of an eagle in the sky,

the way of a snake on a rock,

the way of a ship on the high seas,

and the way of a man with a young woman.

“This is the way of an adulterous woman:

She eats and wipes her mouth

and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’

“Under three things the earth trembles,

under four it cannot bear up:

a servant who becomes king,

a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,

a contemptible woman who gets married,

and a servant who displaces her mistress.

“Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

Ants are creatures of little strength,

yet they store up their food in the summer;

hyraxes are creatures of little power,

yet they make their home in the crags;

locusts have no king,

yet they advance together in ranks;

a lizard can be caught with the hand,

yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

“There are three things that are stately in their stride,

four that move with stately bearing:

a lion, mighty among beasts,

who retreats before nothing;

a strutting rooster, a he-goat,

and a king secure against revolt. 

“If you play the fool and exalt yourself,

or if you plan evil,

clap your hand over your mouth!

For as churning cream produces butter,

and as twisting the nose produces blood,

so stirring up anger produces strife.”

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Proverbs 25
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New International Version)

More Proverbs of Solomon

These are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;

to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,

so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

Remove the dross from the silver,

and a silversmith can produce a vessel;

remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,

and his throne will be established through righteousness.

Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,

and do not claim a place among his great men;

it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”

than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

What you have seen with your eyes

do not bring hastily to court,

for what will you do in the end

if your neighbor puts you to shame?

If you take your neighbor to court,

do not betray another’s confidence,

or the one who hears it may shame you

and the charge against you will stand.

Like apples of gold in settings of silver

is a ruling rightly given.

Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold

is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.

Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time

is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;

he refreshes the spirit of his master.

Like clouds and wind without rain

is one who boasts of gifts never given.

Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,

and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

If you find honey, eat just enough—

too much of it, and you will vomit.

Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—

too much of you, and they will hate you.

Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow

is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.

Like a broken tooth or a lame foot

is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.

Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,

or like vinegar poured on a wound,

is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;

if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,

and the Lord will reward you.

Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain

is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

Like cold water to a weary soul

is good news from a distant land.

Like a muddied spring or a polluted well

are the righteous who give way to the wicked.

It is not good to eat too much honey,

nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.

Like a city whose walls are broken through

is a person who lacks self-control.

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2 Corinthians 1
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise to the God of All Comfort

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.  And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Paul’s Change of Plans

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.  For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice.  I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea.  Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”  For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.”  For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.  Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

I call God as my witness—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.  Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

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Romans 5
(“of Rome”)
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Peace and Hope

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.  Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!  Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.  For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.  For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Ephesians 2
(“overseer.“)
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(New International Version)

Made Alive in Christ

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

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Mark 5
consecrated to the god Mars”  “God of war”  “to be warlike“ “boundary, limit; sign, landmark”  “to denote sign, omen, aim”  “margin
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(New International Version)

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.  When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.  This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.  For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.  Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.  He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”  For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”  And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.  The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”  He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.  When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.  Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well.  Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.  Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”  So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.  Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.  He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”  So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.  She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,  because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”  Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ 

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.  Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.  He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.  When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly.  He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”  But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.  He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).  Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.  He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

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Ecclesiastes 12
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out
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(New International Version)

Remember your Creator

in the days of your youth,

before the days of trouble come

and the years approach when you will say,

“I find no pleasure in them”—

before the sun and the light

and the moon and the stars grow dark,

and the clouds return after the rain;

when the keepers of the house tremble,

and the strong men stoop,

when the grinders cease because they are few,

and those looking through the windows grow dim;

when the doors to the street are closed

and the sound of grinding fades;

when people rise up at the sound of birds,

but all their songs grow faint;

when people are afraid of heights

and of dangers in the streets;

when the almond tree blossoms

and the grasshopper drags itself along

and desire no longer is stirred.

Then people go to their eternal home

and mourners go about the streets.

Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,

and the golden bowl is broken;

before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,

and the wheel broken at the well,

and the dust returns to the ground it came from,

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. 

“Everything is meaningless!”

The Conclusion of the Matter

Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.  The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.

The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd.  Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the duty of all mankind.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.

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Laocoön and His Sons

Prototypical Depiction of the Agony of Human Existence

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The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

Министерство обороны Российской Федерации

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alcE94QJW90
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Russia’s Minister of Defense

Министр обороны Российской Федерации

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Andrey Removich Belousov
Андрей Белоусов

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For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:  “Love your neighbor as yourself.
If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other…  As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
                                                  –   Galatians 5 (New International Version)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lNBm6zeH5o
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Your Excellency,

Because Things Seem Stuck.
In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:
the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool—why die before your time? 
It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other.  Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.  Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful
than ten rulers in a city.
Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
–  Ecclesiastes 12  (“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)

 

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The “Winged Lion ” With the Scroll of Isaiah.

Symbol of Saint Mark the Evangelist

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You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.
Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
                                                    –  Mark 10  (NIV)
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The Word ” Ordained for a Thousand Generations Proved Right

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I Have Brought a Miracle.  There is Nothing Else Like It.

The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own.
Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.
Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves.
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because
I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.   
If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.
                                                                                  –   John 14 (New International Version) “gift of Jehova

Mark  David  Rich

To Denote”     “Beloved”     “Wealth
To Remove”    “Abhorrent”     “Poor

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee_uujKuJMI
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One Nation Controlled By The Media.  Everybody do the Propaganda.  Now.

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Isaiah 53
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was punished. 

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

After he has suffered,

he will see the light of life and be satisfied ;

by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, 

and he will divide the spoils with the strong, 

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.

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2 Peter 1
stone, rock
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(New International Version)

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Confirming One’s Calling and Election

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prophecy of Scripture

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.  I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.  And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.  Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.  For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

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James 2
one that takes by the heel; a supplanter
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(New International Version)

Favoritism Forbidden

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”  have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?  But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?  Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”  you are doing right.  But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”  also said, “You shall not murder.”  If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Deeds

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.  You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

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2 Corinthians 5
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Awaiting the New Body

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.  For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  For we live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.  We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.  If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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2 Corinthians 10
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away!  I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.  For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

You are judging by appearances.   If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.  So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.  I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters.  For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.”   Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.  We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you.  We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ.  Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand,  so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.  But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”   For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

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Ephesians 6
(“overseer.“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Children and Parents

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise),  “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.”

Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Serving with Honor

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.  And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.  Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.

The Full Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.  Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

Final Greetings

Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know about me and what I am doing.  I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us, and that he may encourage your hearts.

Peace to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

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Matthew 10
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;  Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.  Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.  As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.  Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.  As you enter the home, give it your greeting.  If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.  If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.  Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.  Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.  On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.  You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.  What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.  Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to turn

“ ‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.  Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.  Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.  And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

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Matthew 18
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

The Greatest in the Kingdom

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.  “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.

Temptations and Trespasses

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

A Brother Who Sins

If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Ask in My Name

Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”

The Unforgiving Servant

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!

Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  As he began the settlements, a debtor owing ten thousand talents was brought to him.  Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.

Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’

His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.

But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.  He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’

So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.’

But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt.

When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and recounted all of this to their master.

Then the master summoned him and said, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.

That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

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 Revelation 22
Disclosure of information or knowledge to man by a divine or supernatural agency.”
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(New International Version)

Eden Restored

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb  down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.  They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

John and the Angel

The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.  But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.  Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.  Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.  And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

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Isaiah 55
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

Invitation to the Thirsty

“Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and you will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me;

listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

my faithful love promised to David.

See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

a ruler and commander of the peoples.

Surely you will summon nations you know not,

and nations you do not know will come running to you,

because of the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendor.”

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways

and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,

for an everlasting sign,

that will endure forever.”

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Proverbs 4
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New King James Version)

Security in Wisdom

Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.
Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.

But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

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Proverbs 22
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(Berean Standard Bible)

A Good Name

A good name is more desirable than great riches;

favor is better than silver and gold.

The rich and the poor have this in common:

The LORD is Maker of them all.

The prudent see danger and take cover,

but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences.

The rewards of humility and the fear of the LORD

are wealth and honor and life.

Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse;

he who guards his soul stays far from them.

Train up a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not depart from it.

