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06/01/2023

Everyday Verse

Psalm 34:18
CSB

• The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.

ESV

• The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

KJV

• The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

NIV

• The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

NLT

• The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

What does Psalm 34:18 mean?

In this verse David writes how God understands our feelings and helps us bear the burden of sorrow. In contrast to pagan deities, or the unfeeling universe of atheism, the biblical God deeply cares for our pain. When Jesus knew His friend Lazarus had died, He went to the home of Lazarus's grieving sisters and comforted them. When He saw Mary's tears, "he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled" (John 11:33). When He approached Lazarus's tomb, He wept (John 11:35) and was "deeply moved again" (John 11:38). Jesus experienced all of this, though He knew all along He would raise His friend from death (John 11:11).
Hebrews 4:15 assures us that Jesus, our Great High Priest, sympathizes with our weaknesses. That includes both the meaning of human suffering and the struggle against sin. He was tempted like any other man but remained sinless. Knowing that He understands and cares, we can "draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
It has been quipped that "prayer is the place burdens change shoulders." Our Lord's shoulders can bear our burdens when we are brokenhearted and our spirits are crushed (Matthew 11:28–30; 1 Peter 5:7).

Today's Quote

Matthew Henry

"No sin is so great, but there is a remedy in Christ blood which atones for it. No corruption is so strong, but there is a remedy in His grace can subdue it."

Spurgeon's Daily Help

One of the marvels of the Bible is its fullness. It is not a book of gold-leaf beating thin, as most books are as to thought; but its sentences are nuggets of unalloyed truth. The book of God is the God of books, for it is infinite. Well said a German author,

"In this little book is combined all the wisdom in the world. We search the world for truth; we cull. The good, the pure, the beautiful. From graven stone and written scroll, from all old flower-fields of the soul; and weary seekers of the best, we comeback laden from the quest, to find all the sages said is in the Book our mothers read."

The Spurgeon Birthday Book

See how the little children weave garlands and chaplets, and are has happy as the merry birds, while arrayed in collars and gridles made of the flowers of the field. Will they be any wiser when only diamonds and gold will serve their turn? Is it not a simple taste which loves nature the best afterall? So, too, in reading the Scriptures, it is better to revel in its plain promises and precious privileges than to pine for erudite criticisms and theology disputations.

Daily Spurgeon's Quote

Charles H. Spurgeon

"There is enough dust on some of your Bibles, to write "Damnation with your fingers."

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06/01/2023

My mom told me that complaining without knowing is an excuse. This was in response to me mentioning that Felix Manalo is not the “bird of prey” in Isaiah 46:11, but is rather King Cyrus II. So, she handed me a pasugo (an INC publication, ^{aka waste of trees}) telling me to read the article “Cyrus the Great and the ‘ravenous bird’”. Of course she handed me the pasugo rather than knowing how to respond to me. This stuff is not preached in INC. They just make articles and videos for all their members to point to, so they make sure they spread a controlled, constructed, and uniform message. Since she gave me this article, I’ve decided to break it down. This is the reason I left INC, since it is one of the few verses the INC uses to validate them as “the one true church”. If the idea that a prophesied Asian messenger (Manalo) is disproven, then it is enough to dismiss the INC as a prophesied true church.
TL;DR is at the bottom :)
[1] INC Article: (iglesianicristo. ws/My%20GM/GM-2021/GM-2021-08.pdf)

Cyrus the Great and the ‘ravenous bird’ By Jensen DG. Manebog

Comments:
The author is primarily a writer, not a historian or Hebrew expert. First of all, the author of the article is an educated writer and teacher. He is not formally educated in the Bible, or in Hebrew, which is a large part of his following argument. Neither am I. But rather than cherry pick proofs to support an argument, I start with the evidence to come to a conclusion. Here are some of his writings if you’re interested:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jensenis;
https://www.overdrive.com/publishers/jensen-dg-manebog
INC articles:
iglesianicristo. net/category/our-beliefs/page/2/ iglesianicristo. net/number-dont-make-a-religion-true/ pasugo. com.ph/a-mission-no-less-than-great-noble-and-heroic
[2] INC Article:

In the Book of Isaiah, one messenger of God was likened to a ravenous bird: “Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it” (Isa. 46:11 King James Version). The Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) is of firm conviction that the fulfillment of this prophecy of God is none other than Brother Felix Y. Manalo (1886-1963). Detractors of the Church, such as teachers and defenders of some other religions, expectedly refute it— claiming that the fulfillment of the prophesied “ravenous bird” is Cyrus the Great. Also called Cyrus II (590-529 BC), he was the Persian conqueror who “founded the Achaemenian empire, centred on Persia and comprising the Near East from the Aegean Sea eastward to the Indus River” (britannica.com).

