text:
Photography Classes in Newton Grove NC
Are you looking to learn about photography in Newton Grove NC? Whether you are a professional, beginner, or hobbyist, the most effective approach to improving your photography technique is through hands-on training with skilled instructors.
There are many accredited and recognized photography schools in North Carolina. Photography classes cover subjects like lighting, exposure and composition, posing and unposing, portrait capture, and other photography fundamentals. Maturing into an expert photographer can result in a lifelong hobby or successful professional career.
There are numerous Photography Classes in Newton Grove NC:
- Studio Photography Classes in Newton Grove
- Photography 101 in Newton Grove
- Digital Photography Classes in Newton Grove
- Nature Photography Classes in Newton Grove
- Editorial Photography Classes in Newton Grove
- Portrait Photography Classes in Newton Grove
Newton Grove NC Photography Classes
Living Arts College
3000 Wakefield Crossing Drive
Raleigh, North Carolina 27614-7076
Phone: (919) 488-8500
56.25 miles away
Randolph Community College
629 Industrial Pk Ave
Asheboro, North Carolina 27205
Phone: (336) 633-0200
91.60 miles away
Carteret Community College
3505 Arendell St
Morehead City, North Carolina 28557-2989
Phone: (252) 222-6000
94.17 miles away
Coker College
300 E College Ave
Hartsville, South Carolina 29550
Phone: (843) 383-8000
112.13 miles away
Danville Community College
1008 S Main St
Danville, Virginia 24541-4004
Phone: (434) 797-2222
114.85 miles away
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
1533 South Main St.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27117-2189
Phone: (336) 770-3399
124.81 miles away
The Art Institute of Charlotte
2110 Water Ridge Parkway
Charlotte, North Carolina 28217-4536
Phone: (704) 357-8020
145.10 miles away
Central Virginia Community College
3506 Wards Rd
Lynchburg, Virginia 24502-2498
Phone: (434) 832-7600
159.72 miles away
The Art Institute of Virginia Beach
4500 Main St Ste 100
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462
Phone: (757) 493-6700
169.81 miles away
Thomas Nelson Community College
99 Thomas Nelson Drive
Hampton, Virginia 23666
Phone: (757) 825-2700
170.04 miles away


text:
Ian Fleming wrote a handful of James Bond stories that explored new territory; they didn't seem to be "typical" Bond excursions -- The Spy Who Loved Me and Quantum of Solace were two of the most striking examples in this pack. It seems ironic that both lost their titles to films that had nothing to do with their content. SMERSH was clearly too old for this generation, but naming the organisation Quantum was/is a stretch. It's just too convenient. It would also be wise to perish any hope of seeing any trace of the meaning of the delectable phrase from Fleming in the film. Bond is still suffering emotionally, but all that was chucked in favour of a dogpile of crash-boom-bang.
The chaos and confusion in the opening chase is, as far as I can tell, enough evidence that Marc Forster (who made the reasonably engaging Monster's Ball, the compelling Finding Neverland and the interesting Stranger Than Fiction) cannot handle action. Having chosen to yield the unhealthy fetish for shaky-cam/jerki-cam and having opted for an editing style that looks like someone was in a real hurry to make it to a conference with Mother Nature should be state's exhibits. The opening chase has received plaudits in many quarters; all I could figure out was that a lot of automotive equipment was trashed and some people died. The feeling of having missed most of the details came later during the second chase -- which ends with Bond shooting the traitor dead. By the time the end (not a bang but a whimper) came, I realised that there was nothing in this film to even match the parkour chase from Casino Royale.
The film has its share of references to older Bond films, the most obvious one being the nod to Goldfinger (with the twist of replacing gold with oil). It also packs tributes to Alfred Hitchcock (Vertigo, North By Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much). Mercifully, these references, unlike the hubris that buried Die Another Day, are not distracting. The rest of the film, however, is. Daniel Craig's faithful reading of the character is a saving grace. He remains unscathed by the morass around him, as does Judi Dench. The two deserve better as did all of us who awaited a more worthy successor to Casino Royale.
I fear that Craig's stint as Bond might look like Brosnan's -- starting off well, Brosnan ended up figuring in films that strove define new nadirs in the canon with their growing love for bombastic villains, flashy gadgets, quips and soulless action. Unless they decide to hire someone who disagrees with people like Paul Greengrass, there seems little hope.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
DHS Speculation/
If you google "Susan Collins DHS" a laundry list of websites appear with articles entitled "Susan Collins: No thanks on DHS Secretary". This breaks my heart.
If you've read my blog like… at all… you probably noticed that I have a slight *tendency* to take issue with, shall we say, certain Right Wing politicians. As such it may seem out of character for me to write an entire blogpost about why Senator Susan Collins (R - ME) WOULD BE THE BEST PERSON IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD TO BE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
The History:
Here's the deal. Pre-2001 FEMA was its own cabinet level agency meaning it had a direct line to the President. Since middlemen slow the process and events of these nature are time sensitive this was really helpful. It allowed the director of FEMA to directly communicate with the President during national incidents so things could get done ASAP. This is particularly important because a Presidential Declaration is needed to open up federal resources - read: FEMA. After 9/11 President W.B. felt a reorganization of the federal government was needed because of "lessons learned" from having to coordinate a GAZILLION agencies in NYC. Among the many changes post-9/11 was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS… yay acronyms). Okay… seems legit. EXCEPT THAT IT ENVELOPED FEMA.
Why is this a problem?
The US has gone back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth again about which should be the top priority of the federal government (and in turn the states and localities)
Civil Defense or Natural Disasters?
This either/ or dichotomy follows current world events. During the Cold War it was all about Civil Defense…
You get a fallout shelter! You get a fallout shelter! You get a fallout shelter!
During times of peace, and following major natural disasters mitigation efforts, led by the federal government, have been acknowledged and attempted. Post-9/11 our all hazards planning approach turned into a frenzied KILL ALL THE TERRORISTS, HURRICANES AREN'T REAL LIFE planning approach.
Okay, that is a little overstated but you get the point.
Is terrorism something we need to worry about and plan for?
Yes, of course.
Should we stop planning and funding for natural disasters to focus on civil defense?
Well, I think August 29, 2005 answered that.
Okay so with the creation of DHS, FEMA was demoted from their cabinet level status and had their budget… well in the words of our crass and classless governor… they didn't use vaseline. So then Katrina happened…
WTF is going on with this chain of command
But since he's moved on, we should too.
Point: FEMA under DHS = Bad
At the risk of sounding overdramatic one could easily argue that moving FEMA under DHS was the most asinine decision of the W.B. presidency.
Janet Napolitano, of this gun wielding photo fame.
Present Day:
Janet Napolitano, current Secretary of DHS
announced she is resigning her post
of four years to become the first woman president of University of California. This is very cool. Three cheers for GIRL POWER. So DHS is going to be secretary-less come August.
This is where my girl SuCo (Susan Collins for you non-Mainers) comes in. I'll be honest, the thought never even occurred to me, but once the internet speculated and put it in my head I became obsessed with the possibility of SuCo taking over DHS and SAVING AMERICA.
How SuCo Could Save America:
In order for a new Secretary to be appointed Obama needs approval from Congress. Since 98% of public support isn't enough to get something passed in Congress right now I think we can all agree that we shouldn't hold our breath when it comes to the 113th. EXCEPT when it comes to SuCo. EVERYONE LOVES HER. Seriously she's basically the only old school Moderate Republican left in America. Go ahead, call her a RINO... she's a BEAST. If anyone can get through Congress its SuCo.
She might be from Maine but don't underestimate this woman. Her resume more than qualifies her. She's the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and she's from Caribou. She was literally a lumberjack. I've never heard of a terrorist messing with a lumberjack…
have you?
Most importantly if you've followed her career you know that she's smart. She doesn't make rash decisions and thinks through tasks at hand while carefully deliberating probabilities and possibilities. She has an insanely long history of crossing party lines and will work with anyone necessary if it means getting goals accomplished.
So What Now:
Well first of all, let's all cross our fingers that Collins saying
was just a 3 month late April Fool's Day joke. SuCo and many others have suggested Thad Allen (of Katrina and BP fame).
of some other speculations.
Numerous factors are at play so I guess we'll all just have to wait and see. Although… I will be in DC next week… Maybe I'll stop by her office and test out those "open door policies" we're all promised during campaigns… I'm a convincing person right?
If you're curious and want more information about how this whole system works I would recommend
because it explains everything I just did in more detail and less sass. She's also known as the "Recovery Diva" and
- I think it should go without saying that I'm jealous of her blog title.


