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slyandthefamilybook · 4 months

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aren't israelis colonizers? is israel any different from india with respect to kashmir?

I don't know enough about India and Kashmir to answer that part, so I won't

But in short, no, Israelis are not colonizers.

As a longer answer, I think first it's important to draw a distinction between colonization and colonialism. Colonization has a pretty broad application. In its simplest sense it means "people moving from one place to another place and establishing some sort of autonomy there". It usually involves the suppression of indigenous peoples, but not always. We talk about, for example, "colonizing Mars", even though there's no one up there as far as we can tell

In that sense, sure, you can call Israelis colonizers. You'd be ignoring the millions of Jews who are descended from the Old Yishuv (the Jews who lived in British Palestine prior to the establishment of the state of Israel), unless you think that pre-Israel Jews were also colonizers, in which case I don't think there's a discussion to be had. You'd also have to ignore the millions of non-Jewish Israeli citizens, such as Bedouin Arabs, Druze, Samaritans, Chinese, Arameans, etc.

You'd also have to ignore the roughly 850,000 Jews who were expelled from Arab-dominant countries and fled to Israel as refugees, not as settlers. "Israeli" is a pretty broad term, it turns out

In terms of colonialism it's pretty much impossible to fit any definition to Israel. Colonialism is the process of exporting a dominant culture from a centralized point at the expense of indigenous cultures. For example, when the British established colonies on Turtle Island, the colonizers brought their British culture with them. They spoke English, worshiped God and The King in that order, used British pounds, established settlements with names like "James' Town" and "George Town", followed English law, and generally made a mess of the place. In contrast, when the First Aliyah came to British Palestine, they shed their European names in favor of their Jewish ones. They abandoned English, German, Yiddish and Ladino in favor of Hebrew, the last surviving Canaanite language. They built cities named things like Tel Aviv, and Shmuel HaNavi. For the first time in centuries, they visited the tombs of our ancestors–Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov. They made pilgrimages to the very cities spoken about in the Torah, our founding document and the source of our ethnogenesis. They found Jewish artifacts thousands of years old. Some people call this "artificial self-indigenization", but they're wrong. It's not even re-indigenization, because indigenous identity has no expiration date. Jews may have assimilated into various cultures around the world to some extent or another, but our identity as Jews has always been tied to the Levant. No colonial project in history has viewed itself as a return to a place from which they originated.

This isn't to say that Israelis haven't committed atrocities against Palestinians, or that they don't continue to do so. Theft of Palestinian homes, the Nakba, the suppression of the rights and culture of Palestinians, all of that history is reprehensible and needs to be answered for. But violence does not a colony make.

here's a piece from the left-wing Israeli news outlet Ha'aretz talking more about it

#ask #anonymous #I was gonna go into more detail about the Balfour Declaration the White Paper the Peel Commission etc but honestly I'm a little to hungover

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beardedmrbean · 3 months

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Authorities are befuddled by the disappearance of six people — one man, three women and two young children — from a St. Louis-area home in August, which police believe to be related to the existence of a cult.

It’s been months since Naaman Williams, 29, Gerielle German, 26, her 3-year-old son Ashton Mitchell, Mikayla Thompson, 23, Ma’Kayla Wickerson, 25, and her 3-year daughter Malaiyah were last seen. The group had been living in a rented home in Berkeley, Mo., near St. Louis Lambert International airport.

Berkeley police Major Steve Runge tells PEOPLE that the four missing adults are believed to be part of a cult allegedly revolving around Rashad Jamal, who was convicted of child molestation charges in 2023 and is currently serving a prison sentence in Georgia.

Over the past few years, Jamal has amassed thousands of followers on social media with his spiritual teachings, operating what he calls the University of Cosmic Intelligence, which according to its website is “geared toward enlightening and illuminating minds” of Black and Latino people.

Speaking to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from prison, Jamal denies being a cult leader and maintained his innocence in his child molestation case.

Runge says some of Jamal’s followers, which he says includes three of the missing adults, have changed their names in honor of those they believe to be spiritual gods or goddesses. Williams is also known as Anubis Aramean, Thompson goes by Antu Anum Ahmat, while Wickerson is Intuahma Aquama Auntil, according to Berkeley police.

