11.16.2011 DEFEND

all of the Bible was not written to us, but each word written is given by God for every human being who He would create...to take careful heed to and to do.

all scripture is inspired by God and is profitable
for teaching
for reproof
for correction
for training in righteousness
that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. II timothy 3.16-7

if you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited.
DELIVER those who are being taken away to death.
and those who are staggering to slaughter, o HOLD THEM BACK.
if you say, see, we did not know this',
does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?
and does He not know it who keeps your soul?
and will He not render to man according to his work? proverbs 24.10-12

isaiah the prophet lived in israel at such a time as we now live in america. he said,

alas, sinful nation
people weighed down with iniquity
offspring of evildoers
sons who act corruptly!
they have abandoned the Lord
they have despised the Holy One of israel
they have turned away from Him.
where will you be stricken again, as you continue in your rebellion?
the whole head is sick
and the whole heart is faint.
from the sole of the foot even to the head
there is nothing sound in it,
only bruises
welts and
raw wounds
not pressed out or bandaged
nor softened with oil.
your land is desolate...
hear the word of the Lord, you RULERS of sodom
give ear to the instruction of our God, you PEOPLE of gomorrah.

what are your multiplied sacrifices to Me? says the Lord
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle.
and i take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.
when you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts?

bring your worthless offerings no longer,
incense is an abomination to Me,
new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies - I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.
I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts,
they have become a burden to Me.
I am weary of bearing them.

so when you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide My eyes from you,
yes, even though you multiply prayers,
I will not listen.
YOUR HANDS ARE COVERED WITH BLOOD

wash yourselves
make yourselves clean
remove the evil of your deeds from my sight.
cease to do evil
learn to do good
seek justice
reprove the ruthless
DEFEND THE ORPHAN
plead for the widow isaiah 1.4-7, 10-17

what does it mean to DEFEND? noah websters dictionary (1828)

etymology
de - latin prefix denotes a moving from, separation. it often expressed a negative. sometimes it augments or increases the sense. it is from the latin de and the obsolete fendo. no help. the first ancient family word seems to be the norman (?) fendu means ' struck'. then webster has, to OPPOSE, to PROHIBIT. the primary sense is to STRIKE, THRUST or DRIVE OFF; to REPEL

definitions
1. to DRIVE FROM; to THRUST BACK; hence, to DENY; to REPEL a demand, charge or accusation; to OPPOSE; to RESIST; the effect of which is to maintain one's own (or another's?) claims.
2. to FORBID; to PROHIBIT; that is, to DRIVE FROM OR BACK.
3. to DRIVE BACK a foe or danger; to REPEL FROM any thing that which assails of annoys; to PROTECT BY OPPOSITION OR RESISTANCE; to SUPPORT or MAINTAIN; to PREVENT FROM BEING INJURED OR DESTROYED
4. to VINDICATE; to ASSERT; to UPHOLD; to MAINTAIN UNINJURED, BY FORCE OR BY ARGUMENT
5. to SECURE AGAINST ATTACKS OR EVIL; to FORTIFY AGAINST DANGER OR VIOLENCE; to SET OBSTACLES TO THE APPROACH OF ANYTHING THAT CAN ANNOY.

let every person BE IN SUBJECTION TO the GOVERNING AUTHORITIES. for
there is no authority except from God, and
those which exist are established by God.
therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and
they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves...for
RULERS ARE SERVANTS OF GOD. romans 13.1,2,6

You say DEFEND the orphan. how much more the one murdered by his mother? how can i, protesting murder, murder, and abhorring violence, do violence? i can do no harm. the authority You created which governs me says, at best, i can only wait for 'laws' to change...only when the majority of the people feel that this murder should no longer be allowed... does what is right in Your sight change? this 'law' which allows murder is not Your law. You do not change. Your law does not change. 'thou shalt not murder' stands for all time. Your law forbids the deliberate taking of a life by another person. all Your laws are summed up: do to the other person what you would have them do unto you. who would want another person to brutally murder them? (and if they did, who but the One who gave life is allowed to take it?)

i'm sorry. i can no longer freely live free in this horror where people are allowed to murder others. i can no longer be complicit with murder, with the current genocide directed against unwanted people who have no ability to defend themselves. all i can do is DEFEND such people in a symbolic, non-violent way (, but WITH ALL MY STRENGTH..as weak as it is) and accept the authority's penalty for such...AND NEVER STOP such a defense as long as i am forced to live in compliance with one person being 'legally' murdered, let alone millions on millions. let me stand with the will of God. let me stand with the slaughtered. better yet, let me be counted among them, so help me God. i no longer want to live here free. i chose to give up all to suffer, in some small way, with the slaughtered. during ghandi's seeking political independence for india he is reported to have said something to the effect that this is the time for every self respecting man to be in prison. i personally believe that that is certainly true now. pay whatever penalty exacted, but do not freely cooperate with anything that results in disobedience to God.

.. give me the spirit of the apostles.

'and when they summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. but peter and john answered and said to them, 'whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard...we must obey God rather than men.' acts 4.18-9; 5.29

give me the courage of the three hebrew children.

'nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold..

..the herald loudly proclaimed; to you the command is given, o peoples, nations and men of every language, that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn...you are to fall down and worship the golden image..but whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire

...at that time certain chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the jews...there are certain jews...these men have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.

then nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring shadrach, meshach and abed-nego... nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, is it true..that you do not serve..now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn...very well. but if you will not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?

shadrach, meshach and abed-nego answered and said to the king, o nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this. if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, o king. but even if he does not, let it be known to you, o king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.' daniel 3