If an election is done by a popular vote, then those trying to steal an election would only need to stuff ballot boxes in a few States they control. So theoretically, ballot stuffing that takes place in places such as Texas, New York, or California could decide who becomes the President of the United States.
Also, the electoral college is relevant because, without it, cities would be dictating the politics of the entire nation. This is a typical US electoral map by county by county to see who won the 2016 election.
This is the same election results however it is displayed in 3-D.
As you can see, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami as well as other major cities would determine the “nations” politics. This is what the Framers of the Constitution feared and created a “republic” allowing a voice for all.
These are your words and God does expect us to walk perfect or He would not had said them. Your words…… (God isn’t expecting perfection from us — His Son has provided that.) I have counted 94 scriptures with the word perfect in it but Rev. 3-2 got me below when he was talking to the angel of the Sardis church and there were a few who have not defiled their garments and would walk in white and found worthy. And Jesus was talking to supposed Christians. Here are 2 scriptures from God to tell us tobe perfect….but there at 92 others in the Blue Book.., 1. Matt. 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
2. 1 Kings 8:61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
…
My response:
The idea of perfect is probably better translated — blameless. This is a snippet from the “Midrash Key” which probably can better explain the idea of blameless at the time of Jesus.
Aiming for God’s Standard (Deut. 18:13; Matt. 5:48) Jesus addresses another topic, that of “perfection” or “blamelessness.” In Matthew 5:48, Yeshua practically paraphrases Deuteronomy 18:13; note both passages: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) “You must be blameless before the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 18:13). The similarities when reading Deuteronomy 18:13 in the Septuagint are even more evident: “You shall be perfect before the Lord Your God.” Yeshua probably spoke and taught in Mishnaic Hebrew.
About two centuries before Jesus, a team of Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Testament into Greek. This translation is called “The Septuagint” and is abbreviated “LXX” because 70 scholars purportedly did the translating. We often fail to remember that Yeshua’s words were translated by the Gospel authors from Mishnaic Hebrew into Greek. This is why a comparison of Jesus’ words in Matthew with the LXX of Deuteronomy is particularly relevant; both are translated from Hebrew into Greek. The original word used in Deuteronomy is probably also the same word spoken by Yeshua, best translated into English as “blameless” rather than “perfect.”
The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is derived from the root word shalem, which means “wholeness and completion.” It is bound up with the word shlemut, perfection – the goal towards which we can only aspire.
So to be “perfect” is to be at complete peace with God and others, at least as much as possible.160 We are at peace with God when we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ and when we subsequently walk closely with him. Yeshua knows we are sinners and can never be blameless in the practical, absolute sense. Does he make this seemingly unrealistic demand merely to convict us of sin and remind us of our depravity before God? Although we cannot prove his intent, perhaps part of his intent was to reinforce the idea that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But, on the other hand, people can and do earn the title “blameless” in the Biblical sense, and I think Yeshua’s primary intent leads us in that direction. Individuals labeled “blameless” in Scripture are still obviously sinners. Thus blameless is not the equivalent of “sinless.” In some ways, the Biblical concept of blamelessness is exactly opposite of traditional Wesleyan “holiness” views.
The Role Model Approach
Yeshua takes the command to be blameless and attaches it directly to the character of God. God Himself is the standard of blamelessness his disciples should emulate. Rather than a mere code of 613 mitzvot, the very character of God is the rubric. With the incarnation, Jesus demonstrated how Yahweh would live if confined to mortal limitations. Yeshua had no sin nature but was human like the pre-fallen Adam, and could be tempted.
Thus his character becomes worthy of imitation; we do not imitate Jesus’ life, for we have neither his authority nor unique mission. We have no authority to turn over tables, nor are we to roam the countryside with bands of disciples. Yet we are called upon to imitate his godly way of living, his truly perfect and blameless walk.
Thus Jesus’ character helps us to understand how to “be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect.” If Yeshua is indeed restating and amplifying the mitzvah from Deuteronomy (to pursue blamelessness), we must remember that the sinner saved by grace can only be perfect in the sense of legal (forensic) righteousness. God chooses to view us as sinless because we are engulfed in the righteousness of the Savior. At conversion, we legally exchange our sinfulness for the righteousness of Jesus.
Yet if the Messiah is talking about the earthy walk (as I believe he is), Yeshua is not saying that we can be as perfect as the Father; he is, instead, setting a goal for us to strive toward.
