Monday, May 31, 2010

MEMORIAL DAY

I learned something interesting while listening to conservative talk radio this week. As a result, Memorial Day has a new and special meaning now. Being as how I do not know anyone personally, nor has any of my friends ever expressed to me that they knew of someone who died as a casualty of war, Memorial Day has always been a day to BBQ and drink beer. The end of the school year, and the unoffical beginning of summer.
Memorial Day was first celebrated in Charleston, South Carolina. The newly liberated slaves chose to remember the fallen union soilders on May 30th, 1865.










Following the end of the Civil War, several communities set aside a day marking the end of the 'war between the states' or as a memorial to those who fell during the war. Other places that were among the first to celebrate a Memorial Day include Carbondale, Illinois; Sharpsburg, Maryland; Richmond, Virginia; Columbus, Mississippi; and some two dozen other cities and towns including Boalsburg, Pennsylvania and several places in Vermont. These observances often included Decoration Day, honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.


According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first memorial day was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the Washington Race Course (today the location of Hampton Park), the historic race track in Charleston. The track became  a mass grave for Union soldiers who died in captivity, as well as a a former prison camp for Confederate soilders. The freed slaves then moved the dead Union soldiers to individual graves. They also fenced in the graveyard and built an entry arch declaring it a Union graveyard.

Can you imagine the courage this took in the South, so shortly after the North's victory. On the same date in 1868, the freed slaves returned to the graveyard with flowers from the countryside and decorated the individual gravesites. This in effect was the also the first Decoration Day!
The freed blacks and Union soldiers from the area also held a parade. The festivities were also followed by patriotic songs and a picnic.

This memorial day as we remember fallen soldiers let us also have in our mind God's True Soldiers. The men and women slain in the name of God. Those righteous martyrs who died before their time. John the Baptist, and even Jesus Christ Himself.

Let us also bear in mind that God has memorial holidays. The passover is a memorial. Also the next coming Holy day is a memorial. And it is called the Memorial of the blowing of trumpets.

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
 Ye shall do no servile work therein..." (Leviticus 23:23-25).
I will deal with the trumpets on the day of the Memorial of the blowing of trumpets, which takes place on Thursday, September 8, 2010.


The 'official' birthplace of Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York. The village was credited with being the place of origin because it observed Memorial Day every year since 1866. and each year thereafter. Another major factor in the holiday's growthwas most likely the friendship between General John Murray, General John A. Logan, and a private citizen of Waterloo, which helped bring attention to the event nationwide.

May the Lord add a blessing to the consideration of His Word.


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Sunday, May 30, 2010

WORSHIP YOUR BEST FRIEND?



 "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God."
Leviticus 26:1


I have recently be trying to broaden my horizons as far as the internet goes. I came across a Indian web site and after I read it, I knew I had to blog about it.
A community in Karnataka India has established a temple to pay respects to worship man's best friend - the dog. Dog worship is not uncommon, especially in the old world.


In ancient Egypt dogs were loved and were treated with 'great respect'. Dogs received burial in family tombs and family members would shave their heads in mourning at the death of a family dog.  In the predynastic period, the Egyptians buried dogs with plenty of goods for the afterlife the same way they buried humans. Later, dog mummies were made with great care and expense. 

Socrates referred to Anubis when he swore "by the Dog of Egypt." 
 During Roman times, mummified dogs were placed at Anubis temples.

Another pagan god who appeared most often in the form of a dog was Set. 

He was a god of the desert and the storm and was best known for his conflict with Osiris, and Osiris's son Horus. Although portrayed as a number of animals and also as a human, Set was most usually represented as a dog.
One hieroglyph variant of his name has an image of his dog form somewhat resembling a greyhound.
Originally Set was the equal of Osiris, but as he and his son Horus rose in popularity, Set became more demonic in quality. Set became the practical equivalent of the devil. 



"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (2Corinthians 6:16)
As the most widespread and probably the oldest domesticated animal, the relationship between dog and humans has always had aura of mystery. Some believe that the domestication of the dog led directly to the domestication of other animals and was thus was a major turning point in the history of humans.
The dog has learned to adapt to living with humans to a degree finer than any other animal.
In Karnataka, India the dog is believed to work alongside the village deity.  There are two idols in the temple representing the two faces of the animal. In Hinduism, the religion followed by the majority in India cows are also adorned with divinity.

this is where the term 'holy cow' comes from.
(Not Bart Simpson)  


"What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils" (1 Corinthians 10:19-21).
To view the Karnataka Dog Temple Web site article click here:

May the Lord add a blessing to the meditation of His Word.
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Saturday, May 29, 2010

DOG'S IN THE CHURCH

AMAZING!
The Rev. Thea Keith-Lucas holds Pippin. 
Calvary Episcopal Church in Danvers is launching a monthly worship service called Perfect Paws Pet Ministry.
(photo taken by) Ken Yuszkus




That is the only word that comes to mind when I consider all of the peril in the world, and the desperate need for truth. And how there is a Famine in the Land, for the word of God. And then to read that in Calvary Episcopal Church has a worship service that caters to dogs!?




