ORIGIN OF PALESTINE - PART ONE OF TWO

ORIGIN OF PALESTINE - PART ONE OF TWO

   Now, I am no history scholar, but to really find the origin of the name of Palestine, you have to travel back in time to  the death of Alexander the Great of Greece in 323 BCE, which led to the breakup of the Greek empire as three of his generals fought for supremacy and divided the Middle East among themselves.  (Daniel 7:5)  The generals were Ptolemy who took Egypt and the Land of Israel, Seleucus took Syria and Asia Minor, and Antigonus took Greece.
   So, for 125 years after the death of Alexander the Great, Seleucus and Ptolemies battled for the Land of Israel, which was sandwiched between the two rivals.  Seleucus finally won in 198 B.C. when Antiocus III defeated the Egyptians and incorporated Judea into his empire.
   Seleucus continued to allow the Jews autonomy, but after a stinging defeat at the hands of the Romans, he began a program of Hellenization that threatened to force the Jews to abandon their monotheism for the Greeks' paganism.  Does this sound familiar?  Antiochus backed down in the face of Jewish opposition to his efforts to introduce idols in their temples, but his son, Antiochus IV, also called Antiochus Epiphanes, who inherited the throne in 175 B.C. resumed his father's original policy without excepting the Jews.
    Antiochus Epiphanes hated the Jewish people.  There was a brief Jewish rebellion under his rule, which only hardened his views of the Jews even further.  He defiled the Temple, by offering a sow on the altar, set up a statue of the Greek god Jupiter, outlawed the Sabbath and circumcision, and opened the shrine to non-Jews.
   Though many Jews had been seduced by the virtues of Hellenism, the extreme measures adopted by Antiochus helped unite the Jews.  When a Greek official tried to force a priest named Mattathias to make a sacrifice to a pagan god, like being forced to bake a wedding cake for a homosexual couple, the Jew murdered the man.  Predictably, Antiochus began reprisals, but in 167 BCE, the Jews rose up behind Mattathias and his five sons and fought for their liberation
   That family became known as the Maccabees, from the Hebrew word for "Hammer", because they were said to strike hammer blows against their enemies.  Tit for tat, and the Jews finally recaptured Jerusalem in 164 BCE and the Temple was purified.  That event gave birth to the holiday of Chanukah.
   Stay with me just a little longer.

   The Seleucids finally retreated from the Land of Israel after another two decades of fighting.  By this time, Antiochus had died and his successor agreed to the Jews' demand for independence.  In the year 142 BCE, the Jews were again masters of their own fate.  Judah Maccabee was the only surviving son from the revolt and he ushered in a period of Jewish independence in Judea, as the Land of Israel was now called.  The kingdom regained boundaries not far short of Solomon's realm and Jewish life flourished.

   Any way, you can read all about the history in Mitchell G. Bard's book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Middle East Conflict. 4th Edition. NY: Alpha Books, 2008. 

  

You are welcome to leave a comment with your thoughts

You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com  and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.

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PSALM 139

 PSALM 139

   Are you feeling down?  This one is for you.  Read it, memorize it, contemplate on it.

 PSALM 139

1) O Lord, you have searched me

     and you know me.

2) You know when I sit and when I rise;

     You perceive my thoughts from afar.

3) You discern my going out and my lying down;

     You are familiar with all my ways.

4) Before a word is on my tongue

    You know it completely, O Lord.

5) You hem me in--behind and before;

    You have laid Your hand upon me.

6) Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

    too lofty for me to attain

7) Where can I go from Your Spirit?

    Where can I flee from Your presence?

8) If I go up to the heavens, You are there;

    If I make my bed in the depth, You are there.

9) If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

    If I settle on the far side of the sea,

10) even there Your hand will guide me,

     Your right hand will hold me fast.

11) If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me

     and the light become night around me",

12) even the darkness will not be dark to You;

     for darkness is as light to You

13) For You created my inmost being;

     You knit me together in my mother's womb.

14) I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully 

     made;

     Your works are wonderful, 

     I know that full well

15) My frame was not hidden from You

     when I was made in the secret place.

     When I was woven together in the depths of the earth

16) Your eyes saw my unformed body.

     All the days ordained for me

     were written in Your book

     before one of them came to be.

17) How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!

     How vast is the sum of them!

18) Were I to count them,

     they would outnumber the grains of sand.

    When I awake,

     I am still with You.

