Genesis 2

New International Version (NIV)

From: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2&version=NIV

2 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Adam and Eve

⁴ This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

⁵ Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth^[a] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, ⁶ but streams^[b] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. ⁷ Then the Lord God formed a man^[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

⁸ Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he

had

formed. ⁹ The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were

pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and

the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

¹⁰ A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. ¹¹ The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. ¹² (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin^[d] and onyx are also there.) ¹³ The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of

Cush.^[e] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

¹⁸ The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper

suitable for him.”

¹⁹ Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam^[f] no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs^[g] and then closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib^[h] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

²³ The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”

²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

²⁵ Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Genesis 3

New International Reader’s Version (NIRV)

From: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3&version=NIRV

Adam and Eve Fall into Sin

3 The serpent was cleverer than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. The serpent said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden’?”

² The woman said to the serpent, “We can eat the fruit of the trees that are in the garden.³ But God did say, ‘You must not eat the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. Do not even touch it. If you do, you will die.’”

⁴ “You can be sure that you won’t die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “God knows that when you eat the fruit of that tree, you will know things you have never known before. You will be able to tell the difference between good and evil. You will be like God.”

⁶ The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good to eat. It was also pleasing to look at. And it would make a person wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. And he ate it.

⁷ Then both of them knew things they had never known before. They realized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made clothes for themselves.

⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking in the garden. It was the coolest time of the day. They hid from the Lord God among the trees of the

⁹ But the Lord God called out to the man. “Where are you?” he asked.

¹⁰ “I heard you in the garden,” the man answered. “I was afraid. I was naked, so I hid.”

¹¹ The Lord God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten the fruit of the tree I commanded you not to eat?”

¹² The man said, “It was the woman you put here with me. She gave me some fruit from the tree. And I ate it.”

¹³ Then the Lord God

said to the woman, “What have you done?”

The woman said, “The serpent tricked me. That’s why I ate the fruit.”

¹⁴ So the Lord God spoke to the serpent. He said, “Because you have done this,

“I am putting a curse on you.
You are cursed more than all of the livestock
and all of the wild animals.
You will crawl on the ground.

¹⁶ The Lord God said to the woman,

“I will greatly increase your pain when you give birth.
You will be in pain when you have children.
You will long for your husband.
And he will rule over you.”

¹⁷ The Lord God said to Adam, “You listened to your wife. You ate the fruit of the tree that

I commanded you about. I said, ‘You must not eat its fruit.’

“So I am putting a curse on the ground because of what you

did.
All the days of your life you will have to work hard
to get food from the ground.
¹⁸ You will eat the plants of the field,
even though the ground produces thorns and thistles.
¹⁹ You will have to work hard and sweat a lot
to produce the food you eat.
You were made out of the ground.
And you will return to it.
You are dust.
So you will return to it.”

²⁰ Adam named his wife Eve. She would become the mother of every living person.

²¹ The Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife to wear. ²² The Lord God said, “The man has become like one of us. He can now tell the difference between good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and pick fruit from the tree of life and eat it. If he does, he will live forever.”

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a “‘book’, or ‘scroll‘, in God‘s right hand that is sealed with seven seals“. The Lamb of God, or Lion of Judah (Jesus Christ), opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons four beings that ride out on white, red, black, and pale horses. Although some interpretations differ, in most accounts, the four riders are seen as symbolizing Conquest,War,Famine and Death, respectively. The Christian apocalyptic vision is that the four horsemen are to set a divine apocalypse upon the world as harbingers of the Last Judgment.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (Arabic: صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي Ṣaddām Ḥusayn ʿAbd al-Maǧīd al-Tikrītī; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutionary Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, and later, the Baghdad-based Ba’ath Party and its regional organization Ba’ath Party – Iraq Region—which espoused ba’athism, a mix of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism—Saddam played a key role in the 1968 coup (later referred to as the 17 July Revolution) that brought the party to power in Iraq.

As vice president under the ailing General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, and at a time when many groups were considered capable of overthrowing the government, Saddam created security forces through which he tightly controlled conflict between the government and the armed forces. In the early 1970s, Saddam nationalized oil and other industries. The state-owned banks were put under his control, leaving the system eventually insolvent mostly due to the Iran–Iraq War, the Gulf War, and UN sanctions. Through the 1970s, Saddam cemented his authority over the apparatuses of government as oil money helped Iraq’s economy to grow at a rapid pace. Positions of power in the country were mostly filled with Sunnis, a minority that made up only a fifth of the population.

