On ISRAEL's rights

 Zechariah 2:8-9

King James Version

8 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; 

After the glory hath he sent me 

unto the nations which spoiled you: 

for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

9 For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, 

and they shall be a spoil to their servants: 

and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.

Israel has rights.

As do every nation.

But why is she so hated?

These I found, as SPIRIT guided me early this morning.

He knew I sought to be fair, just, and Biblical.

A born again always looks to the Bible.

GOD's WORD holds ALL the truth we need to know.

Israel is hated, because she is so loved by GOD.

Because the enemy of CHRIST hates GOD.

Anything GOD loves, surely, the enemy will hate.

Wiping the world of GOD's chosen nation won't ever happen.

In GOD's eyes, she is like a "valley of dry bones".

But she is perfect for His divine purpose.

GOD will protect her, as He has always done.

His covenant is with Her, despite her many failings.

GOD has a plan for her, as He has a plan for all of us.

That the faithful may not perish, but the wicked will.

The law of GOD stands.

And these are Israel's rights.

As instituted by GOD, through His prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 54:1-3

King James Version

54 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; 

break forth into singing, and cry aloud, 

thou that didst not travail with child: 

for more are the children of the desolate 

than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, 

and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: 

spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; 

and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, 

and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Isaiah 54:4-5

King James Version

4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: 

neither be thou confounded; 

for thou shalt not be put to shame:

 for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, 

and shalt not remember 

the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

5 For thy Maker is thine husband; 

the Lord of hosts is his name; 

and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; 

The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Isaiah 54:6

King James Version

6 For the Lord hath called thee 

as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, 

and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, 

saith thy God.

Isaiah 54:7-8

King James Version

7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; 

but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; 

but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, 

saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

Isaiah 54:9

King James Version

9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me:

 for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah 

should no more go over the earth; 

so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, 

nor rebuke thee.

Isaiah 54:10

King James Version

10 For the mountains shall depart, 

and the hills be removed; 

but my kindness shall not depart from thee, 

neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, 

saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Isaiah 54:11-12

King James Version

11 O thou afflicted, 

tossed with tempest, 

and not comforted, 

behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, 

and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates,

 and thy gates of carbuncles, 

and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

Isaiah 54:13

King James Version

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; 

and great shall be the peace of thy children.

Isaiah 54:14

King James Version

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: 

thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: 

and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

Isaiah 54:15

King James Version

15 Behold, 

they shall surely gather together, 

but not by me: 

whosoever shall gather together against thee 

shall fall for thy sake.

Isaiah 54:16-17

King James Version

16 Behold, 

I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, 

and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; 

and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; 

and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment 

thou shalt condemn. 

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, 

and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

Now we know the "heritage" of Israel -- the servant of the LORD.

Who are we to question GOD's will?

Who are we to question His ways?

Who are we to question His wisdom?

We do not have such power to defy the LORD.

Forget such foolish thoughts.

Scripture tells us so:

Isaiah 14:1

King James Version

14 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, 

and will yet choose Israel, 

and set them in their own land: 

and the strangers shall be joined with them, 

and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

Isaiah 14:24

King James Version

24 The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying,

 Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; 

and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

Isaiah 14:27

King James Version

27 For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, 

and who shall disannul it? 

and his hand is stretched out, 

and who shall turn it back?

Related material:

ISRAEL is the APPLE of God's EYE

GOD's PLAN of SALVATION

ISRAEL posts

HELPING the HANDICAPPED

 Leviticus 19:14

King James Version

14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, 

nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, 

but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.

Who are the handicapped?

Merriam-Webster defines the handicapped as those:

"having a physical or mental disability"

Surely, you know some handicapped people.

What is your attitude towards them?

How have you helped them?

Do you live with them?

Do you care for them?

How have you coped with caring for them?

A lovely story concerning a blind man comes to mind:

John 9:1-2

King James Version

9 And as Jesus passed by, 

he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, 

Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, 

that he was born blind?

You may have noticed how the disciples seemed judgmental.

As if in being born blind, the man has sinned already.

JESUS always has the perfect answer for such a question:

John 9:3

King James Version

3 Jesus answered, 

Neither hath this man sinned, 

nor his parents:

 but that the works of God 

should be made manifest in him.

