U.S. Weighing Readiness for Military Action Against Iran
Source: Washington Post
The nation’s top military officer said yesterday that the Pentagon is planning for “potential military courses of action” as one of several options against Iran, criticizing what he called the Tehran government’s “increasingly lethal and malign influence” in Iraq.
“…upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity…”
—Luke 21:25
Biblical Prophecy Will the USA Economy Crash
Biblical Prophecy Will the USA Economy Crash?
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The Roman Empire lasted 1,000 years, but only about half that time as a republic. The Roman Republic fell for many reasons, but three reasons are worth remembering: declining moral values and political civility at home, an overconfident and overextended military in foreign lands, and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government. Sound familiar? In my view, it’s time to learn from history and take steps to ensure the American Republic is the first to stand the test of time. — Honorable David M. Walker. Comptroller General of the United States, head of the Government Accountability Office, 2008
Before I break you off on scriptures that discuss a drastic change in the value of money, we’ve got to “keep it real”. There have been millions of predictions not only by the great traditions but highly revered ‘prophets’, saviors, and savants that have not come to past. Or, worse, are so vague that they can be contributed to many number of the things.
Even though I can’t deny this simple fact of epic FAIL on the part of most predictions that tend to lean toward a devastating skeptical argument, I can NOT deny the weirdness of ancient prophecies talking about the value of money:
Ezekiel 7:19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be as an unclean thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Jehovah: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels; because it hath been the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
James 5:3 Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony {1} against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days. {1) Or unto}
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all {1} kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. {1) Gr evils}
Hebrews 13:5 {1} Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, {2} I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee. {1) Gr, Let your turn of mind be free 2) De 31:6; Jos 1:5}
Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor; And the borrower is servant to the lender.
Revelation 13:17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name
KJV – Bible
Whether you are a believer or not, one thing is certain: History repeats it self. Many times, the writers of the Old and New testaments are talking about issues that concerned them in their time. They talk about the government, leaders, wars and atrocities of their times and it is easy to mirror many of the same disasters and corruptions still playing out.
If we are honest with ourselves, we can see elements of great Egypt & Babylon’s decadence and worship of (what was from the Hebrew perspective) “false idols” sprinkled in our own Western Pop Culture, or the arrogance of the Roman Empire spreading it self until greed became as fatal as terminal cancer. But many of us (in the US) would rather see our government as the Hebrew people, God’s Chosen. The protagonist of the Old Testament and parent of the New.
My personal opinion is that we reflect all parts of the this tradition narative. We are comprised of the down trodden under dog destined for the promise land, but we are also Caesar’s might empire spreading and consuming riches and resources.
As a part of our human history, I truly believe that the Bible has a lot to tell us about not only our economic future, but (more importantly) ourselves. Atheists and Theist alike get blinded by dogma. Unfortunately, this dogma gets stuck in the a single minded interpretation that evolved as it was passed down from generation.
Its clear to me that the Bible warns over and over about the potential destructive power of money from Ezekiel to Proverbs. Ultimately, money itself is just an object, but our worship and complete reliance on it is liable to destroy the very empire it has built. Even now, no one can deny its influence over ever aspect our lives: our churches, our politics, our society, even our homes & familys. In a capitalistic society it is even blasphemy to speak of any other way of life. Rebels are labeled communists, socialists, anarchists, niave utopia dreamers. The truth is that the new way of monetary debt ends up owning each and every one of us.
The LAST and most foreboding passage is written in Revelations:
Revelation 13:17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name
As our monetary system becomes more and more digital, a cardless, database monetary system seems inevitable. While such a system would have impeccable security, it also allow its own absolute power over the remaining control you have over the money you actually make.
What is the Torah
The Torah
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The Torah (Hebrew: ??????? Translit.: torah Translated: doctrine, teaching) has been revered as the inspired word(s) of God, as it is said by tradition to have been revealed to Moses by Him. The Torah is sometimes referred to as the (written) Law orwritten Torah (unlike the oral Torah called Mishnah).
The Torah is the first part of the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, and is made up of five books. For that reason it is also called the Pentateuch, Chumash, or “the Five Books of Moses”.