text:
Superfood Energy Bites/
While traveling in Thailand a few years ago, I discovered a few different places selling raw energy bites with spirulina, which were absolutely delicious. I had made my own energy bars with spirulina in the past, but was never happy with the taste. Upon tasting versions that I loved during my travels, I knew I had to try making my own again. These delicious morsels are now on regular rotation in my kitchen. Packed with superfoods and healthy fats, a few of these bites make the perfect snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you full for hours.
Superfood Energy Bites - Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free
1 1/2 cup raw nuts (I used half walnuts and half cashews)
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
2/3 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa
1 heaping cup dates
2-3 TBSP spirulina
1 t turmeric
Generous pinch of sea salt
2-3 TBSP melted coconut oil
2 TBSP pure maple syrup or raw honey
1 TBSP bee pollen (omit for vegan version)
Process nuts and seeds in your food processor and process until well ground. Add the remainder of the ingredients and process until mixture begins to stick together. You can shape these into balls and roll in additional seeds (like I did in the photo above) or press into an 8x8 pan and slice into squares. Tip: if you are opting to slice into squares, place your pan in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to allow the bars to firm up (this will make them easier to slice). Store in the fridge for up to one week, or freeze to keep longer.
For nutrition nerds like me, here are some fun facts on the superfoods that make these bites so healthy:
- Chia seeds- These tiny seeds are an excellent source of fiber (which helps you feel full longer) and protein, and they are the richest known plant source of omega-3 fatty acids (good fats!).
- Raw Cacao - Raw cacao is the number one source of magnesium of any food on the planet, contains 314% of your recommended daily intake of iron per serving, and has the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world. Yes, chocolate can be a health food!
- Coconut oil - Coconut oil is a raw saturated fat containing mostly medium-chain fatty acids that the body can metabolize efficiently and convert to energy quickly, which makes it a great option for athletes. Coconut oil is also considered to be anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial.
-Spirulina - Spirulina consists of about 70% protein, the highest concentration of protein found in any food! Not only that, but it is also a complete protein source (which means it contains all eight essential amino acids).
- Turmeric - In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is considered a whole body cleansing herb and has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation.
- Hemp seeds - Also known as hemp hearts, hemp seeds are another complete protein source and are easily digested and absorbed by the body.
Source of nutritional info (besides what I have collected in my brain over the years): David Wolfe's Longevity Warehouse (which is a GREAT resource if you are interested in learning more about superfoods).
Hope you have a sweet and sunny Saturday!


text:
© 1998-2019, Palestinian Media Watch, All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction permitted, with the following attribution:
© Palestinian Media Watch – www.palwatch.org
PA and Fatah personalities
Tawfiq Tirawi
PA and Fatah honor imprisoned terrorist at rally "under the auspices" of Abbas
Official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida - Jan. 20, 2019
Headline: "Under the auspices of the [PA] president and with wide official and popular presence – Tulkarem honors prisoner Maher Younes on the completion of 37 (sic., 36) years of his imprisonment"
"In cooperation with the family of prisoner Maher Younes (i.e., terrorist, murdered 1 together with an accomplice) and under the auspices of [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas, the Tulkarem district yesterday [Jan. 19, 2019] held a rally of solidarity with prisoner Younes on the completion of 37 (sic., 36) years of his imprisonment in the occupation's prison. The event was held at the Prisoner Maher Younes Plaza in Tulkarem, with the participation of Fatah Movement Deputy Chairman and President [Abbas'] representative Mahmoud Al-Aloul; Fatah Movement Central Committee member [and Fatah Commissioner of Popular Organizations] Tawfiq Tirawi; prisoner Younes' mother and his family from the Interior (i.e., Palestinian term for Israel); Tulkarem District Governor Issam Abu Bakr; Director of [PLO] Commission of Prisoners' Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr; and [PA-funded] Prisoners' Club Chairman Qadura Fares… Al-Aloul conveyed the blessings of President [Abbas] and the leadership to prisoner Maher Younes, his family, and all of our heroic prisoners in the occupation's prison… He noted that Tawfiq Tirawi informed him that the board of governors of Al-Istiqlal University (i.e., the PA Security Forces university in Jericho) has decided to present prisoner Maher Younes with an honorary certificate in military science as a sign of appreciation for his role and sacrifice. Al-Aloul added: 'The prisoners' sacrifice is one of the greatest kinds of sacrifice, because they have sacrificed their freedom for the freedom of their people and their homeland. Therefore they are in the hearts of the members of our people, who recompense loyalty with loyalty through solidarity rallies like these in Tulkarem and the rest of the homeland's districts.'"
Click to view bulletin
Maher Younes - Israeli Arab serving a 40-year sentence for kidnapping and murdering Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1980 together with his cousin Karim Younes. Younes was originally sentenced to life in prison, but Israeli President Shimon Peres reduced his sentence in 2012.
Previous Article
Next Article
Join PMW's campaign to close Fatah's terror promoting Facebook page
Click to send email to Facebook #CloseFatahFB
PMW report: Fatah's official Facebook page in 2018
A platform for glorifying murder and promoting terror
PMW report: The Rajoub File
PMW report: The Rajoub File
PMW report: The PA's billion dollar fraud
PMW report: The PA's billion dollar fraud
PMW on Facebook
Follow PMW on Facebook
PMW on Twitter
Follow PMW on Twitter
PMW on YouTube
Subscribe to PMW's YouTube channel
PMW report on PA Antisemitism - Overview of 2015
PMW special report: PA Antisemitism - Overview of 2015
Purchase "Deception"
directly from PMW
PMW report on PA education
A recipe for hate and terror
Gaza War 2014
See PMW coverage of the war
Home Page
Videos & TV
Op-eds & books
PMW Bulletins
Special Reports
About Us
PMW Impact
Support Us
Contact Us
© 1997-2019 Palestinian Media Watch
Reproduction Rights


text:
Tag Archives: Hart Publishing
Euthanasia and Law in Europe
By John Griffiths is Professor of Sociology of Law (Emeritus) at the University of Groningen. Heleen Weyers is Lecturer in Legal Theory at the University of Groningen. Maurice Adams is… Read more »
Feminist Judgments: From Theory to Practice
By Rosemary Hunter is a Professor at the University of Kent. Clare McGlynn is a Professor at Durham University. Erika Rackley is a Senior Lecturer in Law at Durham University…. Read more »
The Legal Foundations of INTERPOL
By Dr Rutsel Silvestre J Martha is a former General Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs of INTERPOL. He is currently the General Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs of… Read more »
The Outer Limits of European Union Law
By Catherine Barnard is Professor in European Union and Employment Law, Jean Monnet Chair of EU Law, Fellow of Trinity College and Co-Director of the Centre for European Legal Studies… Read more »
Modern Studies in Property Law: Volume 5
By Martin Dixon is a Reader in the Department of Land Economy and a Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge. Description This book is a collection of papers given at the… Read more »
Hearsay Evidence in Criminal Proceedings (Criminal Law Library)
By JR Spencer QC is Professor of Law in the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Selwyn College. He is also the author of Evidence of Bad Character (Hart… Read more »
The International Court of Justice and Self-Defence in International Law (Studies in International Law)
By James A Green is a lecturer in law at the University of Reading. Description The legal rules governing the use of force between States is one of the most… Read more »
Engaging with Foreign Law
By Sir Basil Markesinis QC is a Fellow of the British Academy, a Foreign Fellow of the Accademia dei Lincei of Rome, the Royal Belgian Academy of Arts and Sciences… Read more »
The Democratic Aspects of Trade Union Recognition
By Alan Bogg is a Fellow and Tutor in Law of Hertford College, Oxford. Description The long ascendancy of pluralism and 'collective laissez-faire' as a guiding ideology of British labour… Read more »
The German Criminal Code: A Modern English Translation (Studies in International and Comparative Criminal Law)
By Michael Bohlander had been a member of the German judiciary for over 13 years before he joined the Department of Law of Durham University in 2004. From 1999 until… Read more »


text:
Begotten With a live soundtrack by The Begotten
£6, 8pm for 8.30pm start
Begotten (USA 1990, Dir Elias Merhige) 72mins
With a live soundtrack by The Begotten (William Fowler, Justin Harries, Mark Pilkington)
God disembowels himself with a straight razor.
The spirit-like Mother Earth emerges, venturing into a bleak, barren landscape.
Twitching and cowering, the Son Of Earth is set upon by faceless cannibals as a new Aeon is born.
A film cultist's delight, the breathtakingly stark Begotten presents birth, life and death as an endless procession of the damned, crawling through filth to a new aeon, accompanied by a soundtrack of cricket stridulations. Painstakingly shot and processed on black and white reversal film, director Merhige claims that each minute of film took ten hours to process and distress.
Banned in Singapore and long unavailable on DVD, Begotten has been described by Susan Sontag as "one of the 10 most important films of modern times".
Tonight's screening will be accompanied by The Begotten's live, improvised soundtrack for guitar and electronics.