That's such a beautiful answer, worthy of deep meditation.

We have not been in the shoes of the handicapped, unless you are handicapped yourself.

We have no idea their everyday challenges.

The best we can do, is to make life easier for them.

And to love, respect, and honor them.

We may be hale and healthy today.

But, at any given moment -- if it be GOD's will -- we could very well lose that robust health.

So, let's not be high and mighty about it.

James 4:14

King James Version

14 Whereas ye know not 

what shall be on the morrow. 

For what is your life? 

It is even a vapour, 

that appeareth for a little time, 

and then vanisheth away.

I honestly feel that a society's success can be measured by how we treat the handicapped.

If you see your streets lined with these suffering people, begging, then you know we have failed as a society.

If governments allow syndicates to drop off these poor folks at  "strategic" places, then you know we have failed these people.

It's a tricky thing.

If we give money to this "planted" person, then his "owners" will make him beg more.

If we give him money, it surely won't go to him anyway.

What to do?

I pray to GOD to rid the city of syndicates, who prey upon these people.

I have seen a young man with no extremities.

I've also seen a horribly-burned individual.

They are all made to beg, that we may take pity on their plight.

How the syndicates have added insult to these people's "injury".

Can you imagine GOD's wrath upon these oppressors who prey on these suffering people?

GOD's wrath would also been upon us, if we are indifferent to their plight.

My heart grieves at seeing the great suffering, and enslavement, of these handicapped people.

But no one seems to be noticing.

Are these poor folks really invisible to the policy makers?

Or perhaps, they don't walk the streets enough?

Maybe, they're in their glitzy, chauffeur-driven cars, dictating to their personal assistants the latest policy to implement?

Until I see the streets free of captive beggars, I know my city's a failure, no matter how rich our coffers are.

Until I see these beggars adopted by government, freed from their oppressors, given the love and care they deserve, we've failed them.

Now you see why I can't work in an elite-driven skyscraper.

I'd be out of touch with reality.

The real thing is on the streets.

The back alleys, the side streets, the forgotten neighborhoods.

I need to remind myself of the people in the fringes of society.

Those who really need our help, our love, care, and concern.

And I think to myself how the rich people's money could be better distributed to these children of GOD.

How simple homes could be built.

Decent work, with fair pay, could be given to their families.

Schools with no corporate agenda, could be gifted to these people.

How giving could be real, and not for the sake of tax deductions.

How giving could be sweet, and not for the sake of next election's vote.

How giving could be honest, with no thought of return.

How giving could be humble, with no monument put up for you.

I can only turn to GOD.

Asking for wisdom in these things.

I do know GOD sees all, and knows all.

We will all be subject to judgment.

Romans 14:12-13

King James Version

12 So then every one of us 

shall give account of himself to God.

13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: 

but judge this rather, 

that no man put a stumblingblock 

or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

The handicapped are there, to remind us to LOVE.

Please, let's not fail them.

If we fail them, we fail ourselves.

And we won't be able to face GOD, when the time comes.

Again, JESUS has a powerful statement to wake us up:

Matthew 25:40

King James Version

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, 

Verily I say unto you, 

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one 

of the least of these my brethren, 

ye have done it unto me.

As such, the LORD tells us how we are to treat the handicapped:

Luke 14:12-14

King James Version

12 Then said he also to him that bade him, 

When thou makest a dinner or a supper, 

call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, 

neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; 

lest they also bid thee again, 

and a recompence be made thee.

13 But when thou makest a feast, 

call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

14 And thou shalt be blessed; 

for they cannot recompense thee: 

for thou shalt be recompensed 

at the resurrection of the just.

That's what true giving is.

That's what true love is.

With no thought of return.

With no thought of reward.

Just from PURE love.

Matthew 5:8

King James Version

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: 

for they shall see God.

More articles here.

Related material:

Many Ways To Be Kind

The COMPASSIONATE stance

 Matthew 9:36

King James Version

36 But when he saw the multitudes, 

he was moved with compassion on them, 

because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, 

as sheep having no shepherd.

I've always loved art.

Probably that's why my father made me take up architecture.

Upon graduation, I just can't seem to be like everyone else.