Comments:
Context! Context! Context! This entire section of Isaiah is about the prophesied defeat of Babylon (shown both before and after the Isaiah 46:11 verse). ^{I didn’t think I would be telling other adults how to read a book, but here I am.} Just like the story of Adam and Eve, we read it all the way through. In previous verses, like Isaiah 45:1, Cyrus is explicitly mentioned. This is in the surrounding context that he is prophesied to defeat Babylon and to bring salvation to the Jews, as they would be able to return to their homeland after Babylon is defeated (also mentioned in Ezra 8 1-32. Cyrus is in Ezra 1:1-6).
Before the 46:11 verse - Isaiah 45:1 KJV, about Cyrus:

1 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again. This is what the Lord says: "I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains.

After the 46:11 verse - Isaiah 48:14 KJV, about Babylon:

14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The Lord hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.

^{To think the Bible would be like, “Hey I’m talking about my man Cyrus and how I’m sending him. Oh and here’s a quick shoutout of one to three verses about an Asian man over 2000 years from now. Okay now back to Babylon!}
[3] INC Article:

The argument Some of such teachers use the works of Bible scholars and commentators for their contention. One of these is Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (biblehub.com) which suggests that the “ravenous bird” in Isaiah 46:11 is Cyrus, explaining that the “sun-rising” or “east” from where the messenger would come “is, of course, Persia,” and “the ‘far country’ probably represents Media,” one of the kingdoms Cyrus has conquered.

Comments:
Other Asian churches use this verse to say they are the true church. A vast majority of circles agree that 46:11 is uncontestedly referring to Persia. I can only find the several Asian “true churches” to suggest otherwise. Another one, for example, is a South Korean cult using this verse for their South Korean Jesus named Christ Ahnsahnghong, who also claims to be the only true church (https://wmscog.com/christ-ahnsahnghong/from-the-east/). If they can use it, so can other Asian churches of this kind.
[4] INC Article:

Others further try to prove that the “ravenous bird” or “bird of prey” is King Cyrus by pointing to The Living Bible, which literally includes the name “Cyrus” in Isaiah 46:11, thus: “I will call that swift bird of prey from the east— that man Cyrus from far away. And he will come and do my bidding. I have said I would do it and I will.”

Comments:
Historically, King Cyrus’ banner was a golden eagle (a bird of prey, ravenous bird ;), as used in the Achaemenid Empire (as noted by Persian archaeologist, A. Shapur Shahbazi, “DERAFŠ”; [Xenophon, Cyropaedia 7.1.4] https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/derafs#prettyPhoto). Other translations use “eagle” in the 46:11 verse. In any case, an eagle is a bird of prey.
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Golden Eagle Banner
There is a biblical pattern of other monarchs like Cyrus are compared to eagles or birds, because of how swiftly they act or attack. Why would Felix Manalo need to be portrayed that way? ^{Could he even move that fast?}
Some verses about these other monarchs:

Jeremiah 48:39-40 They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him. 40 For thus saith the Lord; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab. Jeremiah 49:22 Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. Ezekiel 17:2-3 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: Ezekiel 17:7 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation. Hosea 8:1 Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.

[5] INC Article:

Others further try to prove that the “ravenous bird” or “bird of prey” is King Cyrus by pointing to The Living Bible, which literally includes the name “Cyrus” in Isaiah 46:11, thus: “I will call that swift bird of prey from the east— that man Cyrus from far away. And he will come and do my bidding. I have said I would do it and I will.” A paraphrase of the Bible The Living Bible is a paraphrase of the Bible by Kenneth Taylor. It must be noted that “a paraphrase attempts to tell the reader what the passage means” and thus is more of a commentary on the text of Scripture than it is an accurate rendering of what the text actually says” (blueletterbible.org). Indeed, to say that the “ravenous bird” in Isaiah 46:11 refers to King Cyrus is “more of a commentary,” for the name Cyrus (Koresh) cannot be found in Isaiah 46:11 in Hebrew manuscripts, such as the Westminster Leningrad Codex (biblehub.com). Even in the Orthodox Jewish Bible, the phrase that is supposed to read “that man Cyrus from faraway” (in The Living Bible) is simply rendered, “ish [the man] that executeth My etza (cousel, purpose, plan) from a far country”—that is, no mention of “Korest” (Cyrus). Those who use The Living Bible to jump to the conclusion that Cyrus is the prophesied messenger in Isaiah 46:11 commit a big mistake, for they did not heed the warning given by that version itself, in its preface: “There are dangers in paraphrases… For whenever the author’s exact words are not translated from the original languages, there is a possibility that the translator, however honest, may be giving the [is a possibility that the translator, however honest, may be giving the] English reader something that the original writer did not mean to say.”

Comments:
The article misleads readers by claiming their source says “Cyrus” is more of a commentary, since he is only explicitly mentioned in The Living Bible**. But they are not just using TLB to “jump to the conclusion” that Cyrus is the subject; they are using THE BIBLE. People do not only point to TLB for evidence that Cyrus is the bird of prey. He is not mentioned by name but the context is enough. Cyrus will even be mentioned in footnotes, commentaries, and even other translations like the Message BIble, Amplified Bible, and The Voice (translations which INC uses).
And if they are dissing TLB as a source, why does INC use it on their website when discussing resurrection (iglesianicristo. net/sharing-in-christs-resurrection/) and the true church (iglesianicristo .net/tag/true-church/)? ^{And seemingly attacking others who also would use a translation that is in their favor? Hippocrickkkk…}
Even the blueletterbible.org source cites that the bird of prey in Isaiah 46:11 is figurative of an invader. What did Manalo invade? ^{(our pockets})
Side note: in the last paragraph, a part is repeated in my printed copy, but not in the digital copy. ^{Was no one proofreading this beforehand?}
[6] INC Article:

The prophecies fulfilled in Cyrus In the Bible itself, Cyrus did not claim that he was the prophesied “ravenous bird.” Instead, he introduced himself as the fulfillment of other prophecies: “Thus says Cyrus the king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!” (II Chr. 36:23 New King James Version ). Notice that Cyrus did not say that he was the “ravenous bird.” Rather, he said, “All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me”—a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 45:1: “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—To subdue nations before him” (NKJV). Cyrus also stated, “He [God] has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem.” This, in turn, corresponds to the prophecy in Isaiah 44:28: “He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,’ And to the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid’”. (NKJV). These prophecies were fulfilled in Cyrus when he conquered kingdoms, such as Babylon. “After Cyrus freed the Jews from exile in Babylon in 538 B.C., they returned to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple” (nationalgeographic.com).

Comments:
If the standard is that you have to claim to be the prophesied “ravenous bird”, where is Felix Manalo’s written claim that he is the “ravenous bird”?
Also notice that this section has the most complete Bible quotes, because Cyrus and his prophecies are biblical, whereas Felix can’t be as easily cited in the Bible (or at all).
[7] INC Article:

The place of origin of the ‘ravenous bird’ In Hebrew manuscripts such as the Westminster Leningrad Codex, the “east” in Isaiah 46:11 from which the “ravenous bird” will come is “mīzrāḥ” (biblehub.com). Concerning the term “east” in the Old Testament, the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia explains: “...Kedem is used in a strictly geographical sense to describe a spot or country immediately before another in an easterly direction … on the other hand, mizrach is used of the far east with a less definite signification (Isa 41:2, 25; Isa 43:5; Isa 46:11).” (biblicalcyclopedia.com)

Comments:
The last part of the definition really contradicts INC’s point. “...mizrach is used of the far east with a less definite signification” means exactly that. It is just an unspecified east direction, not the modern version of the Far East. ^{Just because the phrase “far east” is in there, they think they got us!} The term “mizrach” that INC tries to relate to the far east and to the Philippines is used OVER 70 TIMES in the Bible. They never claim all of these verses are talking about the Philippines or even Asia.
Here are some examples of mizrach (from biblehub’s lexicon) used in context to refer to something that is clearly not Asia. For context, the actual language in Isaiah 46:11 in Hebrew is “mimmizrach” (https://biblehub.com/lexicon/isaiah/46-11.htm). “Mizrach” is “east” and “mimmizrach” is “from the east” (mim is the masculine preposition “from”) (https://www.hebrew4christians.com/GrammaUnit_Seven/The_Preposition_Min/the_preposition_min.html#:~:text=The%20Preposition%20Min&text=The%20preposition%20min%20).
Josh 17:10 - mimmizrach is used to describe Issachar, which is a place near the Mediterranean Sea (middle east today)

Southward it was Ephraim’s, northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was its border. Manasseh’s territory was adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east (mimmizrach).