text:
Why I'm Done With Minimalism
My husband often tells a story about how his cat bit him near his eye when he was a little boy. Sad, right? Well, kind of... that is until later in the story when you find out that he loved this little cat so much that he would squeeze it until the cat, who was clearly being tortured and couldn't breathe, bit him one day.
His love for the cat was unintentionally suffocating it. Now granted, he was three-years-old and had no idea what he was doing. Let's all forgive the guy.
Why is this story relevant? I'm getting to the punchline…
Like with any new thing or concept that we truly love, it seems even as adults we take it to the extreme. Just look at what we did to pumpkin spice or poor Damn Daniel. We have a habit of squeezing something so tightly that it turns around and bites us in the face. Okay, so maybe not literally but you get the picture?
Minimalism started out as such a good thing. But somewhere along the way the love that we once had for this concept turned into an obsession. It became less about what minimalism stood for and more about the word "minimal." We started using it as an excuse to judge others, including ourselves, for every clothing purchase or thing we owned. It became a race to own nothing and an alternative vice.
The purpose of minimalism
If we look back at the purpose of minimalism, it wasn't necessarily to be minimal. Although yes, that was and still is a valid side-effect. Instead, it was intended to help us pursue a very personal, purpose-driven life, one where we focused not on things but on what's important to us as individuals—so we could find meaning, joy, and freedom.
The hard work isn't in getting rid of a bunch of junk in the basement (though that is a lot of work). The work is in figuring out what it is that we truly value. If our focus is only on having less things, one could argue that we are in no better place than when we started becoming minimalists, which brings me to the crux of this story.
Minimalism is sometimes just too much.
Growing up, I would often hear my mom say "everything in moderation", normally after eating a few peanut M&Ms. I have never truly understood that phrase until now. So, to clear up any confusion, maybe it's time we change the word minimalism to something less fuzzy?
Let's be reasonable instead.
Using our reason in our lives to decide what is valuable and what is excessive is the very thing that minimalism has often come to ignore. Practicing "reasonablism" isn't actually all that different from what practicing minimalism once was. However, you can be too focused on being minimal, but it's much harder to be too focused on being reasonable.
I love clothing, but I don't think owning more of it helps me live a more meaningful life or makes me anymore stylish. But I also don't think it's reasonable to own only 15 items of clothing or live in a tiny house if you have a family of 7.
Let's try buying less — knowing that happiness cannot be bought — and discovering more so we can figure out what we truly want in this life.
Sound reasonable enough? I think so.


text:
Arab Israeli Conflict
Middle East News
Israel News
Hi Tech News
Tu BiShvat Ceremony with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
(photo credit: KKL-JNF)
Signs of the wildfires that blazed around Haifa in November can still be plainly seen in the woodlands on the outskirts of the city. Nonetheless, a little green has begun to creep back into the damaged areas, thanks to the planting events in celebration of Tu BiShvat.
"There is no more appropriate a place to celebrate Tu BiShvat than here in Haifa," declared President Reuven Rivlin.
"The spate of fires caused damage all over the country, but Haifa suffered the most. We need a great deal of strength to set out and build things up all over again. But by planting trees we have helped nature, in all its wondrous variety, to begin to renew itself."
KKL-JNF World Chairman Danny Atar told those present how KKL-JNF's firefighting teams had battled to save the forests and the diverse wildlife that lives in them, and had fought to rescue every possible tree.
"KKL-JNF will continue to stand by you and help you," he promised the residents of Haifa. "We shall paint Mount Carmel green once more, and the brown burnt areas from the fire will disappear. And we shall do this everywhere, all over the country."
Jewish and Arab schoolchildren from all over the city came to take part in the planting event, side by side. Among them were Shahar Zechariah, an eighth-grader from Haifa's Leo Baeck School, and Malbus Shimberi, from Al-Hiwar School, whose name means "Dialogue" in Arabic.
"Tu BiShvat symbolizes our love for the land and our connection to nature," explained Shahar. "Our city can serve as a beacon of hope for the rest of the country. We children have the strength to build bridges between all the different sections of society, without politics."
Malbus shared the emotions she had experienced when she saw her hometown going up in flames: "My heart was sore, and I couldn't understand how it was possible to burn such a beautiful forest so cruelly. Today we're overcoming our difficulties and encouraging new growth," she said.
Watch video on the rehabilitative plantings in Haifa with President Reuven Rivlin


text:
couples with children
Marrieds Group
Once a month on the weekend at various homes near Park West.
Our Connect Group gathers for a time of fellowship over dinner, study and prayer. Childcare is offered for $5 at the church.
Interested in joining? Contact Abby Price.
Marrieds Group
Once per month on Fridays at 7:00 p.m. at a member's home in Mount Pleasant.
We are a middle-aged group growing in faith and meeting for fellowship, followed by a Bible study or sermon discussion.
Interested in joining? Contact Abby Price.


text:
September 2, 2018
Daniel 10
The Royal Air Force
Pastor Bryan Watson
Our scripture passage for today is Daniel, Chapter 10, the whole chapter. Once again, I'm going to go through this chapter verse by verse, but before I do, let's open with a word of prayer.
If you recall, in my last sermon on Daniel, we found Daniel interceding in prayer for his people, the Jews. It was the first year of Darius, and Daniel realized that the Jews were about to be released from captivity in Babylon to return to Jerusalem. In response to his prayer, God sends the angel Gabriel to deliver a prophecy to Daniel about the first and second coming of Christ, and the end of history as we know it.
Let us pick up in chapter 10. For context, chapters 10 through 12 are to be taken as a single unit. They are actually a single vision, with an incredible amount of detail. So much detail, in fact, that this vision is the real reason that liberal scholars want to assign a date about 400 years more recent than is actually true, because they want to believe that Daniel wrote down these events after the fact, not before.
Verse 1: In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.
Right away, in verse 1, Daniel gives us the time period. It is the third year of Cyrus, and therefore somewhere between 4 and 6 years after Daniel's prayer and prophecy in Chapter 9. The year is probably 535 or 534 BC, and we also know that Daniel, being around 90 years old at this time, has probably retired from official duties in the kingdom, because way back in Chapter 1, verse 21, it says that "Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus."
It's almost like Daniel knew that in the future people would try to discredit his writings as being a fraud, or written by someone else, because he clearly identifies himself here, as "Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar." There may have been other "Daniels", present and future, but it was THIS Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar, who wrote this book.
It's also clear by verse 1 that Daniel understood the message and the vision. These weren't some writings by a senile old man as some have tried to proclaim, and Daniel emphasizes that the message is true, because he knows there are people who are going to look at this prophecy in disbelief.
But the phrase I really want to look at here is the part about "the appointed time was long." The translation I am using here is the New King James Version, which I consider one of the better translations available. However, it is always good to have a couple of good translations handy because it can help you with context in certain cases. In this particular case, the New King James Version isn't the best reflection of the original Hebrew written by Daniel. In this particular instance, both the New American Standard Bible and English Standard Version more accurately reflect the original Hebrew by saying, "and it was a great conflict". As we will see, the vision given to Daniel, and the experience of the messenger who gives it to Daniel, is filled with war in both the earthly and the heavenly realms.
Verses 2 and 3: In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.
Verse 3: I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
So, for three entire weeks, Daniel was mourning. He was really upset. No pleasant food. Nothing but mincemeat for 3 weeks, probably.
And he didn't anoint himself at all for 3 weeks. This probably wasn't religious anointing, but more likely related to personal hygiene. The application of ointment would have been like the application of deodorant. He was in rough shape after 3 weeks of mourning.
The fact that he ate no pleasant food is significant, because the next verse indicates that this three week period ends on the 24th day of the first month. That means that Daniel was mourning through the observance of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when, as part of their observance, devout Jews were supposed to eat meat and drink wine. Daniel's present suffering was greater than the joy of the Passover and its significance to the Jews in being set free from Egyptian slavery.
But why was he mourning? What had him so upset that he was willing to forsake personal hygiene and refuse to acknowledge Jewish religious feasts, especially considering how devout he was? After all, it was just a few short years earlier that Cyrus had given the decree to allow the Jews to go back and rebuild Jerusalem.
The reality was, however, that many of the Jews of the new generation had grown accustomed to life in Babylon. They didn't know Jerusalem, and they really had no burning desire to give up their homes and positions in Babylon to return to Jerusalem and do the hard work of rebuilding. As a result, only a fraction of the Jews returned in Daniel's lifetime. Daniel may have thought that the Jews themselves were celebrating Passover in vain, if they were celebrating at all, because Cyrus had opened their cage and they refused to walk out. How can you celebrate freedom when you remain in bondage by choice?
