Thursday, 6 October 2011

Egypt's Role In Forming Jesus


NKJV) Genesis 14:13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they [were] allies with Abram.

At this time we will accept that Abram is the start of Israel hence Hebrew or "come from Hebron" is shortened to Jew as was used in Egypt to denote status in society.

Genesis 12:10  Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.
Genesis 12:10  . Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine [was] severe in the land. 
Genesis 12:14  . So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she [was] very beautiful. 
Genesis 12:16  He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 
Genesis 12:17  But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 
Genesis 12:18  And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What [is] this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she [was] your wife? 
Genesis 13:1  Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. 
Genesis 13:2  Abram [was] very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

Notice that the King of Egypt or Pharaoh had sex with Abram wife also other men of Pharaoh household but while they agreed that Abram was not upfront truthful with them Abram was encouraged to leave Egypt.

Genesis 16:2  So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing [children.] Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. 
Genesis 16:3  Then Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. 
Genesis 16:5  Then Sarai said to Abram, "My wrong [be] upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between you and me."

Here we see that Abram had sex with Hagar the Egyptian maid in his household producing a son called Ishmael.

Genesis 21:3  And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him -- whom Sarah bore to him -- Isaac.  
Genesis 21:10  Therefore she {Sarah} said to Abraham, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [namely] with Isaac." 
Genesis 25:20  Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. 
Genesis 25:21  Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she [was] barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 
Genesis 25:26  Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac [was] sixty years old when she bore them. 
We can see that Abraham was grand-father to Jacob.

Genesis 26:9  Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, "Quite obviously she [is] your wife; so how could you say, 'She [is] my sister'?" And Isaac said to him, "Because I said, 'Lest I die on account of her.' " 
Genesis 26:12  . Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. 
Genesis 26:16  And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we."
 
Look earlier and you see Abram told Pharaoh that Saraai was is sister and here again Isaac did the same.

Genesis 25:30  And Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red [stew,] for I [am] weary." Therefore his name was called Edom. 
Genesis 25:31  But Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright as of this day." 
Genesis 25:33  Then Jacob said, "Swear to me as of this day." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 
Genesis 25:34  And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised [his] birthright.
Genesis 28:1  Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 
Genesis 28:5  So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. 
Genesis 28:6  Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan Aram to take himself a wife from there, [and that] as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan," 
Genesis 28:7  and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padan Aram. 
Genesis 29:13  . Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things.  

We learn here that  Jacob was mostly of Syrian descent.

Genesis 29:15  . Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you [are] my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what [should] your wages [be?"] 
Genesis 29:18  Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter." 
Genesis 29:20  So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed [only] a few days to him because of the love he had for her. 
Genesis 29:21  . Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give [me] my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her." 
Genesis 29:23  Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 
Genesis 29:28  Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. 
Genesis 29:30  Then [Jacob] also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years. 
Genesis 30:1  Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die!" 
Genesis 30:2  And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, "[Am] I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" 
Genesis 30:4  Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. 
Genesis 30:5  And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 
Genesis 30:7  And Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 
Genesis 30:9  When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. 
Genesis 30:10  And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 
Genesis 30:12  And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 
Genesis 30:16  When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." And he lay with her that night. 
Genesis 30:17  And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 
Genesis 30:19  Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 
Genesis 35:24  the sons of Rachel [were] Joseph and Benjamin;

 The Syrian children of Jacob were twelve sons of which the fourth to Leah was Judah which means " praise god". 

Genesis 37:28  Then Midianite traders passed by; so [the brothers] pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty [shekels] of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
Genesis 41:50  . And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 
Genesis 41:51  Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house." 
Genesis 41:57  So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy [grain,] because the famine was severe in all lands.  
Genesis 47:11  . And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 

Genesis 50:7  So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 
Genesis 50:8  as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. 
Genesis 50:14  And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father. 
Genesis 50:26  So Joseph died, [being] one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. 
Exodus 1:6  And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. 
(NKJV) Exodus 1:8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

Exodus 1:9 And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we;
Exodus 1:10 "come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and [so] go up out of the land."