According to police, the Berkeley quartet has now allegedly exhibited some of the other followers’ behaviors: total disconnection from family and loved ones, a desire to go off the grid, quitting their jobs and embracing sovereign citizenship, among other behaviors.

“It’s confusing, the internet is [the cult’s] home,” Runge says. “It’s not like ‘OK, we’re going to go to St. Louis.’ No, the internet is its home. [Jamal] has 90,000 followers.”

On Aug. 12, Runge says Wickerson’s mother, Cartisha Morgan, called police and said she was worried about her daughter, who she hadn’t heard from. Days later, detectives began investigating and searched the Berkeley home and found no signs of foul play. Runge says they discovered the group’s Facebook profiles, which contained references to Jamal and were once extremely active and public before the activity abruptly stopped.

Through further investigation, Runge says the group was last seen at a hotel on Aug. 13, in Florissant, Mo. No one has heard from them since.

While Wickerson, who according to her LinkedIn profile once worked for JP Morgan & Chase, and Thompson are both from St. Louis, Williams is from Washington D.C., while German is originally from Lake Horn, Miss., near Memphis.

Thompson, like the other two women, is also the mother of a young child whom she left behind with her mother, according to Runge.

Runge believes the missing group will resurface eventually, most likely when they run out of money.

“I know we’re going to find them,” Runge says. “It’s just a matter of going through the motions … we are going to put in the work.”

Morgan spoke to PEOPLE and says she is worried about both her daughter and granddaughter, whom she hasn’t seen in months. She believes Wickerson had been suffering from depression following the birth of her daughter, and that she was preyed upon as a result.

“I'm not doing so well, but I'm just holding on by my faith,” Morgan tells PEOPLE. “I just wish that people are made aware of this.”

Wickerson had been living with her mother while she was pregnant before moving out in November 2022. Morgan last heard from her daughter in March 2023. Malaiyah, Wickerson’s daughter, just turned 3 in October, Morgan says.

Morgan recalls Wickerson telling her she was feeling overwhelmed as a mother. Looking back, she now thinks her daughter was crying out for help and that there were signs her daughter wasn’t OK.

Still, Morgan says her daughter was very family-oriented, making her disappearance “astonishing.”

“Ma’Kayla, we love you and we want the best for you,” Morgan says. “We would like for her to come back home. We are going to get her the help that we need. Your spiritual journey is your spiritual journey. If you want to be your best self, we understand that, but we love you and we just want you to come back home.”

#nunyas news

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roman-catholic-mass-readings · 2 months

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4th March >> Mass Readings (USA)

Monday, Third Week of Lent

(optional commemoration of Saint Casimir)

(Liturgical Colour: Violet: B (2))

First Reading 2 Kings 5:1-15ab There were many people with leprosy in Israel, but none were made clean, except Naaman the Syrian (Luke 4:27).

Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. The prophet sent him the message: “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy. Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” With this, he turned about in anger and left.

But his servants came up and reasoned with him. “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.” So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4

R/ Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?

As the hind longs for the running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God.

R/ Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Athirst is my soul for God, the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?

R/ Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on And bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place.

R/ Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Then will I go in to the altar of God, the God of my gladness and joy; Then will I give you thanks upon the harp, O God, my God!

R/ Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Gospel Acclamation cf. Psalm 130:5, 7

I hope in the LORD, I trust in his word; with him there is kindness and plenteous redemption.

Gospel Luke 4:24-30 Like Elijah and Elisha, Jesus was sent not only to the Jews.

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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officialyourdailyinspiration · 1 year

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Solomon Asks for Wisdom

1 Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.

2 Then Solomon spoke to all Israel—to the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, to the judges and to all the leaders in Israel, the heads of families— 3 and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness. 4 Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the tabernacle of the Lord; so Solomon and the assembly inquired of him there. 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord in the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

8 Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”

13 Then Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting. And he reigned over Israel.

14 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. 17 They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans. — 2 Chronicles 1 | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: Genesis 13:16; Genesis 22:17; Exodus 31:2; Exodus 31:9; Exodus 36:8; Numbers 27:17; Deuteronomy 17:16-17; Joshua 9:17; 2 Samuel 5:2; 2 Samuel 6:17; 1 Kings 2:12; 1 Kings 2:46; 1 Kings 3:4,5 and 6; 1 Kings 3:11; 1 Kings 8:5; 1 Kings 9:2; 1 Kings 9:19; 1 Kings 10:26; 1 Kings 10:29; 1 Chronicles 28:1; 1 Chronicles 28:5; 2 Chronicles 2:1; Nehemiah 13:26; Ecclesiastes 5:19; Song of Solomon 1:9; Luke 19:4

#Solomon worships at Gibeon #Solomon's prayer for wisdom #Solomon's wealth #2 Chronicles 1 #Book of Second Chronicles #Old Testament #NIV #New International Version #Holy Bible #Biblica Inc.