The rich rule over the poor,

and the borrower is slave to the lender.

He who sows injustice will reap disaster,

and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

A generous man will be blessed,

for he shares his bread with the poor.

Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart;

even quarreling and insults will cease.

He who loves a pure heart and gracious lips

will have the king for a friend.

The LORD’s eyes keep watch over knowledge,

but He frustrates the words of the faithless.

The slacker says, “There is a lion outside!

I will be slain in the streets!”

The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;

he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich

will surely lead to poverty.

Thirty Sayings of the Wise

Saying 1

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise—

apply your mind to my knowledge—

for it is pleasing when you keep them within you

and they are constantly on your lips.

So that your trust may be in the LORD,

I instruct you today—yes, you.

Have I not written for you thirty sayingsc

about counsel and knowledge,

to show you true and reliable words,

that you may soundly answer those who sent you?

Saying 2

Do not rob a poor man because he is poor,

and do not crush the afflicted at the gate,

for the LORD will take up their case

and will plunder those who rob them.

Saying 3

Do not make friends with an angry man,

and do not associate with a hot-tempered man,

or you may learn his ways

and entangle yourself in a snare.

Saying 4

Do not be one who gives pledges,

who puts up security for debts.

If you have nothing with which to pay,

why should your bed be taken from under you?

Saying 5

Do not move an ancient boundary stone

which your fathers have placed.

Saying 6

Do you see a man skilled in his work?

He will be stationed in the presence of kings;

he will not stand before obscure men.

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Psalm 46
sacred poem or song
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(Berean Standard Bible)

God Is Our Refuge and Strength

For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song.

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in times of trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth is transformed

and the mountains are toppled

into the depths of the seas,

though their waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake in the surge.

Selah

There is a river whose streams delight the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her; she will not be moved.

God will help her when morning dawns.

Nations rage, kingdoms crumble;

the earth melts when He lifts His voice.

The LORD of Hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

Come, see the works of the LORD,

who brings devastation upon the earth.

He makes wars to cease throughout the earth;

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

He burns the shields in the fire.

“Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted over the earth.”

The LORD of Hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

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Proverbs 6
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New International Version)

Warnings Against Folly

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,

if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,

you have been trapped by what you said,

ensnared by the words of your mouth.

So do this, my son, to free yourself,

since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:

Go—to the point of exhaustion— 

and give your neighbor no rest!

Allow no sleep to your eyes,

no slumber to your eyelids.

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,

like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Go to the ant, you sluggard;

consider its ways and be wise!

It has no commander,

no overseer or ruler,

yet it stores its provisions in summer

and gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, you sluggard?

When will you get up from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest—

and poverty will come on you like a thief

and scarcity like an armed man.

A troublemaker and a villain,

who goes about with a corrupt mouth,

who winks maliciously with his eye,

signals with his feet

and motions with his fingers,

who plots evil with deceit in his heart—

he always stirs up conflict.

Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;

he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

There are six things the Lord hates,

seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that are quick to rush into evil,

a false witness who pours out lies

and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Warning Against Adultery

My son, keep your father’s command

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Bind them always on your heart;

fasten them around your neck.

When you walk, they will guide you;

when you sleep, they will watch over you;

when you awake, they will speak to you.

For this command is a lamp,

this teaching is a light,

and correction and instruction

are the way to life,

keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,

from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.

Do not lust in your heart after her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyes.

For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,

but another man’s wife preys on your very life.

Can a man scoop fire into his lap

without his clothes being burned?

Can a man walk on hot coals

without his feet being scorched?

So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

People do not despise a thief if he steals

to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,

though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

But a man who commits adultery has no sense;

whoever does so destroys himself.

Blows and disgrace are his lot,

and his shame will never be wiped away.

For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

He will not accept any compensation;

he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.

 

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Leo Tolstoy

Seeking Truth : War & Peace
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The goal of the artist is not to solve a question irrefutably,
but to force people to love life in all its countless, inexhaustible manifestations.”

“Love awoke, and so did life.”

“Everything depends on upbringing. ”

“Everything I know, I know because of love.”

“One must be cunning and wicked in this world.”

“How can one be well…when one suffers morally?”

“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.”

“It’s all God’s will: you can die in your sleep, and God can spare you in battle.”

“Nothing is so necessary for a young man as the company of intelligent women.”

“Here I am alive, and it’s not my fault, so I have to try and get by as best I can without hurting anybody until death takes over.”

“everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait . . . there is nothing stronger than these two: patience and time, they will do it all.”

“The whole world is divided for me into two parts: one is she, and there is all happiness, hope, light; the other is where she is not, and there is dejection and darkness…”

 

“For me, when our lives are knocked off course, we imagine everything in them is lost. But it is only the start of something new and good. As long as there is life, there is happiness. There is a great deal. A great deal still to come.”

“It’s not given to people to judge what’s right or wrong. People have eternally been mistaken and will be mistaken, and in nothing more than in what they consider right and wrong.”

“Pierre was right when he said that one must believe in the possibility of happiness in order to be happy, and I now believe in it. Let the dead bury the dead, but while I’m alive, I must live and be happy.” 

 

Hero of the  Russian Federation

Chief of the General Staff

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Valery  Gerasimov
Валерий Герасимов

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Many countries have begun to think about adequate response measures.  
Overall, the topic of arms control has remained in the past as returning to a minimum level of trust is impossible today due to the West’s double standards.
And without trust, it is impossible to create an effective mechanism for mutual control.  The understanding of the danger of these steps is growing in the world.

Russia’s Top General Declares Arms Control Obsolete

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/itYeQuiQHRY
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 “Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.
– Sun Tzu

General,

For your Consideration,

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A Prayer & Petition of Strategic Foresight.
Some “Zeal in the Best Sense of the Word” as You Put it.
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We Live in a Time of Trouble.  No Where is Safe.
The Nations are Raging at a Point of Mutually Assured Destruction.
How Humanity Might Survive Its Technological Adolescence Without  Us Destroying Ourselves.
The People Volunteer This New Creation as a Presentation Offering To Act as a Bridge Between Time, Space & Dimension.
Reminders of What is Written.  Perhaps What Might Be Proper to Do Under The Circumstances.  Biblical Fulfillment.  I Only Ask You Look at What is Obvious.
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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COssAX7ycsc

 

 

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1 Corinthians 2
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.  No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.  None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,

what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived”  

the things God has prepared for those who love him—

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.  This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.  The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.  The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord

so as to instruct him?” 

But we have the mind of Christ.

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Ecclesiastes 12
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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(New King James Version)

Seek God in Early Life

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:
While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,
And the clouds do not return after the rain;
In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
And the strong men bow down;
When the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look through the windows grow dim;
When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;
When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all the daughters of music are brought low.
Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms,
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to his eternal home,
And the mourners go about the streets.

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.”

The Whole Duty of Man

And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs.  The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth.  The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.  And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

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Romans 15
(“of Rome”)
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(English Standard Version)

The Example of Christ

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.  For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”  For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”

And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”

And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.  But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.  For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written,

“Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.  But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.  At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.  For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.  When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you.  I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.  May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

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Galatians 6
(“an inhabitant of ancient Gaul    “a gaul”   “a frenchman)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Carry One Another’s Burdens

Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Each one should test his own work. Then he will have reason to boast in himself alone, and not in someone else.  For each one should carry his own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.

Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.  The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.

Final Warnings and Blessings

See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!

Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ. For the circumcised do not even keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.

Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God.

From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers.

Amen.

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Romans 12
(“of Rome”)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Living Sacrifices

Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.

We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith;  if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;  if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Love, Zeal, Hope, Hospitality

Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.

Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Forgiveness

Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.

Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

On the contrary,

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him a drink.

For in so doing,

you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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2 Corinthians 10
(“point” “peak“)
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(New King James Version)

The Spiritual War

Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.  But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Reality of Paul’s Authority

Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s.  For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed— lest I seem to terrify you by letters.  “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”  Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.

Limits of Paul’s Authority

For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.  We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you.  For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.