Furthermore, the few Jews who did return faced tremendous difficulties as described in the book of Ezra. Daniel was deeply troubled by the plight of his people. In his heart, he probably longed to return to Jerusalem himself and lead them, but his own personal reality was that he was around 90 years old and was very near the end of his own life. The journey back to Jerusalem would be too difficult, and he probably also felt compelled to stir up the Jews who remained in Babylon to motivate them to return to a home most of them would have never seen.
Verse 4: Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris,
So, at this moment, Daniel is not in Babylon, but is at the banks of the Tigris river. We don't know why he is there, and the Bible never tells us. Various commentaries say that Daniel would have been about 30 miles from Babylon when he had this experience.
Verses 5 and 6: I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!
Verse 6: His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
Some scholars assume that this is the angel Gabriel that Daniel sees, but I disagree. First of all, Daniel has already seen Gabriel twice, and would recognize him, as he did in Chapter 9. The Bible doesn't say exactly who this is, but there are some clues we can draw from in order to make a reasonable assumption.
Let's begin by looking at Revelation 1: 12-15 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
Does this description sound familiar? I've put the similarities in yellow text. Reading on in Daniel 10:7, we have some more clues:
Verse 7: And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
Compare this with Paul's Damascus Road experience in Acts 9, when Jesus appears to him while he was still named Saul. Acts 9:7 - The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
Reading on in Daniel 10 Verses 8, and 9:
Verse 8: Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength.
Verse 9: Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
Let's compare this with Revelation 1:17 - When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
Yes, I think it's reasonable to conclude that this first "man" that Daniel encountered wasn't an angel at all, but rather, was the pre-incarnate Christ in His glory. This is called a "Christophany".
At this point, a new character enters the stage.
Verses 10 and 11: Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands.
Verse 11: And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
The reason I believe that this verse refers to a different person is because IF I believe that the first person here is the pre-incarnate Christ, then this person MUST be somebody different because Christ is omnipotent, or all-powerful, and this person clearly is not, when we get to verse 13. Many scholars believe that this announcing angel who was sent to Daniel and speaks with Daniel is none other than the angel Gabriel. This could be, but again, he is not mentioned by name, and Daniel had already seen Gabriel twice and would probably have recognized him. Regardless of whether or not this is Gabriel, it is obviously a messenger from God. Notice how he refers to Daniel as "greatly beloved." This is similar to how the Apostle John was addressed, and both were given great prophetic visions that included the glorified Christ. Daniel, in the book of Daniel, and John in the book of Revelation.
Verse 12: Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.
When Daniel first started praying three weeks ago, at the beginning of his mourning and fasting, his prayers were heard and the angel was immediately sent in response. Matthew 6:8 says, "your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." So we can be confident that our prayers are heard in heaven when we pray with humble hearts that are eager to understand the will of God. But something happened along the way. Let's read on.
Verse 13: But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
So, who is this prince of Persia that would hold up an angel who had been sent by the living God? First of all, the use of the word "prince" here does not refer to a member of some ruling human monarchy. This is actually a demonic force, sent by satan himself, to thwart the plan of God towards the Jewish people and the coming Messiah.
For reference, the Apostle Paul, writing in Ephesians 2:2, says, "… you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,…"
And in Ephesians 6, leading up to his instructions about the Armor God, Paul says in verses 10 through 12 "10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places…"
I wonder how serious we would be about our relationship with God if we were actually allowed to see the spiritual realm around us.
In 2 Kings 6, the king of Syria wants to do battle against Israel, but in order to be successful, he knows he needs to get the prophet Elisha out of the way. So he sends his army to the town of Dothan, where Elisha is living, in order to capture him. Elisha's servant is terrified. Reading from 2 Kings 6:16-17, "So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
People are so deceived into thinking that what we experience here on earth is reality. When confronted with matters of faith, people respond with, "I'm a realist. I'm grounded in reality. I believe in what I can see." Foolishly, they don't understand that the spiritual realm IS the ultimate reality. It existed before Creation did, and it will exist after God brings history to an end. It is from the spiritual realm that the physical realm came to be. This temporal world that we are living in isn't our ultimate reality at all. So we had all better think carefully about our relationship with the spiritual side of life, and get that part right before we run out of runway down here. We really have no idea what is actually going on around us.
That being said, as Christians, while are to be respectfully aware of the spiritual realm and the forces of darkness, we are NOT to be afraid of it. Remember the 2nd part of Daniel 10:13 - and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.
One of satan's great tricks is to deceive us into thinking that he is an equal, but opposite force to God. Or that somehow, God is unaware, unwilling, or unable to act. That's the premise of horror movies, but that is fiction. It is not true. God is definitely aware of the battle. He sends help when we need it, and if we will accept it, victory is certain. Those fiery chariots that Elisha's servant saw? Those were the good guys. Remember, the armor of God in Ephesians 6 says that when we put it on, we WILL be able to withstand in the evil day, and with the shield of faith, we WILL be able to quench ALL of the fiery darts of the evil one.
The Bible says in 1 John 4:4, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
That being said, it is also wise to remember that pride goes before a fall. As Christians, we should avoid occult activity of all kinds: horoscopes, fortune tellers, Ouija boards, Yoga and other Eastern Mysticism practices, and all that junk. Thinking that we can somehow participate in that garbage without it coming back to bite us because we are "Christians" is like grabbing a dog by the ears. Proverbs 6:27 says, "Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?" Acts 19 tells the account of seven sons of a Jewish priest named Sceva. They tried to do battle with a demon by invoking "the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches." The demon, in reply, said to them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" (Acts 19:15). And those seven sons got the beating of their lives by the demon-possessed man. They thought they were something because they could throw these names about, but without an honest, authentic relationship with Christ, they were no match for the demon.
Continuing on in Daniel 10 Verses 14 through 19: Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come."
Verse 15: When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless.
Verse 16: And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, "My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength.
Verse 17: For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me."
Verse 18: Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me.
Verse 19: And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me."
Daniel was so overwhelmed by this encounter that he was left speechless. He lost all of his strength, and he couldn't even breathe! Yet with a touch from the angel, and a command to be strong, Daniel's strength returned to him and he could speak again.
Verse 20: Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come.
The angel is about to tell Daniel why he has come to him, but first, he wants Daniel to be aware that the angel must return to the ongoing battle against the prince of Persia, but after that, the prince of Greece will come. So, here again, we have a prophetic confirmation that the Greek Empire will follow the Persian Empire in the order of world events. But there is something else that the angel alluded to that gives us pause for thought. It makes me wonder if the devil has assigned demons to specific nations. If there was a prince of Persia, and a prince of Greece, is there also a prince of Russia? A prince of America? A prince of Canada? Of Saskatchewan? Of Langenburg?
Folks, it is vital that we pray for our community, our province, our country, and our world. If we, as believers who should understand the battle, are sitting on the sidelines, what chance do our leaders have to understand truth and make good and wise decisions? It doesn't matter who is in power or what party they belong to. We have an obligation to pray for them! For their personal relationship with Christ! For wisdom. For wise counsel. And for courage to make godly decisions.
Verse 21: But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me (helps me) against these, except Michael your prince.
Notice the open bracket in the last sentence as Chapter 10 comes to a close… In other words… To Be Continued… Next Week…
Let's pray
September 9, 2018
Daniel 11:1-12
North & South - Part 1
Pastor Bryan Watson
I really struggled with this message because I really wanted to Deliver Chapter 11 in one message. But as I was developing the message, it became very clear early on that I could do that, and race through this chapter so that I could tick off the box that says I'm done, and maybe that would even be a relief to you. But it would be a poorly done message without any lasting value.
Or, I could slow down, go through this properly, and perhaps give you some tools that will help you if and when you decide that you want to understand Daniel for yourself. So that's what I've chosen to do, even though that means we are going to extend our study of Daniel by a couple of messages.
As I've done before, I'm going to work through this passage verse by verse. But before we do, I want you to remember that the book of Daniel was written as prophecy BEFORE the events of the next 400 years unfolded. Because of the accuracy of the prophecies, some liberal scholars have insisted that Daniel was written after the fact, because the only alternative is that the book is supernatural in nature, and we can't have that now, can we? Yet, there is overwhelming evidence that Daniel was written in the correct time period, as prophecy.
Mark Hitchcock claims that there are at least 135 prophecies that have been fulfilled in Daniel Chapter 11 alone. (Reference, "The Amazing Claims of Bible Prophecy", p55)
John Phillips, in his book Exploring The Future: A Comprehensive Guide to Bible Prophecy, says, "The prophecies of Daniel are recorded in such detail, and so many of them have been so meticulously fulfilled in history, that unbelieving critics have resorted to suggesting a late date for the book. According to them the book of Daniel was written after the prophecies it records took place. That would make the book a forgery, the author a fraud, and its divine inspiration a farce."
You can go back on our website and listen to the evidence I present for the authenticity of Daniel in my sermon called The Book of Daniel: Dominion on Display, from October 29, 2017.