Saddam formally rose to power in 1979, although he had been the de facto head of Iraq for several years prior. He suppressed several movements, particularly Shi’a and Kurdish movements seeking to overthrow the government or gain independence, and maintained power during the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War. Whereas some venerated Saddam for his opposition to Israel—which included the use of military force—he was widely condemned in the west for the brutality of his dictatorship.

In 2003, a coalition led by the U.S. and U.K. invaded Iraq to depose Saddam, in which U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair accused him of possessing weapons of mass destruction and having ties to al-Qaeda. Saddam’s Ba’ath party was disbanded and elections were held. Following his capture on 13 December 2003, the trial of Saddam took place under the Iraqi interim government. On 5 November 2006, Saddam was convicted of charges related to the 1982 killing of 148 Iraqi Shi’ites and was sentenced to death by hanging. His execution was carried out on 30 December 2006.

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From ‘Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia’

 

“The Devil’s Double” is a 2011 allegedly biographical film directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Dominic Cooper in the dual role of Uday Hussein and Latif Yahia. It was released on January 22, 2011 at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was released in limited theaters on July 29, 2011 by Lionsgate and Herrick Entertainment.Latif Yahia‘s story behind the events depicted in the film has been questioned and there appears to be no proof that he had been Hussein’s double or even that he had had any connection to Uday Hussein or the highest levels of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

In 1987, Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi soldier fighting in the Iran–Iraq War, is called to become a “fedai” (“body double” orpolitical decoy) for Uday Hussein (also played by Cooper), the playboy son of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (Philip Quast). Latif comes from an upper-class family and had attended school with Uday, where the other students would remark on their likeness. Latif initially refuses the position, but is imprisoned and tortured, ultimately relenting when his family is threatened. Latif undergoes minor cosmetic surgery to perfect his resemblance to Uday and practices emulating the young Hussein’s mannerisms and wildly volatile persona. He is given access to all of the luxurious benefits of the Husseins’ fortune, including massive palaces, expensive wardrobes and Uday’s Ferrari and various other exotic cars. Latif tries to resist Uday’s exorbitant merrymaking and erratic behavior, at one point fleeing a nightclub in another of Uday’s Ferraris to attempt to see his family, who believe he has died in the war. However, he is apprehended by Uday’s bodyguards and given a whipping by Uday. After an appearance at a conference with several Kuwaiti leaders, an attempt is made on Uday’s (Latif’s) life, apparently by a member of a rebel opposition group, possibly a Kurd. The real Uday, though, is more concerned with the Kuwaitis, who he believes have been slant drilling from Iraq’s Rumaila oil field. The First Gulf Waris launched with Uday proclaiming “The Age of the Sheikhs is over!”

Uday’s increasingly violent, sadistic tendencies are displayed when he kidnaps a 14-year-old school girl and forces her to escort him to a party. At the party, based on an actual 1988 celebration honoring Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak‘s wife Suzanne, Uday becomes enraged with his father’s personal bodyguard Kamel Hana Gegeo (Mehmet Ferda). Uday believes Gegeo facilitated an affair between Saddam and Samira Shahbandar, which devastated his mother, Sajida Talfah, and he also expresses jealousy at the trust his father places in Kamel Hana. When Gegeo passes sarcastic comments about Uday’s sexual advances towards his young victim, Uday butchers him with an electric carving knife in front of all of the guests. The next morning, Uday’s bodyguards are seen dumping the naked, beaten body of the young girl.