But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”  For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

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Isaiah 45
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(Berean Standard Bible)

God Calls Cyrus

This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed,

whose right hand I have grasped

to subdue nations before him,

to disarm kings,

to open the doors before him,

so that the gates will not be shut:

“I will go before you

and level the mountains;

I will break down the gates of bronze

and cut through the bars of iron.

I will give you the treasures of darkness

and the riches hidden in secret places,

so that you may know that I am the LORD,

the God of Israel, who calls you by name.

For the sake of Jacob My servant

and Israel My chosen one,

I call you by name;

I have given you a title of honor,

though you have not known Me.

I am the LORD, and there is no other;

there is no God but Me.

I will equip you for battle,

though you have not known Me,

so that all may know,

from where the sun rises to where it sets,

that there is none but Me;

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I form the light and create the darkness;

I bring prosperity and create calamity.

I, the LORD, do all these things.

Drip down, O heavens, from above,

and let the skies pour down righteousness.

Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout

and righteousness spring up with it;

I, the LORD, have created it.

Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—

one clay pot among many.

Does the clay ask the potter,

‘What are you making?’

Does your work say,

‘He has no hands’?

Woe to him who says to his father,

‘What have you begotten?’

or to his mother,

‘What have you brought forth?’”

Thus says the LORD,

the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:

“Concerning things to come, do you question Me about My sons,

or instruct Me in the work of My hands?

It is I who made the earth

and created man upon it.

It was My hands that stretched out the heavens,

and I ordained all their host.

I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness,

and I will make all his ways straight.

He will rebuild My city

and set My exiles free,

but not for payment or reward,

says the LORD of Hosts.”

This is what the LORD says:

“The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,

along with the Sabeans, men of stature,

will come over to you

and will be yours;

they will trudge behind you;

they will come over in chains and bow down to you.

They will confess to you:

‘God is indeed with you, and there is no other;

there is no other God.’”

Truly You are a God who hides Himself,

O God of Israel, the Savior.

They will all be put to shame and humiliated;

the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.

But Israel will be saved by the LORD

with an everlasting salvation;

you will not be put to shame or humiliated,

to ages everlasting.

For thus says the LORD,

who created the heavens—He is God;

He formed the earth and fashioned it;

He established it;

He did not create it to be empty,

but formed it to be inhabited:

“I am the LORD,

and there is no other.

I have not spoken in secret,

from a place in a land of darkness.

I did not say to the descendants of Jacob,

‘Seek Me in a wasteland.’

I, the LORD, speak the truth;

I say what is right.

Come, gather together, and draw near,

you fugitives from the nations.

Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood

and pray to a god that cannot save.

Speak up and present your case—

yes, let them take counsel together.

Who foretold this long ago?

Who announced it from ancient times?

Was it not I, the LORD?

There is no other God but Me,

a righteous God and Savior;

there is none but Me.

Turn to Me and be saved,

all the ends of the earth;

for I am God,

and there is no other.

By Myself I have sworn;

truth has gone out from My mouth,

a word that will not be revoked:

Every knee will bow before Me,

every tongue will swear allegiance.

Surely they will say of Me,

‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’”

All who rage against Him

will come to Him and be put to shame.

In the LORD all descendants of Israel

will be justified and will exult.

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Psalm 46
sacred poem or song
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(New International Version)

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.  A song.

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging. 

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease

to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

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Leo Tolstoy in his Study

By: Ilya Repin (1891)

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The Last Supper

By:  Leonardo Davinci
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They Did Not Expect Him

By:  Ilya Repin. 1884-88.

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Hermes & Souls on the Banks of the Acheron (1898)

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By:   Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl

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Flag of Mariupol

Mary
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The Reconstruction of Mariupol,  Ukraine

(“Virgin Mary“)

Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! 
Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
                                                                                                                    –   Isaiah 7:13

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Romans 13
of Rome
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(New International Version)

Jeremiah’s Message at the Temple Gate

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,  “Stand in the gate of the house of the LORD and proclaim this message: Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who enter through these gates to worship the LORD.  Thus says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Correct your ways and deeds, and I will let you live in this place.  Do not trust in deceptive words, chanting:

‘This is the temple of the LORD,

the temple of the LORD,

the temple of the LORD.’

For if you really correct your ways and deeds, if you act justly toward one another,  if you no longer oppress the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow, and if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

But look, you keep trusting in deceptive words to no avail.  Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue with all these abominations’?  Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I too have seen it, declares the LORD.

But go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for My Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.  And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and because I have spoken to you again and again but you would not listen, and I have called to you but you would not answer, therefore what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears My Name, the house in which you trust, the place that I gave to you and your fathers.  And I will cast you out of My presence, just as I have cast out all your brothers, all the descendants of Ephraim.

Judah’s Idolatry Persists

As for you, do not pray for these people, do not offer a plea or petition on their behalf, and do not beg Me, for I will not listen to you.  Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?  The sons gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven; they pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger.  But am I the One they are provoking? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the produce of the land, and it will burn and not be extinguished.

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves!  For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not merely command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices,  but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.

Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.  From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again.  Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.

When you tell them all these things, they will not listen to you. When you call to them, they will not answer. Therefore you must say to them, ‘This is the nation that would not listen to the voice of the LORD their God and would not receive correction. Truth has perished; it has disappeared from their lips.  Cut off your hair and throw it away. Raise up a lamentation on the barren heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.’

The Valley of Slaughter

For the people of Judah have done evil in My sight, declares the LORD. They have set up their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it.  They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.

So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth and the Valley of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. For they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.   The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.

I will remove from the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem the sounds of joy and gladness and the voices of the bride and bridegroom, for the land will become a wasteland.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtgDnivqEjM

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Mariupol is very important to Ukraine because it is the port that most of their agriculture passes through
                                                     –  General Breedlove

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Ukraine

Borderline ”  “borderland”  “Threshold
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEg5TslSSIM

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGGZyQ0SVpg

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eij66KuyPh0

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Ukrainian Choir – Agnus Dei

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-2CVjPgPoI

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The President of Ukraine

His Excellency :  Supreme Commander-In-Chief

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Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy
Володимир Зеленський

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Everyone who works for restoration, for repairs, for generation, for supply is a true hero.  I thank all of you.

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Korn – Freak On a Leash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRGrNDV2mKc
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What is history but a fable agreed upon?
–   Napoleon

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84MZJM7jw4U&t=298s

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Your Excellency,

 Τ Ε Λ Ο Σ

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The People’s Special Civil Operation.
Let God Be True & Every Human Being a Liar. 
From a Dead End Story to Living Breathing Testimony.  
If You Could Start Over Again.  What Would You Do Differently?  To Rescue Your Men Being Led Away to Death.
To Restrain Those Stumbling Toward the Valley of Slaughter.  To Avoid Trapping Ourselves Into Some Never-Ending Guerrilla War.  
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if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.
So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion—  and give your neighbor no rest! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
                               –  Proverbs 6  A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJOgTMP8cs4

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For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God.
But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned.

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument.  So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath.  Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie… We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf.
–  Hebrews 6

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0uFPBdwvOQ

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Thank You For Your Attention.
I Have Been Sent to Help Escape This Prolonged Limbo.
I do not represent public opinion; I represent the public.”
–   Theodore Roosevelt

Adapting To What is Feasible.  An Appeal To One’s Sense of Reason and Logic.  Not Intellectual Vanity.
Who Am I?  Just Another Kid Heading Nowhere Fast.
A Humble and Private Approach.
From the Last to the First.

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Boston – More Than a Feeling

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Those Who Are Able to See Beyond the Shadows and Lies of Their Culture Will Never Be Understood, Let Alone Believed, By the Masses
– Plato

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 Revelation 20
Disclosure of information or knowledge to man by a divine or supernatural agency.”
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(New International Version)

The Thousand Years

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.  He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.  He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.  Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.  They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.  And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The Judgment of the Dead

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.  The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.  Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

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 2 Thessalonians 2
(“Victory“)
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(New International Version)

The Man of Lawlessness

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,  not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.  Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.  He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?  And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.  For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.  The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,  and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Stand Firm

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.  He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,  encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

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2 Timothy 3
(“honor, respect”  “Honoring God“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Evil in the Last Days

But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!