The five books of the Torah are:
- Genesis (Hebrew: ?????? Translit.: Bereshit (Bereishis) Translated: In the beginning)
- Exodus (Hebrew: ???? Translit.: Shemot (Shemos) Translated: Names)
- Leviticus (Hebrew: ????? Translit.: Vayyiqra (Vayikra) Translated: And he called)
- Numbers (Hebrew: ????? Translit.: Bamidbar Translated: In the desert (wilderness))
- Deuteronomy (Hebrew: ????? Translit.: Devarim Translated: Words (Discourses <Things>))
The Hebrew names are taken from initial words of the first verse of each book. For example, the Hebrew name Bereshit means “in the beginning” which is the first word (in Hebrew) in Genesis 1:1. The Latinized names are derive from the Greek and reflect the essential theme of each book. For example, Genesis means beginning, while Deuteronomy means Second word, and is a reference to how the fifth book is essentially a recapitulation of the commandments reviewed by Moses before his death. Leviticus is a reference to the descendants of Levi and the particular regulations that apply to their presence and service in the Temple, which form the bulk of the third book.
Jews have revered the Torah through the ages, as have Samaritans and Christians. It is traditionally accepted as the literal word of God as told toMoses. Christian Bibles incorporate the Hebrew Bible (with some variations) into its canon under the name of Old Testament. Though different Christian denominations have slightly different versions of the Old Testament in their Bibles, the Five Books of Moses (or “the Law”) are common to them all.
Read more… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah
Lashon Hara -Diseases Of The Tongue
Lashon Hara Part IV
Diseases Of The Tongue
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Leviticus 19:16
n You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD.
n “Lo relech rachil b’ameicha”
n This is a basic prohibition against speaking Lashon Hara – E. Soloman Torah.org
n Leviticus 19:14 “Lifnel ‘lver lo titen michshol”
n ‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
n One who involves himself in Lashon Hara is helping others to violate the prohibtions as well. E. Soloman Torah .org
n Deuteronomy 24:9 – “Zachor et asher asa H’Elokeicha l’ Miriam” Deuteronomy 24:8 – “Take heed concerning the plague of leprosy” because it is a punishment for Lashon Hara
n “Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the way when you came out of Egypt
n When Miriam spoke negatively against her brother Moses, she was afflicted with tzara’at (Leprosy).
n E. Soloman Torah.org
n Leviticus 19:18 “V’ahavat l’rei’echa kamocha” ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
n This is the source of the “do unto other” rule; that we should treat others the way we would want to be treated. E. Soloman Torah.org
n There are several other commandments that directly address “gossip”
n Leviticus 25:17-”You shall not wrong one another” which the Talmud (Bava Metzia 58b) explains that this means saying anything that will insult or anger someone
n There are several other commandments that directly address “gossip”
n DeuteronomyDe 19:15 “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.
n Because, unlike in a court for monetary matters, the testimony of a solitary witness is not binding, so that his testimony damages the defendants reputation without any beneficial result
n Several other commandments are more general, yet in certain circumstances apply when Lashon Hara(evil speaking) or Rechilut(gossip) is spoken
n Exodus 23:1- “You shall not utter a false report”.
n Acceptance of a false report also follows from this
n Levitiucs 19:12- “You shall not hate your brother in your heart”
n referring to contradictory behavior such as acting friendly but then speaking negatively about him behind his back.
n Leviticus 19:18 – “You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the children of your people”.
n Such as speaking against someone in anger for something that was done against the speaker
n Leviticus 19:17-”You shall rebuke you neighbor and you shall not bear sin because of him” This verse contains 2 mitzvot:
n Stop someone from speaking Lashon Hara (among other interpretations), and
n don’t embarrass him in the process.
n Leviticus 19”18 – “Love your neighbor as yourself”
n Numbers 17:5 -”You shall not act similar to Korach and his company” who sustained a dispute
n Deuteronomy 10:20-”To Him (and by implications his wise ones) shall you cleave.”
n In other words-Cleave to God and cleave to those who walk according to His Word.
