Letter from President Obama to SDA church as read by Ted Wilson:Larger V...

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THE QUEEN OF PERSIA - ESTHER

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Over 100 years earlier, Nebuchadnezzar (the king of Babylon) had attacked Jerusalem. He overcame the  Jews and he took many  Jews to Babylon. Almost 70 years after that, the king of Persia defeated the armies of Babylon in battle. Then the people in Persia allowed the  Jews to return to their own country, but not many  Jews did return. When the story of Esther happened, most Jews were still living in the country called Persia. Persian Queen Esther was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin who grew up as an exile in Persia (492 B.C. – 460 B.C.) Esther was her Persian name. Her Jewish name was Hadassah. (meaning a Myrtle, is a branch that signifies peace and thanksgiving.) The myrtle tree was native to Babylonia, but Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem took the tree with them, and it became a symbol of the nation of Israel. The name Esther itself means star and happiness. Esther was the daughter of Abihail, of the tribe of Benjamin.     ...
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The tale of the Moabite women Ruth

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In the Bible you will find a book called Ruth. It is a story about a family that lived during the time when Israel had judges. Ruth is a young woman from the land of Moʹab; she does not belong to God’s nation of Israel. But when Ruth learns about the true God, she comes to love him very much. Naʹo·mi is an older woman who helped Ruth to learn about LORD God. There was a great famine in Israel during the time when judges ruled. Many people relocated to foreign lands to find food for their families. A man from Bethlehem named Elimelech took his wife Naomi and his two sons Mahlon and Kilion went to Moab to find food and ended up staying there to live. Elimelech died and Naomi continued to live with her two sons who married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth. Both sons also passed away leaving Naomi with her two foreign daughter-in-laws. Naomi heard that the Lord helped the people of Israel and food had been provided back home. She decided to go back to Bethlehem i...
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Berakhah (or berachah)

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In the Bible, there are several words that are usually translated as “blessing” or “bless.” The Hebrew word most often translated “bless” is barak, which can mean to praise, congratulate, or salute, and is even used to mean a curse. In Judaism, a berakhah, bracha, brokho, brokhe ( pl. berakhot, brokhoys; "benediction," "blessing," "drawing down [of spiritual energy]") is a formula of blessing or thanksgiving, recited in public or private, usually before the performance of a commandment, or the enjoyment of food or fragrance, and in praise on various occasions. The function of a berakhah is to acknowledge God as the source of all blessings. Categories of blessings there are three major categories of berakhah: 1. On pleasurable experiences, such as before eating food or smelling fragrances. 2. When performing a commandment, such as the lighting of Sabbath candles. 3. In praise, gratitude, or recognition of God's justice, such as upon seeing awe-inspiring...
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Shalom

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What is peace?  It can be defined as “tranquility, harmony, or security.” Depending on the situation, it could mean “prosperity” or “well-being.” Various forms of the word peace are found 429 times in the King James Version of the Bible. There are different types of peace, including false peace, inner peace, peace with God and peace with man. In the Old Testament, the primary Hebrew word for “peace” is shalom, and it refers to relationships between people (Genesis 34:21), nations (1 Kings 5:12), and God with men (Psalm 85:8). Peace is a desired status in each of these arenas, and shalom is often tied to a covenant or a promise kept. A familiar friend (literally, “friend of my peace” in Psalm 41:9) is one with whom you would be at ease, a trusted companion. “Peace” was the standard greeting (1 Samuel 25:6), still used in many cultures today.  Peace is directly related to the actions and attitudes of individuals; but it is ultimately a gift from God (Isaiah 45:7; Levitic...
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எகிப்திலுள்ள வாதைகள் - வெளிப்படுத்தின சுவிசேத்தில்