Psalm 107:3 - mimmizrach is used to say that the Lord delivers people from every direction

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east (mimmizrach), and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

Daniel 11:2,44 - mimmizrah is used to describe the prophecy of four kings of Persia

2 And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. 44 But tidings out of the east (mimmizrach) and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

Exodus 27:13 - mizrachah (form of mizrach) discusses the east side of a court area

The width of the court on the east side (mizrachah) shall be fifty cubits.

2 Chronicles 5:12 - mizrah used to describe the east end of an altar

Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

Here are all the other occurrences of the word if you are crazier than I am: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/strongs_4217.htm.
Because mizrach is used in these other examples to not refer to Asia, as Asia wasn’t even a though in these biblical writers’ heads, the instances that mizrach appear are not referring to Asia.
^{And once a pick-and-choose church}, always a pick-and-choose church, because after this definition provided, in the same source, the NEXT SENTENCE says kedem and mizrach are used without preference: “In describing aspect or direction, the terms are used indifferently (comp. kedem in Le 1:16, and Jos 7:2, with mizrach in 2Ch 5:12, and 1Ch 5:10). (https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/E/east.html)
Here’s a graphic from this same reddit about this topic: https://i.redd.it/exposing-the-iglesia-ni-cristo-cult-dishonest-tv-journalism-v0-gcwtpuwyzob81.jpg?s=f6782a6051a6e46699b859396ae4be6088649c25
Here is where INC shoots itself in the foot. They mention Cyrus fulfilled his prophecy by conquering kingdoms and was given nations. In Isaiah 41:2 it mentions a person who is given nations and ruled over kings. This is in the context and fits the definition of what they think Cyrus fulfilled. BUT it uses the word “mizrach” as his origin. Cyrus and mizrach are compatible.
First, INC concedes that Isaiah 45:1 is about Cyrus (because his name is in the verse, duh):

“Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have [a]held— To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:

INC lists Isaiah 41:2 as one that includes the word “mizrach”. Let’s look at the verse:

“Who raised up one from the east? Who in righteousness called him to His feet? Who gave the nations before him, And made him rule over kings? Who gave them as the dust to his sword, As driven stubble to his bow?

Sounds a lot like Cyrus, huh? Even according to INC, “These prophecies were fulfilled in Cyrus when he conquered kingdoms, such as Babylon”. Especially since this is in the chapters about Babylon, this is clearly about Cyrus. The two verses both use the same Hebrew words for “subdue”, “nations” and “kings”. And they both use the same word for “east”—mizrach. Obviously Manalo wouldn’t fulfill this prophecy of ruling over kings or giving them dust to his sword, so it is referencing Cyrus. And in referencing Cyrus, it uses mizrach. So mizrach can be used in the context of Cyrus.
[8] INC Article:

Notice that the “mizrach is used of the far east.” Obviously, Cyrus did not come from the Far East—for his origin, Persia, and even Media, are in the ancient near east (encyclopedia.com; courses.lumenlearning.com). The Hebrew word used for the “east” to refer to Persia is not “mizrach” but “qedhem” (kedem) (Aid to Bible Understanding, pg. 478).