Latif, acting as Uday, is later sent to Basra to rally support among Republican Guard soldiers as Coalition forces have taken control of the war. At Basra, another attempt is made on Latif’s life. To Uday’s great concern, Latif nearly loses a pinky in the assault, which presumably would mean Uday would have to have his amputated to maintain their resemblance, but doctors are able to save Latif’s finger. Later, Latif is confronted by the father of the young girl Uday killed. Uday eavesdrops on the conversation and is outraged by the man’s pleas for “justice” and “compassion.” Uday orders Latif to kill the man, but Latif refuses and instead slits his own wrists, to Uday’s amusement. After Latif recovers, he confronts Uday at his birthday party. The confrontation escalates to a shootout and Latif escapes in Uday’s Mercedes with Uday’s lover, Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier). The two escape to Valletta, but Sarrab, fearing for her daughter in Iraq, calls Uday begging for the chance to return without being harmed. A would-be assassin sent by Uday just misses shooting Latif almost as soon as they arrive on the island. Uday calls Latif and offers him one final chance to return to Iraq, threatening to kill his father if he refuses. Latif’s father encourages him not to return and he is killed.

However, Latif does return to Iraq, not to continue to serve as Uday’s double, but rather to kill him, with the help of a man whose bride killed herself after being raped and beaten by Uday on her wedding day. In an adapted version of the attempt on Uday’s life made by the 15th Shaaban in 1996, Latif and his partner ambush Uday while he is attempting to lure young girls into his Porsche. They wound him severely, including mangling his genitals with a direct shot. One of Uday’s bodyguards catches up to Latif as he flees the scene. The guard, however, is one who Latif could have killed as he fled from Uday’s birthday party before leaving the country but spared, and the guard extends him the same courtesy.

The movie ends by stating that Latif has been a very difficult man to find after these events. Uday was permanently handicapped by the attack but survived until his killing by the U.S. forces in 2003.

From ‘Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia’

Uday Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti (Arabic: عُدي صدّام حُسين‎) (18 June 1965 – 22 July 2003) was the eldest son of Saddam Hussein from his first wife, Sajida Talfah, and the brother of Qusay Hussein. Uday was for several years seen as the heir apparent of his father; however, Uday lost his place in the line of succession due to injuries sustained in an assassination attempt, his erratic behavior and his troubled relationship with his father and brother. Following the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, he was killed along with his brother by a secretive combined Special Operations Task Force during a three-hour gunfight in Mosul.

Uday Saddam was born in Tikrit to Saddam Hussein and Sajida Talfah while his father was in prison.

Uday graduated from high school with very high marks. He started his University days in Baghdad University College of Medicine. He only lasted in the MedicalCollege for three days, so he moved to College of Engineering about a kilometer away. Uday earned a degree in engineering and graduated from Baghdad University, ranking No. 1 in a class of 76 students. However, some of his professors have testified he barely squeezed by on many courses, mainly using his status as Saddam’s son to get high marks.

Although his status as Saddam’s elder son made him Saddam’s prospective successor, Uday fell out of favour with his father.

In October 1988, at a party in honour of Suzanne Mubarak, wife of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Uday murdered his father’s personal valet and food taster, Kamel Hana Gegeo, possibly at the request of his mother. Before an assemblage of horrified guests, an intoxicated Uday bludgeoned Gegeo, reputedly stabbing him with an electric carving knife. Gegeo had recently introduced Saddam to a younger woman, Samira Shahbandar, who later became Saddam’s second wife. Uday considered his father’s relationship with Shahbandar an insult to his mother. He furthermore feared losing succession to Gegeo, whose loyalty and fidelity to Saddam Hussein was unquestioned.

As punishment for the murder, Saddam briefly imprisoned his son. The original sentence was eight years; Uday probably served only three months in a private prison.In response to personal intervention from King Hussein of Jordan, Saddam released Uday, banishing him to Switzerland as the assistant to the Iraqi ambassador there. He was expelled by the Swiss government after he was repeatedly arrested for fighting.

Saddam later appointed Uday head of the Iraqi Olympic committee and soccer federation, and subsequently the head of one of Saddam’s security organizations. In the former role, he tortured athletes who failed to win. Uday seemed proud of his reputation and called himself abu sarhan, Arabic for “wolf”.

Uday sustained permanent injuries during an assassination attempt in December 1996.Struck by eight bullets while driving his Porsche, Uday was initially believed to be paralyzed. Evacuated to Ibn Sina Hospital, he eventually recovered but with a noticeable limp. Despite repeated operations, however, a bullet remained lodged in his spine and could not be removed due to its location near the spinal cord.  In the wake of Uday’s subsequent disabilities, Saddam gave Qusay increasing responsibility and authority, designating him as his heir apparent in 2000.