Where everyone banded together, I could be seen at a little distance.

I was the only one not smiling at graduation.

Everyone eventually put up their design offices.

And glorified in contracts, clients, and cash.

I must have been a great disappointment to my father.

Precisely why I asked for nothing at school.

Only in my last year, for my thesis, did I ask to buy the required lettering equipment.

And even that was a pain.

I didn't have the heart to disappoint him.

But I'd gone that far, might as well finish the course.

I knew I would not be like everyone else -- an architect.

There were so many other things to be.

Like to be a journalist, an archaeologist, even a sociologist.

But I bore on, for the sake of my dad.

Mercifully, GOD had me graduate.

For GOD had other plans for me.

My spirit must have known that early on.

And stuck to the "plan".

But what plan, only GOD knew.

What my father didn't know, is that I, too, was a "chip off the old block".

Fierce, and independent, was what I grew up in.

How could I be anything else?

Where my colleagues looked to build grand homes or buildings, I was more interested in the tiny home.

Where they looked to have important clients, I was more interested in knowing more about social issues.

Where they looked to mainstream energy, I was more interested in exploring alternative energy.

I was always researching, attending alternative building fairs, checking alternative housing materials.

I stayed in the fringes.

Observing, thinking, dreaming up alternative solutions.

Even focusing on little things, like:

Corners of tables and furniture must not be sharp -- it might hurt people.

Things must not be heavy -- how could people carry those?

Design must be low maintenance -- people have a life, apart from possessions.

Buildings must be livable and people-friendly -- we're designing for them, aren't we?

There must be sidewalks for people -- not everyone has a car.

If they do have a car, it must be compact and yet spacious -- I've seen, and been in such.

Cars, houses, and appliances must be energy-efficient -- you know how fuel prices fluctuate.

Mass transit must work -- it's something everyone can afford, and saves travel time.

Everything must be affordable -- not everyone has tons of money.

So, on and on my mind would work, weighing things, with the intent everyday people have an easier time, considering the elite want us to have a tougher time.

We don't have limos, and private jets, to whisk us everywhere.

We don't have an army of assistants to do things for us.

We don't have tons of money to do the lifting for us.

What people call intelligent buildings, is not what is intelligent for me.

What's intelligent is if it's simple, easy to maintain, and people-friendly.

And doesn't use up much power.

I wouldn't want a mausoleum-like house, with no warmth at all.

My practical designer mind always looks at the "what ifs".

What if there's no electricity, how will you operate your intelligent home?

Oh, you've got a huge generator, right.

What if there's no more fuel, how will you power that generator?

What if the ey-ay messed up?

Well, I've got another house, you'd probably say.

And it's solar.

You've also got wind power.

And you've got those huge RVs.

And other mansions in other countries.

You even own a hotel, wow.

Your private jet can whisk you off to another island, or something.

Might as well check your stash in the Caymans.

Now you see why I chose not to go into architecture.

Now you also see why I chose not to pursue law.

I had no patience for the rich.

I couldn't cater to their whims.

I could not think as they do.

I wasn't cut out like them.

Even as GOD put me in their midst, for a time.

The middle class, and the instant rich, could also be finicky.

My heart was always closest to the everyday person like myself.

I found that this mode of thinking was best.

Our feet's planted firmly on the ground.

Our thinking's not clouded.

We get creative, when we have nothing.

We barter, when we can't afford to buy.

We share, when we have.

We are not possessed by our possessions.

I sure don't envy the rich.

Too many concerns.

Too many people around them.

Too many who probably don't even care about them.

Too many things to maintain.

It keeps your eyes away from GOD.

I'd much rather look into the needs of the everyday person.

It's more real, more adventurous, more exciting.

Challenges make you creative, and resourceful.

It also tests your mettle as a person.

It tests what you stand for.

Surely you've noticed how bored the rich are.

Why else the parties, the positions, the possessions?

Why else the hunger for power and prestige?

Why else the obsession to outdo others all the time?

Why else this foolish idea of world domination?

Why else the broken marriages, dysfunctional families, and obsession with dynasties?

Why else all the artifice?

I'm grateful GOD made me this way.

A "simpleton", with TONS of creativity.

Caring about others in my own, simple way.

