my testimony (Watchman of Naphtali)

[Watchman of Naphtali]

Having been diagnosed with a mental illness from an early age, I have clearly had struggles with the medication issue.

As I read through the entire Bible in the period of about a year, I came across the phrase "the high places" in holy scripture.

The biblical teaching on that is that the high places were situations where Israel worshiped gods other than YHWH and it became a stench in His nostrils.

At one point the Israelites continued to worship at the high places but worshiped only YHWH in those places.

In Job 25:2, we find that God makes peace with man in the high places.

So, I began to consider my medication to be like the high places in holy scripture.

Someone mentioned to me that we can have "hinds feet on high places" (Psalms 18:33).

Now, I always considered that I might be a descendant of Jacob because my mother hid from me a certain portion of my heritage and I believe that it was because she did not want me to be persecuted with the Jewish people.

I searched the Bible for what tribe I might be of; since there are certain promises given to each tribe in both Genesis and Deuteronomy.

But I did not find the reality of what my tribe might be until I ran across Judges 5:18...

Jdg 5:18, Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

I consider that my spiritual life is always in danger because in my mental health treatment, I am forced to partake of "pharmakeia"; even to sow to the flesh on a consistent basis.

But I narrowed my tribe down to either Zebulun or Naphtali.

In Genesis 49:21,

Gen 49:21, Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

Because I know that I do, in fact, give goodly words, I believe that I have narrowed down my tribe to being that of Napthali.

I am a hind let loose.

I may not be free of having to take medicine for a mental illness;

But it is my prayer almost every night that God will transmute my medicine so that it is not pharmakeia; and that He will replace the medicine with the fact that by His Spirit, He has not given me the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind...even the mind of Christ and the mind of the Spirit...that He continues to transform me by the renewing of my mind...that He continues to guard and keep my heart and mind with His peace that passeth all understanding through faith in Jesus Christ...that I am fearfully and wonderfully made...so that if there is a defect or disease in my brain, He is able to heal it!

My prayer is that the Lord will give me a spirit and wisdom that none of my adversaries shall be able to gainsay nor resist.

In this, I may enter into contention with some of the posters here.

It is written,

1Th 2:2, But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

and,

Jde 1:3, Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

[RabbiKnife]

Why the assumption that you would be opposed by followers of Jesus on this forum?

If you are a true follower of Jesus, then that’s enough.

If you are not, then we pray for that reality.

[Watchman of Naphtali]

Why the assumption that you would be opposed by followers of Jesus on this forum?

If you are a true follower of Jesus, then that’s enough.

If you are not, then we pray for that reality.

Are you suggesting that I am not a true follower of Jesus?

Why would the suggestion that some who post here are not true followers of Jesus, therefore be offensive to you?

Do you presume that you can judge and not be judged?

[Fenris]

Do you presume that you can judge and not be judged?

Nobody here does any judging. Except perhaps you?

[Watchman of Naphtali]

Do you presume that you can judge and not be judged?

Nobody here does any judging. Except perhaps you?

Yes, I would say that I am righteous to judge the difference between right and wrong.

Isa 56:1, Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
Isa 56:2, Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

Jhn 7:24, Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Phl 1:9, And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

[Fenris]

Yes, I would say that I am righteous to judge the difference between right and wrong.

Matthew 7: Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Also, (because why not?) Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbat, page 127b: “If one judges his fellow favorably, he will be judged favorably by the Omnipresent.”

[Watchman of Naphtali]

Yes, I would say that I am righteous to judge the difference between right and wrong.

Matthew 7: Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Also, (because why not?) Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbat, page 127b: “If one judges his fellow favorably, he will be judged favorably by the Omnipresent.”

Okay, now read the verses that I quoted.

Judging between right and wrong is not forbidden and is even mandated by God.

In Matthew 7:1-5, Luke 6:41-42, Jesus is merely saying that we ought to expect to be judged if we are going to judge other people (pointing the finger).

Not that we ought to never make any judgments.

Judgment is a faculty of the human brain.

If we didn't have it, we would be like monkeys.

[Fenris]

In Matthew 7:1-5 Luke 6:41-42

In both Gospels, the message is really clear. "Don't judge other people, and that people who are judgmental tend to overlook their own flaws."

Worry about yourself first, before coming in here and telling other people what their flaws are.

[Watchman of Naphtali]

In Matthew 7:1-5 Luke 6:41-42

In both Gospels, the message is really clear. "Don't judge other people, and that people who are judgmental tend to overlook their own flaws."

Worry about yourself first, before coming in here and telling other people what their flaws are.

Where have I pointed out anyone else's flaws?

I think that my time here so far has been too short for me to have been able to do anything like that.