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greater-than-the-sword · 2 years

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TIL that the day after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle quoted Isaiah 9:10

“The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”

ignorant of its proper context as a prideful boast made by the nation refusing to be humbled and repent despite God's judgment:

The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel. All the people will know it— Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria— who say with pride and arrogance of heart, “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”

But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them and has spurred their enemies on. Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west have devoured Israel with open mouth. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

#isaiah #bible #history #politics

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yamayuandadu · 8 months

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who was the patron deity of the city of Damascus?

Neo-Assyrian sources like Ashur-nirari V's treaty with Mati-ilu of Arpad and the Sefire stele directly label Ramman as the deity of Damascus. The evidence is pretty late though, with the oldest examples dated to the 9th century BCE. The name Ramman can be translated as "thunderer" and evidently designated a local weather god. Safe to say that at least in the first millennium BCE he was understood as (an) Aramaic Hadad, since local kings had theophoric names invoking him, like Bar-Hadad and Hadad-ezer. However, there's also a king Tar-Ramman. It seems Ramman of Damascus at some point spread southwards, since there is evidence he was worshiped in the Tayma oasis. He is also referenced in 2 Kings 5:18 (vocalized as "Rimmon" in the Masoretic text). His cult survived well into Roman times, though in sources from this period he appears in the guise of "Jupiter (or Zeus) Damascenus". It's worth noting the name Ramman is already attested in the second millennium BCE, but only in Mesopotamian sources, and in this context it designated Amurru/Martu, who is weather god-adjacent but ultimately a distinct deity with unique character (best to think of him as the deified equivalent of a Mesopotamian redneck/hillbilly stereotype, see here). In god lists this identification prevailed even in the first millennium BCE, despite the familiarity with the god of Damascus. There is no evidence that Ramman was ever a designation of a weather god in Mesopotamia proper, so ex. a reference to worship of a god bearing this name in Suhu on the Euphrates very likely should be treated as a reference to Amurru. Both transfer from east to west and from west to east have been proposed, though according to Daniel Schwemer there is no evidence for the former option. Bibliography

H. Niehr (ed.), The Arameans in Ancient Syria

D. Schwemer, Rammān(um) (RlA entry)

#mesopotamian miscellanea

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blueiskewl · 2 years

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Iron Age Fertility Cult Complex Discovered Under Turkish House

It was almost destroyed by modern looters

A bungled looting scheme has led archaeologists to an underground Iron Age complex in Turkey that may have been used by a fertility cult during the first millennium B.C., a new study finds.

The ancient complex, which has yet to be fully investigated due to the instability of the structure, has rare rock art drawings on its walls featuring a procession of deities depicted in an Assyrian style. This art style appears to have been adapted by local groups, indicating how strongly the culture of the Neo-Assyrian Empire — which hailed from Mesopotamia and later expanded into Anatolia — spread to the people it conquered in this region, according to the new study, published online May 11 in the journal Antiquity.

"The finding bears witness to the exercise of Assyrian hegemony in the region in its early phases," one of the study's authors Selim Ferruh Adalı, an associate professor of ancient history at the Social Sciences University of Ankara, told Live Science in an email. "The wall panel contains a depiction of divine procession with previously unknown elements, with Aramaic writing to describe some of the deities while combining Neo-Assyrian, Aramaean and Syro-Anatolian divine iconography."

Authorities learned about the ancient underground complex in 2017, after looters discovered it beneath a house in a Turkish village and decided to target its treasures. However, police foiled the looters, and investigating officials soon found an artificial opening the looters had cut through the floor of the two-story house in the village of Başbük, in southern Turkey. This discovery prompted the police to notify the Şanlıurfa Archaeological Museum, whose archaeologists determined that the opening, which measured about 7 by 5 feet (2.2 by 1.5 meters), led to an entrance chamber, carved out of the limestone bedrock, in the underground complex.