 

Uday opened accounts with Yahoo! and MSN Messenger, which created controversy when the provisioning of the accounts allegedly violated U.S. trade sanctions against Iraq.^[6]Uday also amassed a large video collection, found in his palace in 2003, much of which featured himself in both public and private situations.

Uday produced the newspaper Babel and a local Iraqi TV channel called “Al-shabab TV”. He was briefly married to the daughter of Izzat Ibrahim ad-Douri, who was vice president of the Revolutionary Command Council, but he later divorced her. The marriage ended very soon because of Uday’s violent and erratic behavior.

A report released on 20 March 2003, one day after the American led invasion of Iraq, by ABC news detailed several allegations against Uday:

• As head of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, Uday oversaw the imprisonment and torture of Iraqi athletes who were deemed not to have performed to expectations. According to widespread reports, torturers beat and caned the soles of the football players’ feet—inflicting intense pain without leaving visible marks on the rest of their bodies. Uday reportedly kept scorecards with written instructions on how many times each player should be beaten after a poor showing. He would insult athletes who performed below his expectations by calling them dogs and monkeys to their faces. One defector reported that jailed football players were forced to kick a concrete ball after failing to reach the1994 FIFA World Cup finals. The Iraqi national football team were seen with their heads shaved after failing to achieve a good result in a tournament in the 1980s. It was widely circulated that Uday ordered the shaving as part of the punishment. Another defector claimed that athletes were dragged through a gravel pit and subsequently immersed in a sewage tank to induce infection in the victims’ wounds. After Iraq lost, 4–1, to Japan in the quarter finals of the 2000 AFC Asian Cup in Lebanon, goalkeeper Hashim Hassan, defender Abdul Jaber and forward Qahtan Chatir were labelled as guilty of loss and eventually flogged for three days by Uday’s security.

Other allegations include:

• Kidnapping young Iraqi women from the streets in order to rape them. Uday was known to intrude on parties and otherwise “discover” women whom he would later rape. Time published an article in 2003 detailing his sexual brutality.
• When U.S. troops captured his mansion in Baghdad, they found a personal zoo stocked with lions and cheetahs; an underground parking garage for his collection of luxury cars; paintings glorifying him and his mother with Saddam (which was known to have infuriated his father); Cuban cigars inscribed with his name; and millions of dollars worth of fine wines, liquor and heroin. An HIV testing kit was also found among his personal effects. He amassed millions of U.S. dollars by running façade corporations illegally trading with Iran (although, at that time, UN restrictions did not allow foreign trading. Only later, Iraq was allowed to import certain commodities such as food and medical supplies legally under the UN Oil for Food programme).
• Usage of an iron maiden on persons running afoul of him.
• Beating an army officer unconscious when the man refused to allow Uday to dance with his wife; the man later died of his injuries. Uday also shot and killed an army officer who did not salute him.
• Stealing approximately 1,200 luxury vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce Corniche valued at over $200,000. A Lamborghini LM002, given to him as a gift by former Leader of Libya Muammar Gaddafi, was later blown up by U.S. forces to demonstrate the effects of a car bomb.
• Plotting, in 2000, to assassinate Ahmed Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress, presumably to impress his father after Qusay was named heir apparent.

On 22 July 2003, Task Force 20, aided by troops of the United States Army 101st Airborne Division, had a showdown with Uday, Qusay and Qusay’s 14-year-old son Mustapha during a raid on a home in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. He had been the Ace of Hearts on the most-wanted Iraqi playing cards (with Qusay being the Ace of Clubs). As many as 200 American troops, later aided by OH-58 Kiowa helicopters and an A-10 “Warthog”, surrounded and fired upon the house, thus killing Uday with Qusay and Qusay’s son. After approximately four hours of battle, soldiers entered the house and found four bodies, including the Hussein brothers’ bodyguard.

Later, the American command said that dental records had conclusively identified two of the dead men as Saddam Hussein‘s sons.

The U.S. Administration released graphic pictures of the Hussein brothers’ bodies. When criticized, the U.S. military’s response was to point out that these men were no ordinary combatants, and to express hope that confirmation of the deaths would bring closure to the Iraqi people. Uday was buried in a cemetery near Tikrit alongside Qusay and Mustapha Hussein.