You notice that Ishmaelites from Abram's part-Egyptian son took Joseph to Egypt. Joseph caused his whole family to be in Egypt. That Syrian family multiplied to the point for Pharoah to become fearful.

Genesis 38:2  And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name [was] Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 
Genesis 46:12  The sons of Judah [were] Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 
Exodus 35:30  . And Moses said to the children of Israel, "See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 
Exodus 38:22  Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 
  

Ruth 4:17  Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi." And they called his name Obed. He [is] the father of Jesse, the father of David. 
Ruth 4:22  Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David. 
1 Samuel 16:19  . Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, "Send me your son David, who [is] with the sheep." 
1 Samuel 17:12  . Now David [was] the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name [was] Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced [in years,] in the days of Saul. 

We see that Jesse came from Bethlehem and the Tribe of Judah. David is accredited to be somehow connected with Joseph father of Mary's children.

(NKJV) Matthew 2:19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
NKJV) Matthew 2:20 saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  
(NKJV) Matthew 2:21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

Therefore we can conclude that Egypt role in forming Jesus was central to His very survival much less to say that before the Exodus of the Tribes from Egypt they were born-there Egyptians of mostly Syrian descent. It seems to me that Egyptians then tolerated a multi-cultural economy.  The offsprings of Abraham should give God thanks for Egypt.

                                           Footnote
Joseph son of Jacob (Israel) was next in command to Pharoah in Egypt (Gen 41:39-45) Joseph's decision to withdraw the currency or money from across Egypt and Canaan then, store same in the Central Bank (Pharoah) of Egypt (Gen47:14 caused a barter system to come upon the people.

The Egyptians and others traded for bread [food] everything, including their lands (Gen47:15-21). This is the earliest record of Centralized Government or Communism (Gen 47:25-26) across Egypt which was prosperous at worst.

Reigion was upheld in Egypt *Gen47:22). Look at Gen49:25 and Gen41:38-39; it seems the Pharaoh also believed in the Almighty God.

Egyptians were "enslaved" as were the Hebrew offsprings who were also Egyptian by birth. Exodus 10:1-2 explains why we NOW hold the view that Egypt was and still is a place to escape from or avoid.

Many Egyptians who were not Hebrew left Egypt with Moses (Exodus 11:38 and Gen12:35-38). Ofcourse, the mighty men of Egypt may have left in the opposite direction to Moses; remember the Berlin Wall break down.

Thursday, 4 August 2011

The Kingdom of God

We are confused as regards the Kingdom of God. So we will look into this mystery.
 From NKJV:
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 12:28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Matthew 19:24 "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Matthew 21:31 "Which of the two did the will of [his] father?" They said to Him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.
Matthew 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
Mark 1:14 . Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mark 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Mark 4:11 And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,
Mark 4:26 . And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,
Mark 4:30 . Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?
Mark 9:1 And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."
Mark 9:47 "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire --
Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw [it,] He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
Mark 10:15 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
Mark 10:23 . Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"
Mark 10:24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
Mark 10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Mark 12:34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him.
Mark 14:25 "Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Luke 4:43 but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."
Luke 6:20 . Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: "Blessed [are you] poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.
Luke 7:28 "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
Luke 8:1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve [were] with Him,
Luke 8:10 And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest [it is given] in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.'
Luke 9:2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 9:11 But when the multitudes knew [it,] they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
Luke 9:27 . "But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."
Luke 9:60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."
Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Luke 10:9 "And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'
Luke 10:11 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'
Luke 11:20 "But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Luke 12:31 "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Luke 13:18 . Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?
Luke 13:20 . And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?
Luke 13:28 "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.
Luke 13:29 "They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.
Luke 14:15 . Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, "Blessed [is] he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!"
Luke 16:16 "The law and the prophets [were] until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
Luke 17:20 . Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation;
Luke 17:21 "nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
Luke 18:16 But Jesus called them to [Him] and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:17 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
Luke 18:24 . And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!
Luke 18:25 "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Luke 18:29 So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
Luke 19:11 . Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
Luke 21:31 "So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
Luke 22:16 "for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."
Luke 22:18 "for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
Luke 23:51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. [He was] from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting [them] to continue in the faith, and [saying,] "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
Acts 19:8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
Acts 20:25 "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.
Acts 28:23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at [his] lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.
Acts 28:31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor 4:20 For the kingdom of God [is] not in word but in power.
1 Cor 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
1 Cor 6:10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Cor 15:50 . Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Galatians 5:21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Coloss 4:11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These [are my] only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.
2 Thess 1:5 [which is] manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;