n Exodus 23:2 – “You shall not follow a multitude to do evil”.
n The previous and above commandments refer to keeping good company, which includes those who will refrain from improper subjects in their discussions.
n Six specific diseases that commonly infect our lives through the misuse of our tongues can, some cases, be fatal if left unchecked…..
n Excessive Talking
n Idle Or Careless Words
n Gossip
n Lying
n Flattery
n Hastiness Of Speech
n Disease Number One:
n Excessive Talking
n This disease is so common that people accept it as normal when it is not.
n Proverbs 10:9 ¶ In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.
n In other words, if you say too much, you are bound to say something wrong. There
is not alternatives
n We are also warned in the Bible not to use too many words toward God Himself..
n Ecclesiatstes 5:1-2 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.
n Ec 5:2 Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.
n Ecc 5:3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.
n When you hear a person continually talking, you need no other evidence: that person is a fool
n James 3:8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
n Derrick Prince
n People who are always talking are restless people, and our contemporary culture is filled with them.
n Excessive talking is a sure indication of someone whose heart is not at rest
n Disease Number Two
n Idle or Careless Words
n In Matthew 12: 36 Yeshua says
n Matt 12:36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
n An idle word is anything that does not bring glory and praise to God
n Derrick Prince
n “One day we are going to have to answer for every word we have spoken. We are going to have to answer for words that were idle, insincere, that we did not really mean, that we were not prepared to stand behind, or that were not worked out in our lives.”
n Matt 5:37 “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
n Derrick Prince
n “ That is an astonishing statement, if we say more than we mean, then the exaggeration (unnecessary emphasis or overdoing) in our speech comes from the evil one. Let me sum it up in just one simple word of advise
n IF YOU DON’T MEAN IT DON’T SAY IT! IF you follow that one rule, I promise you, it will change your whole life. You will be a different person. If you would keep that rule for one year…
n Disease Number Three
n Gossip
n Lev 19:16 ‘You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD.
n Going about spreading slander-idle, untrue, exaggerated, malicious talk – is gossip
n The very title of Ha Satan in the Brit HaDasha, the word rendered, “devil” means “a slanderer’ in Greek. That is its root meaning and the main description of Ha Satan in the Bible. If you gossip or tell tales, you are actually doing Ha Satan’s work for him. You are a representative of Satan
n Not only must we be careful not to give out gossip, we have a responsibility not to receive (be an accessory to) gossip also.
n Proverbs 18:8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body.
n Pr 20:19 ¶ He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.
n Psalm 15:1 ¶ << Psalm of David.>> LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
n 2 He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;
n 3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
n There are several requirements for access to God’s presence, in order to “dwell in His holy hill”
n We must walk with integrity
n We must work righteousness
n We must speak the truth in our hearts
n There are three things we must not do as well
n We must not slander with our tongues
n We must not do evil to our neighbor
n We must not not take up a reproach, or receive a reproach, against our friends
n We must not eat those choice morsels of the gossip because they are poison, and many relationships are poisoned
by eating them
n Disease Number Four:
n Lying
n Pr 6:16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
n 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
n 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
n 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
n Out of those seven specific things that the Lord hates, there are three that are related to the tongue.
n A lying tongue
n A false witness
n A man who stirs up dissension among brothers
n This is stated again in Proverbs 12:22
n Pr 12:22 ¶ Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
n The Lord “DETESTS” lying lips
n The Lord “DELIGHTS” in truthfulness
n THERE IS NO IN BETWEEN-EVERY LIE COMES FROM HA SATAN
n John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
n Every time a lie passes through our lips, it comes from the devil
n Derrick Prince
n “One more very important, frightening fact about the disease of lying is that unless the disease is arrested and healed, it is fatal
n Re 21:8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
n Rev 22:15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (those who love to lie)
n Strongs Greek – Lie
n 5574. qeudomai pseudomai, psyoo’-dom-ahee
n middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood:–falsely, lie.
n Disease Number Five:
n Flattery
n Ps 12:1 ¶ <
n 2 -They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
n 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, And the tongue that speaks proud things,
n In this Scripture, David is speaking about a state of moral decline in the human race.
n Pr 26:28 ¶ A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin.
n If we listen to and receive flattery, or if we become flatterers, the end is ruin
n Pr 29:5 ¶ A man who flatters his neighbor Spreads a net for his feet.
n Flatterer-Websters 1828 Dictionary
n FLAT’TERER, n. One who flatters; a fawner; a wheedler; one who praises another, with a view to please him, to gain his favor, or to accomplish some purpose.
