New Posts

rockytopva · 2024-05-19T14:01:38-0500

AlexB23 said:
You are welcome. It does not matter which denomination (or even politics) we belong to, as long as we follow Christ and His teachings. I may be Catholic, but I appreciate all denominations. This forum is a great outlet to spread the Good News, even to our fellow Christians.

I was a supporter of the late evangelist RW Schambach. Once he passed on I got his sermon library and posted them online... The videos did not do bad at 3,742,025 views. - https://www.youtube.com/@rockytopva/about

But... Once RW Schambach passed away he took his ground with him. I know of no other human that way in this day and time. RW Schambach heard of a neighborhood in the US so dangerous the police were afraid to go and within the year that was where he would set up his tent. I used to listen to the testimonies on the radio, like the one below, and they would create a sense of great joy....

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Lov4Christ · 2024-05-19T13:59:12-0500

Pop D. said:
Trying some new medication, would appreciate prayers for the Lord to use it to heal me, especially my face. Thank you.

I pray that you would be... HEALED in the name of Jesus the messiah!

rturner76 · 2024-05-19T13:55:46-0500

rjs330 said:
That's not therapy. And that hasn't been proven to be effective. In Fact its dangerous because kids are put on drugs and the trabs train even if they aren't trans.

Pray tell, what has been proven to be effective?

rjs330 said:
That's not therapy either. Genspect has the therapy for this and neither the devil nor a stiff upper lip nor tge willpower to convince themselves is part of therapy. I honestly don't get where you are coming from. I don't think your statements has ever been suggested.

Where I'm coming from is the methods I mentioned are the alternative to Affirmative therapy.

rjs330 said:
It hasn't been shown to be effective. That's why Europe stopped doing it

So I ask again, what is effective?

rjs330 said:
Literally no therapist is suggesting any such thing.

That's right but lay people by denying that gender dysphoria is a thing support those methods. A therapist will provide therapy and AFFIRM that what they are feeling is real to them wouldn't you agree?

rjs330 said:
If they want to do that no one is trying to stop them.

I didn't say they were, my point was through therapy and assessment protocol, it can be determined whet the best method of treatment may be.

rjs330 said:
We've already showed this is NOT the way it's being done.

I would like to learn more about that. Do you have any links to a medical program that can confirm this? It;'s not that I don't believe you, I just would be more convinced if I knew what information you were looking at.

rjs330 said:
I do know what tge standards are. They don't require therapy. For kids it's a very fast process. Damaging blockers, then shortly after hormone therapy with no in depth deep therapy required. We've said UT a million times. How many more times do we need to say?

I am not familiar with tge or UT. Will you say more about them?

rjs330 said:
Affirmative therapy, drugs and surgeries should be outlawed.

I don't think I would call them Affirmative Action drugs. I do think it's a method of treatment that AFFIRMS what the patient feels is real to them. It's not up to AA to dispense drugs, it is up to an individual doctor.

Jamdoc · 2024-05-19T13:50:12-0500

Considering the conditions I've seen from the search effort I have no idea why they decided to fly.. you can't see a thing, it's all fog.

dzheremi · 2024-05-19T13:46:43-0500

In honor of the former president's legal troubles, One Angry Man
The Magnificent One
One Bride for One Brother
The One Commandment
The Man With A Brain (one of my favorite goofy comedies of all time)
1 Jump Street
Night of the Creep
The Amigo (starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Chevy Chase)

Valletta · 2024-05-19T13:44:52-0500

BobRyan said:
BobRyan said:
I think we both know that not one NT text calls Mary "The ark of the covenant"

I think we both know that the Bible support for Trinity is
ONE God Deut 6:4
In THREE persons Matt 28:19

Which explains why sola-scriptura denominations like Baptists and Adventists use the Bible alone to establish/define/sustain the doctrine of the triune Godhead with brand new Bible students. Only the Bible -- is all that is needed to make the case.

Not the topic of this thread but interesting

It's not explicitly in the Bible, it's a leap from the text. And I want to be clear, knowledge of the Assumption comes from the deposit of the faith that was complete with the death of the last Apostle.

WordAloud · 2024-05-19T13:40:50-0500

Hi Everyone,

This is my reflection on the Gospel passages for Pentecost.