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எகிப்திலுள்ள வாதைகள்,  வெளிப்படுத்தின சுவிசேத்தில் ஒரு படம் போல் சித்தரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. அவற்றை விளக்கமாக பார்ப்போம். ஆண்டவர் மனிதனை நேசித்து, அவனுக்கு எல்லாவற்றையும் 6 நாளில் கொடுத்து,  7ம் நாளில் ஒய்ந்திருந்தார். மகிழ்ச்சியாக இருந்தார். பின்பு, மனிதனை உண்டாக்கியதற்காக (ஆதி.6:3) மனஸ்தாப்பட்டார். பாவம் மனிதனுக்கும்,தேவனுக்கும் இடையில் பெரிய பிரிவினையை உண்டாக்கியது. பாவம் பொல்லாததாயிருந்தது. கர்த்தர்,சோதோம்,  கொமோரா பட்டணத்தை அழித்தார். நோவாவின் காலத்தில் வெள்ளத்தால் மனிதர்களை அழித்தார். பழைய ஏற்பாட்டு தீர்க்கதரிசிகள் மூலம் மனம் திரும்புங்கள், பரலோக இராஜ்ஜியம் சமீபமாக உள்ளது என்று எச்சரிப்பின் தூதைக் கொடுத்து எச்சரித்தார். ஆனால் மனிதன் கீழ்படியவில்லை. பின்பு,  புதிய ஏற்பாடு காலத்தில், அப்போஸ்தலர்கள் மூலமாக நிருபங்களைக் கொடுத்து, கள்ளத்தீர்க்கதரிசிகள், அந்திக்கிறிஸ்து,  பிசாசினால் உண்டாகும் தீமைகளைக் குறித்து எச்சரித்தார். பரிசுத்த ஆவியானவர் மூலமாக வல்லமையின் அபிசேஷகத்தை தந்தார். ஆனால் மனிதன் எதற்கும் கீழ்படியாமல், பார்வோனைப் போல இருதயத்தை கடினமாக்கிய பொழுது...
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AYIN (Eye)

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The word Ayin means “eye,” ‘to see,” and by extension, to understand and obey (see Jer 5:21, Isa. 6:10, Matt. 13:15, etc). Ayin further represent the primeval light, that is, the spiritual light of God mentioned in Gen. 1:3 (in distinction to celestial lights mentioned in Gen. 1: 14-18). The "EYES" (ayin) in Hebrew thought are rich in symbolic meaning. Very often what is meant by the "eyes" is something very spiritual. In fact, the very FIRST use of the word AYIN is in this spiritual sense. It occurs in the verse where Adam and Eve have eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and their "EYES(ayin) were opened". Certainly more than physical sight is meant here. EYE - The light of the body. Matthew 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. Luke 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine ...
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Charis

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The word “grace” is not always used in the same sense in Scripture, but has a variety of meanings. In the Old Testament we have the word chen (adj. chanun), from the root chanan. The noun may denote gracefulness or beauty, Prov. 22:11; 31:30, but most generally means favour or good-will. The Old Testament repeatedly speaks of finding favour in the eyes of God or of man. The favour so found carries with it the bestowal of favours or blessings. This means that grace is not an abstract quality, but is an active, working principle, manifesting itself in beneficent acts, Gen. 6:8; 19:19; 33:15; Ex. 33:12; 34:9; I Sam 1:18; 27:5; Esth. 2:7. The fundamental idea is, that the blessings graciously bestowed are freely given, and not in consideration of any claim or merit.   Charis In the New Testament, “Grace” derives from the Greek, charis. In secular Greek, charis was related to chairo, “to rejo...
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Friendship

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Jesus on Friendship The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the definition of a true friend: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:13-15). Jesus is the pure example of a true friend, for He laid down His life for His "friends." What is more, anyone may become His friend by trusting in Him as his personal savior, being born again and receiving new life in Him. 'Secret intimate friendship' "Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His intimate secret counsels to His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7) Amos 3:7 must be one of the most beautiful pictures of the early relationship between the prophet and God. The idea of secrets is not so much that of...
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Shekinah Glory

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What does glory mean? The word glory, in relation to God, has two aspects. First, the Hebrew word transliterated as kabowd or kaw-bode’ (primarily translated as “glory” in the Old Testament) can refer to praise and honor and at times even abundance and riches (Genesis 45:13; Ezekiel 20:6). Secondly, it can also refer to the brilliant splendor of God’s appearance.   The Greek word doxa, which is primarily translated as “glory” in the New Testament, also has these two aspects. Doxa is translated as “honor” in John 5:41 and 44. The King James Version translates it as “praise” in John 9:24 and 12:43. It can refer to the glory or praise that is due to God (John 17:4; Revelation 4:9). For more on this important aspect of God’s glory―the praise due to God―please read our article “Praise God.” Doxa is also used to refer to the material abundance of the kings of the earth in Revelation 21:24. But doxa can also refer to the brilliant splendor of God’s appearance. The writer of Hebrews record...
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