What Are The Seven Deadly Sins and Their Meanings?

by JACK WELLMAN on MARCH 24, 2012

From: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-are-the-seven-deadly-sins-and-their-meanings/

Everyone sins.  There has never been a human who has never sinned, with the exception of Jesus Christ.  All sins are an affront to God Almighty who is holy, but some sins are specifically mentioned as an abomination to God.  In fact, seven sins are said to be deadly.

 

Why Seven?

The number seven is special to God.  It took seven days to create the world.  A week has seven days in it.  God rested on the seventh day.  In ancient Israel, they were to rest on the Sabbath and the seventh day was a commanded day of rest and assembly for worship of God and it was the fourth commandment given.  The root word for the number seven in Hebrew means “to be full” or “to be complete.”   Seven, being full and complete, means that nothing could be added to it or taken away from it.  It is a number of completion and perfection.   So if anyone has these particular seven sins, they are in a sense, in a complete state of sin as far as God is concerned.  What are these seven, or complete and deadly sins that Solomon warned us about in the Book of Proverbs?  Solomon was said to be the wisest man ever to live – except of course Jesus Christ Who is both God and man.

The Seven Deadly Sins

Proverbs 6:16-19

 

“There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.“

 

 

Haughty Eyes (Pride)

Haughty eyes are essentially people who look down on others. Pride was the cause of Lucifer’s fall whose name was later changed to Satan or the Devil as recorded in Ezekiel 28:17. Haughty eyes are eyes that look condescendingly on people.  They look at others as inferior in an arrogant way and see themselves as superior to all others.  This is why God hates it.  Pride and evil are tied together in God’s eyes.

 

A Lying Tongue

God detests a lying tongue and in fact, all liars are destined to be cast into the lake of fire in the Second Death (Rev. 21:8).  This is the final place for the Devil and all his fallen angels (demons). This place is a place of unending, eternal torment. Lying hurts the person who is telling the lie but it also hurts others.

 

Hands that Shed Innocent Blood

One great example was the blood that was shed of Jesus Christ.  The spotless, sinless, perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, was slain by guilty hands.  He was completely innocent but those who shed His blood were completely guilty and sinful.

Today shedding innocent blood can involve burglaries gone bad, murders, inducing others to buy and get hooked on drugs, influencing others to drink (and then to drive), drunk drivers killing innocent victims, spousal abuse and murder, and the list goes on.

A Hand that Devises Wicked Schemes

When a person has committed murder, involuntary manslaughter is usually a lesser of a charge that premeditated murder.

Anyone that plans ahead of time to do evil is a hand that devises wicked schemes.  This would include burglarizing homes knowing when the occupant(s) leave, or a burglary after a store closes, sabotaging someone’s car with a bomb, waiting in a dark alley to rob someone, or stalking a woman in order to rape or kill her.  Anyone that plans ahead of time to do harm or evil to someone is a person that God is personally opposed to and everyone someday will give an account for every evil deed they do in their lifetime (Matt 12:36, Rom 2:6).

Feet that are Quick to Rush into Evil

This is a person that easily agrees to take part in an evil deed with others or to make a quick decision to do something harmful to another person. If their feet are quick to run into evil, they are already predisposed, or already of a mind to want to rob, murder, hurt, lie, or cheat others.  They don’t have to think about it.  They instantly run to do something where they see an easy opportunity.  They quickly jump to their feet to take advantage of someone in a vulnerable position, like someone leaving their purse on a restaurant table or finding someone’s wallet on the floor and rushing to pick it up and quickly taking it for themselves.

A False Witness Who Pours Out Lies

Once again, we go back to the root of all sin:  Pride.  A prideful person is quick to lie about others in order to make themselves look better.  If they accuse others falsely, they can blame others for something they did or something that they should have done.  I have heard this occur many times in the workplace.  Some will constantly be blaming others at work for their own lack of responsibility.  When things go wrong, they are always quick to point the finger.

