Hello, I am new here

[Debp]

I am registered as islandboy. I hope you can figure it out as I look forward to sharing posts with you there as well. The islandgirl name was someone who had use of one of my website, e-mail addresses and decided to use it for personal stuff. I told them in no uncertain terms that I did not want that and they were supposed to cancel the membership. Needless to say I was not happy about that. I hope that was done. I hate spam, except for the meat in the can.

Hi Islandboy, I just asked about your authorization....hopefully it will go through now.  Once you get authorized, we also have the pm function....makes it much easier if you need to chat with someone privately.

[islandboy]

I often wonder how our world would be if we all lived and carried on our lives the way that God wants us to. In our Bible study class at church, we have begun a study of the Book of Daniel. As you read the chapters about Daniel, you learn that he was an elderly Jewish resident of Babylon, who was sentenced to death for faithfully praying and talking to God. Daniel is most known for the prayer that sent him to the lions den. Daniel (6:11). It seems Daniel had been reading about his people in the scroll of Jeremiah, that stated the captivity of his people would last 70 years, and the people were already 67 years into exile Jeremiah (25:8-11), when it came to his attention and he wanted it to end. So Daniel focused his prayer on worshiping God, and recognizing Him, as the almighty God. He also asked for forgiveness of his sins. The use of prayer in praise and confession of sins is what God hopes of His children. God wants His people to live righteously through-out our lives, not just in hit and miss moments when we have done something wrong or when we are suddenly in need of help, or when we are in the church.
I read a book once about a town of people who before they did anything through-out their day, they would face each happening in their live's with the question, "What would Jesus do?  Can you imagine doing that constantly all day long, for an entire year, or for a lifetime. In the book I learned that this idea, this quest was very hard and in the end it changed an entire town. Now while the book was fiction, the use of this question has been on many peoples minds. In fact it was used as a question on the Republican 08 U-Tube debate this past week.
Another example of this was the movie about the young boy, who re payed kindness by, "Pay It Forward". That when you receive help when in need, pay it forward, and help someone else. This is part of how one can live righteously in God's eyes by having compassion and love in helping others. Thinking of others before yourself.
Now back to Daniel, did his prayer come true??  Well I guess you will have to read your Bible, to find that out.    

[islandboy]

In another part of this forum, I have started a topic about the Faith Lessons series by Ray Vander Laan. In one of the study guides they talk about Olive Trees. Now I not knowing a thing about olive trees, but having had olives (favorite big black ones), I thought you too may enjoy hearing about them.
Olive trees and olive oil played a big part throughout ancient Middle East, including during the time of Jesus and his disciples. So it is not surprising that images of olive trees and oil appear in Scripture as symbols of spiritual truth.
Think about these unusual characteristics of the olive tree. Olive trees rarely reach twenty feet high, but they can bear fruit for more than 100 years. When an olive tree gets very old and stops bearing, the branches are cut off. Soon new shoots grow out of the stump, which can survive for centuries, and the tree begins producing olives again.
People in the Middle East harvest ripe, blackened olives in October and early November. In the time of Jesus. olives designated for oil were placed in a crushing basin in which a large millstone rolled in a circle, crushing the olives--pits and all--into pulp. The pulp was then placed into shallow (4 inches tall by 2 feet in diameter) woven baskets. The baskets of pulp were stacked on top of each other over a collecting pit or vat below. The name Gethsemane is an olive press. In the Middle East today, streams of golden oil pouring from the basket type small oil presses is often seen. The oil's rich, pungent oder permeates the air for miles. The first pressing produces the best oil, which is the ingredient in many foods. Olive oil is also used for skin care and burned as lamp fuel.
Some larger olive oil presses were located in caves, because the more moderate temperatures improved the efficiency of oil production. The press near the Mount of Olives, where Jesus went on the night before his crucifixion, was so large that the surrounding area became known as "Gethsemane."

[islandboy]

I got this in a e-mail and thought I would share it with you.


There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.
She hated everyone, except for her loving boyfriend, He was
always there for her.
She told her boyfriend, "If I could only see the world, I will marry you."
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her.
When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including
her boyfriend.
He asked her, "Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?"
The girl looked at her boyfriend and say that he was blind. The sight
of his closed eye lids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them
the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend left her in tears and later wrote a note to her saying:
"Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours,
they were mine."

This is how the human brain works when our status changes. Only a very
few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in
the most trying painful  situations.

[nChrist]

Hello Islandboy,

WOW! - What a story. After reading this, I thought about our "Spiritual" eyes - those that help us see, understand, and prayerfully obtain portions of the "Mind of CHRIST". This was just a comparison I thought about. I think that our "Spiritual" sight is the most beautiful thing we have, and it's eternal. GOD tells us to walk by faith, and that's definitely part of our "Spiritual" sight.