They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions, who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith. But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.

All Scripture Is God-Breathed

You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance, my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them.  From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

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Romans 1
(“of Rome”)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Paul Greets the Saints in Rome

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.  And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unashamed of the Gospel

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world.  God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you  in my prayers at all times, asking that now at last by God’s will I may succeed in coming to you.  For I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.  I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.  That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.  For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

God’s Wrath against Sin

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.  For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise!  Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.  Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,  slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents.  They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless.

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.

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Romans 2
(“of Rome”)
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(New International Version)

God’s Righteous Judgment

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.  Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.  So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?  Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.  God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  For God does not show favoritism.

All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.  For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.  (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.  They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)  This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

The Jews and the Law

Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;  if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;  if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?  You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?  As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 

Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.  So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?  The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.  No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

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Romans 3
(“of Rome”)
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(New International Version)

God’s Faithfulness

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?  Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.

What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?  Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak

and prevail when you judge.” 

But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)  Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?  Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?”  Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.  As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

there is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.” 

“Their throats are open graves;

their tongues practice deceit.” 

“The poison of vipers is on their lips.” 

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

ruin and misery mark their ways,

and the way of peace they do not know.” 

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Righteousness Through Faith

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, i through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.  For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.  Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.  Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

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Ecclesiastes 2
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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(New International Version)

Pleasures Are Meaningless

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.  “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?”  I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.  I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.  I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.  I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.  I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart.  I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;

I refused my heart no pleasure.

My heart took delight in all my labor,

and this was the reward for all my toil.

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done

and what I had toiled to achieve,

everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;

nothing was gained under the sun.

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,

and also madness and folly.

What more can the king’s successor do

than what has already been done?

I saw that wisdom is better than folly,

just as light is better than darkness.

The wise have eyes in their heads,

while the fool walks in the darkness;

but I came to realize

that the same fate overtakes them both.

Then I said to myself,

“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.

What then do I gain by being wise?”

I said to myself,

“This too is meaningless.”

For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;

the days have already come when both have been forgotten.

Like the fool, the wise too must die!

Toil Is Meaningless

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.  I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.  And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.  So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.  For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.  What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?  All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?  To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

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Lamentations 3
(“a wailing, moaning, a weeping”  “to bark, scold” )

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(Berean Standard Bible)

The Prophet’s Afflictions

I am the man who has seen affliction

under the rod of God’s wrath.

He has driven me away and made me walk

in darkness instead of light.

Indeed, He keeps turning His hand

against me all day long.

He has worn away my flesh and skin;

He has shattered my bones.

He has besieged me and surrounded me

with bitterness and hardship.

He has made me dwell in darkness

like those dead for ages.

He has walled me in so I cannot escape;

He has weighed me down with chains.

Even when I cry out and plead for help,

He shuts out my prayer.

He has barred my ways with cut stones;

He has made my paths crooked.

He is a bear lying in wait,

a lion hiding in ambush.

He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces;

He left me without help.

He bent His bow

and set me as the target for His arrow.

He pierced my kidneys

with His arrows.

I am a laughingstock to all my people;

they mock me in song all day long.

He has filled me with bitterness;

He has intoxicated me with wormwood.

He has ground my teeth with gravel

and trampled me in the dust.

My soul has been deprived of peace;

I have forgotten what prosperity is.

So I say, “My strength has perished,

along with my hope from the LORD.”

The Prophet’s Hope

Remember my affliction and wandering,

the wormwood and the gall.

Surely my soul remembers

and is humbled within me.

Yet I call this to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed,

for His mercies never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness!

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in Him.”

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,

to the soul who seeks Him.

It is good to wait quietly

for the salvation of the LORD.

It is good for a man to bear the yoke

while he is still young.

Let him sit alone in silence,

for God has disciplined him.

Let him bury his face in the dust—

perhaps there is still hope.

Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him;

let him be filled with reproach.

For the Lord will not

cast us off forever.

Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion

according to His abundant loving devotion.

For He does not willingly afflict

or grieve the sons of men.

To crush underfoot

all the prisoners of the land,

to deny a man justice

before the Most High,

to subvert a man in his lawsuit—

of these the Lord does not approve.

God’s Justice

Who has spoken and it came to pass,

unless the Lord has ordained it?

Do not both adversity and good

come from the mouth of the Most High?

Why should any mortal man complain,

in view of his sins?

Let us examine and test our ways,

and turn back to the LORD.

Let us lift up our hearts and hands

to God in heaven:

“We have sinned and rebelled;

You have not forgiven.”

You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us;

You have killed without pity.

You have covered Yourself with a cloud

that no prayer can pass through.

You have made us scum and refuse

among the nations.

All our enemies

open their mouths against us.

Panic and pitfall have come upon us—

devastation and destruction.

Streams of tears flow from my eyes

over the destruction of the daughter of my people.

My eyes overflow unceasingly,

without relief,

until the LORD

looks down from heaven and sees.

My eyes bring grief to my soul

because of all the daughters of my city.

Without cause my enemies

hunted me like a bird.

They dropped me alive into a pit

and cast stones upon me.

The waters flowed over my head,

and I thought I was going to die.

I called on Your name, O LORD,

out of the depths of the Pit.

You heard my plea:

“Do not ignore my cry for relief.”

You drew near when I called on You;

You said, “Do not be afraid.”

You defend my cause, O Lord;

You redeem my life.

You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me;

vindicate my cause!

You have seen all their malice,

all their plots against me.

O LORD, You have heard their insults,

all their plots against me—

the slander and murmuring of my assailants

against me all day long.

When they sit and when they rise,

see how they mock me in song.

You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD,

according to the work of their hands.

Put a veil of anguish over their hearts;

may Your curse be upon them!

You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them

from under Your heavens, O LORD.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Romans 12
(“of Rome”)
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(New International Verion)

The Word Brings Salvation

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.  For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.  Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.

For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”  But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’  (that is, to bring Christ down)  or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”  that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:  that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”  For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?  And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”  Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.”

I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says:

“I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation;

I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.”

And Isaiah boldly says:

“I was found by those who did not seek Me;

I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.”

But as for Israel he says:

“All day long I have held out My hands

to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Habakkuk 1
(“embrace” “garden herb)
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(New King James Version)

The Prophet Questions God’s Judgments

The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.

The Prophet’s Question

O Lord, how long shall I cry,
And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, “Violence!”
And You will not save.
Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

The Lord’s Reply

“Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.
For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans,
A bitter and hasty nation
Which marches through the breadth of the earth,
To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.
They are terrible and dreadful;
Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.
Their horses also are swifter than leopards,
And more fierce than evening wolves.
Their chargers charge ahead;
Their cavalry comes from afar;
They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.

“They all come for violence;
Their faces are set like the east wind.
They gather captives like sand.
They scoff at kings,
And princes are scorned by them.
They deride every stronghold,
For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.
Then his mind changes, and he transgresses;
He commits offense,
Ascribing this power to his god.”

The Prophet’s Second Question

Are You not from everlasting,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
We shall not die.
O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment;
O Rock, You have marked them for correction.
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours
A person more righteous than he?
Why do You make men like fish of the sea,
Like creeping things that have no ruler over them?

They take up all of them with a hook,
They catch them in their net,
And gather them in their dragnet.
Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
Therefore they sacrifice to their net,
And burn incense to their dragnet;
Because by them their share is sumptuous
And their food plentiful.
Shall they therefore empty their net,
And continue to slay nations without pity?

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Psalm 17
sacred poem or song
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Hear My Righteous Plea

A prayer of David.

Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea;

listen to my cry.

Give ear to my prayer—

it comes from lips free of deceit.

May my vindication come from Your presence;

may Your eyes see what is right.

You have tried my heart;

You have visited me in the night.

You have tested me and found no evil;

I have resolved not to sin with my mouth.

As for the deeds of men—

by the word of Your lips

I have avoided the ways of the violent.