"It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." 
(Matthew 15:26)
The first Perfect Paws Pet Ministry took place on Sunday, May 16, for half-hour, from 5 to 5:30 p.m., in the church's Parish Hall.
Salemnews.com reported that the church will hold pet service on the 3rd Sunday of every month. :-O
Humans can also take communion, and dogs will get special treats as part of the service. Prayers can also be offered for other types of pets.
“The idea of the service is to take the unconditional love that pet owners feel for their animals and connect that to a feeling to something higher.”


“I think our hope is to meet people where the spirit is already active in their lives," said Rev. Thea Keith-Lucas.  
It is a Christian service, however pet owners of other faiths are welcome. The pet ministry idea came from  Fran Weil, a 63 year old church member. Fran is also a former marketing communications specialist and entertainment writer,  who owns three West Highland white terriers.
People of all faiths and their well-mannered, leashed dogs are invited to participate.

 "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."
(Matthew 7:6)

May the Lord add a blessing to the consideration of His Word...


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Friday, May 28, 2010

THE PRINCE OF PERSIA

This Is the Real Prince of Persia
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"In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks... And in the four and twentieth day of the first month... I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:  His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude... And, behold, an hand touched me... And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee... Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days." 
 (Daniel 10:1-14)

 Daniel was praying to God about the 70 years of captivity written by Jeremiah the prophet. As soon as he started to fast and pray his answer was sent to him. The angel tells him that it took 3wks to arrive because the 'prince of Persia' held him up. Now obviously this is not a man. The prince of Persia is none other than Satan the devil. 



He is spiritual leader, behind the Gentile dynasties from Nebuchadnezzar down to the present day. (That's why the Gentiles sacrifice to devils[1Corinthians 10:20-21]).
 
Our prayers have the same effects (if we keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ Isaiah 8:20).

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds" (2Corinthians 10:3-4).

Prince of Persia: Junior Novel (Junior Novelization)


May The Lord add a blessing to the consideration of His Word...



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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

NEW BOOKS OF THE BIBLE... SHOULD WE READ THEM; SHOULD WE BELIEVE THEM?

There are 66 books contained in what we call the Bible. Most Catholic Bibles contain the 66 books as well as 14 other books called the Apocrypha, which was written in the years after the last Old Testament writing but before the first of the New Testament writings.
Since then there have even been manuscripts written as close as 100 years ago, attempting to add to the revelation of the Bible. Some also claim to be based upon genuine documents of Christian antiquity.

Some of the more popular 'lost books' that were at least composed around the first century A.D are contained in The Dead Sea Scrolls.



The Complete World of the Dead Sea ScrollsThe 'Dead Sea Scrolls' were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in the remains of an ancient community called Khirbet Qumran located on the Northwest shore of the Dead Sea, in the middle east. Some of the writings were of books that we recognized like The prophet Isaiah, Psalms etc., others were of books that we were not aware existed; the book of Adam and Eve (detailing their life after expulsion from the garden of Eden), The book of Enoch (supposedly important because Enoch did not see death but was translated), the gospel according to Thomas (the disciple) and Mary (chronicling the life of Mary the mother of Jesus) just to name a few.



Upon reading most of these books it becomes obvious very quickly why they have not been adopted into the collection of what we call 'sacred scripture.' But how should we know if these books are necessary or if some new set of books is found tomorrow weather they are trustworthy enough to live your life by?

Well, first of all we have Moses, the lawgiver. The man whom we can say was moved by the Holy Spirit to write Genesis-Deuteronomy.  It is this Moses whom the Lord Jesus was to be likened after. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19)
When Jesus came in the flesh He told the people that, He did not come to destroy the law but to Fulfill it! (Matthew 5:17-18)
When Jesus was approached by the Pharisees, told them He would not condemn them to the Father. He went on to say that Moses would condemn them to the Father, for they trusted in Moses, and Moses also said that Christ would come (John 5:45-46).
It is not therefore an exaggeration to say that when Moses ended His writings the WHOLE story had been told. The 30th chapter of Deuteronomy speaks about the end times and what will happen when Israel is established as a nation (which has not yet happened contrary to popular belief).

The rest of the Bible from Joshua to Malachi, only builds on the foundation that God laid through Moses.  The different prophets analyze and zoom in on the timeline laid by Moses, as well as expounding on with greater detail the things which must happen. The New Testament from Matthew to Revelation is the Messiah, and his Apostles testifying that the things which Moses (and subsequently the prophets) wrote was/is the Truth. I would say that in the gospels 95% of the things Jesus said and did, it is written, was done so that the word of the prophet might be fulfilled. EVERYTHING, from the place Jesus was born to the very last words that he uttered on the cross was written by one or several of the prophets.