Love In Christ,
Tom

2 Corinthians 5:5-8 NASB
Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord -- for we walk by faith, not by sight -- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

[islandboy]

Another priceless E-mail, thought I would share.

THREE  things in life, once gone, never come back-

1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

THREE  things in life that can destroy a person--

1.  Anger
2.  Pride
3.  Unforgiveness

THREE  things  in life that you should never lose--

1.  Hope
2.  Peace
3.  Honesty

THREE  things in life that are most valuable---
1.  Love
2.  Family & Friends
3.  Kindness

THREE  things in life that are never certain---
1.  Fortune
2.  Success
3.  Dreams

THREE  things that make a person---
1.  Commitment
2.  Sincerity
3.  Hard Work

THREE  things that are truly constant---
1.  Father  -   Son   -  Holy Spirit


I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray today;
To guide and protect you,
As you go along your way.
God's love is always with you,
God's promises are true.
And when you give God all your cares,
you know he will see you through.

[islandboy]

Although, unseen, the Lord is always near to those who believe in Him and trust Him and depend on Him, for the strength to meet the challenges of life. Although, veiled from mortal sight, God is always available to us whenever we humbly ask for it. The feeling that God is with us should not depend on any passing mood of ours, but we should try to be always conscious of His power and love in the background of our lives.

Work and prayer are the two forces which are gradually making a better world. We work for the betterment of ourselves and other people. Faith without works is dead. But all work with people should be based on prayer. If we say a little prayer before we speak or try to help, it will make us more effective. Prayer is the force behind the work. Prayer is based on faith that God is working with us and through us. We can believe that nothing is impossible in human relationships, if we depend on the help of God.

[islandboy]

A few posts back I ask a question concerning the prayers of Daniel in wanted the exile of his people to end, and if Daniel's prayer was answered. I bet you all  thought I was going to leave you hanging out in mid-stream without providing the answer to the question. First lets back up a bit and give some history leading into the exile to Babylon.
Around 710 BC, Judah, was in a dangerous position. A decade before, Judah's fellow Israelites in the kingdom of Israel had been conquered by Assyria. The Assyrians repopulated the land with others brought in from distant parts of the Assyrian Empire. Judah's territory had been largely devastated by the Assyrian armies. Only a miracle had saved the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the same fate that had overtaken those northern cousins.
However, a new power, Babylon was rising in east. The weakened Judah was in a precarious position between the powerful Assyria, and Babylon, and Egypt. Soon after Jerusalem's miraculous deliverance from the Assyrians, Judah"s King Hezekiah fell ill. After God healed Hezekiah, a Babylonian prince sent representatives with a message and a gift of congratulations for the monarch.
(2 Kings 20:12)" At that time Berodach---Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick."
In (2 Kings 20: 13-17) " And Hezekiah was attentive to them ( those from Babylon), and showed them all the house of his treasures--the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all of his armory-- all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?' So Hezekiah said "They came from a far country, from Babylon." Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the Lord: "Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left."
In (2 Chronicles 32:31) God had allowed Hezekiah to make this foolish decision, thus setting the stage for  the future Babylonian invasion of Judah and its rich capital, Jerusalem.
After Hezekiah's death his son Manasseh inherited the throne. The young king departed from his fathers righteous example and became a very wicked ruler.
(2 Chronicles 33:1-2) "Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. But he did evil in the sight of the Lord."
(2 Chronicles 33: 9-11) "So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed... And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen. Thereforethe Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon."
                                                     more to come

[islandboy]

To continue lets consider these following dates of occurrences:

Isaiah's prophecy (approximately 700 B.C.)
The Assyrians rule the region and Israel has fallen and much of Judah as well; many Jews were deported; Jerusalem remains unconquered.
In (Isaiah 37: 7-10) it is told that Isaiah prophesied that Jerusalem would not fall to the Assyrians.
And in (Isaiah 39) Isaiah prophesied that Jerusalem would fall to the not-yet-an-empire Babylonians.
The Babylonians conquered the Assyrians in 604 B.C.
After Assyria fell, Babylon ascended to rule the region. Thus became the rise of king Nebuchadnezzar. He reigned for 43 years from (605--562 B.C.).
Succeeded by his son Merodach, who ruled only 2 years until assassinated by his brother-in-law in 560 B.C.
Neriglissan ruled 4 years from (560 B.C. to 556 B.C.) He was also called Nergal--Shazezer.
Succeeded by his son Labashi--Marduk, who ruled 2 months then was assassinated.
Succeeded by Nabonidus who reigned for 17 years (556 B.C. to 539 B.C.) and appointed Belshazzar as co-regent.
In (II Kings 24-25) Jerusalem was under siege, first by the Egyptians, then by the Babylonians from 609 B.C. ; many more Jews were deported. Jerusalem was ruled by puppet kings of Egypt, then Babylon from 609 B.C., until their complete fall.
Jerusalem was overcome in 586 B.C. bringing to a close the Southern Kingdom of Judah; and more Jews were deported.
Then Babylon falls to the Persians 539 B.C.
It is stated that although not alot is known about the lives of the Jewish exilies in Babylon, it was known that their plight was not as harsh as their slavery had been in Egypt during Moses's time. In Babylon they did not live as prisoners or slaves, instead as mostly free people. After the Persians conquered Babylon in 539 B.C., and granted the Jews the right to return to their native land, only a small number of them did so at that time. Many did not want to sacrifice the comforts and riches they had acquired in this foreign land and face the uncertainties of going back to their homeland.
The Persian King Cyrus issues a decree for the Jews to return to Israel around 538 B.C.
In (Ezra 1: 1-4) The Jews return to their homeland around 535 B.C,

Added a few more interesting details:
Belshazzar lost his life in the takeover ,as the shift from Babylonian to Persian rule began, under assault from Cyrus. The city had stored up supplies in anticipation of a long siege, in fact enough to last 20 years. The Euphrates River, ran through the city from north to south, so the residents would have ample water. Belshazzar had a false sense of security because the Persian army was outside the city walls. The Persian army, diverted the water north of the city by digging a canal from the river to an near by lake. With the water diverted, the level receded and the soldiers were able to enter the city by going under the sluice gate. Since the walls were unguarded the Persians once inside the city were able to conquer it without much of a fight.

[islandboy]

A bit more information about Cyrus the Great, King of Persia:
He was the monarch under whom the captivity of the Jews ended.
For in his first year of reign he was prompted by God to make a decree that the temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt and that such Jews who cared to might return to their land. Moreover, he sent back with them the sacred vessels which had been looted from the temple by the Babylonians. And he sent a large sum of money to help complete the project of the rebuilding of the temple.
So, when Cyrus issued the decree of liberation to the Jews.
That fulfilled the prayer of Daniel, as he lived long enough to see it happen.
However, the exile was to have lasted 70 years and it did last 70 years.
By reading verses of scripture (Isaiah 44-48), one can read the story from the beginning to the end.
It is also to be noted that Israel knew from God's covenant with Abraham in (Genesis 15), that the Jews would be restored to that land.

[islandboy]

I received this poem in a e-mail and thought I would share it with you.

GOD'S   BOXES

I have in my hands two boxes,
Which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys in the gold,"
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God, and mused,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be!"
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
"My child, they're all here with me..."

I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?
"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go."


Final Thought:

A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end.
It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends.
But the treasure inside for you to see,
Is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.

[islandboy]

ON  THIS  DAY:

You must always remember that you are weak but God is strong. God knows all about your weakness. He hears every cry for mercy, every sign of weariness, every plea for help, every sorrow over failure, every weakness felt and expressed. We only fail when we trust too much to our own strength. Do not feel bad about your weakness. When you are weak, that is when God is strong to help you. Trust God enough, and your weakness will not matter. God is always strong to save.

[islandboy]

ON  THIS  DAY


Pray-----and keep praying until it brings peace and serenity and a feeling of communion with One who is near and ready to help. The thought of God is balm for our hates and fears. In praying to God, we find healing for hurt feelings and resentments. In thinking of God, doubts and fears leave us. Instead of those doubts and fears, there will flow into our hearts such faith and love as is beyond the power of material things to give, and such peace as the world can neither give nor take away. And with God, we can have the tolerance to live and let live.

[islandboy]

ON  THIS  DAY  REMEMBER:

God is good. You can often tell whether or not a thing is of God. If it is of God, it must be good. Honesty, purity, unselfishness and love are all good, unselfish helpfulness is good, and these things all lead to the abundant life. Leave in God's hands the present and the future, knowing only that He is good. The hand that veils the future is the hand of God. He can bring order out of chaos, good out of evil, and peace out of turmoil. We can believe that everything really good comes from God and that He shares His goodness with us.

[islandboy]

THE  POEM

I knelt to pray, but not to long
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer
And jumped up off my knees,
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease......
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer
No time to speak of Christ to friends
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do
That was my constant cry
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord
I came, I stood with downcast eyes
For in his hands God held a book
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said,
"Your name I cannot find,
I once was going to write it down....
But never found the time."