(The word gospel derives from the Old English gōd-spell [1] (rarely godspel), meaning "good news" or "glad tidings". It is a calque (word-for-word translation) of the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον, euangelion (eu- "good", -angelion "message"). The Greek word "euangelion" is also the source (via Latinised "evangelium") of the terms "evangelist" and "evangelism" in English. The authors of the four canonical Christian gospels are known as the four evangelists.)

According to Luke 22:18 the Kingdom of God comes (will come).
Mathew 6:33 says seek (prepare) for the Kingdom of God.  Mathew 12:28 says Kingdom of God is upon (with) you if demons are not on you.  Mathew 19:24 says ...enter the Kingdom of God; which suggests physical space. Mark 4:11 and Like 8:10 say ...the mystery of the Kingdom of God. Luke 17:20 says ...The kingdom of God does not come with observation (by spending time predicting its coming).  John 3:4 says renew your thinking and behaviour to see the Kingdom of God and John 3:5 says born of water (baptize or manifest outward) and accept the Spirit of God to enter the Kingdom of God.

So the Kingdom of God is a physical space to come upon the earth as supported by Luke 22:16,18.  NKJV) Matthew 22:32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."  (NKJV) Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as [it is] in heaven.   Jesus spoke of a better world, better as in preparing life on earth for His second coming.






Wednesday, 20 July 2011

Son of Man and Christ

Christ is the English term for the Greek Χριστός (Khristós) meaning "the anointed one".[3] It is a
translation of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (Māšîaḥ), usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach. In popular modern usage—even within secular circles—the term usually refers explicitly to Jesus of Nazareth.See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChristQuestion

Concerning the concept that the Son of Man is God?
Mainly focusing on Ezekiel 44 and Daniel Chapters 7 and 9. The prophets speak of a messiah figure known as the "son of Man". Clearly the word was coming from prophets who worshiped Yahweh as "God" and not the son. It was a prophesy about an event which was to come to pass. See
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090824173025AAguUVB

John 12:23  But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.
John 12:34  The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how [can] You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who
is this Son of Man?" 

Matthew 8:20  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air [have] nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay [His] head." 
Matthew 9:6  "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your
house." 

Matthew 16:16  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 
Matthew 16:20  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
Matthew 26:63  But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"

Matthew 22:42  saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "[The Son] of David."

John 12:46 "I have come [as] a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in
darkness.
John 12:47 "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

John 10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
John 10:32 Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?"
John 10:33 The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."
John 10:34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '?

John 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" John 9:36 He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"
John 9:37 And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you."

John 8:39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.
John 8:40 "But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
John 8:41 "You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."
from Holy Bible NKJV

From the foregoing extract it is easy to see at St. John 8:41 that Jesus grew and lived with a stigma of"
child of fornication". This view point of His countrymen could very well be the root of the desire to
be accepted as the Son of God as seen at St. John 9:35 because according to Mathew 16:16 it was Simon Peter who suggested that Jesus was Christ and Jesus did not accept this as seen at Matthew 26:63; 16:20.

..Assuming for the sake of this discussion that the Christian scriptures have some basis in fact: Jews had a rather clearly-formed idea of the messiah and a messianic age long before Jesus came along. That clearly-formed idea involved the restoration of the Davidic monarchy and a just and peaceful society throughout the world, as foretold by the prophets during the age of the Babylonian Exile. The Jews of the Roman Empire desperately longed for that beautiful ideal as they suffered under Roman tyranny. See Moshiach: The Messiah for more about this Jewish idea
of the messiah.