The subterranean complex dates to the early Neo-Assyrian period (around the ninth century B.C.), and features an upper and lower gallery, as well as the entrance chamber. The original opening to the entrance chamber has not yet been found.

Museum experts carried out the rescue excavation in August and September of 2018, Adalı said. However, they suspended the rescue excavation after two months because of the instability of the site. The area is now under the legal protection of Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

During the short period of excavation, archaeologists removed sediment that had fallen due to erosion in the underground spaces, which revealed a decorative rock relief carved into a wall panel. The panel depicts a procession of gods and goddesses from the Aramean pantheon, some with Aramaic inscriptions next to them.

The excavators sent photos of the inscriptions on the panel to Adalı, who found that the panel had great historical significance.

The expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire into what is now Turkey inspired a cultural revolution, as the Assyrian elite used art from their courtly style to express their power over the local Luwian- and Aramaic-speaking peoples.

The wall panel in Başbük shows how Assyrian art was adapted into the Aramaean style in the provincial towns and villages, the researchers found.

Four of the eight deities depicted on the panel could not be identified, according to the study. The Aramaic inscriptions label three of the gods: the storm, rain and thunder god Hadad; his consort Atargatis, a goddess of fertility and protection; the moon god Sîn; and the sun god Šamaš. The drawing of Atargatis is the earliest known depiction of this goddess, the principal goddess of Syria, in this region, the researchers added.

"The inclusion of Syro-Anatolian religious themes illustrate an adaptation of Neo-Assyrian elements in ways that one did not expect from earlier finds, Adalı said in a statement, "They reflect an earlier phase of Assyrian presence in the region when local elements were more emphasized."

The deities on the wall panel suggest that it was "the locus for a regional fertility cult of Syro-Anatolian and Aramaean deities with rituals overseen by early Neo-Assyrian authorities," Adalı told Live Science. One of those authorities might have been Mukīn-abūa, a Neo-Assyrian official who lived during the reign of the Assyrian king Adad-nirari III (811 B.C. to 783 B.C.). The researchers identified an inscription that might refer to Mukīn-abūa. It's possible that Mukīn-abūa took control of the region, and that he used this complex to integrate with and win over locals, the researchers said.

Meanwhile, the presence of Neo-Assyrian art in this complex doesn't necessarily mean that the empire's artists created this panel. Rather, it's likely that "the panel was made by local artists serving Assyrian authorities who adapted Neo-Assyrian art in a provincial context," Adalı said.

He added that the team suspects further excavations will uncover more areas of the underground complex and possibly yield more examples of artwork, as only a small part of the whole site has been explored so far. A full-scale excavation is expected to take place when the entirety of the site has been prepared, according to the procedures of Turkish cultural heritage laws.

By Emily Staniforth.

#Iron Age Fertility Cult Complex Discovered Under Turkish House #ancient artifacts #ancient art #archeology #archeolgst #art #artist #art work #art news #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations

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torais-life · 2 years

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1st portion-Parshah n° 50: כי תבוא: Ki tavo

1st Portion: Devarim(Deuteronomy) 26:1-11

1And it will be, when you come into the land which the Lord, your God, gives you for an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it,

2that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you will bring from your land, which the Lord, your God, is giving you. And you shall put [them] into a basket and go to the place which the Lord, your God, will choose to have His Name dwell there.

3And you shall come to the kohen who will be [serving] in those days, and say to him, "I declare this day to the Lord, your God, that I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us."

4And the kohen will take the basket from your hand, laying it before the altar of the Lord, your God.

5And you shall call out and say before the Lord, your God, "An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people, and there, he became a great, mighty, and numerous nation.

6And the Egyptians treated us cruelly and afflicted us, and they imposed hard labor upon us.

7So we cried out to the Lord, God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.

8And the Lord brought us out from Egypt with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, with great awe, and with signs and wonders.

9And He brought us to this place, and He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

10And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground which you, O Lord, have given to me." Then, you shall lay it before the Lord, your God, and prostrate yourself before the Lord, your God.

