Why I support the Jewish State - Israel?

In January 4, 2009, I joined the Facebook group I Support the Israel Defense Forces In Preventing Terror Attacks From Gaza Discussions. I wanted to post what I said via the group about why I took my stand with Israel:

Taking my stand with the physical children of Abraham, and remembering Psalm 122:6. All who support the cause of Jerusalem shall prosper.

G-d will punish all those who when UNPROVOKED seek to hurt this physical nation. Hamas has no just cause for attacking Israel!

From JERUSALEM - the Messiah shall rule the earth and PEACE shall flow out to the entire world!

Let G-d judge and punish Israel, if they have in any way acted in abuse of their powers.

Yet G-d always affirms that a nation has the right to defend itself. It is unfortunate that Hamas has continuously provoked Israel to wrath, that Israel has to shelve all hopes of peace to enter into territory ceded to a Palestinian state in order to secure its borders.

The rulers of nation-state - is given the G-d-given responsibility to secure its citizens. That is the number 1 - responsibility of any government.


Israel and portions of Palestine rightfully belongs to the Jews. G-d sometimes permit others to occupy Israel and portions of Palestine, because the Jews were not faithful to the covenant made with their fathers.

But essentially, G-d has promised Israel (and portions of Palestine) to Jacob's seed, and not to any other family of the earth. His promises will come to pass, for he is not man that he should lie.

Deuteronomy 32:8
When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.

OR

Numbers 34:12
Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea. " 'This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side."

OR

Numbers 34:2
"Command the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance will have these boundaries:"

Israel not only has a legal right to exist, but there is a divine intent behind its borders.

The original Christianity were supporters of Israel and Jerusalem.

I am a Christian because a Jew and a sect of Jews explained to Gentiles the will of G-d for the entire world was, including the relevance of Torah and the prophets to non-Jews.

It is ironic that today, some in Christianity had divorced itself from the roots of Judaism.

However in the last days, Jews and Bible believing Christians will unite. We have one book - that the 3 major religions agree on the Torah, the Psalms and the Prophets. We may dispute the others, but even Islam, agree on the promises given to Avraham (Abraham) and his descendants.

In your search for the meaning of life and the questioning of religion, begin where all of us agree. Then ask yourself is the Torah just a religious book or a book for humanity? Is it a book for you?


In Israel and Palestine, humanity can not bring about the peace. It will take the direct intervention of G-d, the Almighty and the promised Messiah. Of course, the Almighty G-d is the land owner. He will settle the dispute of the land.

But he has promised Israel and the entire nations of the earth, that he will give us a ruler that will be JUDGE and settle all disputes, and end all wars.

This is the prophesied Messiah and Messianic Age - revealed in both the Christian and Jewish Scriptures.

Fairness and a change of men's hearts will be a prerequisite for PEACE, from which only he who created all men can bring about.
http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn79/kingdom-of-god.htm

Israel at War - Time is closing down soon

Israel is at War!
http://www.honestreporting.com/a/gaza2008primer.html

2009 has not even began and we are seeing war.

This is now the season to revisit Bible prophecies. You may wish to begin with Matthew 24.

Trust no one, especially the media. Deception is a major trend in these last days. JESUS in his Mount Olives prophecy tells us to be extremely careful about what we hear and what we see.
He says take heed that no man deceive you (Matt. 24:4), for many deceivers will be out there.

However, many will come "in my [JESUS's] name" (Matt. 24:5).

Satan knows that we will not be deceived by people who are not Christians/Jews. He knows that we will listen to people based on what they profess. He knows that we will not listen to people who are not of our same denomination, beliefs or religious persuasion. So he is going to use someone in the Church or synagogue, even an entire Christian or Jewish movement to deceive us.

Reasoning on JESUS's birthday

I just had a talk with a Jehovah's Witness (JW). A pleasant discussion at that. She wanted to give me literature, but I declined saying that I had so much to read and so little time. I therefore offered her the opportunity to summarise one of the articles for me.

She asked me which one, and I decided to choose the article on "When was JESUS born?"

I told her that I already know that he was not born on the 25th of December but I would be interested in hearing the exact date if they had it.

She disappointed me by telling me that they did not have the date, but could show that it was not on December 25th.

We then went on into a discussion about the morality of birthday celebrations.

I agreed with her that it was not moral to celebrate JESUS's birth on the 25th, the same day as a pagan god. However, I disagreed with her about the immorality of celebrating a birthday or a life any at all.

I reassured her that while G-d did not command Christians to celebrate the birth of JESUS - the fact is that JESUS birth was celebrated, and by a number of individuals.