There are people who will speak falttering words, but they are not sincere. There is another motive behind it.
n Disease Number Six:
n Hastiness Of Speech
n Pr 29:20 ¶ Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
n Example- Moses
n Numbers 20:7-12 – In anger he smote the rock instead of speaking to it. That act of disobedience expressed in hasty words, cost him the priviledge of leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land
n Ps 106:32 They angered Him also at the waters of strife, So that it went ill with Moses on account of them;
n 33 Because they rebelled against His Spirit, So that he spoke rashly with his lips.
n “A provoked spirit causes us to speak unadvisedly with our lips, and these hasty words cost us many privileges and blessings. If Moses had to pay that price for that one hasty statement, let us beware that we do not also say things hastily which will cost us dearly in the spiritual realm”-Derrick Prince
n We need to “Repent” of these 6 Diseases of the Tongue and “Wash Our Hands’ of them
The War of Gog and Magog
Hebrew Bible
A Persian painting from the 16th century illustrating the building of the wallThe first occurrence of “Magog” in the Hebrew Bible is in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10, where Magog is the eponymous ancestor of a people or nation (without any accompanying apocalyptic symbolism, or mention of Gog, although “Magog” may mean “the land of Gog”):
2. The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras[1]
3. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.[2]
In this occurrence, Magog is clearly the name of a person, although in the anthropology proposed by Genesis, ethnic groups and nations are founded by, and usually named after, their founding ancestors. The names of Gomer, Tubal, Meshech, and Togarmah also occur in Ezekiel.
The earliest known reference to “Gog” and “Magog” together is also in the Bible, in the Book of Ezekiel:
38:2. Son of man, set thy face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,[3]
3. And you shall say; So said the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Gog, the prince, the head of Meshech and Tubal.[4]
Although it is clear (in the Hebrew) that here Magog is a “land” (eretz) from verse 2, and that Gog is a “prince” from verse 3, different identifications have been made. These are discussed after the text itself. The Interlinear Bible (Hebrew – Greek – English) states 2. as: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh,[disambiguation needed] Meshech, and Tubal; and prophesy concerning him.”[5]
10. Thus says the Lord “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind and you will make an evil plan:”[6]
11. You will say, “I will go against a land of unwalled villages…(FRZ)(FRZ: mostly refers to Iraq as Frz (Unwalled Villages) in the Book of Esther)[7]
12. To take plunder and booty…”[8]
13. Sheba and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, will say to you, “have you come to take a spoil?”[9]
They will be joined by Persians from the East, Phut from the West, Kushites from the South, and others. We are told that Gog dwelt north of Israel, but there is little else to identify Gog in the passage. Gog and his allies are to attack “a land of unwalled villages” to collect booty, but before attacking Israel itself will be reduced to a “sixth” of their size (Ezekiel 39:2). Their reduced army will be destroyed in Israel, their dead buried in the Valley of Hamon-Gog for all to see and comment on (39:15-17).
Addressing Gog and Magog, God describes how the attacks will be repelled (Ezekiel 39:1-16). The army of Gog and Magog includes people from the nations of “Gomer, Tubal, Meshech, and the house of Togarmah from the North”, all of whom are mentioned as descendants of Japheth in Genesis 10. God describes the aftermath of the battle later in the same chapter, addressing “thou, son of man”:
17. …,thus says the Lord, “Speak to every bird and every beast of the field, ‘Assemble yourselves and come,…’”[10]
18. “You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams and lambs, of goats and bulls, all them fatlings of Bashan”[11]
Ezekiel (38 and 39) says that Gog will be defeated.