A false witness will lie in court, perhaps even at the risk of perjury, just to get out of a crime that they committed, while assessing the blame on an innocent party.  A person who “pours out lies” loses all credibility in time and eventually, people will tend to not believe anything they say.  Lies catch up with a person because they have to speak other lies to cover up the first one and many times they become so entrapped by their many lies that they become like a fly ensnared in a web.  Their web gets so tangled up with their many lies that they often forget them all and it comes back to hurt them.

 

 

A Person Who Stirs up Conflict

This last but not least sin is one that has divided many churches.  Gossip is one way to stir up conflict and divide even the closest of friends.  A person who stirs up this conflict is like a person who throws gas on a fire that others are trying to put out.  Its like dragging up old issues that might have been resolved but a person stirs up the issue over and over again.  When they are constantly stirring it up, like coals of a fire, it becomes hotter and hotter, and eventually erupts into a bonfire.  The person who is continually stirring up conflict is also a person who is full of pride.  They want others to have conflict so that they are considered to be a person above reproach.  They might say that at least they are not having conflict but in reality, they are doing nothing to settle it but doing everything to increase it.

Pride is at the root of all sin, but when pride comes, so eventually does the person’s fall and it can be swift and painful.  Just as pride caused Satan’s fall, it can cause a believer’s fall too.  It was the first sin in the history of God’s creation and it is still at the root of all sin today and that is why it is listed first in the seven deadly sins.  May it not even be named among those of the children of God.

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THE SINISTER SOUND OF THUNDERING SILENCE

 

The immortal song by Simon & Garfunkel (whose lyrics are mentioned below) is highly eloquent in the strong message that it conveys to the world.

 

 “The Sound Of Silence” – Simon & Garfunkel

Hello darkness, my old friend,
I’ve come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
‘Neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence.

“Fools,” said I, “You do not know –
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you.
Take my arms that I might reach you.”
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
and tenement halls
and whispered in the sound of silence.”

What these lyrics hope to impress thoroughly on the minds of their audience is simply this message:

In silence itself, there is sound of a kind. It is the sound of our inner voice; the sound of our conscience; the sound of our intuitions and it includes the sound of all our convictions, opinions, hopes and beliefs. It is a sound that technically has no voice and hence forever remains still, quiet and unheard. Yet, for all intents and purposes, it is a sound that CAN and OUGHT to be heard – loud and clear – once we choose willfully to give voice to our opinions and our beliefs about what is RIGHT and what we consider to be WRONG.

What is the sense in speaking in hushed tones that no one hears or cares about? Why can’t you stand up tall and protest loudly and strongly against the continuing wickedness in the world? Why should you not protest against the reprehensible evil that encircles us like a snake in the grass? Why can’t the teeming millions that populate our planet forget their hatred and differences for a change and STAND TALL TOGETHER AS A UNITED GROUP against the heinous nature of crimes that pervade our very existence?

 

In this sense, Simon and Garfunkel have really ‘hit the nail on the head’ when they state that “silence like a cancer grows” – silence has provided ample fodder and nourishment for the malignant and chronic growth of all the malevolence in the world today – in fact, sadly, it still continues to do so. Do you know what our collective, THUNDERING silence speaks of? It speaks of our absolute hypocrisy; our basic callousness; our egoistic and self-serving ways; our arrogance; our indifference; our totally uncaring ways; our basic inconsideration, selfishness and narcissism; our insensitivity; our cowardliness and last but not least, it speaks eloquently of our apathy in the face of grave and pervading evil. WE HAVE KNOWINGLY LET THE DEVIL’S SPAWN ENTER OUR HEARTHS, HEARTS AND HOMES – A VERY SERIOUS SIN HAS BEEN COMMITTED IN THIS SENSE AND WE CONTINUE TO SIN HEEDLESSLY – OURSELVES – WHEN OUR SILENCE IS SO COMPLETE THAT ITS REVERBERATING ECHOES CAN BE “HEARD” TILL THE FARTHEST REACHES OF OUR PLANET. OUR SILENCE IN THE FACE OF REPREHENSIBLE EVIL IS THE GRAVEST OF ALL OUR SINS. THIS “THUNDERING SILENCE” IS A SIN AGAINST HUMANITY AND MOST OF ALL, IT IS A SERIOUS SIN AGAINST GOD HIMSELF. REST ASSURED OF THAT.

