Just look at you.
God must've been so pleased with himself the day he made you,
He would've declared that day a holiday.
Just look at you.
God must've been so pleased with himself the day he made you,
The look of satisfaction on his face would've lasted from sunrise until sunset.
.gif)
A life without challenges results in a dull mind and lethargic senses. A life full of challenges results in a sharpened mind and alert senses. Blessed is he whose life is full of challenges whether he likes it or not.
In real life, in movies, in hostage situations, you hear it all the time...the United States does not negotiate with terrorists. Britain swears by it as well. Even Israel said it following the October 7th attack and the taking of more than two hundred hostages, most of whom were Israelis, native or otherwise.
But now, both master and puppet, what the opposition likes to call them, are doing exactly what they have sworn never to do, negotiating with whom they have branded as terrorists, a label which the same terrorists have now been exonerated from and who have now attained a new level of legitimacy and recognition on the diplomatic stage of global affairs.
How the mighty have fallen. Weakness has seeped into their bones and their strength has begun to ebb like blood from a bleeding wound.
With the right amount of arm-twisting, it now seems like, from the river to the sea, a free Palestine was not too unrealistic a dream.
John 14: 16
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.
Islam's prophet died in the year 632 A.D. He was 62 years old when he died. He did not even make it past his 63rd birthday. Jesus said the one to come after him would be with us forever.
Counsel for the defense rests, your Honor.
I. Historical Record / Military Career of Muhammad (Wikipedia)
The military career of Muhammad (c. 570 – 8 June 632), the Islamic prophet, encompasses several expeditions and battles throughout the Hejaz region in the western Arabian Peninsula which took place in the final ten years of his life, from 622 to 632. His primary campaign was against his own tribe in Mecca, the Quraysh. Muhammad proclaimed prophethood around 610 and later migrated to Medina after being persecuted by the Quraysh in 622. After several battles against the Quraysh, Muhammad conquered Mecca in 629, ending his campaign against the tribe.
Alongside his campaign against the Quraysh, Muhammad led campaigns against several other tribes of Arabia, most notably the three Arabian Jewish tribes of Medina and the Jewish fortress at Khaybar. He expelled the Banu Qaynuqa tribe for violating the Constitution of Medina in 624, followed by the Banu Nadir who were expelled in May 625 after being accused of plotting to assassinate him. Finally, in 628, he besieged and invaded the Jewish fortress of Khaybar, which hosted more than 10,000 Jews, which Muslim sources say was retaliation for planning to ally themselves with the local Arab pagan tribes.
During the final years of his life, Muhammad sent several armies against the Byzantine Empire and the Ghassanids in northern Arabia and the Levant, before conquering Mecca in 630 and leading a campaign against some Arab pagan tribes close to Mecca, most notably in Ta'if. The last army led by Muhammad before his death was in the Battle of Tabuk in October 630. By the time he died in 632, Muhammad had managed to unite most of the Arabian Peninsula, laying the foundation for the subsequent Islamic expansion under the caliphates and defining Islamic military jurisprudence.
Web Link: Military Career Of Muhammad (Wikipedia)
II. Biblical Prophecy / Book of Revelation 13:16-17
It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
III. ISIS Flag / Symbolism & Explanation
i) Shahada, a Moslem prayer, the profession of faith, which says," There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Messenger."
ii) The inscription on the Islamic State flag is the first part of the Shahada which says, 'There is no God but God."
iii) The white circle with the words 'Muhammad God's Messenger' is a copy of the Seal of Muhammad, believed to have been used by him for official correspondence purposes, an actual version of it now permanently on display at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.
John 14:26
But the Advocate*, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
*[Helper/Counsellor in other versions of the bible]
1. Islam's prophet did not come proclaiming, "I come to you in the name of Jesus, Son of God."
2. Islam's prophet did not remind his followers about anything Jesus said to his disciples, not even once.
Counsel for the defense rests, your Honor.
Two of the greatest of prophets of two of the greatest of religions and what they said on the subject of stone-throwing.
Muhammad, Prophet of Islam: "Go and stone him to death."
A man from Bani Aslam came to Allah's Apostle while he was in the mosque and called (the Prophet) saying, "O Allah's Apostle! I have committed illegal sexual intercourse."
On that the Prophet turned his face from him to the other side, whereupon the man moved to the side towards which the Prophet had turned his face, and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have committed illegal sexual intercourse."
The Prophet turned his face (from him) to the other side whereupon the man moved to the side towards which the Prophet had turned his face, and repeated his statement.
The Prophet turned his face (from him) to the other side again. The man moved again (and repeated his statement) for the fourth time. So when the man had given witness four times against himself, the Prophet called him and said, "Are you insane?" He replied, "No."
The Prophet then said (to his companions), "Go and stone him to death." The man was a married one.