There is audio of John's Gospel on my website here: Daily Bible Verses Easter Season To Pentecost | Pentecost Vigil And Pentecost – Listen To the Bible! | King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version

The KJV and my reflection go like this:

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Bible verses for the Pentecost Vigil tell of Jesus’ words in the Temple on the last day, the eighth and most solemn, of the feast of Tabernacles. On each day of the feast, the high priest of the Temple would go to the pool of Siloam, bringing water in a golden cup to sprinkle on the altar, and so recalling the water which sprang up in the desert during the Exodus, while reciting Isaiah’s teachings about the coming of the Saviour and the new outpouring of heavenly gifts which would accompany him. ‘Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.’ (Isaiah 12: 3)

It is now, at the centre of events, that Jesus stands before the crowds and proclaims: ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink…’ Christ, the fount of living water, offers himself to the crowds of people as the one who can fill our hearts, our souls, and bring us life and peace.

We think also of the book of Ezekiel:

25 ¶ Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36: 25-27)

The Holy Spirit has been active during the Old Testament of the Bible: he has spoken through the prophets. We have experienced his presence also in the New Testament, inspiring Mary at the Annunciation, leading Zechariah to prophecy concerning his son and the Lord, and Simeon to see that the Saviour has come. The coming of the Holy Spirit which will follow Christ’s ascension is to be a new revelation, announcing and empowering the birth of the Church and the sacred mission of the Apostles to preach Christ to all. The truth of Christ, God’s plan for our salvation, will then be fully revealed, and embodied in the Church.

In these verses for Pentecost, we learn more of the mystery of the Trinity. All that the Father has belongs to the Son; all that the Son has belongs to the Father. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Son from the Father. He proceeds from the Father, and Father and Son possess everything in common – three persons, one divine essence, the Holy Spirit receiving from, revealing and glorifying Father and Son. It is a great mystery of oneness, relationship and interconnectedness, a model for us all.

In our time, we rejoice as the disciples rejoiced. The Holy Spirit is given to us. We have the truth of our salvation in Jesus Christ. We are moved to pray and to glorify the Lord. Through grace, we are enabled to live lives of faith, hope and charity. We are one with each other in the body of Christ, the Church.

We recognize ourselves in the account of the Acts of the Apostles:

AND when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2: 1-4)

Additionally, I put a reading of Psalm 88 and some pictures up on YouTube today:

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jonojim1337 · 2024-05-19T13:40:39-0500

I think the little beast is the carnal mind, the little voice, that thinks it is interpreting (prophecying) correctly, however the end result, is the slavery to the flesh. Thus the flesh gives power to the carnal mind.

Clare73 · 2024-05-19T13:39:16-0500

CoreyD said:
Why is it correct?

Because as God told Miriam in defense of Moses, he gives prophecy in riddles (dark sayings), and not clearly (Nu 12:8).
Revelation is some of that prophecy.

What is not given in riddles and is clear is NT apostolic teaching authoritative to the church.

Any personal (private) interpretation of prophetic riddles not in agreement with NT authoritative teaching is, ipso facto, incorrect.

RocksInMyHead · 2024-05-19T13:34:41-0500

Zaha Torte said:
That was my claim - there were no evidentiary hearings.

Of the 62 cases brought by Trump and his supporters, 10 were decided on the merits (rather than being dismissed outright due to lack of standing or dropped by the plaintiffs). Of those, Ward v. Jackson, Law v. Whitmer, Bowyer v. Ducey, Constantino v. City of Detroit, and Arizona Republican Party v. Fontes were all dismissed, at least in part, due to the plaintiffs' inability to provide evidence for their claims. Bowyer v. Ducey had the most evidence presented, as I recall, and it was almost entirely made up of speculation, hearsay, and misleading presentation of events.

Here's a good summary: Results of Lawsuits Regarding the 2020 Elections

ETA: here's the court's ruling in Bowyer v. Ducey: https://electioncases.osu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bowyer-v-Ducey-Doc84.pdf

See Section F (Failure to State a Claim) on page 22 for the court's discussion of the plaintiffs' evidence.

ViaCrucis · 2024-05-19T13:33:35-0500

dzheremi said:
To be fair, that's how it was when they taught sex ed starting when I was that age, and that didn't include any discussion of homosexuality. That's just 6th graders being 6th graders.

We also giggled at mention of most bodily function. That doesn't mean we don't teach adolescents how the digestive system works just because farts are gross/funny. Then again, maybe we should ban "Everybody Poops".