The JW went on to ask why was there not a continuous celebration by his disciples and followers until more than 100 years after.

I then went on to share with her that if they were following the Jewish calendar, which was lunar, they could not regularly have a set day to celebrate a birthday. The day would fluctuate too much.

However, since we today are following a pagan calendar named after Greek and Roman gods, our timing is such that a set day and set time can be commemorated each year.

I also suggested to her, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, that if we were following the Jewish calendar, where there is a timing and season for each activity, then there would be no need to celebrate birthdays. (The JW lady conceded that we are no longer under law, hence no need to follow the Jewish calendar. So I told her that if we are not following the Jewish calendar, hence there is no problem or law against celebrating birthdays via the pagan calendar.)




We left on peaceful terms, and I actually felt blessed from the conversation since we spoke about the Almighty G-d together and his Son. I also left with the realisation that if celebrating birthdays on a pagan calendar is immoral, what is more immoral is to not follow G-d's calendar. Further, there was no command to not celebrate birthdays, but there were explicit commands to keep G-d's sabbaths and convocations.

Jamaica is a Pagan Nation

When I was growing up, I believed that Jamaica was a Christian nation. All the wealthiest persons in Jamaican society and the people who were established seemed to be Christians or at least attend church services on Sunday.

I saw the Anglican Church as Jamaica's official church, noting that many schools were operated by the Anglican diocese. I attended Anglican preparatory and then high school, so you cannot blame me for coming to that conclusion.

I even believe that when I attended university, that even university had a Anglican chapel.

My awakening to the paganised Jamaican society came in my adult life. Attending the local university definitely exposed me to the pagan aspects that coexisted with the Christian ethic that guided the nation. I encountered:

• a Satanist attending one of my class
• secular lecturers
  
• Anti-Christian lecturers
• Sexual promiscuous class mates who were unbelievers and who questioned the Church and Christian ideals.

However, my eyes have been fully open now to the pagan elements that dominate the people of Jamaica.

Just walk on the street on a Sabbath (Saturday) or Sunday - the two days when people are to be in church. On the streets, you see people selling, idling, gambling and smoking, with no regard for G-d.

Tattoos, Shirts with skulls, shoes with skulls, belts with skulls, Posters with girls in skimpy clothing, girls on the street with skimpy clothing, men with cigars and ganga, men playing dominoes, loud objectionable music playing, bars with men and women, men and women in betting lines (for LOTTO tickets, horse betting and others).

This is what I see when I walk through Jamaica, on a day of worship (Saturday or Sunday). (More prevalent on the Saturday than the Sunday, as more church goers are seen on a Sunday and less selling and commerce on Sunday.)

It grieves my spirit to see that people just live without regularly attending church services, and in enjoying pleasures of sin, transgression and iniquity. I believe there are more bars/pubs in Jamaica than churches. There are also so many persons gambling.

While we have much religious freedom in this country, we also have much moral ills in the society. The ordinary man on the street is pagan and secular.

Pray for this nation.

Holy Convocation

Holy Days of God

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The above slideshow is very interesting. They have replaced G-d's holy days in Leviticus 23 with their own version.

Anyway, I want to share with you a message I received on the Leviticus 23 passage. You can determine for yourself what to make of it. Below are the details.

Name of Fellowship: United Church of God
Location: Olympia Crown Hotel on 53 Molynes Road, Kingston 10
Date: November 22, 2008
Messenger: Lee Burke

Topic: Holy Convocation

"Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap."

Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let not your hands be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.

(NIV): Ecclesiastes 11: 4 & 6
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecc%2011:4,6&version=31

There are no excuses for missing the holy convocations of God. In fact you are to make ample provision and preparation each week in order to attend.

The LORD has a requirement of us, but we attempt to make excuses. He requires us to meet at certain times of the year, but we excuse ourselves from those meetings. We do not attempt to plan and prepare to make those appointments.

When it was first given to Israel, G-d sought to teach the people that they need to prepare in advance for the Sabbath (Exodus 16).

G-d has ordained a purpose in the convocations. He has designed them for us to get right perspective on life.

The Psalmist in in Psalm 73 - if he did not go into the sanctuary (in verse 17), may have given up on the way of G-d. But because of how G-d designed holy convocation, the Psalmist gained understanding and right perspective from attendance.

In Acts 15:21, the apostles in deciding what requirements were necessary for the new Gentile converts, expected them to attend the sabbath readings at the synagogues in whatever town they were. At the sabbath holy convocations, the Torah or the Law was read, and people would learn G-d's law and requirements through these readings.