19) If only You would slay the wicked, O God!

     Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20) They speak of You with evil intent;

     Your adversaries misuse Your name.

21) Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord,

     and abhor those who rise up against You?

22) I have nothing but hatred for them;

     I count them my enemies.

23) Search me, O God, and know my heart;

     test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24) See if there is any offensive way in me,

     and lead me in The Way everlasting.


God did not identify King David by his period of poor judgement, but by his love of God.  King David was described as "a man after God's own heart".  So, do not be discouraged when you go through a low period in your life.  When Elijah wanted to "throw in the towel", God sent angels to nourish him.  God loves you.

Remember, when things don't go your way, that it is probably because your Mama loves you, too.  She prays for God to close the doors He doesn't want you to enter and open the ones He wants you to go through.  She prays for Him to light the path He wants you to walk.  She loves you and He loves you exponentially more!  So, lean on Him.  Trust Him.

And if you haven't accepted Jesus as your personal savior, please visit our "Path to Salvation" page  (click here:  http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html). If you have questions, you are welcome to leave a comment.  Comments are not published until reviewed.

THE WEDDING VOW

THE WEDDING VOW

I  take you  to be my wedded spouse. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.

   Do you remember saying these words?  Sometimes life gets in the way of living day to day.  We forget what we promise...faithfulness.  What is faithfulness?  Devotion, trustworthiness, fidelity.  How can you divorce, if you are faithful?
  God allowed divorce (Matthew 19: 8) because of  YOUR hardened heart....selfishness....not putting your spouse before yourself.  If you don't put your spouse before your own selfishness, how, then, do you treat God? Maybe it is time to examine all of our relationships, starting with the one with God.

    After initially publishing this post, it occurred to me that maybe I should share a few suggestions to help keep the marriage together.
   The most common sited cause of marital problems is money.  May I suggest that the weekend after your anniversary, you sit down and review your financial state.  Whether you have separate accounts or a joint account, all of the finances need to be reviewed.  That will identify any issues before they become too big to manage.  If the spouse who pays the bills needs help, this will identify it.  If they are doing a jam-up job, this is the time to praise their skills.
   If there are issues identified, schedule this review monthly until the problem is resolved, then go back to the annual review.
   You can discuss any issues you may have identified during the annual review.  Maybe this will keep the lines of communication open and the stress level low.
   Marriage was intended to be a lifetime commitment.  It takes work and a lot of patience.  It takes keeping your spouse's needs before your own.

You are welcome to leave your comment.

You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.

TIME TO EXAMINE OUR RELATIONSHIPS

TIME TO EXAMINE OUR RELATIONSHIPS

   Do you watch preachers on television?  I was watching Andy Stanley this morning on his program, Your Move.  The show was the second in a series he is teaching on:  Guardrails is the name of the series; part 2 is:  Why Can't We Be Friends.  You can connect with Andy at www.yourmove.is  and watch the shows.  Andy is the son of  Dr. Charles Stanley.
   The message today really hit home.  Don't we all have friends or family members who are selfish?  It is always about them?
   We all want the best for those we care about.  We call them on the phone, we spend time with them, we write letters to them, we do things for them, we encourage them, we give advise sometimes.  We invest of ourselves into their lives, expecting nothing in return.  That is what we do because we care about them.
   Today, my eyes were opened to how they feel about us:  do they call on the phone, spend time with us, write letters to us, read and share our blogs, do things for us, encourage us, and sometimes give us advise; or is it always about them?
   I am not saying that we should just care about those who give to us, but rather I am saying that it may be time to examine our relationships, and maybe put some distance between us if they are on a course that does not agree with ours. It is like being anchored to the shore and trying to drive off in a boat.  They may be what's holding us back from being who we should be.
   I have always said, "You are who you hang out with."  Maybe it is time to apply that to my own life, that the pain may be lessened when the "fallout" comes from their actions.  If you watch the show, you will understand what I am talking about.

You are welcome to leave a comment with your thoughts.

You are also invited to visit with Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com  and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.

AMAZING

AMAZING

   I haven't posted on this blog for almost two months.  My life has been very busy.  That doesn't mean I have ignored my God.  I just haven't taken the time to post on this blog.  

   That said, I want to share what happened to me yesterday:  I had two people tell me I am "amazing".  I live outside of town in small town, USA.  Yet, I have been loving on people who are miles away.  I am not bragging, but encouraging you that you can, too.