11Then, you shall rejoice with all the good that the Lord, your God, has granted you and your household you, the Levite, and the stranger who is among you.

#parasha ha shavua #parasha ki tavo #simchat torah #jumblr #torah study

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christian-perspectives · 2 days

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The Story Of Naaman And Elisha

Why would Naaman, an Aram army commander, and his story make it onto the pages of the Bible? He not only invaded the land of Israel, but he also suffered from an incurable disease. The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. 2 Kings 5:1 At the time of this story, the Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel. Of course, they plundered what they could and also took captives. One of the captured was a young Jewish girl who became a maid to Naaman’s wife. We can credit the story of Naaman making it into the Bible because of this nameless girl. One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:3 The ears in Naaman’s household must have perked up when a word of hope surfaced in his hopeless situation. You see, along with being incurable, leprosy was contagious as well. Naaman told the king what the girl from Israel had said, and then the story took an unusual twist. He asked his king’s permission to go to the people the Arameans had raided. Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 2 Kings 5:5

A Threatening Letter?

We must understand one thing about people who don’t serve God. They understand nothing about God. They have a concept of a higher power, not a personal Savior. They question why God doesn’t do this or doesn’t do that. The king of Aram didn’t understand God. The letter he sent to the king of Israel sounded like a threat instead of a plea for help. The letter Naaman carried to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:6 This story of Naaman contains two significant misunderstandings. The first occurred in the letter written by one king and its interpretation by the other king. When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.” 2 Kings 5:7 Guess who came to the King’s rescue? Elisha heard that the king tore his clothes in dismay. So, he sent a messenger to him with the following message. “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.” 2 Kings 5:8 As the story unfolded, Naaman and his horses and chariots went to Elisha’s house and waited at the door. Elisha, however, didn’t come out. He never even answered the door. But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:10

Naaman Almost Ended His Story Unhealed

When Elisha didn’t come out of the house, the second misunderstanding in the story occurred because Naaman felt disrespected. Plus, he definitely didn’t want to swim in the Jordan River. Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! 2 Kings 5:11 He compared the rivers in his own country with the Jordan. He asked, “Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” His officers, though, tried to reason with him. They asked him; “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 2 Kings 5:13 Many years ago I heard a sermon called Seven Ducks in a Muddy River. I loved that title so much that I used it to preach a similar sermon years later. So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed! 2 Kings 5:14 He obediently not only went to the river, but he went into its water. By faith, he began to duck down under the water. The first couple of times, he might have thought, “What’s the use.” But he continued. He lifted his head out of the water the sixth time. Then, a sense of anticipation came upon him as he lowered it one last time. It also filled his entire company standing along the river bank.

The Application

Naaman had predetermined how he should receive a healing but was mistaken. God put an exclamation point at the end of this story because of the obedience and faith of Naaman. The focus of this story always falls on Naaman, but let’s turn it around for a moment towards Elisha. He didn’t arbitrarily send this man to the river. He had to have heard from God.

Just think if Naaman would have come out of that river still covered with leprosy. His horses and chariots could have returned to make things difficult for Elisha. This story has two applications, one from Naaman and the other from Elisha. Like Naaman, God wants us to trust Him by obeying Him and putting our faith in Him. What can we learn from Elisha? When or if God uses you to speak into another person’s life, make sure you have heard from Him. The last thing you want to do is to lead someone astray. Lord, thank you for sharing this story of Naaman and Elisha. Like Naaman, we always want to obey and trust you. Like Elisha, lead us by the Holy Spirit, especially when ministering to others. Check out these related posts on healing. - How To Experience Victory, Healing And Life - The Story Of The Paralyzed Man And Jesus - Is There Healing When Jesus is Revealed? - When Jesus Healed Ten Lepers Read the full article

#2Kings #BibleStudy #Devotions #Discipleship #Healing

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tsalmu · 7 months

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Divine Couple of Adad & Ishtar (Attar)? From the palace of Aramean King Kapara Aleppo, Syria c. 800 BCE Housed in Syria-Aleppo Museum

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thoughtsinamiraclesoul · 15 days

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Trapped by Triggers- Jerry Flowers

2 Kings 5:1-13

TRAP: Tricks. Right. At. Pivots

The devil wants to and will place a trap: in front of you, beside you, behind you and he wants your own personality to be a trap.