Jabir bin 'Abdullah Al-Ansari said: I was one of those who stoned him. We stoned him at the Musalla ('Id praying place) in Medina. When the stones hit him with their sharp edges, he fled, but we caught him at Al-Harra and stoned him till he died. - As narrated by Abu Huraira, Sahih al-Bukhari, 7:63:196.
Jesus, Prophet of Christianity: "Let him without sin cast the first stone." - John 8:7.
[done in master-sergeant-leading-the-troops-on-a-march-or-slow-run fashion]
From the river to the sea
[from the river to the sea]
Palestine will be free
[Palestine will be free]
The Jews, well, luckily
[the Jews, well, luckily]
Have friends like Italy
[have friends like Italy]
France, England, Germany
[France, England, Germany]
And Washington, D.C.
[and Washington, D.C.]
New homes across the sea
[new homes across the sea]
Once Palestine is free
[once Palestine is free].
Someone should blame Israel for the plight of millions of starving Yemeni Moslems, Somalian Moslems & Ethiopian Moslems.
The response from the entire Moslem world, Arab as well as non-Arab, would be deafening.
While two of the greatest religions of the world are based on their respective books of sacred texts, the Bible in the case of one and the Quran in the case of the other, it is interesting to note that while millions upon millions of believers obey or profess to have a faith based on the word of their God as spoken in exactly the same way without any deviation whatsoever from the mouths of a long line of prophets from one generation to the next in the case of those who declare the Bible to be the written word of God, theirs, millions upon millions of believers obey or profess to have a faith based on the word of their God as spoken from the mouth of their only prophet, or in other words, as spoken from the mouth of only one man in the case of those who declare the Quran to be the written word of God, theirs.
It is also interesting to note that while millions upon millions of believers do not blindly follow everything taught in their book of sacred texts as spoken from the mouths of a long line of prophets in exactly the same way without deviation from generation to generation or did so but not without questioning or resisting parts of it in the case of the Bible, millions upon millions of believers blindly follow everything taught in their book of sacred texts as spoken from the mouth of their only prophet, or in other words, as spoken from the mouth of only one man without question or the least resistance in the case of the Quran.
Virgin [noun] [vur-jin]
Definition: Someone who has not been sexually defiled by sexual intercourse between a man and a woman, usually in reference to a sexually undefiled woman.
We have become so wired to our digital devices such that they have become extensions of our selves, like limbs, such that when they develop life-threatening conditions over time as a result of wear-&-tear and so on, our worlds are turned upside down until they have been fixed and are back to being the normal working extensions of our selves, like limbs, which they have come to be.
If you find there's more work involved when doing the right thing, relax, you're doing the right thing. Doing things the easy way, the smart way, isn't always done in the spirit of doing the right thing.
Do not pick up for yourself crutches you don't need that were temporarily set aside by those in genuine need of them who are out there chasing gold medals.
Something needs to be done? Get it done, one way or the other. Why handicap yourself when those who are genuinely handicapped are out there chasing gold medals in Olympic-size stadiums, Olympic-size swimming pools and other Olympic-size sports arenas?
Do not lament about your lot in life. So what if cleaning up the mess your cats leave behind on your neighbor's driveway is a pain in the ass of a daily chore to be endured for the rest of your natural life, or theirs, whichever comes first? Look at it this way.
Cats instinctively know who likes, or at least tolerates, cats and who does not, and pooping on their driveways, in their flowerpots or on their front lawns is their way of saying, 'So, you don't like cats? Screw you, motherf*&%#!' What you gonna do, huh, what you gonna do? Call the cops? Screw you, motherf*&%#, screw you!'
Do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the challenges of the day, however daunting they may appear to be, lest you be defeated in purpose even before the day begins.
Instead, face the day's challenges like a boxer in the ring, a seasoned boxer who keeps on fighting until the last bell, or until someone gets knocked down, making sure it's not you if someone does get knocked down.
One score and some years ago, I sent a demo tape containing original patriotic songs in English to RTM, the national radio and TV broadcasting arm of the Malaysian government, and was told, upon having it returned to sender, that it was the government's policy that songs in which God was mentioned by name were forbidden, or in local slang, 'haram', originally an Arabic word that has found its way into the national language, Malay, where it sits firmly entrenched as if, were you to ask the locals, it has been there since birth.
Being the foolish sentimental dreamer I was who believed in a God so almighty that nothing alive on earth took a single step forwards, backwards or sideways without God knowing about it, being the architect responsible for all of creation from the cradle to the grave, every song I sent to them had God mentioned by name in them in one form or the other, as in 'May God bless Malaysia in every way', mostly.
Rejection, being something to be taken with a pinch of salt, or otherwise be depressed forever, never mind. Moving on.
Apparently, the government's view was that whatever gains the country made in its efforts towards being welcomed into the elite club of modernized, developed and advanced countries was to be accredited to its own hard work and strength of its own two hands, figuratively-speaking, a measure of success that had nothing to do with God whatsoever.