-CryptoLutheran

gzt · 2024-05-19T13:31:00-0500

SeekingTheFullnessOfTruth said:
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

After so many years of disobedience, of faithlessness and degradation, I have finally found my home. For more than a decade now I was barely a Christian in even name, paying lip service but failing to live as commanded. I excused every manner of sin within myself and my failure to war against my passions poisoned not only myself but those I loved. For over a decade I wallowed in filth - having squandered my inheritance.
Only Christ was able to free me from this bondage, to break the chains I have forged for myself. He alone changed me, comforted me, released me from the hatred and the shame, the lust and the greed. For the first time in as long as I could remember I have found peace. While this peace, this amazing grace, is free to me - I must now cooperate with it. I must from this moment on obey and follow the path laid out in accordance with His Will. No longer will I trust on my own understanding, for I can do nothing without Christ.

I was baptised a Catholic but cannot reconcile myself with Rome. For most of my life I was a poorly behaved Protestant - but there is only shallowness and the cult of self. Both left my spirit hungry, thirsty and longing for communion with both God and fellow Christians. Finally, I feel at home. Today I attended the Divine Liturgy and I cannot begin to describe how overwhelmed I was. I stood and watched as not a group of people, but one family in Christ raised their voices in love and reverence and together worshiped. How many years I've longed for this. I am an outsider, a stranger, but I felt like after a long journey, I had come home. One of the elder women of the Church introduced herself and we spoke for a time, introducing me to the Abbot. The Abbot, Deacon and elder men of the church were gracious and nurturing of my desire to learn and my need to obey. I didn't know these people, they didn't know me, but they were so kind and open and loving. I spoke openly about my past, my desire to return to God after being faithless for so long; but it honestly didn't feel like a return, so much as it felt I was starting anew. I was encouraged to continue to attend and become part of their community, to be active in the Church and through practical action learn and grow.

I write these things down not to boast or take pride in what I feel, but because I feel so overwalked and joyful that I cannot keep this to myself.

Pray for me, Brothers and Sisters, as I continue down my path to learn obedience to Christ through the Holy Orthodox Church. Pray for me that I learn humility and faith, so as to set aside my pride and arrogance. Pray that I have the courage to walk in faith, not shying away from sharing Christ with others be it in deed or word.

Alone I can do nothing, but I am able to do all things in He who strengthens me.

Great, may God have mercy on your soul!

oikonomia · 2024-05-19T13:21:29-0500

HIM said:
This was posted to studyman and he affirmed it. What say you oikonomia?

I say "the Jesus of the Bible" includes the truth that the Lord is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:17)

HIM said:
Even Jesus said that the Father that dwelleth in Him doeth the work And greater works shall we do because He goeth unto the Father and that He, Jessus will not leave us comfortless but will come unto us. And be in us. Us in Him, Jesus in us that the world might believe.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The Lord said as He lived by the Father so also if we eat Him we will live by Him.
I honestly think the more we take Him in and walk by His nourishing and supplying inwardly the more
we will discover what it was like for Him to live by the Father.

It is mysterious how the Son lived by the Father. But as we are so honored to walk along the same way
as He, the deeper our experience of this the more we realize what it meant for Him to live by the living Father.

Ana the Ist · 2024-05-19T13:21:11-0500

iluvatar5150 said:
Did you read my post?

I did.

iluvatar5150 said:
You quoted the parts where I explained which video I was talking about, including the edit I made that linked to the video.

Well I wanted to be clear because you said....and I quote....

He failed to stop at a red light and he failed to yield to a whole bunch of pedestrians who, because of the traffic signals, had the right of way.

That's a pretty bizarre statement. I don't know any state, any city, any part of the country where a crowd of idiots walking through the street have "the right of way" .

If we imagine you going down any road in the US where your visibility of the next section of road is poor due to a turn, a hill, etc....and place a crowd of morons in the middle of the road.....

1. You'll probably hit them.
2. They don't have the right of way.

LoveofTruth · 2024-05-19T13:18:49-0500

SabbathBlessings said:
I can only go by what God’s word says

Rom 10: 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

God’s Word is the compass back to reconciliation, why it’s says it’s the light to our path Psa 119:105 We are all very fortunate to have the scriptures to be our guide. The Holy Spirit guides us to what the scriptures says John 14:26.

The hear by the word of God refers to the then a word the living word.