The Jews of Rome weren't looking for an incarnated god who would die and absolve them of their sins, because the idea of sin and its punishment and concern about salvation aren't at the heart of Judaism, the way they are in Christianity. From what three of the Christian gospels say, it appears that Jesus's own followers weren't expecting a suffering, self-sacrificing messiah. See, for example, Matthew 16: Jesus's followers knew that he was the messiah (v. 16), but Jesus had to teach them that he was going to suffer and die (v. 21), and even after he said this, one of his most loyal followers couldn't believe it (v. 22). It sounds to me like Jesus's closest followers were not aware of any teaching about the messiah suffering and dying, and were not ready to believe it. The same pattern appears in Mark 8 (v. 28: they know he is messiah; v. 30: he teaches about suffering; v. 31: Peter doesn't believe it), and similarly in Luke 9 (v. 20: they know; v. 22: he teaches; the denial is not there); John never talks about this incident.

Jews don't believe that Jesus is the messiah because, quite simply, he never did any of the things that we expect the messiah to do, the things that the prophets proclaimed the messiah would do. See
http://www.jewfaq.org/looking4.htm

As can be seen from Acts 14:1 NKJV many Greeks and Jews beleived. So the Messiah, Son of Man, Christ are Hebrew in origin and Christianity successfully apportioned these titles to Jesus of Nazereth.
What is the relevance of Jesus of Nazereth upon our life NOW. The Theology (the systematic study of the existence and nature of the divine and its relationship to and influence upon other beings) of Christianity now afford us Laws which encourage Democracy. The Mosaic Laws of time at the Cross are considered draconian and Jesus said at St John 12:47 "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

Do you want to know the name Jesus wants on His second coming? Make at least a Widow's small contribution to A Better World work so we can send you the info in an email.




Sunday, 12 June 2011

Politics and Christianity



The relationship between Christianity and politics is a historically complex subject and a frequent source of disagreement between the Christian right and Christian left throughout Church history. From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_and_politicsAccordingpolitics

According to the popular chronology of the first centuries BCE and CE, the world had attained the age of 5,000 years. Since it was also widely believed that the world would last only 6,000 years (1,000 years for each day of creation), and that the Messiah would reign for 1,000 years before the end of the world, it was evident that he was due to arrive. One of the most intriguing attempts to date his coming more precisely, can be found in the First book of Enoch, a complex five-book text that was composed between the third century BCE and the first half of the first century CE.

Herod (73-4 BCE) was the pro-Roman king of the small Jewish state in the last decades before the common era. He started his career as a general, but the Roman statesman Mark Antony recognized him as the Jewish national leader. During a war against the Parthians, Herod was removed from the scene, but the Roman Senate made him king and gave him soldiers to seize the throne. As 'friend and ally of the Romans' he was not a truly independent king.

 Let us go back to Judas the Maccabaean ('battle hammer') was able to reconquer the Temple of Jerusalem and restore the cult, an event that is still celebrated by the Jews at the annual Chanuka festival. In 152, the Seleucid pretender Alexander Balas appointed Jonathan brother to Judas as high priest. Actually, this was not allowed, because the new official did not belong to the Zadokite family, but neither had Alcimus been, so the appointment was accepted. (It has been argued, however, that this was the incident that caused the 'teacher of righteousness' to leave Jerusalem and organize the sect of Qumran.[Read about the Essean sect])  In 143: Diodotus (later Tryphon) executes Jonathan.

The struggle against the Seleucid kings continued in these years, and it lasted until 142 before the war aims -end of the garrison at Jerusalem and end of the tribute- were reached. According to one of our sources Jonathan made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy. For every man sat under his vine or his fig tree, and there was none to fray them, nor was there anyone left in the land to fight against them, because the foreign kings were overthrown in those days. Moreover, he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low; the law he searched out; and every despiser of the law and wicked person he took away. Finally, he adorned the sanctuary and multiplied the vessels of the temple. [1 Maccabees, 14.11-15]

There is some justification to this claim, because in the days of Jonathan the old country of Judah was more or less restored.  In the following year, 141, the people elected Simon, a brother of Jonathan and Judas, as high priest. He added several towns to the country. This policy was continued by his son John Hyrcanus, who conquered Samaria, Idumea and gave his country a harbor (Azotus).