My steps have held to Your paths;

my feet have not slipped.

I call on You, O God,

for You will answer me.

Incline Your ear to me;

hear my words.

Show the wonders of Your loving devotion,

You who save by Your right hand

those who seek refuge from their foes.

Keep me as the apple of Your eye;

hide me in the shadow of Your wings

from the wicked who assail me,

from my mortal enemies who surround me.

They have closed their callous hearts;

their mouths speak with arrogance.

They have tracked us down, and now surround us;

their eyes are set to cast us to the ground,

like a lion greedy for prey,

like a young lion lurking in ambush.

Arise, O LORD, confront them!

Bring them to their knees;

deliver me from the wicked by Your sword,

from such men, O LORD, by Your hand—

from men of the world

whose portion is in this life.

May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons,

so they leave their abundance to their children.

As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness;

when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Job 29
(“hated, persecuted”   “enmity”  ” the penitent one.”  “he was hostile to)
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(New International Version)

Job’s Final Defense

Job continued his discourse:

“How I long for the months gone by,

for the days when God watched over me,

when his lamp shone on my head

and by his light I walked through darkness!

Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,

when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,

when the Almighty was still with me

and my children were around me,

when my path was drenched with cream

and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.

“When I went to the gate of the city

and took my seat in the public square,

the young men saw me and stepped aside

and the old men rose to their feet;

the chief men refrained from speaking

and covered their mouths with their hands;

the voices of the nobles were hushed,

and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

Whoever heard me spoke well of me,

and those who saw me commended me,

because I rescued the poor who cried for help,

and the fatherless who had none to assist them.

The one who was dying blessed me;

I made the widow’s heart sing.

I put on righteousness as my clothing;

justice was my robe and my turban.

I was eyes to the blind

and feet to the lame.

16I was a father to the needy;

I took up the case of the stranger.

I broke the fangs of the wicked

and snatched the victims from their teeth.

“I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,

my days as numerous as the grains of sand.

My roots will reach to the water,

and the dew will lie all night on my branches.

My glory will not fade;

the bow will be ever new in my hand.’

“People listened to me expectantly,

waiting in silence for my counsel.

After I had spoken, they spoke no more;

my words fell gently on their ears.

They waited for me as for showers

and drank in my words as the spring rain.

When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;

the light of my face was precious to them. 

I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;

I dwelt as a king among his troops;

I was like one who comforts mourners.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Isaiah 33
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

Distress and Help

Woe to you, destroyer,

you who have not been destroyed!

Woe to you, betrayer,

you who have not been betrayed!

When you stop destroying,

you will be destroyed;

when you stop betraying,

you will be betrayed.

Lord, be gracious to us;

we long for you.

Be our strength every morning,

our salvation in time of distress.

At the uproar of your army, the peoples flee;

when you rise up, the nations scatter.

Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts;

like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;

he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.

He will be the sure foundation for your times,

a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;

the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. 

Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets;

the envoys of peace weep bitterly.

The highways are deserted,

no travelers are on the roads.

The treaty is broken,

its witnesses are despised,

no one is respected.

The land dries up and wastes away,

Lebanon is ashamed and withers;

Sharon is like the Arabah,

and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.

“Now will I arise,” says the Lord.

“Now will I be exalted;

now will I be lifted up.

You conceive chaff,

you give birth to straw;

your breath is a fire that consumes you.

The peoples will be burned to ashes;

like cut thornbushes they will be set ablaze.”

You who are far away, hear what I have done;

you who are near, acknowledge my power!

The sinners in Zion are terrified;

trembling grips the godless:

“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?

Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”

Those who walk righteously

and speak what is right,

who reject gain from extortion

and keep their hands from accepting bribes,

who stop their ears against plots of murder

and shut their eyes against contemplating evil—

they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,

whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.

Their bread will be supplied,

and water will not fail them.

Your eyes will see the king in his beauty

and view a land that stretches afar.

In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:

“Where is that chief officer?

Where is the one who took the revenue?

Where is the officer in charge of the towers?”

You will see those arrogant people no more,

people whose speech is obscure,

whose language is strange and incomprehensible.

Look on Zion, the city of our festivals;

your eyes will see Jerusalem,

a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved;

its stakes will never be pulled up,

nor any of its ropes broken.

There the Lord will be our Mighty One.

It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.

No galley with oars will ride them,

no mighty ship will sail them.

For the Lord is our judge,

the Lord is our lawgiver,

the Lord is our king;

it is he who will save us.

Your rigging hangs loose:

The mast is not held secure,

the sail is not spread.

Then an abundance of spoils will be divided

and even the lame will carry off plunder.

No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;

and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Proverbs 6
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New International Version)

Warnings Against Folly

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,

if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,

you have been trapped by what you said,

ensnared by the words of your mouth.

So do this, my son, to free yourself,

since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:

Go—to the point of exhaustion— 

and give your neighbor no rest!

Allow no sleep to your eyes,

no slumber to your eyelids.

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,

like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Go to the ant, you sluggard;

consider its ways and be wise!

It has no commander,

no overseer or ruler,

yet it stores its provisions in summer

and gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, you sluggard?

When will you get up from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest—

and poverty will come on you like a thief

and scarcity like an armed man.

A troublemaker and a villain,

who goes about with a corrupt mouth,

who winks maliciously with his eye,

signals with his feet

and motions with his fingers,

who plots evil with deceit in his heart—

he always stirs up conflict.

Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;

he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

There are six things the Lord hates,

seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that are quick to rush into evil,

a false witness who pours out lies

and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Warning Against Adultery

My son, keep your father’s command

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Bind them always on your heart;

fasten them around your neck.

When you walk, they will guide you;

when you sleep, they will watch over you;

when you awake, they will speak to you.

For this command is a lamp,

this teaching is a light,

and correction and instruction

are the way to life,

keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,

from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.

Do not lust in your heart after her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyes.

For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,

but another man’s wife preys on your very life.

Can a man scoop fire into his lap

without his clothes being burned?

Can a man walk on hot coals

without his feet being scorched?

So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

People do not despise a thief if he steals

to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,

though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

But a man who commits adultery has no sense;

whoever does so destroys himself.

Blows and disgrace are his lot,

and his shame will never be wiped away.

For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

He will not accept any compensation;

he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

2 Corinthians 5
(“point” “peak“)
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(New International Version)

Awaiting the New Body

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.  For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  For we live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.  We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.  If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Hebrews 6
(“a biblical Jew Israelite” “one from the other side“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

A Call to Maturity

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  And this we will do, if God permits.

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age— and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.

For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God.  But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned.

Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation.  For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.  Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

God’s Unchangeable Promise

When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply your descendants.”  And so Abraham, after waiting patiently, obtained the promise.

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument.  So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath.  Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Psalm 23
sacred poem or song
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(New King James Version)

The Lord the Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Habakkuk 1
(“embrace” “garden herb)
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(New International Version)

The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received.

Habakkuk’s Complaint

How long, Lord, must I call for help,

but you do not listen?

Or cry out to you, “Violence!”

but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice?

Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?

Destruction and violence are before me;

there is strife, and conflict abounds.

Therefore the law is paralyzed,

and justice never prevails.

The wicked hem in the righteous,

so that justice is perverted.

The Lord’s Answer

“Look at the nations and watch—

and be utterly amazed.

For I am going to do something in your days

that you would not believe,

even if you were told.

I am raising up the Babylonians, 

that ruthless and impetuous people,

who sweep across the whole earth

to seize dwellings not their own.

They are a feared and dreaded people;

they are a law to themselves

and promote their own honor.

Their horses are swifter than leopards,

fiercer than wolves at dusk.

Their cavalry gallops headlong;

their horsemen come from afar.

They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;

they all come intent on violence.

Their hordes advance like a desert wind

and gather prisoners like sand.

They mock kings

and scoff at rulers.

They laugh at all fortified cities;

by building earthen ramps they capture them.

Then they sweep past like the wind and go on—

guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

Lord, are you not from everlasting?

My God, my Holy One, you c will never die.