Remember the Pharisees had scripture abd could read and hear Jesus speak but they did not have his word abiding in them and could not hear his word, even though they heard him speak in the natural and read scripture.

He that hath ears to hear let him hear is referring to spiritual ears

essentialsaltes · 2024-05-19T13:14:20-0500

Ah... it's great that there will be absolutely no repercussions for making no changes for the next 199 years.

Simon_Templar · 2024-05-19T13:06:27-0500

JesusFollowerForever said:
In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said;
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Jesus did not mean the law is finished and should not be followed. When Jesus speaks of fulfilling the law and the prophets, He is emphasizing that His coming represents the culmination and fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures, rather than their abolition.

Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection fulfilled numerous prophecies and promises found in the Old Testament Scriptures. These prophecies pointed to the coming of the Messiah, the establishment of the kingdom of God, and the salvation of humanity. Jesus saw Himself as the fulfillment of these promises (Luke 4:16-21; Luke 24:44-48).
on the interpretation of the law, Jesus' teachings and actions reflect His deep reverence for the law and His commitment to its true meaning and intent. He affirms the moral and ethical principles of the law, such as love for God and neighbor, while challenging legalistic interpretations and practices that detract from its spirit (Matthew 23:23; Mark 7:1-23).

Jesus' interpretation of the law goes beyond mere adherence to its letter, calling His followers to a higher standard of righteousness and holiness. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expounds upon the moral demands of the law, teaching principles such as love, forgiveness, humility, and nonviolence (Matthew 5-7).

While Jesus fulfills the law and the prophets, He also inaugurates a new covenant and a new way of relating to God. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus establishes a new covenant based on grace, faith, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This new covenant does not annul the moral principles of the law but fulfills them in a deeper and more transformative way.

Jesus' fulfillment of the law and the prophets does not imply the abolition of the law, but rather its fulfillment and embodiment in His person and teachings. Jesus affirms the enduring moral principles of the law while inviting His followers into a deeper relationship with God and a higher standard of righteousness. As such, Christians continue to regard the moral principles of the law as relevant and authoritative for Christian living, while understanding them in light of the teachings and example of Jesus.

Blessings

You have to pair what Jesus says here with what is written in Hebrews regarding how the Old Covenant is passing away.

When Jesus spoke those words, he had not YET fulfilled the law and the prophets. He was GOING to fulfill them.

The passing away of the old should be understood in the same way that Paul talks about how gifts of the Spirit and the like will pass away when we attain perfection.

Like those gifts, the Old Covenant was given to point forward to the perfect Covenant that would be given through Christ. When that perfect covenant in Christ's blood has come, the old is no longer necessary to point to it. As such it passes away.

Further, there are things in the Old Covenant which continue, but are transformed and transfigured. In the New.

For example, the celebration of Passover was given as a perpetual ordinance. It is going to last forever. However, it has been transformed and transfigured by Christ into a more perfect form.

We no longer look back to the Passover of Egypt, instead we now look back to the Passover of Calvary. The lamb is no longer a literal lamb that we sacrifice every year, the Lamb is now Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.

The Passover continues in the New Covenant, but it is not unchanged. Every Christian who participates rightly in the elements of Holy Communion is keeping the Passover. On the other hand, people who try to follow the old rite of the Passover, and don't participate rightly in Holy Communion, are not keeping the Passover.

God's law is not abolished, but it is transfigured. The Law of the New Covenant is merely not the Law that was given at Sinai, and subsequently modified through out the Pentateuch. It is the Law of Love that is written on the hearts of every believer by the Holy Spirit.

There are two errors to be avoided here.

One is antinomianism. The idea that some in the Corinthian Church had when they wrote to Paul, that there are no longer any laws and all behaviors are permissible.

The other is clinging to the old so firmly that you miss the new. This is what Hebrews talks about and it essentially says that those who insist on serving the Old Covenant have no place in the New Covenant of Christ.

Clare73 · 2024-05-19T12:59:24-0500

Brightfame52 said:
Like I said thats error to attribute to man something Christs Death did, taking way sin, unbelief and all, for His Sheep

Faith giving the remission of sin, there is unforgiven sin for which penalty must be paid, only at the death of the unbeliever.