King David vs President Bush
King David vs President Bush
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After seeing the incomparably lavish reception for President Bush throughout Jerusalem, one can’t help but wonder if the King David Hotel would have been so royally outfitted for King David himself. From the spit-shined parking meters to the silky American flags hanging from every lamp posts in the capital, no detail has been overlooked and no expense has been spared for this historic presidential visit.
With the airtight security, blocked roads, and posters plastered throughout the city, Jerusalemites can scarcely take a step without contending with the diplomatic pandemonium.
The paid advertisements that clutter the pages of Israel’s newspapers are sponsored by organizations spanning the entire political gamut from the far right to the extreme left and range from calls to return to the ’48 borders to affirmations not to relinquish “1 inch”. All of the messages have one thing in common – they are all pleas directed at President Bush and US administration. From empowering Bush with an article titled “Mr. President, the worlds fate is in your hands” to appealing to his sense of equity with “Mr. President, would you divide New York?”, the one comprehensive commonality is that Bush is the primary address for all appeals.
A fundamental tenant of Jewish thought is that G-d runs the world with a guiding principle of “midah k’neged midah” or “measure for measure”. While Buddhists call it Karma and other philosophies ascribe other titles, we first see the principle in the book of Genesis. Adam, ashamed with himself for his violation of G-d’s only directive, hides from the omniscient G-d of the universe who reciprocates the treatment by calling out “Adam, where are you?” Adam hid from G-d, and G-d responded accordingly, measure for measure.
Living through such a global event in such a spiritual city – one can catch a sobering glimpse into the national psyche of a frightened nation which is coming to terms with the reality that our very existence has never been in such jeopardy. The Muslim jihad is channeling their focus on the destruction of our tiny Jewish state and as we lay in the crosshairs of a soon-nuclear Iran, we desperately grasp in the darkness for an ally that will come to our aid. To our terror, our final hopes lie in the decision of a 51 year old Texan who struggles with the pronunciation of the word “nuclear”.
Knowing that G-d operates in this capacity, we can understand what G-d desires of us based on the challenges which confront us and there can be no situation better suited for the Jewish people than the one in which we find ourselves today. As the Arab world positions itself for the final offensive for which it has been patiently waiting for since our inception, The European Union and the United Nations prepare, at worst, to participate in our destruction, and at best, to sit by in complicit silence for the completion of their valiant efforts in Auschwitz just 60 years ago.
If we insist on placing our faith in The US and President Bush, then G-d will, indeed, place our fate in their hands. If we place our faith in their sense of justice and fair play we will be rewarded with morally bankrupt analogies by the secretary of State comparing the Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian Muslims to the treatment of the black slaves by the whites in the confederate south (one would think she would not disgrace the memory of her persecuted and enslaved ancestors by comparing them to bloodthirsty terrorists). If we place our faith in their sense in their sense of equity and fair play we will be rewarded by the most blatant and shameless of double standards (which label “racist” the State of Israel with 1.5 million Arab Israeli citizens while any the Arab state to be created would have to be free of every last Jew) which castigates a five year old in Judea an international criminal and labels a terrorist who murders a father and daughter a freedom fighter. If we place our faith in their character, loyalty, and integrity, we will be offered in turn as a sacrificial lamb to appease the Arab world by an administration under the greatest of pressure from within and without. The magnitudes of the “confidence building measures” in which we forfeit our Land are directly related to the ensuing Jihad and amount of Jewish blood.
The divine message communicated to us through our long history has been clear. The “idol” of the times in which we are sure that we can place our faith inevitably ends up being the tool of our very undoing. This principal is being played out right before our eyes as the US, our greatest ally and the entity in which we place our trust, is demanding of us a surrender that will put us in the most unprecedented danger. It is time that we place one last ad in the newspapers of Israel. One last ad on the billboards in our capital. Not an ad appealing to Bush or the United States, but an ad in which we affirm our faith in G-d and appeal to the Jewish People to act on that faith with the same character, courage, and integrity we expect from the rest of the world. An appeal for the Jewish People around the world to return to Israel united as one family and claim our eternal inheritance so we can finally serve our purpose as “A Light unto the Nations”.