   Who among you, if your son asked for bread, would give him a stone?  (Matthew 7: 9)  We are instructed to love not just with words, but with action also.  (1 John 3: 18)  And know that obedience is desired over sacrifice.  (1 Samuel 15: 22).  I have found, though, that sometimes you just have to sacrifice in order to be obedient.

   If a mother says she loves her child but does not feed him, clean him, teach him, does she love him?  She gives of her time and effort.  The funny thing about time is that once it is gone, it can never be retrieved.  So, the mother sacrifices her time that she could spend lying on the beach or snow skiing, or whatever, and gives herself to caring for her family.

   This is true everyday of our lives.  Jesus Followers give.  We understand the principle set forth:  if you are closed fisted, holding on to what you have (Matthew 25: 28), it will be taken from you.  If you give it, with a happy heart, to The Kingdom of God, it will be multiplied and returned to you (Luke 6: 38).  Those who don't know Jesus give. 
     Most people who do not depend upon my God take.  They do not understand that all they have or will have is from The Lord.
  In this time of "selfies" it is refreshing to focus on someone other than self.  It feels good to give.  Pick up the phone and have a conversation.  Travel to a friend or family member's house and have a drink with them.  We are also accepting donations here.  No donation is too little and donations are secured via PayPall.  If you just don't have any extra cash, have a fund raiser for this site:  have a bake sale or set up a lemonade stand.  Taking action to help another Christian is "amazing".

You are encouraged to leave a comment and to share this post on your social media.

You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com  and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.

INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION DANIEL 8: 15 - 22

INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION

DANIEL 8: 15 - 22  (NIV)

   (15) While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man.  (16) And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision." 

   (17) As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.  "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision concerns the time of the end."
   (18) While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.  Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
   (19) He said:  "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.  (20) The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.  (21) The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.  (22) The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.  (NIV)

LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE COMMENTARY

   Gabriel is an angel, the heavenly messenger God used to explain Daniel's vision. 

   The "time of the end," refers to the whole period from the end of the Jewish exile until the second coming of Christ.  Many of the events would happen under Antiochus IV Epiphanes will be repeated on a broader scale just before Christ's second coming.  During these times, God is dealing with Israel in a radically different way, with divine discipline coming through Gentile nations.

MY THOUGHTS

   How do you suppose you would act if Gabriel showed up in your room today?  I believe it is this same Gabriel that is delayed in bringing a message to Daniel, probably in a later chapter.  We shall see.

   Do you know Jesus?  I marvel that God loved us so much that He gave us His Word that we may know Him.  He gave us Jesus, that we may be with Him forever.  If you have not asked God to forgive you of your sins, and accepted His gift of salvation, my Savior, Jesus Christ, please don't delay.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow. 

   Please see the "Path to Salvation" page by clicking here:   https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

You are welcome to leave a comment with your thoughts.

You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.

GOAT'S HORNS DANIEL 8: 9 - 14

GOAT'S HORNS   DANIEL 8: 9 - 14

  (9) Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.  (10) It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them.  (11) It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low.  (12) Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it.  It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.

   (13) Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled--the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?"
   (14) He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated."

LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE COMMENTARY

   Israel was attacked by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (the small horn) in the second century B.C.  He was the eighth ruler of the Seleucid empire (Babylonia and Syria).  He overthrew the high priest, looted the temple, and replaced worship of God with a Greek form of worship.  A further fulfillment of this prophecy of a powerful horn will occur in the future with the coming of the antichrist. Restoration of temple worship came under Judas Maccabeus in 165 B.C.  

   The phrase "evenings and mornings" means the evening and morning sacrifices. 

   The "Prince of the host" here refers to a heavenly authority, perhaps an angel or even God Himself.

MY THOUGHTS

   Remember this begins with one of the four horns that grew out of the one prominent horn of the goat, which came from the West and destroyed the ram with the two horns. 
   It has been a long time since I was in school.  Even then, world history and geography was not one of my strong suits.  I am looking forward to the explanation that we should get in my next posting.

   It is kind of strange looking into the future of mankind beginning with the 8th Chapter of the Book of Daniel.  I am excited and anxious.  Are you?

   Have you considered forever?  If you want to secure your place in the palace of The Everlasting, click here for more information: https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

You are welcome to leave a comment with your thoughts.

You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com  and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.