There is no sin, including unbelief, to be forgiven at the believer's death,
all having been forgiven and removed when, in the rebirth by the sovereign Holy Spirit as unaccountable as the wind (Jn 3:3-8),
the sinner received the gift of faith (Php 1:29, Ac 13:8, 18:27, 2 Pe 1:1, Ro 12:3 ) in Christ and his atoning work (blood, Ro 3:25) which saved (Eph 2:8-9).

There is no sin having been forgiven, including unbelief, at the unbeliever's death.

essentialsaltes · 2024-05-19T12:58:39-0500

Unpacking the presidential money machines

A POLITICO analysis of campaign finance filings shows clear contrasts between Trump’s and Biden’s sprawling political operations.

Trump’s complicated web of political committees spent roughly $217 million [from the start of 2023] through March [2024], with that spending split roughly equally between fundraising expenses, legal bills and actual campaigning. But the same network of groups brought in a bit shy of $220 million in new contributions. Trump is hardly broke — he had $45 million in his campaign account at the end of March — but the high expense rate significantly limited his ability to build up cash.

-

By contrast, campaign spending accounts for a bit more than half of what has been spent by Biden’s entire political operation so far, with the remainder going toward fundraising.

[Biden's organizations] collectively raised $365 million through the end of March and spent $138 million, with an additional $79 million transferred to the DNC and state parties. [Note that Trump has given state parties zilch. Likewise the RNC has not been funding state parties.]

Put simply: Biden raised more money, spent less of it on fundraising and none on legal costs, saved more, and has more waiting to hit his campaign bank account than Trump did.

--

But Trump’s operation is changing, driven in part by his takeover of the RNC after he officially secured the GOP nomination.

Since early April, both Trump and the RNC have been sending digital fundraising solicitations primarily for Trump National Committee, the new joint fundraising committee — with nearly a dozen emails per day across the two groups some days. Under the committee’s allocation formula, 90 percent of its proceeds go to Trump. That’s significant because that means the Trump campaign now gets a direct cut of the money raised by the RNC.

Trump has also sought a 5 percent cut from Republican candidates and groups that use his name or likeness in fundraising, creating additional revenue streams for his campaign.

"Ask not what you can do for the down ballot races; ask what the down ballot races can do for you."

camille70 · 2024-05-19T12:52:55-0500

Somewhat related to Houston schools...

A school board member campaigned against indoctrinating kids. Then she read the curriculum

Courtney Gore, a Granbury ISD school board member, has disavowed the far-right platform she campaigned on. Her defiance has brought her backlash. By Jeremy Schwartz, The Texas Tribune �and ...

www.dailykos.com

AlexB23 · 2024-05-19T12:48:50-0500

Wolseley said:
It's too bad that such a beautiful architectural treasure can't be uprooted and moved to a new location, and replace one of the hideous post-Vatican II horrors that are in use now.

There is one that I'm thinking of: St. Francis de Sales parish in Muskegon, Michigan, a free-form concrete nightmare in the "Brutalist" tradition that is just awful. I don't know whether it's due to the concrete, the height of the ceilings, or the oppressive atmosphere inside, but you can literally feel the temperature drop 15 degrees the minute you walk inside.

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God forgive me of saying this, but the 1950s-1960s Brutalist architecture is not holy. The windows are way too high, and a bit small, and the exposed concrete could have been covered with a metal skin.

If one wants to have a minimalist interior, the style of the Nordic countries would look nicer.

Interior of Reykjavik, Iceland's Keflavik Airport

BPPLEE · 2024-05-19T12:45:23-0500

essentialsaltes said:
Lawyer preparation suggests Trump won’t testify in New York trial
In Trump’s case, the judge’s discussions with lawyers in recent days indicate that even if the defense calls a small number of witnesses, they do not expect Trump to be one of them.

Four people close to the former president said next week’s plan does not include him testifying, and they expect the jury to start deliberating later in the week. Trump is famously mercurial and could always demand to testify, some of these people said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations. Todd Blanche, a lawyer for Trump, declined to comment.

He would be an idiot to testify. He hasn’t always shown the best judgment though.

essentialsaltes · 2024-05-19T12:38:12-0500

essentialsaltes said:
Prosecutors ask to reopen sentencing so Paul Pelosi’s attacker may speak

Judge will reopen sentencing hearing for Paul Pelosi’s attacker

[Judge] Corley, who was nominated to the bench in 2022 by President Biden, wrote that “it was the Court’s responsibility to personally ask” DePape whether he wanted to speak. “As the Court did not do so, it committed clear error.”