Helpless Before God in Sin
Those who are labeled as “blameless” in Scripture are usually blameless in their attention toward obeying the Torah and honoring God in their lives. The actual condition of our souls is another matter. Romans 3:23 explains the believer’s past: “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The believer’s present is described by I John 1:8 (NASB), “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” The believer’s future is perfect Christ-likeness: “But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (I John 3:2). For we who are born sinners, complete holiness is a future condition, not an earthly one. We see this contrast between blamelessness marred by the reality of sin in the lives of devout believers, including Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Of Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, Luke pens, “They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). Yet this same Zechariah refused to believe the angelic messenger! To believe that his wife Elizabeth and he would parent a child in their old age was not without precedent, so it was not that hard of a thing to believe (especially at the hand of angel!). The text further implies that the angel became angry at Zechariah’s unbelief and disciplined him by making him mute until John was born.
Thus “blameless” people still sin, even to this extent. Included in the idea “blamelessness” is the concept of amending sinful failures. Part of “blamelessness” is properly handling sin when we fail.
Amending Our Sins
Through saving faith in Jesus Christ, we have legal righteousness and peace with God -now. Yet in our relationships toward God and others, we are not always at peace; sometimes those tensions are caused by our sins. Thus we have the provision of confessing our sins to God and seeking reconciliation with those we have wronged. Legally, the Christian may look like a new pristine blanket in God’s eyes. From the human perspective, the truly godly believer resembles a quilt repaired by many patches. It is amazing what God can do with our lives, considering the pull of our sinful natures!
As this shocking Supreme Court decision on Gay marriage settles into the nation, I’m reminded of the passage in Luke where Yeshua (Jesus) told us one of the final signs of His return. He said it would be like the days of Lot. While many of us are grieving over this decision, it should be a reminder to those of us who know the Lord, that His words are being fulfilled to the detail, every jot and tittle! And THAT is exciting news.
Luke 17:28-30 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
Read on to verse 32. Remember Lot’s wife.
Remember Lot’s wife? Why would He mention her? Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt because she disobeyed the order not to look back at her burning city. Yes, our hearts are broken but for those of us who are children of God, we have a Kingdom ahead which can never be destroyed! This world is not our home! We are simply strangers and exiles on the earth. [Hebrews 11:13]
Remember Yeshua’s warning, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:62]
Let’s look up and ahead, for truly our redemption draweth nigh!
Most are aware of the recent decision by the Supreme Court on the issue of same-sex marriage, but many may not realize that this was only one of the history-making decisions reached this session.
This past month, the Supreme Court determined that the word “Israel” cannot be listed next to the word “Jerusalem” on an American-Israeli passport. Secondly, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal from North Carolina to revive a requirement that abortion providers must show an ultrasound to a pregnant woman before she has an abortion. Last but not least, the Supreme Court declared that the biblical institution of marriage was not between just a man and a woman.
This means that in only one month’s time, the Supreme Court came against Jerusalem (strike one), failed to defend the unborn (strike two) and to top it all off, came against holy matrimony (strike three and you’re OUT)!
The apostle Paul writes “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” [1 Corinthians 10:6].
The prophet Jeremiah spells out in verse 5:9 and in verse 29, “Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD; and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?”
These are the characteristics of a nation rebuked harshly by the Lord.
Men say, “As the Lord lives,” yet they swear falsely (Jeremiah 5:2)
Refused to repent (Jeremiah 5:3)
Mighty men did not execute God’s justice (Jeremiah 5:5)
Children have forsaken God (Jeremiah 5:7)
Despite being fed to the full, they committed adultery as each lusted for their neighbor’s wife (Jeremiah 5:8)
They have grown fat and sleek (Jeremiah 5:27)
They know no bounds in deeds of evil (Jeremiah 5:28)
They judge not with justice and do not defend the innocent (Jeremiah 5:28)
Then, with much conviction, Jeremiah asks, “Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?” An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes? (Jer 5:29-31)
All that said, in the midst of this passage is a blessing. “For these things happened to the nation of Israel to PRUNE it so it could once again PRODUCE FRUIT!
“Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the LORD’s.” (Jeremiah 5:10)
Whatever judgment may come, I hope that it will be done in such a way, that America may once again be fruitful.
In Matthew 24, Yeshua (Jesus) makes an interesting correlation between the end of the age and a woman giving birth. [Matthew 24:8]. As the birth of a baby draws near, the birth pangs intensify, and the timing between pangs becomes shorter and shorter, eventually leading to the climatic moment of birth. The world is now in the middle of a prophetic birthing cycle. No one can deny that the birth pangs have been intensifying , but the key to knowing that birth is near is that moments before a baby is born, the WATER BREAKS. I believe we are about to embark on that pivotal moment in history.