You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment;

you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;

you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.

Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?

Why are you silent while the wicked

swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

You have made people like the fish in the sea,

like the sea creatures that have no ruler.

The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks,

he catches them in his net,

he gathers them up in his dragnet;

and so he rejoices and is glad.

Therefore he sacrifices to his net

and burns incense to his dragnet,

for by his net he lives in luxury

and enjoys the choicest food.

Is he to keep on emptying his net,

destroying nations without mercy?

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

Psalm 120
sacred poem or song
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(Amplified Bible)

Prayer for Breaking Away from the Treacherous.

A Song of Ascents.

In my trouble I cried to the LORD,

And He answered me.

Rescue my soul, O LORD, from lying lips,

And from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you,

You deceitful tongue?–

Sharp arrows of the warrior,

With the burning coals of the broom tree.

Woe to me, for I sojourn in Meshech,

and I live among the tents of Kedar [among hostile people]!

Too long my soul has had its dwelling

With those who hate peace.

I am for peace, but when I speak,

They are for war.

▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬

John 10
(“Jehovah has favored”  “Jah is gracious”  “he was gracious)
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(New International Version)

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.  The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.  But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”  Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.  All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.  I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  They will come in and go out, and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.  The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

The Jews who heard these words were again divided.  Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”

But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.  The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’ ?  If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?  Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.  But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”  Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.”  And in that place many believed in Jesus.

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Proverbs 21
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth

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(New International Version)

Wisdom’s Call

Does not wisdom call out?

Does not understanding raise her voice?

At the highest point along the way,

where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

beside the gate leading into the city,

at the entrance, she cries aloud:

“To you, O people, I call out;

I raise my voice to all mankind.

You who are simple, gain prudence;

You who are foolish, set your hearts on it. 

Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;

I open my lips to speak what is right.

My mouth speaks what is true,

for my lips detest wickedness.

All the words of my mouth are just;

none of them is crooked or perverse.

To the discerning all of them are right;

they are upright to those who have found knowledge.

Choose my instruction instead of silver,

knowledge rather than choice gold,

for wisdom is more precious than rubies,

and nothing you desire can compare with her.

“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;

I possess knowledge and discretion.

To fear the Lord is to hate evil;

I hate pride and arrogance,

evil behavior and perverse speech.

Counsel and sound judgment are mine;

I have insight, I have power.

By me kings reign

and rulers issue decrees that are just;

by me princes govern,

and nobles—all who rule on earth. 

I love those who love me,

and those who seek me find me.

With me are riches and honor,

enduring wealth and prosperity.

My fruit is better than fine gold;

what I yield surpasses choice silver.

I walk in the way of righteousness,

along the paths of justice,

bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me

and making their treasuries full.

“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,

before his deeds of old;

I was formed long ages ago,

at the very beginning, when the world came to be.

When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,

when there were no springs overflowing with water;

before the mountains were settled in place,

before the hills, I was given birth,

before he made the world or its fields

or any of the dust of the earth.

I was there when he set the heavens in place,

when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,

when he established the clouds above

and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,

when he gave the sea its boundary

so the waters would not overstep his command,

and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

Then I was constantly at his side.

I was filled with delight day after day,

rejoicing always in his presence,

rejoicing in his whole world

and delighting in mankind.

“Now then, my children, listen to me;

blessed are those who keep my ways.

Listen to my instruction and be wise;

do not disregard it.

Blessed are those who listen to me,

watching daily at my doors,

waiting at my doorway.

For those who find me find life

and receive favor from the Lord.

But those who fail to find me harm themselves;

all who hate me love death.”

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Ephesians 1
(“overseer.“)
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(New International Version)

Paul’s Greeting to the Ephesians

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints in Ephesus,  the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.  For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love  He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,  to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace  that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.  And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.

In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,  in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.

And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,  who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.

Spiritual Wisdom

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,  I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.

I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

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Proverbs 4
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New King James Version)

Security in Wisdom

Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.
Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.

But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

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Ecclesiastes 7
(“one who addresses an assembly”  “speaker in an assembly or church, preacher”  “to call out“)
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(New International Version)

Wisdom

A good name is better than fine perfume,

and the day of death better than the day of birth.

It is better to go to a house of mourning

than to go to a house of feasting,

for death is the destiny of everyone;

the living should take this to heart.

Frustration is better than laughter,

because a sad face is good for the heart.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person

than to listen to the song of fools.

Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,

so is the laughter of fools.

This too is meaningless.

Extortion turns a wise person into a fool,

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning,

and patience is better than pride.

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,

for anger resides in the lap of fools.

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”

For it is not wise to ask such questions.

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing

and benefits those who see the sun.

Wisdom is a shelter

as money is a shelter,

but the advantage of knowledge is this:

Wisdom preserves those who have it.

Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten

what he has made crooked?

When times are good, be happy;

but when times are bad, consider this:

God has made the one

as well as the other.

Therefore, no one can discover

anything about their future.

In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:

the righteous perishing in their righteousness,

and the wicked living long in their wickedness.

Do not be overrighteous,

neither be overwise—

why destroy yourself?

Do not be overwicked,

and do not be a fool—

why die before your time?

It is good to grasp the one

and not let go of the other.

Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. 

Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful

than ten rulers in a city.

Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,

no one who does what is right and never sins.

Do not pay attention to every word people say,

or you may hear your servant cursing you—

for you know in your heart

that many times you yourself have cursed others.

All this I tested by wisdom and I said,

“I am determined to be wise”—

but this was beyond me.

Whatever exists is far off and most profound—

who can discover it?

So I turned my mind to understand,

to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things

and to understand the stupidity of wickedness

and the madness of folly.

I find more bitter than death

the woman who is a snare,

whose heart is a trap

and whose hands are chains.

The man who pleases God will escape her,

but the sinner she will ensnare.

“Look,” says the Teacher,  “this is what I have discovered:

“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—

while I was still searching

but not finding—

I found one upright man among a thousand,

but not one upright woman among them all.

This only have I found:

God created mankind upright,

but they have gone in search of many schemes.”

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Psalm 1
sacred poem or song
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(Berean Standard Bible)

BOOK I

                                                                                                                 Psalms 1–41

The Two Paths

Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

or set foot on the path of sinners,

or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the Law of the LORD,

and on His law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

yielding its fruit in season,

whose leaf does not wither,

and who prospers in all he does.

Not so the wicked!

For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the LORD guards the path of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

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James 3
one that takes by the heel; a supplanter
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(New International Version)

Taming the Tongue

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.  We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

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Luke 13
( “tepid”  “warm”  “Bringer of light)
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(New International Version)

Repent or Perish

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.  Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.  Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.  So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

“ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.  If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.  When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”  Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?  Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?  It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

The Narrow Door

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.  Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them,  “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.  Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

“But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.  People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.  Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’  In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.  Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’  

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Matthew 7
gift of Jehova
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(New International Version)

Judging Others

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,  because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

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Proverbs 23
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(Berean Standard Bible)

True Riches

Saying 7

When you sit down to dine with a ruler,

consider carefully what is set before you,

and put a knife to your throat

if you possess a great appetite.

Do not crave his delicacies,

for that food is deceptive.

Saying 8

Do not wear yourself out to get rich;

be wise enough to restrain yourself.

When you glance at wealth, it disappears,

for it makes wings for itself

and flies like an eagle to the sky.

Saying 9

Do not eat the bread of a stingy man,

and do not crave his delicacies;

for he is keeping track,

inwardly counting the cost.

“Eat and drink,” he says to you,

but his heart is not with you.

You will vomit up what little you have eaten

and waste your pleasant words.

Saying 10

Do not speak to a fool,

for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Saying 11

Do not move an ancient boundary stone

or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

for their Redeemer is strong;

He will take up their case against you.

Saying 12

Apply your heart to instruction

and your ears to words of knowledge.

Saying 13

Do not withhold discipline from a child;

although you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

Strike him with a rod,

and you will deliver his soul from Sheol.

Saying 14

My son, if your heart is wise,

my own heart will indeed rejoice.