So that you feel trapped by traps.

if the devil could be an insect; he'd be a Spider, and his web would be; Power, Pleasure, Possessions, Pain, and Pride.

he wants us trapped because He doesn't have to fight hard against trapped people.

he definitely doesn't have to fight hard if we view the trap as God's Blessing so we can't see them and step right into it.

Be it, a relationship. Or God's blessing.

he wants us to step into them and blame God for the suffering that we will experience because they didn't have the discernment to recognize that wasn't God, this was him.

Ignorance leads to suffering and suffering leads to suffocations.

Ex: If I am ignorant of what a kingdom man looks like, my marriage will suffer.

Ex: If I am ignorant of what leadership looks like the people I serve will suffer.

Our joy will be suffocated, our peace will be suffocated, our discernment will be suffocated, and our delight will be suffocated because we are ignorant of the devil's traps and schemes.

2 Kings 5:1 'The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. '

What is your BUT?

The issue you suffer with, just like Naaman.

2 Kings 5:2-11

'At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. ''One day the girl said to her mistress, 3 “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” 4 ''So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. ''5“Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. '6 'The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.” 7 'When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”8 But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” 11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! '

Here, Naaman is triggered. He had a certain image in his head on how God would heal him AND he's angry because God didn't do it the way he thought God would do it.

How many of us are upset at God because we don't like His methods?

Spiritual Maturity takes place when we don't care about the HOW.

2 Kings 5:12-13 12 'Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana, and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

Here, the leprosy was not only on the skin but in his heart.

13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” '

What if the way that God is going to cleanse you isn't by any great work but obedience.

2 Kings 5:11

"I thought"

How many of us are keeping stuff because we don't like God's instructions?

For a trap to work, you must 1st study; satan studies us to set up a trap for us.

When are you most likely to fall into temptation?

He has traps set up at the most opportune times for us to fall in.

When is the time?

We will fall into lust, wrath, gluttony, pride or envy?

When is the time?

We are most insecure?

He knows when you don't make use of our gifts. You are telling God He made a bad investment in you.

he will hide his traps in the soil of our Habits

Luke 4:13 NKJV 'When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. '

IT is a soul disease: it is a dis ease: the trap of Triggers

what trap keeps you triggered that keeps you from healing?

'Father, heal me on the inside: Trauma will not own the pen of my story!'- Jerry Flowers Jr

You can't guard your heart if you aren't aware of your triggers.

Strongholds are something that devils and demons can use as a door.

When your childhood/ last relationship/ work was a warzone.

Peace can even become a trigger.

If you have trust issues and your trigger is people.

In the same way, the devil sends people to hurt us, God sends people to help us. We could be pushing away the very help that God is trying to send in our lives.

Sometimes we'll push away those who God wants to use to help us to affirm our fears.

Every time God tries to send someone to take it. We push them away.

Do you not do people, OR do you love your trigger?

Has it become a defense mechanism?

Trigger: many times is an unresolved part of ourselves that spawns emotionalism due to somebody we have not forgiven or ourselves we haven't forgiven.

Sometimes we expect the worst because of our past and are triggered by blessings. Missing the whole point of Grace. We all deserve an F but because of Jesus and what He did, we ALL get an A.

Don't allow triggers to cause you to be vandalizing your witness!

Don't allow your faithfulness to God to be rested on your emotions and how you feel. You didn't put your feelings in Jesus you put your FAITH in Jesus.

GOD WANTS TO REDEEM YOUR RESPONSES

Don't be a doormat but produce the fruit of Self Control

If you don't, your trigger can create ceilings. Could it be that God is trying to take you higher, but you are allowing your triggers to halt it?

Messy conversations are necessary. They may not feel good to digest but they will give you deliverance.

Jesus told us in the word: He has given us both POWER AND AUTHORITY AND TO OVERCOME

Luke 10:19 'Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. '

NOT A DIABOLICAL FORCE, NOT YOUR MINDSET, NOT YOUR THOUGHT PATTERNS, NOT EVEN YOUR TRIGGERS *

Not only was Jesus telling us the power that we have following Him, but He was also referencing a time when the children of Israel were in a hallway.

Deuteronomy 8:15 'Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! '

Not only has Jesus given us the power to kill the enemy on the outside but also kill what the enemy tries to place on the inside of you.