DANIEL'S VISION OF A RAM AND A GOAT DANIEL 8: 1 - 8

DANIEL'S VISION OF A RAM AND A GOAT

DANIEL 8: 1 -8

    (1) In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, had a vision after the one that had already appeared to me.  (2) In my vision, I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal.  (3) I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long.  One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later.  (4) I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south.  No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power.  He did as he pleased and became great.

   (5) As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground.  (6) He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage.  (7) I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns.  The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power.  (8) The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. 

H. A. IRONSIDE'S COMMENTARY

   As I first mentioned in the Chapter 1 commentaries, I found an interesting tidbit when I read Dr. Ironside's Commentary about the 8th Chapter of the Book of Daniel:  The Book of Daniel was originally written in two languages.  The first chapter, and verses 1 - 3 of Chapter 2 are in Hebrew.  From verse 4 of the 2nd Chapter to the end of Chapter 7, it is written in Chaldean, or Aramaic.  The balance of the Book is in Hebrew again.

   Dr. Ironside states that the first section was for the special help and encouragement of the faithful among the scattered Jews; so it is written in their own language.  In the second section, God is tracing out the course of the Times of the Gentiles, so He led Daniel to write the record of it in the popular language of the day, Aramaic, that the Chaldeans (Gentiles) might read it and benefit from it.  The third portion, beginning with the eighth chapter concerns the Jews in a very special way; so it is once again in the Hebrew language.

  The first verse in Chapter 8 shows us that two years had elapsed between the visions in Chapter 7 and Chapter 8.  The setting is in the palace in the province of Elam by the river Ulai.
   Elam was the ancient name of the highlands east of Babylon,  stretching from India to the Persian Gulf.  This is also the region that Cyrus was to obtain his first great victories, the land soon to be completely dominated by the Persians.

 (map from In Which God Do You Trust?)
   

COMMENTARY FROM LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE

   Susa was one of the capitals of the Babylonian empire.  It was located in what is now Iran.

   The two horns were the kings of Media and Persia; the longer horn represented the growing dominance of Persia in the Medo-Persian empire.

   The goat represented Greece, and it's large horn, Alexander the Great.  Alexander the Great died in his thirties at the height of his power.  His kingdom was split into four parts under four generals:  Ptolemy 1 of Egypt and Palestine; Seleucus of Babylonia and Syria; Lysimachus of Asia Minor; and Antipater of Macedon and Greece.

  

MY THOUGHTS

   Stay with us, this is going to be a little in depth.  It is recommended that we study Revelations also, as the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelations complement each other.

If you have been putting Jesus off, please accept His gift of salvation now, before it is too late.  Time is getting short, and none of us are promised tomorrow.  Click here for more information:  https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

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You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com  and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.

THE SPIRIT OF CONFUSION

THE SPIRIT OF CONFUSION

   I am happy to announce today that America finally has Pastors who are standing for God.  This has been a long time in coming.  If God's leaders don't stand for Him, how will the Church be emboldened to stand?  There is a story on www.brietbart.com today which reveals how the Church is finally fighting back.  

   The Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP) has launched an impeachment campaign against Attorney General Eric Holder following his efforts to bypass current law and encourage state attorneys general not to uphold traditional marriage laws. 

  The Obama administration wants to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) but they have failed to get Congress to act on it.  Liberals want to ignore federal law, Supreme Court rulings, and bypass the constitutions of dozens of states that have specifically rejected the redefinition of marriage under the guise of civil rights.

   On what basis do Christians reject same-sex marriage?  Maybe there are actually those who read their Bibles and understand what is written.  I want to refer you to the post from 9/9/2011 when we read about how King Ahab wanted King Jehoshaphat to go to war with him to reclaim the land of Ramoth Gilead.  All of King Ahab's "religious" men were encouraging King Ahab to do it, saying he would be successful.  Only the Prophet Micaiah listened to God and told King Ahab it was unwise.
   Today, the Liberals are pushing us to accept their lie that sexual deviants are just like normal people.  It was not enough that those who practice homosexuality be granted "civil unions", but they want to destroy marriage in the name of  "civil rights".  Having sex is an action, not a state of being.
   It warms my heart that the Pastors of CAAP are standing against the spirit of deceit.  Their goal is to amass a million signatures of people who demand the impeachment of the lawless Attorney General Eric Holder.  You can find them at www.caapus.org.    I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What about you?  This is your call to action.

You are encouraged to leave a comment with your thoughts.

You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.