 

“The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
and tenement halls
and whispered in the sound of silence.”

There are an y amount of religious-minded and literate people in this world today. People have been taught from the days of the youth the value and importance of the teachings of the Scriptures and other Religious Texts; people know what is “RIGHT” AND WHAT IS “WRONG” AND SINFUL. The message of God is visible everywhere ONLY IF YOU CARE TO SEEK IT OUT – it is found freely and easily in religious books & texts, in hymnals, in manuscripts, in novels, in films, in magazines, it is also freely available on all forms of the media – in the newspapers, on the television and it is found ever so easily on the Internet. Yet, we knowingly and purposely choose to ignore His Teachings & we willfully choose to do absolutely nothing to correct a wrongful situation – our silence, our apathy and our pride will be, in the end, the reason for the downfall and complete annihilation of the human race as we know it. We will be the cause for the Apocalypse – the destruction of the world – at the rate things are moving, such a disaster is certain.

What is the sense in being a cowardly bully in your day-to-day life, if you CANNOT or WILL NOT speak up when the need for action is so urgent& immediate? What is the sense of being tyrannical, dominating, authoritarian and high-handed when the fact remains that you fail to Raise the Beast Within Your Own Being to rightful action by protesting loudly and clearly against the many injustices that rule this world? What is the sense of showing false bravado? What is the sense in “throwing one’s weight needlessly around the place”? What is the reason to make “big and empty talk?” Is there any need to show one’s clout for no good reason, other than to show the world how smart you are? A big talker and a cowardly bully are the same in any equation when put together because they show high-handedness but slink away like dastardly hyenas at the first mention of grave danger and trouble. ONE CANNOT HOPE TO DEMAND ANOTHER’S RESPECT BY INDUCING FEAR; RESPECT IS EARNED AND COMMANDED. TRUE FEAR IS A NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF EARNED RESPECT.

 

 

We are the World; we are the People and our lives consist of Choices and Priorities. Some things really don’t matter so much like buying the latest cell ‘phone. It is not such a big thing at all – if you really think about it in the overall scheme of life simply because it has no lasting impact on the lives of one’s fellow-beings. The whole problem is that people do know what truly matters but they fail to make the right choices. It is one of the biggest problems that plague our times. People just don’t seem to realize that once they have the right priorities, their choices too will automatically fall into their rightful places.

 

“UNITED WE STAND; UNITED SHALL WE FALL.” From this moment on, this will be the slogan of all the nations of the world. WEAR A STRONG ARMOUR OF BRAVERY, COURAGE AND HONOUR – WE SHALL FIGHT EVIL TOGETHER – TODAY AND EVERY SINGLE DAY OF OUR LIVES – UNTIL SUCH A DAY COMES WHEN WE WILL HAVE DESTROYED EACH AND EVERY OFFSPRING OF THE DEVIL WHOSE WICKEDNESS HAS HELD SWAY OVER OUR PLANET FOR COUNTLESS CENTURIES.

—————————————

GLOSSARY AND GENERAL INFORMATION:

Definitions from the Free Online Dictionary:

 

spawn  (spôn)

n.

1. The eggs of aquatic animals such as bivalve mollusks, fishes, and amphibians.

2. Offspring occurring in numbers; brood.

3. A person who is the issue of a parent or family.

4. The source of something; a germ or seed.

5. A product or an outcome.

6. Mycelia of mushrooms or other fungi grown in specially prepared organic matter for planting in beds.

scourge  (skûrj)

n.

1. A source of widespread dreadful affliction and devastation such as that caused by pestilence or war.

2. A means of inflicting severe suffering, vengeance, or punishment.

3. A whip used to inflict punishment.

shad·ow·y  (shd-)

adj. shad·ow·i·er, shad·ow·i·est

1. Relating to or resembling a shadow.

2. Full of or dark with shadow. See Synonyms at dark.

3. Lacking distinctness; faint.

4. Lacking substance; unsubstantial.

prey  (pr)

n.