The way snakes kill is by injecting their venom INTO their victims.

Remember that we have the authority to crush what the enemy is trying to use on the inside.

Sometimes our greatest enemy is our inner me.

Triggers make us give up our power.

God wants to use you, but He's limited in how much He can effectively do in a triggered leader. Remember, 'Jesus could do no works in his hometown except heal a few sick and he marveled at their unbelief.'

If you don't control your triggers when He's given you a word or a song and is triggered by a comment or side remark you won't speak from that word you will speak from that emotion from that trigger.

Instead of preaching from heaven, you're preaching from triggers

Instead of serving and talking to others the way God wants to use you, your trigger is serving the kingdom of darkness.

LIKE MOSES: 'Speak to the rock' Moses was triggered by the people and he 'Hit the rock' and because of this he wasn't able to go into the promised land.

How many promises are you going to miss out on because you keep allowing people to trigger you?

God Loves us so much He will keep us in the hallway until our triggers are no longer a problem. He will detox our toxic responses out of us, so we won't blow up the promise with our sharp tongues or explosive attitudes.

God wants us to have a cruise line character vs a canoe character.

Canoe Character: if someone doesn't approach you in a way that isn't acceptable to you; You go 0>100 really quick.

Cruise line Character: people can walk, skip, and dance, and you won't sick under the waters of your emotions.

God wants us to exuberate the fruit of the spirit: Self-control so much that where our character is like a cruise line. They can step on u all they want, and you won't sink.

Three methods to help deal with people; Questions to ask to ask yourself before responding:

1: What happened to them?

Most of the time someone else response has more to do with what is going on with them.

2. Do they know you?

3. Does this person have emotional intelligence enough to consider another perspective outside of the one they thought of or the one somebody told them?

If they don't, why waste your time? they aren't looking for answers, they're looking for an argument because they're arguing within themselves.

How much nicer would you be if every person you encountered that had an attitude, you asked: what happened to them?

And maybe I could represent the Kingdom right now, maybe in the midst of their day whatever frustrated them they could run into the love of Jesus.

Has the Gospel and conversion reached deep enough in your heart to redeem the way you react?

Not just what you post and present. Your reactions.

Are your triggers suffocating your obedience?

So much so that you are looking for remedies in t.r.a.ps?

T.r.a.p remedies: food, drugs, alcohol, sex, etc

If you can trace it, you can UNLEARN it.

Traumatic aloneness: ex: at some point when you were a child, a parent could have left somewhere and said they'd be back in 30 mins or an hour and then 2,3,4 hours passed until they returned in some cases the parent never came back and as result, you were traumatized.

so, when God calls you to a season of being alone, you're triggered.

When God wants you to have solitude, not because He's punishing you but to train you to know His voice. You're triggered by it; it takes you back to that moment you were traumatized.

when God says, "Come into the wilderness" "Go to a Brook Terrace" so He can train us.

It takes us back to a traumatic event and our trigger suffocates our obedience.

Our gifts and callings could be strangled by our triggers.

If we don't allow God to heal those areas, we will constantly be falling into traps because we have become one with our triggers.'

Remember

Triggers are what the enemy uses as his check-in date to live rent-free in our heads and emotions.

Could it be they're not triggering you? But your triggers are what causes you to even entertain certain people, places, or spaces?

Naaman, a great and mighty warrior, was greatly respected by the people. And yet, he had leprosy, God used a man with a notable issue.

God used somebody with a noticeable issue. Often times the devil will try to trigger you and make you feel disqualified because your issues are noticeable.

God uses those with noticeable issues because He wants to give you a look at them now Testimony.

Not for us to flex but for the crowd to see God.

What would have happened if the girl that was captured was triggered by her being captured.

And what if: when Naaman's leprosy was revealed. She would have responded like how many of us would have responded? Taunting and rubbing it in his face?

Instead of recognizing how sometimes our problems serve a purpose.

Her being captured, was bigger than her being captured. Her being captured was to see the leprosy to tell him about Elisha and get him to Elisha's house.

What problem is really serving you?

If you want to heal:

You can't avoid your way into healing. It is the heavy lifting of the soul. It is strenuous to let go. It is difficult, may cry, moan, or groan, but it is important to get to the place where you'd rather purposeful pain than pointless pain.