We could very well be experiencing a monumental, prophetic, water breaking event in our very near future, a gushing outbreak of the outpouring of God’s Spirit and a harvest of multitudes.
When the church age began, every believer was Jewish. However, when non-jewish Cornelius came to faith – the Apostles realized the message of the gospel was not only for the Jewish people, but also for the Gentiles. In the first century, the Jewish apostles gathered in Jerusalem to determine what to do about the issue of Gentiles coming to faith (ironically, today the church is trying to figure out what to do with all these Jewish people coming to faith). But it is in the midst of this meeting, James stands up and quotes Amos 9. We read in Acts 15,
Acts 15:13-18 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.‘
When James quotes this passage of Amos 9, it was only PARTIALLY FULFILLED!
If we read this passage in its entirety, we discover these events are now being fulfilled before our eyes.
Amos 9:11-12 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the Gentiles, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
Amos 9:14-15 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.
Along with the Gentiles coming into the Kingdom is the promise that God will restore the Jewish people back to their land and rebuild the waste cities and inhabit them. This prophecy could not be fulfilled unless the Jewish people were first expelled from the land, only to return many years later. This passage in Amos is being fulfilled in our generation.
If we look closely, the central theme of this passage is the HARVEST. In verse 13, Amos says,
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
The Keil – Delitzsch commentary on this particular verse explains it this way.
The ploughman will reach to the reaper.” Even while the one is engaged in ploughing the land for the sowing, the other will already be able to cut ripe corn; so quickly will the corn grow and ripen. And the treading of the grapes will last to the sowing-time, so abundant will the vintage be.
Prophetically, Amos declares that the harvest will be so ABUNDANT, that reaping and sowing will take place simultaneously!
Yeshua (Jesus) describes the world as His great harvest field, and in the parable given in Matthew 13, He says,
Mat 13:24-30 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.‘”
The Lord declared that the wheat and the tares were to grow side by side together. As we see the tares, that is, the evils of this world manifesting, we also need to be mindful the wheat is also ripening right along with it!
Below is a chart of the population of the world since the birth of the Messiah.
As you can see, the population of the world in the above graph was essentially flat for 1900 years. It took nearly 1900 years to get to the first billion. From the 1930’s to now, the population grew exponentially to seven and a half billion.
For those first 1900 years, there were an estimated 4-5 billion people that lived on the earth. Let us suppose for a moment, that only ten percent of those 4-5 billion people came to a saving knowledge of the Lord. This would mean for the first 1900 years, an estimated 400,000,000 to 500,000,000 million people in the world came to faith.
Today, before our very eyes, we are seeing the world’s population grow to over 7 billion people! And if we suppose the same scenario of ten percent, then in our generation alone, there will be 700,000,000 or so people come to faith! This season, we may see nearly double the number of people entering the Kingdom then all 1900 or so years combined! That’s HUGE!
I urge you, brothers and sisters, we are alive for the greatest opportunity that any generation has ever had! Now is not the time to cower in fear — now is the day of salvation!
I just wanted you to take little glimpse of my garden project on our roof! With the concept of an earthbox, and since they don’t ship earthboxes to Israel, I created a type of earthbox — the Negev Box — that maximizes the yields of plants while at the same time conserves water.
The Negev Box (my created Earthbox) is 2 constructed of 2 black plastic tubs roughly 24 inches by 30 inches. This is a photo of the bottom box with 50cm cut PVC pipe cut 6.5 cm tall. It holds roughly 12 liters of water in the reservoir. At the side of the bottom box is a water drainage hole roughly 7cm from the bottom.
The 2nd box is laid on top of the bottom box with 2 large holes in the rear that hold a 2 liter bottle cut in half with slits down the sides of them. When the box is filled with soil each of these 2 liter half bottles act as a wick to draw water throughout the box. Additionally small holes are drilled throughout the box allowing the roots to have direct access to the water. On the bottom left corner is a 50cm PVC pipe with holes drilled at the bottom to allow the water to enter the reservoir underneath. This gray pipe is the only place the watering takes place. Once the box is filled with soil then the entire box is covered with plastic to prevent any evaporation of water. Each box depending on the plants they contain take roughly 3-4 liters of water daily.. ”
The plastic removed so you can see the moistness of the soil mixture. The soil is a combination of 60% sphagnum peat moss, 20% vermiculite, and 20% perlite. It’s nutritional source comes from organic fertilizer called Humus.”