My inmost being will rejoice

when your lips speak what is right.

Saying 15

Do not let your heart envy sinners,

but always continue in the fear of the LORD.

For surely there is a future,

and your hope will not be cut off.

Saying 16

Listen, my son, and be wise,

and guide your heart on the right course.

Do not join those who drink too much wine

or gorge themselves on meat.

For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,

and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.

Saying 17

Listen to your father who gave you life,

and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Invest in truth and never sell it—

in wisdom and instruction and understanding.

The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice,

and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.

May your father and mother be glad,

and may she who gave you birth rejoice!

Saying 18

My son, give me your heart,

and let your eyes delight in my ways.

For a prostitute is a deep pit,

and an adulteress is a narrow well.

Like a robber she lies in wait

and multiplies the faithless among men.

Saying 19

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has contentions? Who has complaints?

Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?

Those who linger over wine,

who go to taste mixed drinks.

Do not gaze at wine while it is red,

when it sparkles in the cup

and goes down smoothly.

In the end it bites like a snake

and stings like a viper.

Your eyes will see strange things,

and your mind will utter perversities.

You will be like one sleeping on the high seas

or lying on the top of a mast:

“They struck me, but I feel no pain!

They beat me, but I did not know it!

When can I wake up

to search for another drink?”

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Proverbs 22
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(Berean Standard Bible)

A Good Name

A good name is more desirable than great riches;

favor is better than silver and gold.

The rich and the poor have this in common:

The LORD is Maker of them all.

The prudent see danger and take cover,

but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences.

The rewards of humility and the fear of the LORD

are wealth and honor and life.

Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse;

he who guards his soul stays far from them.

Train up a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not depart from it.

The rich rule over the poor,

and the borrower is slave to the lender.

He who sows injustice will reap disaster,

and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

A generous man will be blessed,

for he shares his bread with the poor.

Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart;

even quarreling and insults will cease.

He who loves a pure heart and gracious lips

will have the king for a friend.

The LORD’s eyes keep watch over knowledge,

but He frustrates the words of the faithless.

The slacker says, “There is a lion outside!

I will be slain in the streets!”

The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;

he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich

will surely lead to poverty.

Thirty Sayings of the Wise

Saying 1

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise—

apply your mind to my knowledge—

for it is pleasing when you keep them within you

and they are constantly on your lips.

So that your trust may be in the LORD,

I instruct you today—yes, you.

Have I not written for you thirty sayingsc

about counsel and knowledge,

to show you true and reliable words,

that you may soundly answer those who sent you?

Saying 2

Do not rob a poor man because he is poor,

and do not crush the afflicted at the gate,

for the LORD will take up their case

and will plunder those who rob them.

Saying 3

Do not make friends with an angry man,

and do not associate with a hot-tempered man,

or you may learn his ways

and entangle yourself in a snare.

Saying 4

Do not be one who gives pledges,

who puts up security for debts.

If you have nothing with which to pay,

why should your bed be taken from under you?

Saying 5

Do not move an ancient boundary stone

which your fathers have placed.

Saying 6

Do you see a man skilled in his work?

He will be stationed in the presence of kings;

he will not stand before obscure men.

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Matthew 6
(“gift of Jehovah”)
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(New International Version)

Giving to the Needy

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from the evil one.  

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,  so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, c your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eyes are unhealthy,  your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Do Not Worry

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

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2 Corinthians 8
(“point” “peak“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Generosity Commended

Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.  In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.  For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord, they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.  And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, through the will of God.

So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.  But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.  I am not giving a command, but I am testing the sincerity of your love through the earnestness of others.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.  And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire.  Now finish the work, so that you may complete it with the same eager desire, according to your means.  For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.  At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. This way there will be equality.  As it is written:

“He who gathered much had no excess,

and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”

Titus Commended

But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you.  For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.

Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.  More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the gracious offering we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.

We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift.  For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.

And we are sending along with them our brother who has proven his earnestness to us many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.  As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you. As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.  In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.

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2 Timothy 2
(“honor, respect”  “Honoring God“)
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(New International Version)

The Appeal Renewed

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.  Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.  Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.  The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.  Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.  Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,

we will also live with him;

if we endure,

we will also reign with him.

If we disown him,

he will also disown us;

if we are faithless,

he remains faithful,

for he cannot disown himself.

Dealing With False Teachers

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.  Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.  Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.  Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

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Ephesians 6
(“overseer.“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Children and Parents

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.”

Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Serving with Honor

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.  And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.  Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.

The Full Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.  Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

Final Greetings

Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know about me and what I am doing.  I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us, and that he may encourage your hearts.

Peace to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

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Proverbs 21
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(New King James Version)

The Lord Considers the Heart

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,
Like the rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the hearts.

To do righteousness and justice
Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

A haughty look, a proud heart,
And the plowing of the wicked are sin.

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty,
But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

Getting treasures by a lying tongue
Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.

The violence of the wicked will destroy them,
Because they refuse to do justice.

The way of a guilty man is perverse;
But as for the pure, his work is right.

Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;
But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked,
Overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness.

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.

A gift in secret pacifies anger,
And a bribe behind the back, strong wrath.

It is a joy for the just to do justice,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

A man who wanders from the way of understanding
Will rest in the assembly of the dead.

He who loves pleasure will be a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous,
And the unfaithful for the upright.

Better to dwell in the wilderness,
Than with a contentious and angry woman.

There is desirable treasure,
And oil in the dwelling of the wise,
But a foolish man squanders it.

He who follows righteousness and mercy
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.

A wise man scales the city of the mighty,
And brings down the trusted stronghold.

Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.

A proud and haughty man—“Scoffer” is his name;
He acts with arrogant pride.

The desire of the lazy man kills him,
For his hands refuse to labor.
He covets greedily all day long,
But the righteous gives and does not spare.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
How much more when he brings it with wicked intent!

A false witness shall perish,
But the man who hears him will speak endlessly.

A wicked man hardens his face,
But as for the upright, he establishes his way.

There is no wisdom or understanding
Or counsel against the Lord.

The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But deliverance is of the Lord.

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Psalm 51
sacred poem or song
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(New International Version)

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba.

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to Your loving devotion;

according to Your great compassion,

blot out my transgressions.

Wash me clean of my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in Your sight,

so that You may be proved right when You speak

and blameless when You judge.

Surely I was brought forth in iniquity;

I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

Surely You desire truth in the inmost being;

You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones You have crushed rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Your presence;

take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

and sustain me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

and sinners will return to You.

Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God,

the God of my salvation,

and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare Your praise.

For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

You take no pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and a contrite heart,

O God, You will not despise.

In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;

build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,

in whole burnt offerings;

then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

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Psalm 95
sacred poem or song
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(New International Version)

Do Not Harden Your Hearts

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout to the Rock of our salvation!

Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to Him in song.

For the LORD is a great God,

a great King above all gods.

In His hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to Him.

The sea is His, for He made it,

and His hands formed the dry land.

O come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God,

and we are the people of His pasture,

the sheep under His care.

Today, if you hear His voice,

do not harden your hearts

as you did at Meribah,

in the day at Massah in the wilderness,

where your fathers tested and tried Me,

though they had seen My work.

For forty years I was angry with that generation,

and I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray,

and they have not known My ways.”

So I swore on oath in My anger,

“They shall never enter My rest.”

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Psalm 102
sacred poem or song
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(New International Version)

The Prayer of the Afflicted

A prayer of one who is afflicted, when he grows faint and pours out his lament before the LORD.

Hear my prayer, O LORD;

let my cry for help come before You.

Do not hide Your face from me

in my day of distress.

Incline Your ear to me;

answer me quickly when I call.

For my days vanish like smoke,

and my bones burn like glowing embers.

My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass;

I even forget to eat my bread.

Through my loud groaning

my flesh clings to my bones.

I am like a desert owl,

like an owl among the ruins.

I lie awake;

I am like a lone bird on a housetop.

All day long my enemies taunt me;

they ridicule me and curse me.

For I have eaten ashes like bread

and mixed my drink with tears

because of Your indignation and wrath,

for You have picked me up and cast me aside.