I condemn pointing the finger even as Jesus did;

but when it comes to judging the difference between right and wrong, I will say again that it is not forbidden and is even mandated by the Lord.

Did you read the verses that I quoted?

How is it that you disagree with them?

[Fenris]

Where have I pointed out anyone else's flaws?

You've been judgmental of others in this very discussion.

I condemn pointing the finger even as Jesus did;

Delusions of grandeur. Comparing yourself to Jesus now.

Did you read the verses that I quoted?

How is it that you disagree with them?

OK, so far as Is. 56 goes, you have to read it in the original Klingon. Hebrew, I mean Hebrew. What is says is "So says the Lord, Keep justice and practice righteousness, for My salvation is near to come, and My benevolence to be revealed. Fortunate is the man who will do this and the person who will hold fast to it, he who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it and guards his hand from doing any evil." This is talking about a person policing their own behavior and practicing doing what is right. It says nothing about passing judgement on other people.

John 7:24 has to be seen in the context of the previous verse.

If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath? Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.

This is very close to the sentence I quoted form the Talmud. Jesus is saying to judge others favorably by seeing their actions in a positive light. So, the opposite of what you're saying it means.

The last verse you cite looks nothing like what you've posted.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight...

Talking about love and insight, not about judging others.

[Watchman of Naphtali]

Where have I pointed out anyone else's flaws?

You've been judgmental of others in this very discussion.

I condemn pointing the finger even as Jesus did;

Delusions of grandeur. Comparing yourself to Jesus now.

And you are judging me to be some kind of insane lunatic.  Of course we are supposed to compare ourselves to Jesus (1 Peter 2:21-25).

Did you read the verses that I quoted?

How is it that you disagree with them?

OK, so far as Is. 56 goes, you have to read it in the original Klingon. Hebrew, I mean Hebrew. What is says is "So says the Lord, Keep justice and practice righteousness, for My salvation is near to come, and My benevolence to be revealed. Fortunate is the man who will do this and the person who will hold fast to it, he who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it and guards his hand from doing any evil." This is talking about a person policing their own behavior and practicing doing what is right. It says nothing about passing judgement on other people.

John 7:24 has to be seen in the context of the previous verse.

If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath? Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.

This is very close to the sentence I quoted form the Talmud. Jesus is saying to judge others favorably by seeing their actions in a positive light. So, the opposite of what you're saying it means.

The last verse you cite looks nothing like what you've posted.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight...

Talking about love and insight, not about judging others.

I'm reading it in the kjv (hope this helps)

[Athanasius]

In this, I may enter into contention with some of the posters here.

Dude, that's not a cool way to start off. Like, you're self-sabotaging and setting for yourself the expectation that there will be contention, so you'll seek it, in a way, and make it true. Like, you're righteous to judge?

It sounds like you need to believe that people can be friendly, and you maybe also need to accept your circumstance with these prayers for transmutation acting as an ongoing rejection of them. Where in that is the peace of God? I'm one to talk.

I know a lot about that myself. ICD 10 F64, F64.2... Aren't I lucky?

[Watchman of Naphtali]

I will say that I have been promoting having sound judgment (in knowing the difference between right and wrong and am not promoting the pointing of the finger).

You say that I have pointed the finger even in this thread.  It shouldn't be too hard for you to  use the quote feature or else copy and paste my statement.

Because I think that I can show that I was not pointing the finger in the post that you think I was doing so.

[Fenris]

And you are judging me to be some kind of insane lunatic.

I haven't judged you at all. I stated the obvious fact that you compared yourself to Jesus.

Which you yourself admit:

Of course we are supposed to compare ourselves to Jesus

And 1 Peter 2:21-25 doesn't say anything about comparing one's self to Jesus. It says to follow his example, specifically,  "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. " And I don't think you're following his example at all.

I'm reading it in the kjv (hope this helps)

Which doesn't change the fact that you're quoting verses out of context and torturing them in translation.

[Watchman of Naphtali]

In this, I may enter into contention with some of the posters here.

Dude, that's not a cool way to start off. Like, you're self-sabotaging and setting for yourself the expectation that there will be contention, so you'll seek it, in a way, and make it true. Like, you're righteous to judge?

It sounds like you need to believe that people can be friendly, and you maybe also need to accept your circumstance with these prayers for transmutation acting as an ongoing rejection of them. Where in that is the peace of God? I'm one to talk.

I know a lot about that myself. ICD 10 F64, F64.2... Aren't I lucky?

No, I am not here to seek contention; but I am also not so naive as to think that there will be none.

The scriptures teach (2 Thessalonians 2:2, Jude 1:3) that where the true gospel is preached, there will be contention among those who are not willing to receive the words of life coming from holy scripture.