Writing about His laws, which truly benefit everyone.

Holding fast to His truth, which everyone can live by.

All I've come to know as born again, I share with you.

Pure, practical, precise, perfect.

I'm not interested in anything expensive, showy, or trendy.

Curiously, by not being all that, you end up being a leader of some sort.

You lead yourself.

You are not beholden to the whims and winds of the world.

You are more intrigued by what GOD wants to tell you, or teach you.

You can't wait for His lessons.

You can't have enough of His truth.

You sit at His feet, listening closely, absorbing deeply.

And you can't wait to share with everyone else.

GOD gave me a vast field to learn from.

And I share all that with you on this blog, and all my other blogs.

There's really much to share since GOD made me born again.

I have a rich material to draw from.

And it's all because of GOD.

Who loved me enough to make me born again.

Allowing all those mistakes and experiences.

All I know now, I couldn't have known then.

Only GOD's SPIRIT teaches me each day.

Reminding me of what JESUS taught.

You want a model for truth?

JESUS is it.

He, Who had ALL the power in the world, lived simply.

But LOVED largely.

The only time He spoke of a mansion, was when He thought of us.

John 14:2-3

King James Version

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: 

if it were not so, I would have told you. 

I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you,

 I will come again, and receive you unto myself; 

that where I am, there ye may be also.

So, who needs a mansion on earth?

I'd much rather be with the LORD forever.

I'd much rather take everyone to meet the LORD, too!

I can't be bothered with what color to paint my room with.

Or that the house has seen better days.

I do what I can, but no more than what GOD would have me do.

We have more important things to think about.

Such as having you with us during the Rapture.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

King James Version

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven 

with a shout, 

with the voice of the archangel, 

and with the trump of God: 

and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain 

shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, 

to meet the Lord in the air: 

and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Oh, and you know what?

When JESUS comes back, expect these:

No need for temples.

Revelation 21:22

King James Version

22 And I saw no temple therein: 

for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb 

are the temple of it.

No need for light.

Revelation 21:23-24

King James Version

23 And the city had no need of the sun, 

neither of the moon, to shine in it: 

for the glory of God did lighten it, 

and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24 And the nations of them which are saved 

shall walk in the light of it: 

and the kings of the earth 

do bring their glory and honour into it.

No need for security, or fear of thieves.

Revelation 21:25-27

King James Version

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: 

for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour 

of the nations into it.

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it 

any thing that defileth, 

neither whatsoever worketh abomination, 

or maketh a lie: 

but they which are written 

in the Lamb's book of life.

So, why store up riches for yourself?

Matthew 6:19-21

King James Version

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, 

where moth and rust doth corrupt, 

and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 

where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, 

and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, 

there will your heart be also.

I'm glad I've gone past possessions.

Perhaps, deep in my heart, I knew such things don't matter in the end.

There won't be physical matter anyway.

John 4:24

King James Version

24 God is a Spirit: 

and they that worship him 

must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Everything we have now won't matter.

More articles here.

RIGHTS of MAN

 Luke 6:36

King James Version

36 Be ye therefore merciful, 

as your Father also is merciful.

What are the rights of every person?

What is he entitled to?

Who gives the laws?

As born again, I am subject to obey GOD's laws.

As workman, I am tasked to share the gospel with you.

SPIRIT and Scripture give us these rights:

The RIGHT to work.

Genesis 2:15

King James Version

15 And the Lord God took the man, 

and put him into the garden of Eden 

to dress it and to keep it.

The RIGHT for strangers, widows, and orphans to be treated well.

Exodus 22:21-23

King James Version

21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: 

for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.

23 If thou afflict them in any wise, 

and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;

The RIGHT to rest.

Exodus 20:9-11

King James Version

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: 

in it thou shalt not do any work, 

thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, 

thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, 

nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, 

the sea, and all that in them is, 

and rested the seventh day: 

wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, 

and hallowed it.

The RIGHT to life.

Exodus 20:13

King James Version

13 Thou shalt not kill.

The RIGHT to be respected.

Exodus 20:16

King James Version

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness 

against thy neighbour.

The RIGHT to receive from other people's generosity.

Leviticus 19:9-10

King James Version

9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, 

thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, 

neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.