Let it serve a purpose.

Your problem serves a purpose.

Naaman brought gold and all this stuff because he thought God was going to do it by a certain method and because it didn't match his idea of how God was going to do it, he was triggered.

But miracles are married to instructions.

Naaman comments on the dirty water, He is seen as unclean, but still views the water as being beneath him.

Much like us as people, the way we dirty people try to call other people dirty. Arrogance and racism are pointless. At the end of the day, when we are all dirty, and will all return to the dirt.

We go to church to get right and become clean not cause we're already clean.

Naamon here gets offended, and someone has to remind him that it's not that hard to get clean.

Instructions:

1. Recognize the fuse.

The Holy Spirit is a counselor, a teacher, and a comforter Certain things ONLY the Holy Spirit can show you.

Hebrews 12:1 NKJV 'Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ' Hebrews 12:1 TPT 'As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. '

TRAUMA CYCLE:

TRAUMATIC EVEN>BRAIN STORES IT> EMOTIONS ARE ASSIGNED>DEFENSE MECHANISM> THOUGHT PROCESS

2. While you heal; protect your atmosphere.

FORGIVENESS DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN REENTRY

3. You have the power to choose your thoughts.

Are you willing to do the work?

Picture a lion. Now, picture a rooster.

4. The desire to be clean must be greater than your preference.

Whatever it takes, bible studies, binge sermon series, reading the word and praying multiple times a day, fasting, going to conferences, or both Sunday services. 'you're tired' is not going to cut it. We can spend hours binging TV or scrolling online doing anything else. Use that time to pour back into your spirit.

5. I need the Holy Spirit.

He IS God; a comforter. Why would He need to be a comforter if there wasn't something in your life to be uncomfortable?

Sometimes our trap is ourselves. We are battling with our emotional responses. God has much Need for you but we must allow Him to redeem the way we react.

This may take forgiveness. It doesn't matter what was done. Reminder: Jesus pleaded with God to forgive us while he hung on the cross for us.

Jesus understands and still, He instructs us to forgive.

Prayer:

Father, help us to forgive, so we don't walk away bound, Father please heal us, restore us, help us to have a different perspective that you require of us, and demolish our triggers. God, we pray for wisdom and clarity to allow our hearts to be like the clay after rain, soft and pliable, mold our hearts. Give us a contrite heart and renew in us a right spirit so that we can be used by you. We forgive them, Father reminds us just like you forgive us when we confess our faults. Help us to forgive ourselves so that we're not held captive to punishment we feel that we should give ourselves because of what we've done. You've thrown it in the sea of forgetfulness, separated it as far as the East is from the West, we are blood covered, when you see us, you only see your son. So, who are we to crucify ourselves for what we've done? Help us to forgive ourselves and to see us through the lens of Jesus versus the lens of our trauma. In Jesus name, Amen.

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lordgodjehovahsway · 2 months

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Deuteronomy 26: Moses Tells The Israelites How To Give Their Firstfruits And Tithes To Their Lord God Jehovah

1 When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it,

2 take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name

3 and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.”

4 The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God.

5 Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous.

6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor.

7 Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression.

8 So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.

9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;

10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him.

11 Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.

12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

13 Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.

14 I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me.

15 Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Follow the Lord’s Commands

16 The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.

17 You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him.

18 And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands.

19 He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.

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roman-catholic-mass-readings · 1 year

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13th March >> Mass Readings (USA)

Monday, Third Week of Lent - Proper Readings (see also The Samaritan Woman)

Monday, Third Week of Lent

(Liturgical Colour: Violet: Year A(1))

First Reading 2 Kings 5:1-15ab There were many people with leprosy in Israel, but none were made clean, except Naaman the Syrian (Luke 4:27).

Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram, was highly esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram. But valiant as he was, the man was a leper. Now the Arameans had captured in a raid on the land of Israel a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife. “If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,” she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.” Naaman went and told his lord just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said. “Go,” said the king of Aram. “I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments. To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” When he read the letter, the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed: “Am I a god with power over life and death, that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy? Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!” When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king: “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.” Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. The prophet sent him the message: “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy. Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” With this, he turned about in anger and left. But his servants came up and reasoned with him. “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.” So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.