You may be asking yourself why I am going to all this effort to insist that the Book of Daniel is what it says it is. Why am I doing such a deep dive to show that the history is true and the prophecies are true, when maybe what I should really be doing is focusing on other Christian teachings such as love and faithfulness?
It's because study after study shows that people, especially young people, are leaving the church over matters of intellectual skepticism. They simply don't believe that the Bible is true. They see some hypocrite up at the front of the church telling them how they should live and why they should give him their money, and they simply don't believe that God exists. They don't believe in Creation. They don't believe in the Virgin Birth. They don't believe in God-given moral laws. They don't believe!
My goal in going through Daniel is that no matter the shortcomings that you may see in me, or in the church in general, that at least you will believe that God is real, and that He cares about what is going on down here, and the Bible is real, and understandable, and that even if you don't believe in me or in this church, you will at least believe the Bible when it says that God loved the world, and YOU, so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe in HIM would not perish, but have everlasting life. THAT is why I am doing this.
Exciting stuff, huh? But before we unpack Chapter 11, we need to do a brief recap of Chapter 10.
In Chapter 10, Daniel is very distressed, and is praying about the fact that only a handful of Jews have returned to Israel after Cyrus had set them free. In response, Daniel sees a vision of the Pre-Incarnate Christ, and an angel comes and tells Daniel that he is about to give Daniel a prophecy about a great conflict. The angel also tells Daniel that he was delayed due to a battle with a demon in the spiritual realm: the prince of Persia. The angel informs Daniel that the prince of Greece is coming behind the prince of Persia, and then the chapter comes to a close with the angel about to give Daniel the promised message.
By the way, if you look at the sermon notes on the back of your bulletin, I've provided you a list of cast members of this drama, that you can place in your Bibles for future reference.
So, beginning in verse 1, this is the angel speaking:
"Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.)
This is interesting. The angel confirms that the spiritual realm can and does have an unseen influence on the affairs of men, making it even more important that we remember to pray for our political leaders. Who knows what voices are whispering in their ears?
Now, why was it important that the angel confirm and strengthen this pagan proxy king, Darius the Mede? Because Darius the Mede is going to carry out the will of the real ruler, Cyrus the Great, whose will was to allow the Jews to go back to Israel. And why does that matter? Because if the Jews don't go back to Israel, then the Seed of the Woman promised by God way back in Genesis 3 won't be in Israel to deliver the Messiah in Bethlehem as prophesied by Micah. The book of Micah may come after the book of Daniel in the order in which it is placed in our Bibles, but in reality, Micah lived and prophesied about 100 years before Daniel came on the scene. Do you see the spiritual battle going on here? Satan does not want the Messiah to be born, and he knows the prophecies as well as anybody. And believes them. He is trying to stop God's redemptive plan from unfolding, but God has dispatched his angels to ensure His plan succeeds. If that angel doesn't support Darius the Mede in 539 BC, you and I don't have a Saviour. Does that give you a good idea about why the book of Daniel matters to us today?
Verse 2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.
The angel identifies that there are four more Persian kings to come before the Greek Empire takes over. Again, the prophecy about Greece is extremely interesting in that in Daniel's day, Greece was nothing more than an insignificant little gnat in the grand scheme of world empires.
But, is the angel's prophecy about the Persian kings accurate, as judged by history? Well, let's look.
I'm assuming that the angel is not including Darius the Mede or Cyrus the Great in this list, because at the time of the prophecy, they are the current reigning co-regents. The angel says that three MORE kings would arise, and then a fourth:
The first king after Cyrus was Cambyses II, his son, who reigned from 529-522 BC. Cambyses was not mentioned in the Old Testament.
After Cambyses came Pseudo-Smerdis, who reigned from 522-521 BC. He also went by the name of Bardiya, and may have been an imposter posing as Bardiya, the second son of Cyrus the Great.
After Pseudo-Smerdis came Darius I Hystaspes, otherwise known as Darius the Great. He reigned from 521-486 BC, and is mentioned in Ezra 5-6 as the Persian king who issued the decree by which the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem was finally completed.
Finally, after Darius the Great came his son, that notable fourth king, Ahasuerus, also known as Xerxes I. And in case you are wondering, yes, this is THAT Xerxes, who reigned from 486 to 465 BC, and is known in the Bible as the husband of a Jewish girl named Hadassah, otherwise known as Esther.
The Book of Esther tells us that Xerxes "reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia." This was no small empire. Xerxes' wealth was on display when he threw a party that lasted 180 days. And as the angel predicted, Xerxes invaded Greece in order to avenge a defeat suffered by his father at the battle of Marathon. Xerxes took a huge army, (some say 1 million men, others say 2 million men), but God had already decided that the Greeks would supplant the Persians, and Xerxes' defeated army limped home 8 months later, soundly defeated by a far smaller Greek army.
As an interesting side note, it is during the reign of Xerxes that the demonic "Prince of Persia" referred to in Chapter 10 stirred up the heart of the king's servant, Haman, to concoct a plot to wipe out the Jews in Persia. It is likely that this is one of the battles that the Archangel Michael was engaged in, to pave the way for Esther to move the heart of Xerxes to help save the Jews from Annihilation, resulting in the feast of Purim.
But I digress… This isn't interesting at all, is it?
Verse 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
Now, who could this be? Do you remember the vision of the statue from Chapter 2? The belly and thighs of bronze? Or the winged leopard from Chapter 7, built for speed? Or the he-goat from Chapter 8, going so fast it's feet don't even touch the ground? And the single large horn on the goat's head? Well, here comes young Alexander the Great, 22 years old and conquering the world faster than anybody before or since. And he destroys the Ram known as Persia, and has great dominion, and does according to his will, until finally at 33 he sits in Nebuchadnezzar's palace in Babylon, crying because there is nothing more for him to conquer.
But do you know what the glorious result of this was? Alexander set the stage for Greek culture to spread across the known world as the culture and language of commerce, government, and literature, much like English is today. And in so doing, the stage was set for the translations of various documents into the common language of Greek, so that EVERY citizen could read them. This is how the Septuagint came to be… the translation of the Hebrew Bible of the day, into Greek, at the city of Alexandria in Egypt. And so God is using Greece to make the way for the Hebrew texts to be available to all the world.
And when the Romans came and built roads, the infrastructure was in place for these texts in the common language to actually spread to all the world. You think this stuff just happens by accident? I'm telling you right now that God had, and still has, a plan, and He is working to bring it to fruition, even this very day!
Verse 4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
Apparently, with nothing more to conquer, Alexander became a drunken carouser, and died at age 33 in 323 BC. There is some question about whether or not he was poisoned, but history does not reveal that to us.
I mentioned in an earlier sermon that Alexander had no heirs, or no posterity, to pass the throne on to. The fact is, he had a mentally handicapped brother, an illegitimate son, and a wife who was pregnant when he died. All were murdered shortly after Alexander died, and after a major tournament of the board game Risk, 4 of Alexander's generals became the 4 horns on the goat from chapter 8, or the four winds of heaven here in chapter 11.
Ptolemy in Egypt
Seleucus in Babylon and Syria
Lysimachus in Thrace, which is modern-day Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece
Cassander in Macedonia and Greece
Again, after a period of time and more weekends playing Risk, Ptolemy and Seleucus emerged as the dominant forces.
Warring Kings of North and South
Before moving on to verse 5, there is something I want you to see and remember. This slide shows that Seleucus, or Syria, is in the North… the Kings of the North. Ptolemy is in Egypt, which is in the South… the Kings of the South.
But what's in the middle? Israel. So when the North goes to fight against the South, who get trampled? Israel. And when the South goes to fight against the North, who is the 98-pound weakling who gets sand kicked in its face? Israel. As Pastor Meno Kalisher from Jerusalem Assembly House of Redemption in Israel puts it, "Syria is the head. Egypt is the feet. Whenever they go to fight against each other, who gets the backache? Israel!"
But there's also a spiritual way of looking at this. The Prince of Greece, that demonic entity that came on the scene after Michael dealt with the Prince of Persia, would like nothing more than to wipe out the Seed of the Woman before it can give birth to Jesus, the Messiah. So in the verses that follow, we're going to see how this demonic force stirs up the Seleucids in the North and the Ptolemies in the South to fight one another constantly, traipsing back and forth over Israel, and sometimes doing battle right in the land of Israel, because one stray arrow could terminate the line that God has chosen for His Son to be born. But while the Bible doesn't say it directly, it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that the angel Michael had been dispatched to make sure that the Royal Seed was protected.
Do you see why this matters? This isn't just a book about history. This is truly about HIS STORY, and THAT's why it's in the Bible!
Verse 5 "Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion.
