In a world full of hate, I choose love & kindness. Those who are kind will be rewarded. They will gain love & respect, which is equal to riches to me.
Ephesians 4:12. Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Proverbs 11:17. A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.
Have a kindness Friday my friends!!!
Contributing Author Maggie S.
In recognition of International Women’s Day, I would like to direct attention to women in third world nations who are treated like animals and worse. There are dozens of organizations which daily lead in efforts to aid and support our sisters around the world who are oppressed (if only there were a stronger word). From clean water to reproductive health and freedom of worship, to the freedom to be treated with dignity and know her girl child will not be sold into prostitution, but can receive a full education and live the life she chooses–women of many developing nations face insecure daily circumstances. To these women we owe a debt of care and nurture. One that cannot be addressed by assigning a day to acknowledge the plight, only to go back to forgetting them on a day that is not assigned. I strongly encourage a connection with a quality organization to minister to the souls of the mothers, sisters, and daughters of the developing world.
However, I also feel a responsibility to point out that as an elderly female of the United States of America, there hasn’t been one day of my life that my ability to exceed, excel, and develop my identity has ever been oppressed in the slightest degree due to my womanhood. I feel as though I received the respect due my effort and achievements. When that has not been the case, it has been a personal slight and in no way indicative of systemic prejudice against women, but boorish behavior and poor home training of the other party (and usually at the hands of another woman).
I challenge the older women of the United States to take the lead in teaching the younger generation…to walk in the dignity of their station…to be generous to those who have less than they…to carry themselves with discretion and self-respect in the area of sexual expression…to demonstrate that we are not kept down by men, but that we are achieving our work while making theirs possible.
We honor women everywhere by being women of honor, dignity, generosity, self-respect, creativity, vulnerability, tenderness, genuineness, self-control, teachability, and nurture as God designed.
Revelation 8:8-9 The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.
As of March 2017, we are not in the Tribulation. We need a Temple for the Antichrist to defile. Currently, we have neither. Besides, the event described above is after a deep impact asteroid. That has not happened either in the last day or so. Although frequency of fireballs and meteors has increased, that is a story for another day.
It has been awhile since there has been a blood red water event. Melbourne, Australia is the location for the most recent event. Here is a patch from Parks Victoria.
Westgate Park’s salt lake has turned pink again this season: a natural phenomenon in response to very high salt levels, high temperatures, sunlight and lack of rainfall. Algae growing in the salt crust at the bottom of the lake produces the red pigment (beta carotene) as part of its photosynthesis process and in response to the extremely high salt levels.
Enjoy the views, but we recommend you don’t come into contact with the water.
The lake is expected to return to its normal colour towards winter, when the weather cools and rainfall increases.
https://www.facebook.com/ParksVictoria/posts/1311187805607842
http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/4519283/melbournes-westgate-park-lake-turns-bright-pink/
Sign of the times…
Esther 9:20-22 Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
This is the decree for the celebration of the holiday Purim. The celebration is to take place in the Hebrew month of Adar on the 14th and 15th day. In the Gregorian year of 2017, that starts on Saturday, March 11th and ends the next day on March 12. Scripture tells us the holiday is to be celebrated every year.
The setting of the story is in the book of Esther. The events of the story took place from 483-473 BC. The location is Susa of the Persian Empire. This would be modern day Iran.
Esther is a unique book in the Bible in that God’s name is not written or used. Even though God’s name is not seen, it is obvious who is in control of the events of the narrative. The book is a practical example of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
I will bless those who bless you…The outline of the story goes like this. King Ahasuerus and his kingdom are ultimately blessed. He marries a beautiful Jewish lady, Esther, who becomes queen. Esther’s uncle Mordecai, a Jew, becomes a trusted voice to the king. The king follows the counsel of his Jewish subjects. King Ahasuerus treated them well and positioned them in places of authority and favor. His kingdom was blessed.
…the one who curses you I will curse…Haman is the villain of the story. He is hostile to the Jewish people. Haman developed a plot to murder all the Jews. His plot is exposed. Haman is ultimately hanged to death at the hands of his own devices.
Esther was a woman of great courage and this is celebrated in the book. Even though she was the queen, she played within the laws of the Persians. She knew death was a possibility.
Esther 4:11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.”
Despite the risks, Esther pressed forward on behalf of her people.
Esther 5:2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.
Because of her guile and bravery, the Jewish holiday of Purim is celebrated with joy, gladness, food, and charitable giving.
Zechariah 12:2 “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah.
March 4, 2017: A delegation of US Congressmen is visiting Jerusalem. The point of the visit is the possible move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This item is a campaign promise of President Donald Trump.
Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) are the Congressmen making the trip to Israel. They will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Member Yehuda Glick, and other Israeli representatives. The Congressmen looked at possible sites for the US Embassy in Jerusalem. The Congressmen are members of the Subcommittee for National Security of the House Oversight Committee.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/226065
Here are some quotes from Ron DeSantis on his trip to Jerusalem. Video of speech is provided in the link below from www.israelnationalnews.com.
“The American people are excited to see the embassy move from Jerusalem after fifty years. I can’t know what will be in the future. I do know that there are advantages to moving the embassy, and one of them is honesty. We have to be honest that Jerusalem is the capital [of Israel]. There is no real argument about that at all. America stands behind its ally, Israel. Just as we condemned the UN [Security Council] resolution, we stand by our friend’s side.” –Congressman Ron DeSantis, Florida.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/226139
“Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for thousands of years, since King David. That’s a fact that nobody can deny. Now is the time for the US president to keep his promise and the law passed by Congress in 1995 and lead the free world to recognize reality and declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel and the Jewish people.” –Yehuda Glick.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-lawmakers-in-israel-on-fact-finding-mission-for-embassy-move/
If you are not familiar with Yehuda Glick, you may want to take the time to learn about him. He appears to be a central figure regarding the US Embassy move and he wants to rebuild the Jewish Temple.