The holy convocations provided training in the Law of G-d and his requirements. Missing those convocations, meant missing out on the lessons that G-d would have us know that day. The Law is read on Sabbaths to keep us informed. When we are informed we can better do what G-d requires of us. On judgement day, we will have no excuses for disobedience, as we had ample opportunities to attend the holy convocations to be informed of G-d's requirements.

It is very important that we study the Torah/Law. JESUS taught that the Law spoke about salvation and about him (Luke 24:44-47). In fact, the scriptures (Law, Prophets and Psalms) contain the basic tenets of the Christian's gospel:

• The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
  
• repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

The Holy convocation or assembly provides opportunity for the believer to be meet others who can encourage the believer to do good and love. The believer also is required in the assembly to encourage others to do good works and to love (Hebrews 10:23-25).

There are those with the habit of missing the assembly, which G-d has designed for us to know the ways of life and to understand our purpose for existence and his purpose for our lives.

These convocations are where G-d wants us to be at the appointed time - to work upon us (Exodus 31:13). G-d uses these appointed times to set us apart and to sanctify us, making us different from the world.

When we miss the Sabbaths as a people and a nation, we miss the opportunity for G-d to work on us and we open up our world and our nation to evil (Ezekiel 22:24-31).

It is for our benefit that the Sabbaths were instituted, and as such we have a great responsibility in making it a delight (Isaiah 58:13-14). We must look forward to it, plan for it and prepare for it, and ensure that we take the time to make it a delightful day.

Conclusion:

There are no excuses for disobeying G-d in not observing the Sabbath and attending the holy convocations.

In fact, G-d expects that we will prepare for it each week, putting in place provisions and preparations to keep the appointments. G-d expects us to make the effort to meet the appointments. In addition, we must see to it that we make the effort to make the appointment interesting and delightful.

Readings on Genesis: Chapter 1

After reading chapter one of Genesis, we can see that the LORD caused all life to proceed out of water.

Before he spoke over water to bring forth life out of it, His Spirit hovered over (or moved on the face of according to KJV) the water.

This is a perfectly expounds the symbolism of baptism. That after being baptised, one is to expect a new life to proceed out of the individual who was baptised.


Other things to note:

1. Light came out from Darkness
2. Day came out from Night
3. Dry Land (Earth) came out from Waters (Seas)
4. Trees, Fruits, Grass and Herbs came out from the Earth (Land)
5. Life (Sea creatures and birds) came forth out of Waters (Seas)

All life came out of and is nourished by water. G-d's anointing touched water, thus giving water life giving and sustaining power.

When one is baptised, the Holy Spirit comes down and touches the water in which one is dipped, giving the person the potential for new birth - just as in the day of creation.

Also to note:

G-d created lesser and greater lights. He however ensured that instead of starting the day with sunrise -and with the sun, the greater light, he started our day with evening and with the moon, which is the lesser light.

Thus we find throughout the Bible/Torah that G-d used the lesser light to indicate to man the times and seasons for worship. G-d used the moon, the lesser light as the basis of his calendar.


Two revelations have I received regarding this subject:

• The reminder to men that our greatest glory is to come and follow the night. The new beginning of all things is to follow the end of the world. When Adam fell and it seem as if mankind story went into darkness and into an end. However, a new beginning and regeneration is to follow when the Son of G-d and man shall appear to put an end to sin and death - and darkness and evil and usher in a new age.

• G-d always seeks the humble and lowly to do his purpose. He chose Jacob over Esau. G-d chose Israel over other nations because Israel was the smallest, poorest and weakest nation to keep his timetable and calendar in the earth.
  

The purpose of life for all humanity

I follow in the footsteps of Wisdom to analyse the purpose of life for all humanity. In Ecclesiastes 1:13, the Jewish philosopher, sought to do a similiar thing. He investigated the purpose of life as given by G-d. Like him I have done the same - and my answer is:

G-d has given man life, and specifically you and I life, for us to discover what contributions we must make on earth in the time given.

The playwright Shakespeare once wrote that "all the world is a stage"! How true it is! The earth is an arena, where each individual enters and exists. G-d has given each individual a unique contribution to make in the arena. Some make their contribution and then exit. Others make little contribution, less than their potential and exit.

One must determine what unique contribution one has or possesses to bring to humanity. What has G-d given you that you can contribute with your life in the time slot that he has assigned you to.

Thought or Take home point:

"God has given me both life and a time slot on earth to give a significant contribution to human society."

Life A Journey On Train

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