The King of the South is Ptolemy 1 Soter (323-285 BC). The prince of his who shall gain power over him is Seleucus 1 Nicator (312-281 BC). How does this work? Isn't Seleucus the King of the North from Syria? Yes. But early on, he was briefly associated with, although inferior to, Ptolemy, for military purposes. Eventually, however, Seleucus does conquer more territory than Ptolemy, and so he becomes greater and more powerful than Ptolemy. Did you know that dictator kings seem to not like it very much when another dictator king is more powerful than they are? We'll see how that plays out later on.
Verse 6 - And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times.
It's all Greek to me!
History tells us that it's not uncommon for kingdoms who wish to make an alliance to arrange for a marriage between the royal families. And that's exactly what happened here.
The King of the South, or Egypt, at that time was Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 BC). Incidentally, he is the king who is credited with the commissioning of the Septuagint. The King of the North, or Syria, was Antiochus II Theos (261-246 BC). Ptolemy had a daughter named Berenice. And by the way, I think that the baby name books from back then were only about a page long. Because when I went to verify my facts here, I found a whole bunch of people from around this time period named Berenice. Our Berenice is in there, but it took me a few minutes to find her. So if you are going to look any of this up, and I encourage you to do just that, be careful to make sure that you are reading about the correct person.
Anyway, to form the alliance, Berenice was given in marriage to Antiochus.
So far, so good, right? Well, there's just one fly in the ointment. And it's a big fly. And it's name is Laodice, who just happens to be Antiochus' CURRENT WIFE! This… could… be… a… PROBLEM!!! Bye-bye, Laodice!
Well, as expected, Laodice was less than thrilled about the situation, and for 5 years she remained in banishment, which is a lot of time to sit and stew.
In 246 BC, however, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the father of Berenice, died. Seeing his opportunity, Antiochus retrieved Laodice from banishment and brought her back as his wife, probably thinking that everything is right in the world now.
But Laodice, being very much a woman scorned, does what any jilted spouse would do in a good soap opera. She kills them all! Berenice. Berenice's infant son, was the successor to Antiochus. And she kills Antiochus. Let's read verse 6 one more time, inserting the actual names to see if the history fits.
Verse 6 - And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter (Berenice) of the king of the South (Ptolemy), shall go to the king of the North (Antiochus) to make an agreement; but she (Berenice) shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he (Antiochus) nor his authority shall stand; but she (Bernice) shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her (Ptolemy), and with him who strengthened her in those times (Antiochus).
Yup, it fits!
Verse 7 - But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail.
They say that revenge is a dish best served cold. Well, here in Daniel Chapter 11, it seems that revenge is only dish served at all! You see, Berenice had a brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes, who has now assumed the role of the King of the South with the death of his father, Ptolemy II Philadelphus. And he is not happy about what happened to his sister. So he gathers his army, and marches from the South to the North, or like Meno said, from the feet to the head, and across where? Israel. Another backache for poor Israel! But he wasn't after territory. He was after blood. And he was successful in his mission, as he had Laodice killed in order to avenge Berenice.
Verse 8 - And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.
Ptolemy III made his point in capturing the gods of the Seleucids and bringing them back to Egypt. After all, if I can put your god in my pocket, then I am greater than your god and can put YOU in my pocket.
Verse 9 - "Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land.
Now, the King of the North at this time just happens to be Laodice's son, Seleucus II Callinicus. He marches across Israel (backache) to attack the King of the South, but is given a good stiff beating and sent home empty-handed.
Verse 10 - However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife.
Well, as you can guess, Seleucus DID have sons, and they WERE known to get a little rowdy. His older son, Seleucus III Soter, was on a military campaign in Asia Minor when he was killed. But the younger son, Antiochus III, was nicknamed Antiochus the Great because of his own military exploits.
Several times, Antiochus the Great marched across Israel (ouch) on the way to Egypt to beat up on the King of the South, who at that time was Ptolemy IV Philopator.
Verses 11 and 12 - "And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy.
12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail.
But you know, every dog has its day, and one day Ptolemy IV of Egypt laid a good beating on Antiochus the Great, even though Ptolemy's army was much smaller. Like a big bully that got punched in the head himself, Antiochus laid off and there was a short peace in the land.
And at this point, we are going to pause our story.
But what lessons can we take away from today?
The Book of Daniel is supernaturally inspired in order to present prophecies that are fulfilled literally and to exact details.
There is a spiritual force of darkness that desires to thwart God's plans.
God counters the spiritual force of darkness with His own Angel Army.
We need to pray for our leaders, that they would be listening to the RIGHT voices and receiving the RIGHT counsel.
Amen, Let's pray.
September 30, 2018
Daniel 11:13-28
North & South - Part 2
Pastor Bryan Watson
I'd like to open our sermon time this morning with a word or prayer. Please bow your heads with me.
Over the last couple of messages on Daniel, I've been digging into some heavy topics. For one thing, there is the extremely detailed prophecy of world events that were fulfilled perfectly in history, yet casts a shadow to things that are still yet to come. But equally as important is the clear understanding that there is a very real spiritual realm with a lot of activity going on. The current vision we are working through in Daniel began in Daniel Chapter 10, with the angel explaining to Daniel that he had been doing battle with the Prince of Persia. Who remembers that?
Well, Lori and I were down in the States two weeks ago, and look who we found at a Hallmark store! We couldn't believe our eyes! And look at this character's name… Prince Dastan. A nice little anagram for satan. The "hero" of the Prince of Persia. I guess someone at Disney knows a little about the book of Daniel??? Amazing, isn't it, how subtle the messaging is that evil is good, and darkness is light, and we don't even have to leave our living rooms to get it. Instead, we plop our kids down in front of the TV and allow some unknown program director from who knows where to insert the programming of their choosing, or the world's choosing, or satan's choosing, into our kids' minds.
Makes me think a sermon might be coming up about the wiles of the devil… we'll see, I guess. I'd better get back to my topic before I go so far down this rabbit trail that I can't find my way back today.
Last time, I spoke from Daniel 11:1-12. Before we move on, I'd like to give a brief recap of that message so that we can understand the context of where we left off.
Daniel 11 is a detailed account of the ebbs and flows of the Greek Empire, and its effect on Israel. It's so detailed, in fact, that doubters claim that the book was written as history after the events took place. But I have provided plenty of evidence that Daniel was written by the prophet Daniel in the 6th century BC, right when it was supposed to have been written, hundreds of years before these events took place.
The Greek Empire ended up being run by two sometimes friendly, but often warring, factions: The Seceucids, from Syria (known as the Kings of the North), and the Ptolemies, from Egypt, known as the Kings of the South. On the surface, we might ask ourselves why these skirmishes between feuding pagan kings even matter. But if you recall my illustration, Syria is the head, Egypt is the feet, and poor Israel is right in the middle, so when the head goes to fight against the feet, or vice versa, who gets the backache again? Israel. In the grand scheme of things, satan probably thinks that if he can arrange for the holy lineage of the coming Messiah to be collateral damage in a civil war, then he can thwart God's plan of salvation for the human race. And so the battle rages.
So far, up to verse 12, we've documented the following kings: Finally, we have arrived at Antiochus III, or Antiochus the Great, in Syria, and Ptolemy IV Philopator in Egypt. And after years of being bullied by Antiochus the Great, Ptolemy IV led his small army up against Antiochus the Great's much larger army and soundly laid a beating on him. And there was peace in the land. At least, there was, until Ptolemy IV Philopator died in 204 BC. His son, Ptolemy V Epiphanes was only 4 or 5 years old when he became the King of Egypt.
Which brings us to verses 13 through 16, covering the years 201 BC to 198 BC.
Verse 13: For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.
During this artificial peace, Antiochus the Great is biding his time and building his army to be larger than ever before. When the time is right, and it seemed especially right when your opponent is a 5-year-old boy-king, Antiochus pushes all the way down to Gaza. [SEE MAP]
Verse 14 "Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall.
So, what's going on here? Well, a number of pro-Seleucid Jews living in the land of Israel will rise up against Ptolemy from Egypt. The Jewish historian Josephus, in his work The Antiquities of the Jews writes, "… the Jews of their own accord went over to him (that is, Antiochus the Great), and received him into the city of Jerusalem, and gave plentiful provision to all his army, and to his elephants, and readily assisted him… so he wrote to the generals of his armies, and to his friends, and gave testimony to the good behavior of the Jews towards him…" (p. 293)
Ptolemy responds with a counteroffensive under his general, Scopus, who exacted punishment on the Jews who supported Antiochus the Great.
Verses 15 and 16 So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist.
Verse 16 But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power.
Eventually General Scopus suffered two catastrophic losses. The first loss was at Panea, or modern-day Banyas, near Caesarea-Phillippi. From there, Scopus fled to Sidon, the "fortified city" at which he was defeated. With that victory, Antiochus the Great gained control over the Glorious Land, or Israel, in its entirety.