The best of luck with that, Messieurs and Mesdames, the best of luck with that.
For comparison's sake, let's take a peek at America, the U.S. of A., number one in the world in terms of economic strength (Malaysia is at number 38 spot), number one in the world in terms of military strength (Malaysia is at number 42 spot), and although not the strongest in the world in terms of currency strength (number 10 in the world with Malaysia at number 33 spot), the American dollar is generally regarded as the world's most powerful currency, is the most traded currency in the world at almost 90% in the FOREX market with a global daily average trading volume of about $6.6 trillion and currently enjoys primary global reserve currency status whereby a reserve currency is a currency held by central banks in significant quantities.
As this article is a comparison of national greatness and strengths as opposed to weaknesses, failures or afflictions, we shall not include in our deliberations natural disasters such as landslides, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes or even homemade disasters such as mass shootings and the like. Moving on.
God Bless America, the nation's unofficial national anthem, is sung everywhere on every occasion from schools and churches to ball parks and stadiums by millions and millions of Americans, all in unison.
Millions upon millions of Americans calling upon the good Lord to bless America, the land they love, in song, in one big united voice reaching up the heavens, tell me, how will the good Lord be able to turn a deaf ear to that? Will he not take note? And will he not react, favorably perhaps?
Leaving aside Uncle Sam's perceived significant role in guaranteeing the safety and well-being of little brother, Israel, militarily-speaking, that runt of a nation whose people were scattered to the winds and also hunted down as one did with hunting dogs and shotguns for being stiff-necked and disobedient as their forefathers had been, according to biblical prophecy, who for the sake of David was promised a stump would remain, again, according to biblical prophecy, leaving this insignificant unproven theory aside, indeed, it does seem that God has blessed America, their home sweet home.
Once upon a time, there were two primary school classmates, A and B, who loved playing video games.
A's parents were open-minded, forward-thinking and liberal, so whenever A paid more attention to playing video games than to his studies, they did not mind. As long as his school grades were good, which they were, A's parents did not mind at all. In fact, they even encouraged him indirectly by upgrading his video game-playing equipment with the latest game consoles and the like in the form of such presents on his birthday and the like, seeing he was good at it.
B's parents were the opposite: narrow-minded, backward-thinking and conservative, so whenever B paid more attention to playing video games, which he too was good at, than to his studies, they intervened, violently at times, to put a stop to it. In their opinion, only doctors, lawyers, engineers and other such professionals had a future, certainly not video gamers.
This was the pattern of their lives from childhood until adulthood, when they graduated from university with master degrees, computer science in A's case and medicine in B's case.
Although B pursued a career in medicine, a discipline he graduated with honors in, to the delight of his proud parents, A, however, chose a different path, that of a professional gamer who, as destiny would have it, made it to the top of his chosen profession as one of the world's wealthiest gamers in the region of millions by his twenty-first birthday.
B, however, was not so fortunate. His small, modest chain of self-owned clinics went bankrupt due to an unexpected loss of business whereby a surge in good health enjoyed by healthy people pursuing healthy lifestyles and pharmacies offering proxy-doctoring check-ups and medical advice were the main factors.
Moral of the story: Break the mold, dispel the myth, free the mind.
The old man in a cave up on a hill said, "Rid your hearts of hypocrisy, slander, lies and deceit, as only then will you begin to see through the darkness of your clouded souls the path that leads to enlightenment, a narrow and winding path not everyone will find easy to navigate, and purge yourselves of malice, envy, jealousy and hatred, as only then will you begin to see through the darkness of your clouded souls the path that leads to salvation, a narrow and winding path not everyone will find easy to navigate."
"Sir," we replied, "you know we cannot do that, for we are only human, flawed through and through, down to the bone."
"I neither judge nor condemn you," said the old man in a cave up on a hill, "I am only a beacon of light in the darkness of clouded souls," he continued, "a light not everyone, sighted as well as unsighted, will be able to see."
Let us say, of all the various tribes or peoples of the world, there was one particular tribe, one particular ethnic group of people, whose hearts were dirty, as shown by their actions from time to time.
Let us also say, the purity of one's heart was a criteria for entry into heaven.
Therefore, it may safely be concluded that this particular tribe, this particular ethnic group of people, may be turned back at the gate.
However, if within this particular tribe, this particular ethnic group of people, there was found to be one single individual who in the sight of the Gate Keeper was worthy of passage through the gate, for the sake of this one single individual, no one will be turned back at the gate.
This is the law that governs passage through the gates of heaven.
God, or Nature, always favors the strong and despises the weak. This is true in the animal kingdom as well as at all levels of human society, from the lowest level to the highest, which is why the weak will always need defending from predators preying on them for profit of any sort, except in the animal kingdom where everyone, from the smallest to the largest, from the weakest to the strongest, at some point or the other, is someone else's food.