Shade cloth covering 1/2 of the garden. It’s totally movable as the base is a 5 gallon bucket filled with cement with a 120 cm PVC pipe in the center. ”
Bases for the Shade Cloth. 5 Gallon buckets filled with cement with 120cm PVC pipe in the center.
A row of cucumber plants under the shade cloth. Each plant produces roughly 3 cucumbers weekly. And there’s 27 cucumber plants growing. However by the end of the season, we’ll probably produce a cucumber per plant daily as the vines grow.
Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, Oregano, Thessaloniki Tomatoes, Bell Peppers
The Thessaloniki tomato plants are yielding roughly 10-15 golf size tomatoes daily. The cherry tomatoes haven’t started yielding yet.
Lettuce is producing roughly 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) every other day.Cucumbers beginning to ripen for harvest. Each flower will become a cucumber when pollinated.The cucumber that got away. This 780 gram cucumber was hiding under some leaves! As you can see, my son Obi can’t believe how big it is!
That’s just a glimpse of our Negev Garden Project on our roof. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
My wife wrote this earlier today and it was powerful so I thought I’d re-post it on my blog.
In honor of the anniversary of our tenth year of marriage, I awoke this morning feeling peculiarly compelled to write down the the top ten things I’ve learned in my first ten years of marriage. I am sure you could add many things— feel free! These are just things I have learned, personally. Whether you’re single and looking toward marriage or been married ten times longer than I, I believe these will be beneficial to read. My hope is that they will make you think and maybe smile. But most of all, that they will inspire you to hang in there and make your marriage last, against all odds.
The Top Ten Things I’ve learned in my First Ten Years of Marriage…..
1. You gotta LAUGH a lot : We are funny creatures– we all do the dumbest things sometimes. Don’t take stuff so seriously all the time. Laugh it off. It’s good medicine.
2. You gotta LET THINGS GO: There is always something hurtful that was said or done in the past. You may think you are 100% in the right, and you may very well be. Let it GO… and don’t ever bring it up again.
3. DO THINGS YOUR SPOUSE LIKES: Yeah. You know what they like… and you probably hate the thought of doing them. Get over yourself!! Surprise each other regularly.
4. Work every day on getting BALANCED AND HEALTHY: Physically, emotionally, spiritually and (ladies especially) hormonally.
5. BE TRANSPARENT: Don’t lie to each other! Pretty basic. Instead, purpose to tell each other everything from now on.
6. Develop your TRUST in Someone (capitalization in the word “Someone” intended) OTHER THAN your SPOUSE: He /she is only human and cannot possibly fulfill all our needs. Your Creator knows your innermost parts, your every thought, your every word before you say it. Talk to Him. He is listening.
7. GIVE: Give some of what you have to someone who needs it everyday…. your time, your money, your things, your talents… make it a lifestyle. You won’t believe how this makes things better.
8. LET IT ROLL! The Holy Scriptures have some very wise words — you should read them if you haven’t yet, and read them again if you have. One of my favorite Proverbs says “Blessed is the man who overlooks an offense”. (yes, I know it says “man” lol. But I’m pretty sure that includes the ladies too). Seriously though, I think sometimes we look for things to be offended by. Stop that! Let it roll… right off your back. Move on. Forgive and forget.
9. GET AWAY together. If you can afford it, make a habit of going away together for a few days every once in a while. If not, it can be as simple as taking a walk or a drive. But make a habit of getting away from the hustle and bustle of life to spend some quality time together… Look at each other in the eyes and TALK.
10. Last, but definitely not least—TILL DEATH DO US PART: This phrase is top, among some of most powerful phrases ever written or said. And most of us promised each other these very words on that blessed day, way back when. How quickly we forget! When did it become okay to break our promises, no less one so very powerful? Remind yourself daily of these words and hang in there. Don’t take the easy path just ’cause everyone else is. It’s worth the work!
*If this blessed you, please feel free to pass it on :) If you wanna chat about it, visit my website* www.rivkawhitten.com
Most people have little understanding of what kind of economic situation the United States is in. Over the weekend, I found an interesting chart that simplifies the budget by removing the zeros, and comparing them to a household budget. Take a few minutes and get a glimpse of the economic tsunami that is coming!
• U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000 • Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000 • New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000 • National debt: $14,271,000,000,000 • Recent budget cut: $ 38,500,000,000
Now let’s remove 8 zeros and pretend it’s a household budget.
• Annual family income: $21,700 • Money the family spent: $38,200 • New debt on the credit card: $16,500 • Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710 • Total budget cuts: $385
Are you trusting that God is your true provider? We’re getting ready to go down a slippery slope!