Verse 17 - He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him.
With the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt on the decline, and with all of Syria and the Holy Land under his control, Antiochus the Great gives his daughter, Cleopatra, in marriage to the boy-king Ptolemy V. Just for reference, this isn't the Cleopatra from Julius Caesar and Marc Antony fame. THAT Cleopatra won't be born for another 170 years or so.
Cleopatra was around 10 years old, and depending on the historian, Ptolemy was as young as 10 or as old as 15 when they married in 195 BC. As for Antiochus giving his daughter in marriage to a boy-king, why would he do that?
Well, there are two parts to that answer. As for the first part, do you remember Nebuchadnezzar's dream about the giant image? What came after the belly and thighs of bronze representing Greece? That's right. The legs and feet of iron, representing Rome. And do you remember Daniel's vision of the four beasts? What came after the four-headed leopard representing Greece? Bingo! The terrible beast representing Rome. The reality for Antiochus was that the Roman Empire was rising, and he felt that his best defense was an alliance with Egypt. After all, they were fellow Greeks, right? And with Cleopatra's marriage to Ptolemy, the family bonds were closer than ever.
And the second part of the answer is quite simple. Through Daddy's little girl, Antiochus should be able to control this boy-king and bring the Ptolemaic Empire completely under Antiochus' influence.
However, something funny happened along the way. Cleopatra and Ptolemy fell in love. Let's look at that last part of Verse 17 again. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him. Much to Antiochus the Great's chagrin, Cleopatra was completely sympathetic to her husband's cause, and therefore was fully supportive of the Ptolemaic kingdom. Antiochus never did gain the control over Egypt that he hoped he would.
Verse 18 - After this he shall turn his face to the coast-lands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him.
In a stunningly accurate fulfillment of prophecy, Antiochus attacked islands along the Aegean coastline, "the coast-lands". Although he had moderate success, the people under attack appealed to Rome for assistance, and Rome was only too willing to help, since Antiochus angered the Romans by giving asylum to a Roman exile named Hannibal. Antiochus was defeated by the Romans at Magnesia, near Ephesus "bringing the reproach to an end," and sending Antiochus home in shame.
Verse 19 - Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
The problem with prophecy that is fulfilled in a stunningly accurate way over and over again is that you can start to take it for granted. When the Romans defeated Antiochus the Great, they imposed severe peace terms which were included in the Treaty of Apamea in 188 BC. Antiochus had to give up all claim to Europe, most of Asia Minor, as well as surrender his entire navy, his elephant brigade, and twenty selected hostages, one of whom was his second son, Antiochus IV. Remember this, because it will be very important later on. In addition, Antiochus the now-not-so-great also had to pay a huge tribute to the Romans every year.
Because he could not afford the tribute, he resorted to plundering his own land, or "turning his face toward the fortress of his own land", as verse 19 says. Upon attempting to pillage the temple of Bel in Elam, Antiochus was murdered, and according to Dr. David Jeremiah, his body was never found. Verse 19 predicted that "he shall stumble and fall, and not be found." I don't even have the words to describe how amazing it is that this prophecy would be fulfilled so exactly.
Verse 20 - There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.
After Antiochus the Great's death, his eldest son (the one not in captivity), Seleucus IV Philopator, assumed the throne. For clarity, let's look at Antiochus the Great's family tree on the screen. I find that helps to keep things straight a little bit. So, of Antiochus the Great's children, Seleucus IV Philopator has succeeded him on the throne, Antiochus IV is a hostage in Rome, and Cleopatra is married to Ptolemy V of Egypt.
One of the things about tribute that is owed from one kingdom to another is that it doesn't go away just because the one king dies. Seleucus IV is still required to pay massive amounts of tribute to the Romans, and if his father couldn't afford it, then neither can he. Looking to increase his revenues in order to pay taxes, Seleucus sends a man named Heliodorus to Israel, or "the glorious kingdom" to impose taxes that his father had not collected from the Jews because of their loyalty to him. Whether or not Heliodorus was successful in obtaining the required funds is not certain, but history charges him with poisoning Seleucus, thus fulfilling verse 20.
Verse 21 - And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.
And now the moment we've all been waiting for. The rise of Antiochus IV, who gave himself the name Epiphanes. The second son of Antiochus the Great, we will soon see why the angel refers to him as a vile person. But why wasn't he given the honor of royalty? And what does it mean that he will seize the kingdom by intrigue?
I covered some of this in Daniel chapter 8, but since Daniel 11 revisits the topic again, I will follow the scripture and fill you in on the details of the fulfilled prophecy.
Before Seleucus IV died, he had two sons: Demetrius I, who was in his late teens or early twenties, and a baby, named Antiochus. Through some form of sly scheming, Antiochus IV managed to secure his freedom in exchange for the crown prince, Demetrius. So, the rightful heir to the throne is sent to Rome as a hostage, and the scheming brother of the dead king is set free. The baby Antiochus was murdered, thus paving the way for Antiochus IV to "come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue" as prince regent. Through bribery, favors, and political promises, he obtained favor from local leaders and managed to gain their support to secure the throne. The only thing that kept Demetrius from being assassinated is that he was still being held hostage in Rome. Vile person? Seems like it. Not royalty? Well, he's not in line to the throne. Seizes the kingdom by intrigue? Just a little! And so the prophecy in verse 21 is fulfilled. Antiochus IV, known as the Little Horn in Daniel 8, gives himself the name "Epiphanes" meaning "The Illustrious One." Coins that have been found bearing his image show the inscription "Theos Epiphanes", or "God Manifest". However, because of all of his schemes, many of his subjects referred to him as "Epimanes", meaning "madman."
Verses 22-24 - With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant.
And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people.
He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.
These verses refer to a fairly convoluted set of circumstances regarding Egypt.
After his mother Cleopatra died, Ptolemy VI Philometor became the king of Egypt. He desired to gain back land that was previously lost to the Seleucid empire, but ended up as Antiochus' prisoner. His brother, Ptolemy VII Physcon, was appointed by the Egyptians to rule in his place. Antiochus, being the schemer that he is, went to war against Ptolemy VII Physcon and re-established Ptolemy VI Philometor on the throne, as an ally instead of an adversary. In the words of verse 23, "he made a league with him," but later acted deceitfully in trying to use Ptolemy VI to gain control over Egypt. Later on, Ptolemy VI Philometor would see through Antiochus Epiphanes' schemes, and reunite with his brother to try and defeat Antiochus.
Verses 25-27 - He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him.
26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain.
27 Both these kings' hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time.
Antiochus heads down to Egypt, intending to conquer it once and for all. However, the two Ptolemies manage to get word to Rome. With the history of Antiochus' father fresh in their minds, Rome is more than happy to confront Antiochus Epiphanes and send him home. Antiochus also remembers the way his father was defeated by the Romans, and his own imprisonment in Rome, and decides the best option is to take his bat and ball and go home, angry and humiliated at the hands of the Romans, especially considering that when he was finally confronted by the Roman commander Popilius Laenas, Popilius used his staff to draw a circle around Antiochus, ordering him to make his decision before stepping out of the circle.
Notice the reference to the kings sitting at the same table, speaking lies to each other. How true this was, since Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Ptolemy VI Philometor were sometimes friends, sometimes enemies… frenemies… depending on which served themselves better at the time.
Notice also the end of verse 27. "The end will still be at the appointed time." The appointed time. Guess who is still in control over all this? God! And He has an appointed time, and history – His Story – will unfold according to the way He has determined.
Verse 28 - While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.
In verse 23, we saw how Antiochus had made a deceitful "league" with Ptolemy VI. Verse 28, however, refers to "the holy covenant." This signifies the beginning of Antiochus' persecution against the Jews, and the Jewish faith. But what prompted this behaviour?
According to the Apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees, chapter 4, (which, although we don't consider it to be divinely inspired scripture, we do consider it to be a good source for historical events), according to this book, the Jewish high priest at the time was a man named Onias III. Onias had a brother, Jason, who bribed Antiochus into replacing Onias with himself as high priest. Later on, another brother, Menelaus, offered Antiochus an even bigger bribe if Antiochus would replace Jason with him as high priest. Antiochus Epiphanes, earning the nickname "Epimanes", or "madman", had no problem replacing one scoundrel with another, so long as the money trail ended with him. In order to pay the promised bribe, however, Menelaus began selling articles from the temple in Jerusalem.
The rightful, but now removed high priest, Onias, was enraged by this action and protested against Menelaus, who had Onias murdered in order to silence him. At this outrageous act, the Jewish population who was already agitated by the politics going on with the high priesthood, started to revolt. Tensions were starting to boil over in Israel.