1. An animal hunted or caught for food; quarry.

2. One that is defenseless, especially in the face of attack; a victim.

3. The act or practice of preying.

intr.v. preyed, prey·ing, preys

1. To hunt, catch, or eat as prey: Owls prey on mice.

2. To victimize or make a profit at someone else’s expense.

3. To plunder or pillage.

4. To exert a baneful or injurious effect: Remorse preyed on his mind.

Hyena Facts From: http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/enghyena.html FACT FILE: Swahili Name: Fisi Scientific Name: Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena) Size: 28 to 35 inches tall Weight: 90 to 190 pounds Lifespan: 25 years in captivity Habitat: Savannas, grasslands, woodlands, forest edges, subdeserts and mountains to 13,000 feet Diet: Carnivorous Gestation: 90 to 110 days Predators: Humans

The hyena is Africa’s most common large carnivore. Over the years hyenas and humans have come into close contact in Africa and, in earlier times, in Asia and in Europe, often leading to mutual predation. In ancient Egypt hyenas were domesticated, fattened and eaten, and in turn humans have on occasion become food for hyenas. Reputed to be cowardly and timid, the hyena can be bold and dangerous, attacking animals and humans.

Physical Characteristics
Of the three species of hyena in Africa, only the spotted hyena and the shy and much rarer, striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) are found in East Africa. The smaller, and even shyer brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea) occurs only in southern Africa. Different from most other animals, female spotted hyenas are dominant over the males and outweigh them by about 3 pounds.

Although the external female genitalia have a superficial similarity to those of the male, they are nonetheless female organs and only the females bear and nurse young. Why the female hyena developed in this manner is not known, but it may have been necessary for them to appear large and strong to protect their young from males, as hyenas have cannibalistic tendencies.

Habitat
Spotted hyenas are found in grasslands, woodlands, savannas, subdeserts, forest edges and mountains.

Behavior
Spotted hyenas are organized into territorial clans of related individuals that defend their home ranges against intruding clans. The center of clan activity is the den, where the cubs are raised and individuals meet. The den is usually situated on high ground in the central part of the territory. Its above-ground entrances are connected to a series of underground tunnels.
Hyenas mark and patrol their territories by depositing a strong-smelling substance produced by the anal glands on stalks of grass along the boundaries. “Latrines,” places where members of a clan deposit their droppings, also mark territories. The high mineral content of the bones hyenas consume make their droppings a highly visible, chalky white. Hyenas are social animals that communicate with one other through specific calls, postures and signals. They quickly make their various intentions known to other members of the clan, or to outsiders. When a hyena’s tail is carried straight, for example, it signals attack. When it is held up and forward over the back, the hyena is extremely excited. In contrast, it hangs down when the hyena is standing or walking leisurely. If frightened, the hyena tucks its tail between the legs and flat against the belly and usually skulks away. 

Diet
The spotted hyena is a skillful hunter but also a scavenger. Truly an opportunistic feeder, it selects the easiest and most attractive food it may ignore fresh carrion and bones if there is, for example, an abundance of vulnerable wildebeest calves. It consumes animals of various types and sizes (including domestic stock and even other hyenas), carrion, bones, vegetable matter and other animals’ droppings. The powerful jaws and digestive tract of the hyena allow it to process and obtain nutrients from skin and bones. The only parts of prey not fully digested are hair, horns and hooves; these are regurgitated in the form of pellets. As hyenas hunt mostly at night and devour all parts, little evidence remains of their actual meals. Although they eat a lot of dry bones, they need little water.

Caring for the Young
Hyenas usually bear litters of two to four cubs, which, unlike the other two species, are born with their eyes open. Cubs begin to eat meat from kills near the den at about 5 months, but they are suckled for as long as 12 to 18 months, an unusually long time for carnivores. This is probably a necessity, as most kills are made far from the den, and hyenas, unlike jackals and hunting dogs, do not bring back food and regurgitate it for their young. At about 1 year, cubs begin to follow their mothers on their hunting and scavenging forays. Until then, they are left behind at the den with a babysitting adult.

Predators
Lions (who will attack them at every opportunity), hunting dogs and strange hyenas are among the species that prey on hyenas.

Did you know?

• Hyenas make a variety of vocalizations, including wailing calls, howling screams and the well-known “laughter” used to alert other clan members up to three miles away of a food source.
• Hyenas eat a great variety of animal products, vegetation and, according to campers, even aluminum pots and pans.

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