Comments:
INC is misleading and comes to an incorrect conclusion when quoting Aid to Bible Understanding**.** The INC article states that the Hebrew word to refer to Persia is qedhem, not mizrach. The exact same source they cite (https://archive.org/details/aidtobibleunderstanding1971/page/n479/mode/2up) says that mizrach means “rising” (as in the sun) and not any sense of “far east”, since Hebrews used the rising of the sun to determine their direction. Qedhem is generally east or east in relation to something else. The source lists examples of qedhem used with “the lands of Moab and Amon, the Arabian Desert, Babylonia, Persia, Assyria and Armenia. It does NOT say that mizrach was never used for these places as well. The same source in a later paragraph also says Isaiah 46:11 is a reference to Cyrus, who comes from the east, out of the sunrising. Clearly this source is not saying that mizrach was never used in reference to Persia, but INC makes it seem like they are saying this. ^{If only INC would read all of their source material, like I dunno, the Bible.}
[9] INC Article:

Pertinent prophecies also specify the place of origin in the Far East of the “ravenous bird” as the “islands of the sea” (Isa. 24:15 New International Version). Unlike Cyrus, Brother Felix Manalo is undoubtedly from an archipelago in the Far East. The Philippines, where he began preaching God’s words, is “almost at the geographical center of the Far East” (Asia and the Philippines, p. 169) consisting of 7,641 islands (worldatlas.com).

Comments:
There are other “islands of the sea” than the Philippines and the Hebrew term also refers to “coastlands”. The INC deliberately uses a translation that says “islands” rather than “coastlands”, which would be an acceptable translation. The Hebrew word used here is “ ‘i ”. As Aid to Bible Understanding states, ‘i is “not restricted to a body of land smaller than a continent and completely surrounded by water … but also designates dry land or coastland(s)” (https://archive.org/details/aidtobibleunderstanding1971/page/n851/mode/2up). So it’s not a perfect translation to English.
Here is Isaiah 24:15 NIV:

Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord; exalt the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea.

Like earlier, the “islands” or “coastlands” is likely Media, off the coast of the Persian Sea. Besides the obvious coastlands near the Mediterranean Sea, there are islands in the Bible, none of which are in Asia. Most of them with one exception are in the New Testament (in Greek). These are the islands of Cyprus (Acts 13:4-6), Cos, Rhodes (Acts 21:1), Crete (Acts 27:7), Cauda (Acts 27:16), Malta (Acts 28:1) and Patmos (Rev 1:9). The island in the Old Testament is Arvad in Ezekiel 27:8 and Genesis 10:18. This island city is now called Ruad and is off the coast of Syria (https://bibleatlas.org/arvad.htm). So yes, the Philippines contains islands, but so do other places in the world.
[10] INC Article:

The mission The man likened to a “ravenous bird” was tasked to bring God’s righteousness near to the stubborn-hearted who are far from righteousness (Isa. 46:11-13). God’s righteousness is revealed in the gospel (Rom. 1:16-17) and to bring it near is to “preach the gospel” and “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:15-16 NKJV).

Comments:
INC tries to make “righteousness” the same thing as “the gospel” just so that Cyrus doesn’t fit the prophecy. ^{If the definition doesn’t fit your narrative, change it!} This part slams a bunch of verses together to try to connect the dots between the ravenous bird and the preaching of the gospel. The verses Isaiah 46:12-13 NKJV mention righteousness:

“Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, Who are far from righteousness: 13 I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not [a]linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory.

INC goes all the way to the New Testament to cherry pick Romans 1:16:17 to manufacture a direct connection between righteousness and the gospel.
Romans 1:16-17 NKJV For I am not ashamed of the gospel [a]of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Here, righteousness is IN the gospel, but righteousness is NOT the gospel itself. It is clearer in an INC video, where they state that God’s righteousness IS the gospel (youtube.com/watch?v=MdLq0MFDBe4). Instead, righteousness is justice, suggesting a standard or norm (Aid to Bible Understanding, https://archive.org/details/aidtobibleunderstanding1971/page/n1411/mode/2up). And the last verse, Isaiah 46:13 means “my righteous judgment is approaching - that judgment which involves vengeance on my enemies, mercy and deliverance to my people” (Pulpit Commentary, (https://biblehub.com/isaiah/46-13.htm). Righteousness needed to be brought near because the people needed to be saved from Babylon. It does not necessarily include preaching the gospel. Thus, Cyrus still fits in. ^{And that last random Mark verse? What is marky mark doing here?}
[11] INC Article (the last part, I promise)****:

Notice the stark contrast: Whereas Cyrus’ God-given role was to subdue nations, the man likened to “ravenous bird” was commissioned to preach the gospel or God’s words for man’s salvation. In fulfillment, Brother Manalo did exactly that. Despite ferocious oppositions primarily form the dominant religions in his time, he devotedly taught the pristine gospel truths recorded in the Bible. For instance, he taught that the Father is the only true God (John 17:1, 3; I Cor. 8:6), showing in the process that the so-called Trinity is unscriptural. He preached that faith without good works is dead (James 2:17, 14, 22) and that man should enter Christ’s fold or flock, which is the Church Of Christ, in order to be saved (John 10:9 Revised English Bible; Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation; Eph. 5:23). The legacy Against all odds, Brother Felix Manalo carried out his divine mission to teach God’s pure teachings for man’s salvation in these last days. This he devotedly fulfilled until he breathed his last on April 12, 1963, full of years and momentous accomplishments. The words that he had performed are the very proofs of his commissioning as God’s messenger. Both Cyrus the Great and the “ravenous bird” were entrusted with God-given mission. The Perisan king conquered earthly kingdoms for the Lord, while Brother Felix Manalo subdued false faiths by revealing God’s wisdom that leads to salvation.

Comments (I’ll make it short, I KNOW THIS IS ALREADY LONG. STOP JUDGING ME)****:
The rest of the article lists some teachings of Manalo’s that are beyond the scope of the Cyrus discussion, so will not be mentioned here. And in the end, they always make it about Manalo. Since there is no prophecy about Manalo that shows up randomly in verses about Babylon and Cyrus, or in any verses in general, Manalo can be dismissed as the messenger they make him out to be.
***************************************************************************************WTL;DR,BTPIAKOLSIS (Way Too Long; Didn’t Read, But This Part Is Also Kind Of Long So I’m Sorry)
Felix Manalo is most obviously not referenced in Isaiah 46:11, or Isaiah in general, simply because of the context. This entire section of Isaiah is about the prophesied defeat of Babylon (shown both before and after the Isaiah 46:11 verse), carried out by King Cyrus II. Other Asian churches also use this verse to say they are the true church from the far East, like followers of the South Korean Jesus, Christ Ahnsahnghong. “Bird of prey” or “ravenous bird” can also be translated as “eagle” from Hebrew. It is correlated with King Cyrus because his banner was a golden eagle, as used in the Achaemenid Empire. There is also a biblical pattern of monarchs like Cyrus being compared to eagles or birds because of how swiftly they act or attack. There is no reason that Manalo would need to act that way. As for the “far east” claim, the Hebrew word is “mizrach”, which in fact does not mean “far east”. The article even quotes that “mizrach is used of the far east with a less definite signification”. This means it is just an unspecified east direction, not the modern version of the Far East. The same word is used over 70 times in the Bible and in each case does not mean the Far East, even other places near the Mediterranean Sea. The word “kedem” that INC says means “immediate east” is used without preference with “mizrach”. INC would agree that Isaiah 41:2 is about Cyrus, because of how Cyrus subdued nations, but it uses the word “mizrach”. Lastly, they claim that Manalo fulfills the Isaiah 46:11 prophecy because the righteousness in the verse is the same thing as preaching the gospel. However, they incorrectly think that righteousness is the same thing as the gospel. Preaching the gospel isn’t necessary for there to be righteousness. Therefore, Cyrus fits the bill for this prophecy.
***************************************************************************************TL;DR
Isaiah 46:11 refers to King Cyrus II, and not to Felix Manalo.
Have a good day :)

Dear SHEIN,
So I jumped on the Temu bandwagon because I wanted to make my own assessment of their products.
I gotta say, I’m not loving it. I don’t think I will be shopping there again. Plus, I feel like I cheated on you with someone who’s not as pretty. Lol.
But since I’ve already stepped out on you (forgive me), Here’s my review on the clothes below:
I definitely don’t care for the material. It’s all made cheaply and from a polyester blend (Not like your fabrics where you use nothing but the finest quality of materials with the best polyester to plastic ratio)♥️.
The Pink set is super thin and feels like pajamas and I’m very sure it will either shrink up or tear up on the first wash and dry.
The green dress is also thin. If I move the wrong way, you can see ever dent, dip, and dimple I have. Lol.
The black set is a thick polyester that feels like I’m wearing an Asian inspired costume. The bodysuit part of this outfit is too short in the seat so I had a very hard time getting it snapped together, then it went right into my butt because it’s too short.
The only one I did like was the yellow striped set but it too is not the best material and it’s thin, but I was okay with how it looked on me. However I feel like it too will shrink up significantly after one wash and dry.
🤷🏾‍♀️ curiosity got the best of me. Now I know.
I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me and take me back.
Love your favorite fatahionista, Mae 🫶🏿

https://preview.redd.it/17jvxhkw1v2b1.jpg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=129829a6145a7749d5bbe9d1989d21d28708beb0

Everyday verse

1 Peter 3:12
ESV

• For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

AMP

• “For the eyes of the Lord are [looking favorably] upon the righteous (the upright), And His ears are attentive to their prayer (eager to answer), But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil.”