In 40, the Parthians invaded the Roman empire and captured Hyrcanus, whose ears were cut off. This made him unsuited to be king or high priest. For a brief period, Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, was recognized as king of the Jews, but he was dethroned by the son of Antipater, king Herod the Great, who strengthened his claim to the throne by marrying a Hasmonaean princess.

Comment: Jesus of Nazareth and Simon ben Kosiba Simon ben Kosiba (132-135 CE) are the only Jewish leaders who are positively identified as Messiahs in the Jewish sources: Jesus is explicitly called 'Messiah' by Flavius Josephus, Ben Kosiba in several rabbinical treatises. In order to understand
the following text, it must be remembered that Ben Kosiba was known under two other names: his adherents called him Bar Kochba, 'son of the star' (a reference to Balaam's prophecy); and his enemies called him Bar Kozeba, 'son of the disappointment' or 'son of the lie'.. One final piece of evidence may be introduced. As we saw above, the contemporary Christian author Justin stated that Simon ben osiba
ordered Christians to be 'lead away to cruel punishments, unless they should deny Jesus as the Christ and blaspheme'. This only makes sense when Ben Kosiba feared a rival Messiah. From article by Jona Lendering © http://www.livius.org/men-mh/messiah/messianic_claimants17.html#Kosibamh/messiah/messianic_claimants17.html#Kosiba

The  foregoing explains the title given to Jesus of Nazareth as King of the Jews. Also it was that period that gave credence to the Anti-Christ as the Palestinian Tahmud suggest Kosiba to be.

Therefore we can conclude that Jesus began His earthly ministry at the age of 30. Since it went on for 3 1/2 years before Jesus was crucified, it is safe to say that He was 33 at the time of His death.From
http://carm.org/questions/about-jesus/how-old-was-jesus-when-he-was-crucified/old-was-jesus-when-he-was-crucified/

Jesus of Nazareth (circa 43 - 4 BCE). Christianity followed the passing of Jesus with St. John.
ST JOHN
John was one of four fishermen among the Apostles. His character was a reflection of his Master's. He was with Jesus at His Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane. John braved the hostile crowd to be at the foot of the Cross when his beloved Lord was crucified. Jesus entrusted to John the care of His Mother Mary. John left Palestine about 55 AD after Mary, Mother of Jesus, died. He spread the Gospel throughout Syria and Asia Minor. When John laid his hands on people they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is not known when he wrote the Gospel of John, or his three Epistles. Speculation is between 38 and 67 AD. It is known that he lived in Ephesus for many years, where he discipled Ignatius and Polycarp, two of the well known Apostolic Fathers of the church. John was exiled to the
Island of Patmos as an old man and it is there he wrote Revelation in 97 AD. He was the only Apostle known to have died of natural causes (estimated to be 100 years old) and his tomb is in Ephesus. Andrew founded the church in Byzantium (Constantinople or Istanbul) in 38 AD. He was crucified on an X shaped cross in Patras, Greece around 75 AD. Relics of his bones are in many countries including Scotland. The X on the British Flag, the Union Jack, is in honor of St. Andrew. From
http://hubpages.com/hub/When-Did-Christianity-StartChristianity-Start

 Let me give you an example. The Bible teaches that Jesus is uniquely God in the flesh. He died, rose from the dead and will return to establish his kingdom. Those are basic things, and if you think differently on any of those details--and there are actually more than that, but those are examples of essential doctrines--if you think differently on any of those details, then your view is not Christian. You have a non-Christian viewpoint. But not only that, you are also not a Christian. Why? Because these are views that define what Christianity is, and if you don't fit the definition you are not a Christian. It's that simple. From http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5248