Meanwhile, Antiochus was still doing battle in Egypt, and a false report had come out saying that Antiochus had died in battle. Seeing his opportunity, Jason, the briber who himself was deposed by a bigger briber, organized a coup against the current illegitimate high priest, Menelaus. < I can't make this stuff up. I'd love to have the movie rights to this soap opera.> A large number of Jewish citizens were killed, and Menelaus, the high priest who was appointed by Antiochus, is put in prison by Jason, who re-establishes himself as high priest.
Returning from Egypt, already deeply angry because of his defeat at the hands of the Romans, and having a score to settle with Jason, the illegitimate, then deposed, then newly illegitimate again so-called high priest, Antiochus comes to Israel with overwhelming force and decides to end not only the current chaos in Jerusalem, but get rid of the Jewish faith altogether, fulfilling verse 28, "his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land." In his opinion, the Jews need to become Greeks so that they will be easier to rule.
And so the brutal Jewish oppression under Antiochus IV Epiphanes begins. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.
To Be Continued… Don't you just hate it when I do that???
Lessons for Today
There are a couple of lessons we can take from the message today. They're not new, but I think it's good to reinforce them:
First, when God gives a prophecy, it will be fulfilled. Exactly. Precisely. And at His appointed time. God is never early. And God is never late. And God never forgets. Prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled WILL be fulfilled, at the appointed time.
Second, God was, is, and will be in control. The soap opera I described to you today isn't too far off what we see in the nightly news here in 2018. Despite the current chaos, God. Is. Still. In. Control.
Third, if God truly is in control as I have described, then we are much better off living for Him than not. You really have to pick a side, because there is no sitting on the fence when it comes to God and His Son, Jesus Christ. If you would like to make Christ the Lord of your life, and be on board with the One who hold all of history in His hands, then I encourage you to make that decision today. Don't let one more moment go by without putting your faith and trust in Him. Come and see me, or Pastor Dennis, after the service. We would love to speak with you and help you to make that decision today.
Amen. Let's pray.


text:
We believe that our lessons are a worthwhile investment for you and your colleagues.
Take a look at one of our recent corporate classes in Spain:
You can choose from the following:
(1) Self Defence class | (2) Stress busting Kickboxing class | (3) A combination of both
KB Self Defence classes are designed for the everyday person. Lasting 1 hour 30 minutes, all our classes cover personal safety awareness in your daily life as well as focusing on easy to remember and effective physical self defence techniques. You do not need to have any Martial Arts experience, just a willingness to learn to protect yourself.
- Mental awareness and attitude.
- Diffusing a situation.
- How to stand (stances).
- Strikes - legs and arms.
- Grip and strangle releases.
- Joint manipulation and pressure points.
- Using body weight to your advantage.
- Floor and wall work.
While the emphasis is on a non-aggressive response to threatening situations, you will learn straightforward ways to release yourself from grips and locks - you will also learn about pressure points, how to floor an assailant, as well as how to strike and disarm as a last resort. A practical application of defence and combat techniques.
If you'd like us to build a 'competition' element into the event, like the video above, we can play games, such as relays, incorporating self defence, partner practice, races. It can be such great fun.
WHERE At our venue in Euston.
WHO Dalia Terret teaches: an ex-Metropolitan Police Officer and ex-Police Officer Safety Instructor. Catherine Cooper-White, Jess Baker and Nicki Davis teach too.
WHEN Monday or Thursday, 6pm and 7pm.
HOW OFTEN Just a one-off class, once a week, once a month. 2 classes. YOU decide.
PRICE £15 per person per hour, minimum 10 people. Plus room hire: £50. (Minimum total £150 incl VAT + room hire).
SAFETY All practice is a 'touch drill' - safe, no force. There is no one-on-one heavy contact. A perfectly low risk, safe environment that's fun and friendly.
Email us telling us at firstname.lastname@example.com how many people you'd like us to teach and which days/times suit you best. We will be in contact ASAP.
BONDING EXPERIENCE Our aim at KB Self Defence is to improve trust and respect in the group environment. We have found that Martial Arts are a very effective way to build relationships by channelling these energies in a positive way. Office politics won't ever be the same again.
SHOW YOU CARE What better way to show your colleagues that you care about them than to arrange a stress busting class.
IMPROVED FOCUS At KB Self Defence we draw on Eastern meditation and breathing techniques to help relax the mind, so you will feel reinvigorated and more able to concentrate - both during the class and back in the office.
SPIRITUAL ADVANTAGES The training improves self esteem, confidence and self-discipline. It stimulates the mind and develops inner strength and is an excellent way to release (by shouting! punching and kicking out) stress.
It's FUN.
KB Kickboxing offers a high energy session focusing on relieving stress (our classes do not permit any aggression). Kicking, punching and shouting into the air and onto focus pads. There is NO CONTACT with other people and is therefore as safe as can be.
The Stress Busting Kickboxing Class is the same price, and length as a self defence class; you'll just sweat more. See our corporate page on KB KICKBOXING if you would prefer this class. Naturally you could book a self defence as well as a Kickboxing class to cater to the different needs of your colleagues. Or book one class combining both self defence techniques and Stress Busting Kickboxing. You decide.


text:
Whether you own an investment property, or are looking to move into one; you want to make a safe choice. Generally, meth contamination doesn't mix well here. Aside from the nasty name your property will get, it can cause disastrous health effects. This includes rashes, depression, respiratory complications just to name a few.
The meth problem in New Zealand is widespread and increasing. It is estimated that around 2.5 percent of the adult population in New Zealand are using methamphetamines. This figure rises to 8.7 percent however in the 18-24 year-old bracket. This vulnerable age group is more likely to be in rentals which is where meth is strongly presented.
Around 75% of meth labs discovered by police have been in rental properties. One of the main reasons this could be so high is because the user won't be left with the damage costs as much as the landlord. However, it is important to keep an eye on your tenants movements, as you can stop further contamination in its tracks. Things to look out for include:
- Gloves, hot plates glass jars and coffee filters
- Yellowish brown stains on the walls
- Blacked out windows
- More activity at night
- Security systems
- Amonia smell
Read more about meth contamination:
- Origins of meth
- The meth issue in New Zealand
If you're looking to rent, note that under the Residential Tenancies Act, it is the landlords obligation to ensure the cleanliness of the property and make sure it's habitable. If you are suspicious of contamination, talk with your landlord.
The scary part is that you can't always see contamination, and this sometimes becomes an invisible problem. If you need a company that can provide a reliable meth decontamination, make sure you contact Chemcare on 0800 800 646
Related Articles


text: Thoughs on "Crashing the Party" I finished Nader's Crashing the Party last week and Michael Moore's Stupid White Men the week before. I must say I was really surprised how these two books effected me on an emotional level. It's been a while since I've read something that actually made me want to go out and act. These two books really hit a nerve, or more accurately, awakened something that was asleep for a long time. I'm not sure if many can connect with what I'm saying but I can hardly think I'm unique. Crashing the Party really opened my eyes to the fact that we don't have to live with a political system that continues to offer the least of two evils. It's time for a change. I don't know if the Green Party is the way but there has to be a clear message sent to elected officials at all levels that the people demand more for their vote. Our votes count when they are cast in good conscience they are wasted when we vote to be with the winner or for the guy who has a chance at being elected. My vote was wasted on Al Gore when I should have been standing with Ralph Nader in 2000. The two party system died when the two parties started acting like each other. No one could tell the difference between Al Gore and George W. Bush during the election. That's why the results came out the way they did. It's time for a change. Now I'm not naive enough to think that one single vote is going to herald a new age of American politics with a viable third party choice available to all. No, I think I'm going to start smaller by getting in touch with what's going on in my town. That's the best place to start. Where better to connect with the process but in your own back yard. Maybe I'll make a difference. Maybe not. But at least I'll have a sense of what's going on and where my money is being spent.


text:
Where I'm at
Bend & Blaze schedule HERE
Head to BendAndBlazeYoga.com and fill out the form! We'll send you and email with everything you need to know!
Ganja Guru Yoga Retreat HERE
December 7th, 2018 – December 10th, 2018
The 3-night escape is located 1 hour outside of Denver, elevated at 8,500 feet up in the mountain town of Nederland, at the Heavenly Escape properties.
Green Getaway Retreat HERE
February 1st, 2019- February 4th, 2019
Beat the winter blues with a Green Getaway!
Join us February 1-4 at Solarium International Hostel in Fort Collins, CO for a weekend yoga, wellness & cannabis retreat. Immerse yourself in the cozy, tropical vibes of this amazing plant-filled space, complete with a 420 friendly tipi. Enjoy multiple daily yoga and meditation classes in the lush atrium and informative workshops throughout the weekend. With plenty of tasty vegetarian meals, community connection, and lots of down time to relax, this Green Getaway is the perfect chance to reset and recharge. Everything on the schedule is optional, giving you the true freedom to create the retreat experience you desire.