Yehuda Glick recently headed an Israeli delegation to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Glick who is a member of the Israeli Knesset. He took multiple gunshots from an intended Palestinian assassin and survived in October 2014. He is the same rabbi who was the head of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. Glick believes Jews should be able to pray on the Temple Mount. Previously, Glick has stated a vision of three faiths (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) sharing the Temple Mount.
He is a busy man with big ticket items related to Biblical prophecy.
Revelation 2:18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write…
Tηυατειρα/Thyatira in the Greek means: “odor of affliction” per Strong’s Concordance. The “odor” may get its identity with a large swamp that is outside of town on the Lycus River. The area is reported to be full of bugs, insects, and disease. The city was located on the Lycus River.
The name Thyatira means “the castle of Thya” per International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Today ancient Thyatira is modern day Akhisar, Turkey. Akhisar means “white castle”.
Thyatira was about 45 miles southeast of Pergamum.
Thyatira was home to a Christian population until 1920 AD. At that time, the Greek Orthodox population was deported. –Wikipedia.
The ancient city was considered to be a melting pot of religion and culture. This was not a city of political significance.
Thyatira was a city of trade but never a large metropolis. Agricultural crops included olives, olive oil, water melons, grapes, and raisins.
Thyatira had an extensive network of trades. Coppersmiths and construction work were part of the local system. Thyatira was also known for their purple dyes. Purple goods were synonymous with royalty and wealth. Lydia in Acts 16:14 sold expensive clothing and textiles. These items were a significant part of the local economy.
http://biblehub.com/topical/t/thyatira.htm
Acts 16:14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God…
The letter to the church at Thyatira is the longest of all the letters to the churches from Jesus.
Isaiah 37:37-38 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.
See also 2 Kings 19:36
In July 2014, this is what ISIS thought of Jonah. They destroyed his remains at the shrine of Jonah. They wanted to remove and delete as though he never happened or existed. ISIS militants believe giving special veneration to tombs and relics is against the teachings of Islam. ISIS considers these shrines as a form of idolatry.
In the Hebrew language, Jonah’s name means “dove”. In the Bible, the dove is a symbol of peace. The dove is likened to the descent of the Holy Spirit onto Jesus at His baptism. Luke 3:22a and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove…
Fast forward to March 2017. ISIS has been removed from ancient Nineveh or what is eastern Mosul, Iraq. Ancient Nineveh is located east of the Tigris River.
Under the rubble of what used to be the tomb of Jonah, a discovery has been made. The 7th century BC palace of King Sennacherib has been found. The palace was later renovated by his son Esarhaddon as indicated from the relics.
Iraqi archaeologist Layla Salih found, “a marble cuneiform inscription of King Esarhaddon thought to date back to the Assyrian Empire in 672 BC.”
Tunnels to the site are at risk of collapse due to poor construction.
Eleanor Robson, head of the British Institute for the Study of Iraq stated, “The objects don’t match descriptions of what we thought was down there. There’s a huge amount of history down there, not just ornamental stones. It is an opportunity to finally map the treasure house of the world’s first great empire, from the period of its greatest success.”
ISIS has plundered the site. Archeological artifacts have been stolen. ISIS is selling the historical items for revenue. It is estimated 80% of the religious archeology sites have been destroyed. The ancient city of Nineveh is estimated to be 70% destroyed. ISIS has used bulldozers and explosives as their method of destruction.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/islamic-state-looting-uncovers-ancient-palace-beneath-jonahs-tomb/
King Sennacherib of Assyria was a real person. His son Esarhaddon assumed power. They ruled from a palace in Assyria in the ancient city of Nineveh. Thanks to ISIS destruction in the 21st century, the accounts from 7th century BC in the Bible have been confirmed.
2 Chronicles 32:22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.
Ezekiel 25:15-17 Thus says the Lord God, “Because the Philistines have acted in revenge and have taken vengeance with scorn of soul to destroy with everlasting enmity,” therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, even cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes; and they will know that I am the Lord when I lay My vengeance on them.”
Philistia or the Philistines are the people who make up what is the modern day Gaza Strip. This group is associated with Hamas and Sunni Muslims. If the United Nations gets it way, this will be part of the future nation of Palestine.
The reference to the Cherethites is thought to be a group of people from the island of Crete. Historically, they relocated to Philistia. At one time, the Cherethites were security for King David of Israel. The name in the Hebrew means “executioners”.
March 1, 2017: In the last few days, Israel has launched airstrikes against Palestinian resistance factions in the northern and central Gaza Strip. The airstrikes are in response to Palestinian rockets being fired into Israel. Rocket fire into Israel has been noted over the past couple of weeks.
Rockets fired into Israel by the Palestinians have not caused damage or injuries. Ordinance fired into the Gaza Strip by Israel has hit designated targets with destruction and injuries.
“We will not allow Israel to continue targeting resistance positions in Gaza. These moves are intended to escalate the situation,” Hamas said in a statement.
“Hamas will not accept the imposition of a new [military] equation on the Palestinian resistance,” the statement read.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We are not ready to accept any drizzle of rockets. We will respond to every [rocket] fired into our territory. That is what we did today and that is what we will also do in the future.”
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman stated, “We have no intention of continuing to absorb sporadic fire [from the Gaza Strip]. Hamas must take responsibility and relax.”
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Rocket-lands-near-Gaza-border-no-injuries-482698