..a cursory glance at Scripture demonstrates that the Christian Gospel has clear political impli-cations—such as private property rights (1 Kings 21:1ff; Proverbs 13:22; Matthew 20:15), the limitation of human government (Psalm 22:28; Daniel 4:25; Romans 11:36, 13:4), and the establishment of three distinct legitimate governments (familial, ecclesiastical, and civil: see Ephesians 6:1, 4; Deuteronomy 6:7; Matthew 7:9-10; 1 Timothy 5:4; Titus 2:1ff; 1 Corinthians 5:12-13; Acts
6:1; and 1 Timothy 5:16). Can Christians be prohibited from speaking where Scripture itself speaks? From http://www.reformationonline.com/christianity_politics.htm

First  it is important to properly define political involvement. Some say that voting is an indirect form of involvement, however that leaves the basic question unanswered. Others questionably claim that Jesus, in teaching of the kingdom of God, took an extreme political position that challenged the authority of Rome i.e. he opposed the existing order of which Caesar-worship was part. Then according to this hypothesis the gospel itself is political in nature since it challenges the status quo.
But again this fails to address the real issue, since it does not tell whether Christians should seek political office. I define political involvement not in indirect terms such as voting and being abreast of
current issues, but directly seeking office and positions of rulership, or seeking to influence local and national leaders. By all means Christians should be aware of political issues, vote, and have personal
preferences.From http://www.bibleissues.org/politics1.html

Now that we understand the circumstances of Jesus' being and the catastrophe of building Christianity as a Religion across the known world, we can see the future development of Sectarianism as the Pharisees and Scribes, Essenes and Sadduces, and the Nazarites and Zealots of back then. Are we bent on re-living those events mostly repainted? The Rasta Movement in Jamaica is reminiscent of the Nazarites with a sprinkling of Zealot fervour.  Most counties support two parties as the Pharisees and Sadducees and we can see the plot, if one wishes to.
.

Sunday, 15 May 2011

Clarity - remove seal to mankind' confusion


  

anti- Definition  1. against: against or preventing "anticlerical" "anticoagulant" 2. opposite: opposite "anticlimax"  "antiparticle"  http://www.bing.com/Dictionary/search?q=define+anti-&qpvt=anti

+meaning &FORM= DTPDIA an·ti  (nt, -t)n. pl. an·tis  A person who is opposed to something, such as a group, policy, proposal, or practice .adj .Opposed: "Douglas MacArthur had a coterie of worshipers, balanced off by an equal number . . . who were vehemently anti" (Joseph C. Harsch).prep. Opposed to; againsthttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/ant

an·te    [an-tee] Show IPA noun, verb, -ted or -teed, -te·ing. –noun 1. Poker . a fixed but arbitrary stake put into the pot by each player before the deal. 2. an amount of money paid in advance to insure an individual's share in  joint business venture. 3. Informal . an  individual's share of the total expenses incurred by a group. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ante

ante-a prefix meaning “before,” used in the formation of compound words:


anteroom; antebellum; antedate.


http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Ante-


The Comforter  is Ante-Christ


According to the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures at John 15:26 Helper  is inter-changeable with comforter at St. John 15:26 of The HOLY BIBLE authorized King James Version. The promise of the Comforter by Jesus, from the Father (God) seems to be forgotten by the NOW disciples (followers).

Who is the Comforter?

At St. John 14:26 the comforter is the Holy Ghost,  to be sent after Jesus returns to the Father (who is in haven.)   The Comforter is to teach all things and bring back memory of Jesus’ sayings. At St. John 14:28-31 Jesus informed the disciples that  He does not wish to speak more on the topic of Going to His Father because the night was coming and He had to get something to eat. The Comforter is not the Prince of this world as Jesus figuratively called himself at St. John 12:31 as He indicated that the Pharisees and Greeks  came for him (for judgment) as St. John 12:36 confirms that Jesus hide himself from them.