10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, 

neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; 

thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: 

I am the Lord your God.

The RIGHT for wages to be paid promptly.

Leviticus 19:13

King James Version

13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: 

the wages of him that is hired 

shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

The RIGHT for the handicapped to be treated kindly.

Leviticus 19:14

King James Version

14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, 

nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, 

but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.

The RIGHT for daughters to be treated with love and respect.

Leviticus 19:29

King James Version

29 Do not prostitute thy daughter, 

to cause her to be a whore; 

lest the land fall to whoredom, 

and the land become full of wickedness.

The RIGHT to receive exactly what you paid for.

Leviticus 19:35-36

King James Version

35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, 

in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.

36 Just balances, just weights, 

a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: 

I am the Lord your God, 

which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

The RIGHT for the poor to be treated with love and respect.

Deuteronomy 15:11

King James Version

11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: 

therefore I command thee, saying, 

Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, 

to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

The RIGHT for the poor to be treated justly.

Psalm 82:3-4

King James Version

3 Defend the poor and fatherless: 

do justice to the afflicted and needy.

4 Deliver the poor and needy: 

rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

The RIGHT, for both rich and poor, to be treated equally.

Proverbs 22:2

King James Version

2 The rich and poor meet together: 

the Lord is the maker of them all.

The RIGHT for the oppressed to be helped.

Isaiah 1:17

King James Version

17 Learn to do well; 

seek judgment, 

relieve the oppressed, 

judge the fatherless, 

plead for the widow.

The RIGHT to heal, and be healed.

Luke 6:6-10

King James Version

6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, 

that he entered into the synagogue and taught: 

and there was a man whose right hand was withered.

7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, 

whether he would heal on the sabbath day; 

that they might find an accusation against him.

8 But he knew their thoughts, 

and said to the man which had the withered hand, 

Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. 

And he arose and stood forth.

9 Then said Jesus unto them, 

I will ask you one thing; 

Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, 

or to do evil? 

to save life, or to destroy it?

10 And looking round about upon them all, 

he said unto the man, 

Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: 

and his hand was restored whole as the other.

The RIGHT to truth.

John 1:17

King James Version

17 For the law was given by Moses, 

but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

The RIGHT to love, and be loved.

John 13:34-35

King James Version

34 A new commandment I give unto you, 

That ye love one another; as I have loved you, 

that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, 

if ye have love one to another.

The RIGHT to liberty.

2 Corinthians 3:17

King James Version

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: 

and where the Spirit of the Lord is, 

there is liberty.

JESUS has a lovely example of how we ought to treat the poor, and the handicapped.

Luke 14:12-14

King James Version

12 Then said he also to him that bade him, 

When thou makest a dinner or a supper, 

call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, 

neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; 

lest they also bid thee again, 

and a recompence be made thee.

13 But when thou makest a feast, 

call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

14 And thou shalt be blessed; 

for they cannot recompense thee: 

for thou shalt be recompensed 

at the resurrection of the just.

As you can see, GOD's spiritual laws are so different from man's laws, and man's implementation, but it is how we really must live -- through GOD's spiritual laws..

1 Corinthians 2:14

King James Version

14 But the natural man receiveth not 

the things of the Spirit of God: 

for they are foolishness unto him: 

neither can he know them, 

because they are spiritually discerned.

Lastly, JESUS reminds us who we really help.

Matthew 25:40

King James Version

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, 

Verily I say unto you, 

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto 

one of the least of these my brethren, 

ye have done it unto me.

The most beautiful thing about knowing GOD's laws, being born again, and being taught by SPIRIT is that you do things with complete awareness, voluntarily, freely, with joy in your heart, and with no thought of gain.

We delight in serving the LORD.

That's what makes giving true.

May we all work towards helping each other.

And not depriving others of their rights.

Let us be the FIRST ones to uphold the rights of others.

Let us be the FIRST ones to hear the call of the faint.

Let us be the FIRST ones to do, as JESUS did.

For His example is always according to GOD's will.

We can never go wrong that way.

Click here to know more about respecting other people's rights.

Related material:

RESPECTING man's RIGHTS

GOD's 10 COMMANDMENTS

FRIEND to the POOR

SPIRIT of GOD