My days are like lengthening shadows,

and I wither away like grass.

But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever;

Your renown endures to all generations.

You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,

for it is time to show her favor—

the appointed time has come.

For Your servants delight in her stones

and take pity on her dust.

So the nations will fear the name of the LORD,

and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory.

For the LORD will rebuild Zion;

He has appeared in His glory.

He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute;

He will not despise their prayer.

Let this be written for the generation to come,

so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.

For He looked down from the heights of His sanctuary;

the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth

to hear a prisoner’s groaning,

to release those condemned to death,

that they may proclaim the name of the LORD in Zion

and praise Him in Jerusalem,

when peoples and kingdoms assemble

to serve the LORD.

He has broken my strength on the way;

He has cut short my days.

I say: “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days!

Your years go on through all generations.

In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of Your hands.

They will perish, but You remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

Like clothing You will change them,

and they will be passed on.

But You remain the same,

and Your years will never end.

The children of Your servants will dwell securely,

and their descendants will be established before You.”

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Romans 14
of Rome
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(New International Version)

The Weak and the Strong

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.  One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.  The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.  Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.  For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.  If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.  For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister?  Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.  It is written:

“ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ”

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.  I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.  If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.  Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,  because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.  Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.  It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.  But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

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Proverbs 13
A common saying, old adage, maxim”   “words put forth
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(Berean Standard Bible)

A Father’s Discipline

A wise son heeds his father’s discipline,

but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things,

but the desire of the faithless is violence.

He who guards his mouth protects his life,

but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.

The slacker craves yet has nothing,

but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.

The righteous hate falsehood,

but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.

Righteousness guards the man of integrity,

but wickedness undermines the sinner.

One pretends to be rich, but has nothing;

another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

Riches may ransom a man’s life,

but a poor man hears no threat.

The light of the righteous shines brightly,

but the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

Arrogance leads only to strife,

but wisdom is with the well-advised.

Dishonest wealth will dwindle,

but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

He who despises instruction will pay the penalty,

but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,

turning one from the snares of death.

Good understanding wins favor,

but the way of the faithless is difficult.

Every prudent man acts with knowledge,

but a fool displays his folly.

A wicked messenger falls into trouble,

but a faithful envoy brings healing.

Poverty and shame come to him who ignores discipline,

but whoever heeds correction is honored.

Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,

but turning from evil is detestable to fools.

He who walks with the wise will become wise,

but the companion of fools will be destroyed.

Disaster pursues sinners,

but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,

but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.

Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor,

but without justice it is swept away.

He who spares the rod hates his son,

but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

A righteous man eats to his heart’s content,

but the stomach of the wicked is empty.

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Ephesians 4
(“overseer.“)
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(New International Version)

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.  This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,

he took many captives

and gave gifts to his people.” 

(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?  He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)  So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Instructions for Christian Living

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.  Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;  to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.  “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.  Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

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James 1
one that takes by the heel; a supplanter
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(New International Version)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:

Greetings.

Trials and Temptations

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,  whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.  But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.  For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Listening and Doing

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

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Acts 4
a thing done”  “a doing; a driving, impulse, a setting in motion; a part in a play
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(New International Version)

Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.  They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.  They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.  But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.  Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family.  They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!  If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,  then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.  Jesus is

“ ‘the stone you builders rejected,

which has become the cornerstone.’ 

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.  But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.  So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.  “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it.  But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!  As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.  For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

The Believers Pray

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.  When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.  You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“ ‘Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord

and against his anointed one.   

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.  They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.  Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.  Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

The Believers Share Their Possessions

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.  With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

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Hebrews 11
(“a biblical Jew Israelite” “one from the other side“)
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(New International Version)

Faith in Action

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”  For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.  And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”  Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.  By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.  By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. 

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.  Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.  Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.  They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

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Hebrews 7
(“a biblical Jew Israelite” “one from the other side“)
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(Berean Standard Bible)

Melchizedek and Abraham

This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High.  He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness.” Then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”  Without father or mother or genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.

Consider how great Melchizedek was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder.  Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—though they too are descended from Abraham.  But Melchizedek, who did not trace his descent from Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.  And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater.

In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on. And so to speak, Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham.   For when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the loin of his ancestor.

A Superior Priesthood

Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron?
For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed as well.

He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.  For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.

And this point is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears,  one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life.  For it is testified:

“You are a priest forever

in the order of Melchizedek.”

So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless  (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

And none of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath,  but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him:

“The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind:

‘You are a priest forever.’

Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Now there have been many other priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office.  But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.  Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.  Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.  For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

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Psalm 16
sacred poem or song
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(Berean Standard Bible)

The Presence of the LORD

A Miktam of David.

Preserve me, O God,

for in You I take refuge.

I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;

apart from You I have no good thing.”

As for the saints in the land,

they are the excellence

in whom all my delight resides.

Sorrows will multiply

to those who chase other gods.

I will not pour out their libations of blood,

or speak their names with my lips.

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;

You have made my lot secure.

The lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places;

surely my inheritance is delightful.

I will bless the LORD who counsels me;

even at night my conscience instructs me.

I have set the LORD always before me.

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will dwell securely.

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the path of life;

You will fill me with joy in Your presence,

with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

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Philemon 1
Loving, affectionate
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(New International Version)

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,  because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus.  I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.  Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,  who became my son while I was in chains.  Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you.  I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.  But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.  Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.  If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.  I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.  I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.  Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings.  And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

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Isaiah 32
salvation of the Lord” “salvation, deliverance
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(New International Version)

The Kingdom of Righteousness

See, a king will reign in righteousness

and rulers will rule with justice.

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind

and a refuge from the storm,

like streams of water in the desert

and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,

and the ears of those who hear will listen.

The fearful heart will know and understand,

and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.

No longer will the fool be called noble

nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

For fools speak folly,

their hearts are bent on evil:

They practice ungodliness

and spread error concerning the Lord;

the hungry they leave empty

and from the thirsty they withhold water.

Scoundrels use wicked methods,

they make up evil schemes

to destroy the poor with lies,

even when the plea of the needy is just.

But the noble make noble plans,

and by noble deeds they stand.

The Women of Jerusalem

You women who are so complacent,

rise up and listen to me;

you daughters who feel secure,

hear what I have to say!

In little more than a year

you who feel secure will tremble;

the grape harvest will fail,

and the harvest of fruit will not come.

Tremble, you complacent women;

shudder, you daughters who feel secure!

Strip off your fine clothes

and wrap yourselves in rags.

Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,

for the fruitful vines

and for the land of my people,

a land overgrown with thorns and briers—

yes, mourn for all houses of merriment

and for this city of revelry.

The fortress will be abandoned,

the noisy city deserted;

citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever,

the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,

till the Spirit is poured on us from on high,

and the desert becomes a fertile field,

and the fertile field seems like a forest.

The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert,

his righteousness live in the fertile field.

The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;

its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.

My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,

in secure homes,

in undisturbed places of rest.

Though hail flattens the forest

and the city is leveled completely,

how blessed you will be,

sowing your seed by every stream,

and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

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Joshua 20
the Lord is salvation ” 
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(New International Version)

Cities of Refuge

Then the Lord said to Joshua:  “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.  When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them.  If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought.  They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.  East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh.  Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

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Acts 17
a thing done”  “a doing; a driving, impulse, a setting in motion; a part in a play
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(New International Version)

In Thessalonica

When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.  As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,  explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.  Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.  But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”  When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.  Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

In Berea

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.  Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.  The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.  Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

In Athens

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.  So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.  Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.”  (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’   As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.  In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  At that, Paul left the Council.  Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

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Psalm 10
sacred poem or song
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(New King James Version)

A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil

Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.

he wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.

His ways are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity.”
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.

He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
So he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his strength.
He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”

Arise, O Lord!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.

But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

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The Fallen Angel

by :  Alexandre Cabanel (1847)

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To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end,
I will give authority over the nations—
 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’   
—just as I have received authority from my Father.  I will also give that one the morning star.  Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
                                                                                                    –  Revelation 2 (New International Version)

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