At St. John 16:7-16 Jesus said that the Comforter will come before He Jesus returns from the Father then,  manifest himself to those who loves Him by keeping His commandments according to St. John 14:21. The Comforter will come to (reprove) criticize and take to task lawlessness, the Comforter will exercise Judgment in support of righteousness. The Comforter in essence shares the truth and shows the way to God as the Comforter is not self-absorbed. Jesus said that He(Jesus) came from the Father into this world and He had to return to the Father so that the Comforter will come (St. John 16:28 and St. John 15:26). Notice that Jesus came to teach about the Father (God) St. John 12:49-50.

The Father is greater than I, Jesus said at St. John 14:28 while at St. John 14:16 Jesus said that a Comforter  similar to Himself) will come who He prays for, to be with the disciples forever or longer than He did. As the people, mostly Jews according to St. John 12:34 said that Christ was not expected to leave (die)  fulfilling their understanding of the law. To confirm Jesus' timing look at Mathew 24:1-15. Notice here Jesus said that although it may seem to you that He should come because you see signs of earthquakes, etc. He will return if you survive to the end (of the Comforter;s stay).
The NT Gospels support the expectation of Jesus return. None speaks to Anti-Christ but of false people saying that they are He. But like John the Baptist The Comforter will preceed Jesus' return.
This writing is taken from my PhD thesis. 


Thursday, 5 May 2011

Religiousity

“I told her: You know of bin Laden, who gave away his palaces and
fortune to wage jihad on behalf of Muslims." from Death of bin Laden
on MSNBC.COM  Jihad ( gihad) Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word
jihad translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times
in the Koran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in
the way of God (al-jihad fi sabil Allah)".[1][2][3] A person engaged
in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is mujahideen. Jihad is an
important religious duty for
muslims. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad
1- Literally it means "to
strive" or "to struggle" in Arabic,
2- Jihad is an Islamic term and a duty for Muslims. It is sometimes
referred to as the sixth pillar of Islam, but it occupies no official
status in Sunni Islam. In Twelver Shi'a Islam, Jihad  is one of the
Ten Practices of the Religion. There are at least two meanings and
several sub-connotations of the term Jihad in Islam:
http://www.mideastweb.org/Middle-East-Encyclopedia/jihad.htm

 Prophet’s Birth
It was in the year 570 of the Christian Era that Prophet Muhammad, may
the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was born in Mecca, a city
in present day Saudi Arabia.  His father, Abdullah, was a great-
great-grandson of Qusayy, the founder of Mecca, and belonged to the
Hashimite family of Quraish.  His mother, Ameena, was descended from
Qusay’s brother.  Returning with a caravan from Syria and Palestine,
Abdullah stopped to visit relatives in an oasis to the north of Mecca,
fell ill there and died several months before his son’s birth.
It was customary to send the sons of Quraysh into the desert to be
suckled by a wet-nurse and spend their early childhood with a Bedouin
tribe.  Apart from considerations of health, this represented a return
to their roots, an opportunity to experience the freedom that
accompanies the vastness of the desert.  Prophet Muhammad was taken by
Halima, and spent four or five years with this Bedouin family, tending
the sheep as soon as he was old enough to walk, learning the ways of
the desert.http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/182/
Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah  Transliteration: Mu?ammad;[n 1]
pronounced [m?'hæmmæd]  ( listen); also spelled Muhammed or Mohammed)
[n 2][n 3] (ca. 570/571 – June 8, 632),[1] (Monday, 12th Rabi' al-
Awwal, Year 11 A.H.) is the founder[n 4] of the religion of Islam,[2]
and is considered by Muslims to be a messenger and prophet of God
(Arabic: Allah), the last law-bearer in a series of
Islamic prophets, and, by most Muslims,[n 5] the last prophet of Islam
as taught by the Qur'an.[3] Muslims thus consider him the restorer of
an uncorrupted original monotheistic faith (islam) of Adam, Noah,
Abraham, Moses, Jesus and other prophets.[4][5][6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad

Jesus is Isa
Certain events in the chronology of Jesus as described in the Gospels
can be cross-referenced to Jewish festivals, and to the tenure of
historical rulers and high priests. However, other events such as the
specific years of Jesus's birth and death cannot be accurately
determined. When correlated with external secular sources, the
accounts of the four canonical gospels describe something like the
following outline:[1]
 Jesus was born either before 4 BC (when Herod the Great died) or in 6
AD (when the historical Census of Quirinius was undertaken). The
traditional date, 25 December 1 BC (not 1 AD, see below), is a
combination between a symbolic choice (for the day of the year) and a
calculation of Dionysius Exiguus (for the year itself).
 Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist during John's ministry, which
according to Luke 3:1-2 began in the "15th year of Tiberius" (around
28/29 AD)[2] and may have lasted up until 32 AD;[3]
 Jesus' ministry lasted around three years according to the Gospel of
John or one year, according to the Synoptic Gospels;[4]
 Jesus was executed by Pontius Pilate, the governor of Iudaea province
between 26 AD (when Pilate was appointed as governor) and 36 AD (when
Pilate was removed.)
 According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus was raised from the dead on
the first day of the week following his crucifixion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Jesus

But the evidence that Jesus Christ invaded history is not just shut up
to the testimony of the New Testament--as irrefutable as that might
be! The very enemies of Christianity claimed that he lived--and that
he performed miracles! Early Jewish documents such as the Mishnah and
even Josephus--as well as first-century Gentile historians--such as
Thallus, Serapion, and Tacitus--all testify that the one called Christ
lived in Palestine and died under Pontius Pilate. As the British
scholar, F. F. Bruce put it, "The historicity of Christ is as
[certain]. . . as the historicity of Julius Caesar" (NT Documents,
119).

Now it logically follows that if Jesus Christ lived (need it be
said?), he must have been born. The Gospels tell us that his birth was
shortly before Herod the Great died. Herod's death can be fixed with
certainty.

Josephus records an eclipse of the moon just before Herod passed on.
This occurred on March 12th or 13th in 4 B.C. Josephus also tells us
that Herod expired just before Passover. This feast took place on
April 11th, in the same year, 4 B.C. From other details supplied by
Josephus, we can pinpoint Herod the Great's demise as occurring
between March 29th and April 4th in 4 B.C.

It might sound strange to suggest that Jesus Christ was born no later
than 4 B.C. since B.C. means 'before Christ.' But our modern calendar
which splits time between B.C. and A.D. was not invented until A.D.
525. At that time, Pope John the First asked a monk named Dionysius to
prepare a standardized calendar for the western Church. Unfortunately,
poor Dionysius missed the real B.C./A.D. division by at least four
years! http://bible.org/article/birth-jesus-christ

In Islam, Jesus (Arabic: عيسى; ʿĪsá) is considered to be a Messenger of
God and the Messiah who was sent to guide the Children of Israel (banī
isrā'īl) with a new scripture, the Injīl or Gospel.[1] The Qur'an
(Koran), considered by Muslims to be God's final and authoritative
revelation to mankind, mentions Jesus twenty-five times.[2] It states
that Jesus was born to Mary (Arabic: Maryam) as the result of virginal
conception, a miraculous event which occurred by the decree of God
(Arabic: Allah). To aid in his ministry to the Jewish people, Jesus
was given the ability to perform miracles, all by the permission of
God rather than of his own power. According to the Qur'an, Jesus was
not crucified. There are, however, differing views over the current
state of Jesus though all views deny his crucifixion. Jesus will
return to earth near the day of judgment to restore justice and to
defeat Masih ad-Dajjal ("the false messiah", also known as the
Antichrist).[3][4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Islam

Here is the point
bin Laden being a muslim accept the book of Revelation and Jesus'
return. Muslims are misguided as much as christions are by false-
leaders who get their way. bin Laden way of life fit with his culture,
if he was born in and grew in New York City he probably would instruct
that electric cars be mandatory so burn gas guzzlers!

But with a straight face, we need to examine our minds for malware
codes. You are looking for a thaught or message in there which causes
you to question the Creator of Human life so that you do not see the
almost accident of its survival. These people of similar descent try
to differentiate selves with ideas called religion, so we destroy the
very existence of God almighty to hide the fact that we are from the
same earth.

But await the Revelation account of the our invasion by other species.