KJV

• For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

NIV

• For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
• NLV
• The Lord watches over those who are right with Him. He hears their prayers. But the Lord is against those who sin.”

What does 1 Peter 3:12 mean?

This verse continues Peter's reference to David's Psalm 34, verses 12–16. What David wrote describes the very specific choices made by those who want to love life and see good days.
Peter cites David's words after declaring that Christians must not try to "even the score," when insulted or treated with evil intent. Instead, we must give a blessing in exchange (1 Peter 3:9). In these verses, Peter shows how this is to our benefit. Those who want to love life and see good days refuse to use words to harm even those who have harmed them (1 Peter 3:10) and, instead, turn from evil and do good, searching for and chasing peace (1 Peter 3:11).
Finally, in this verse, Peter affirms David's statement that God sees all of this. He is watching. He is paying attention. He knows, and He cares about those set apart for His purposes. Specifically, God is paying attention to the righteous. Peter has already made it clear that Jesus, perfectly righteous, paid the penalty for our sin when he died on the cross (1 Peter 2:22–24). Paul adds that those who trust in Christ have been made righteous by what He has done for us (Romans 3:21–25).
So God is paying attention to all Christians, to all who are His people in Jesus. His ears are open to our prayers. He is ready and willing to hear us as we reject the option to repay evil with evil, and choose instead to give good. We are to seek peace. But God also notices those who do evil. David's and Peter's words are meant as a comfort: God does not simply ignore the hurtful actions of those who bring suffering to His people. His face is against the evil ones. Justice will come (Romans 12:19).

Quote of Prayer

Samuel Chadwick

"A season of silence is the best preparation for speech with God."

Let's Pray:
Breathe upon us with Your breath of grace and love, our Father — and give us an evening blessing. Let our prayers rise before You as fragrant incense. Let Your peace be upon us. The shadows have deepened over us — but You are in the shadows — and we are safe. Darkness has no peril, when You are keeping us. Night is as day, when . . . Your eye keeps watch on us, and Your hand protects us, and Your arm embraces us.
We would go to our rest without fear or anxiety — for You are keeping us. Human arms are not strong, though their clasp is very dear. They cannot always enfold us. The strongest of them must drop in the powerlessness of death. But Yours are everlasting arms. Nothing can ever tear away their clasp. Nothing in the universe can separate us from Your love. No one can snatch us out of the hand of our Savior. We bless You for Your love, and for our security in it, and for the eternity of Your grace. Your promises are sure forever. We are as safe as if we were in Heaven — for You are our God and Father and we are Your redeemed children.
Whatever sins we have committed today, may You forgive. If we have done harm to one of Your little ones — may You show us in what way we have done it, and we will seek to undo it. If we have lost temper and have spoken unadvisedly, impatiently, unkindly, or in uncharitableness, of or to any other — we ask forgiveness. Take not Your Holy Spirit from us. Restore unto us the joy of Your salvation. Grant to us grace and teach us the better way, the more excellent way, the way of love. We would show forth Your praise in all our life. Bless us and enable us to manifest Jesus wherever we go. We ask all in the name of Jesus our Redeemer. Amen.

I found this profile last week and she talked about how she used to be a detective and saw the worst of the worst. Posting children in diapers can be just as awful as being fully nude. Sarah has men that comment on her own body saying to position the camera more behind her ass, her TikTok had men saying “I’ll make sure your tits are okay” in her infamous lemme readjust my solidified masses on my chest video, she has men sexualizing her and CATERS TO IT because she knows what she’s posting. If you, a consenting adult, want to allow yourself and your content to be sexualized—go for it. But don’t get all “I’m a married woman” when you post it. But the fact you have your children, where you are visiting, what you’re doing, and showing their bare bodies on the same platforms you allow yourself to be sexualized is disgusting and should be considered an accomplice to such evil acts.