FOOD 4 THOUGHT (you do the dishes):
"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him... And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place..." (2 Peter1:16-21)

Think about this: The Apostle Peter, the man whom the Lord left the keys of the kingdom with, the man who with 11 others walked with the Lord, spoke and ate with Him, asked questions of Him.  For 3.5 years Peter saw with his own two eyes Jesus walk on water, feed thousands with a few loaves of bread and a few fish MORE THAN ONCE! Not to mention the countless miracles, His sermon on the mount, and His condemnation of the religious leaders of the day. After all that we see Peter confess that even though he was an eyewitness to all these things, we all have, a MORE SURE word of Prophecy! If the words of the prophets -who lived anywhere from 200 to 2000yrs before Jesus came in the flesh- are More Sure than the words of eyewitnesses, that is as sure as it gets!



Jesus said the words that He spoke were spirits (John 6:63). Coming from Jesus' mouth would make them holy spirits. If words are spirits then we should do as John instructed us to try every spirit, if it be come from God (1John 4:1). The same way we know if a man is of God based on if what he says can be found in the pages of scripture, we know that if a piece of Literature is to be considered inspired by the holy ghost it should also agree with universally recognized scripture.

LET IT BE KNOWN:  If a new (or old) manuscript was to surface, claiming authenticity among the Christian scriptural catalog all we have to do is sit it side by side, next to what is already written and see if it agrees with what we know for sure is Holy.


May The Lord add a blessing to the understanding of His Word...



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Saturday, May 22, 2010

THE DAY OF PENTECOST

The great Israelite historian Josephus who lived during the time that Jesus walked the earth stated that in Jerusalem there lived 500,000 people. During the feast(s) of the Lord the number would increase to 2,500,000 people. This of course because the commandment of God instructed All males (and whomever else in your household who could make the trip) to meet at the place that the Lord chose to place His name at. Jerusalem is of course, that place.

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are MY feasts" (Leviticus 23:1-2).

The feast that is upon us is called the feast of first-fruits. Also called the feast of weeks, and yet more commonly called Pentecost.

   












In verse 10 the feast of weeks is first mentioned.
"... ye shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD (v.10-12). On the day after the Sabbath (after the first feast) the people brought their first-fruits to be accepted before the Lord.

In John 20 and Matthew 28 it is stated that by the time Mary got to the sepulcher very early Sunday morning (the first day of the week) Jesus was already gone. Being that Christ is our Passover (1Cor.5:7), and through His blood, leaven (sin) is removed from us. He resurrected the 'morrow after the Sabbath' as the 'First-Fruits' of eternal life.  In John 20:17 Jesus tells Mary not to touch Him until He goes to the Father. This is because as the First-Fruit he must be shown before the Lord and be accepted, just as the feast dictates.

"That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:23).

Now after the sheaf was waved before the Lord we are instructed to count:  "ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD" (Leviticus 23:15-16).


THE 50TH DAY!
This is where the word Pentecost comes from.  
There is nothing spiritual about it, There is nothing holy about it.  
Pentecost = 50.

 The first Passover occurred while Israel was still captive in Egypt. The first feast of unleavend bread happened as the people where thrust out of Egypt (their dough not having enough time to rise in the morning thus called 'un-leavened bread'), and the first Pentecost happened 50 days later when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the two tablets of stone in his hand (10 commandments). And then some 1500 years later just as the law came on Pentecost, so did Jesus fulfil the law on Pentecost. 

I bet you x-mas could never be that deep

But our God, is a God of knowledge; so Pentecost goes deeper...


"And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years... And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family." (Leviticus 25:1-10). 
We have now went from the 50th day being special, to the 50th year being hallowed. 

I would like to take a moment to point out something that will happen when Jesus returns, in the year of Pentecost.



In Deuteronmy 16 we are instructed three times a year to be in Jerusalem.
Now when we approach Acts chapter 2 we will understand why the people are gathered together with one accord.
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" (Acts 2:1-8

Nowhere did we see that they were 'tarrying for the holy ghost' like I was taught. Notice also that nowhere does it speak of Gentiles being anywhere near (the first Gentile came into the church in chapter 10). Everyone present was an Israelite; out of every nation under heaven. Everyone was there keeping the command that God gave to Moses. 

In Conclusion, Jesus Chirist the same yesterday, today, and forever. He became Passover on passover. Took away sin during the feast of unleavened bread. The Holy Spirit (sent by Jesus) came on Pentecost. There are 3 more Holy days to come before the year is over. And they likewise represent what Jesus will do at His second coming and His kingdom.

May the Lord add a blessing to the reading of His Word...


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