In Kazakhstan, religious freedom is heavily restricted by the country's Religion Law, dating back to 2011. The government continually tightens its control over society, leading to increased surveillance, raids on meetings and arrests. They use the threat of militant Islam to justify these restrictions.

Russian Orthodox churches face fewer issues since they typically don’t engage with the Kazakhstani population.

Indigenous Christians with a Muslim background suffer the most. They face persecution from both the state and their own families, friends and communities. Some converts are locked up by their families, beaten and eventually expelled from their communities. Local imams also preach against them, further isolating these converts.

Who is most vulnerable to persecution?

In Kazakhstan, all Christian communities can face rights violations by government officials, regardless of location. However, converts to Christianity experience the most intense pressure from family, friends and the community, especially in rural areas. This pressure is less severe in urban
settings, where they may have more anonymity and support networks.

Meet 'Ailin'

[My family] started to force me to say [the Islamic statement of faith], to renounce my faith, my Christianity. But I said: ‘No, I know my God—it's Jesus. I believe He is God. I’m a Christian; I’m not a Muslim.”

AILIN, A BELIEVER IN CENTRAL ASIA

What as changed this year?

Kazakhstan has jumped nine places on the 2025 World Watch List since last year. This is primarily caused by a higher violence score. Across the board, pressure on followers of Jesus remains very high.

Religious freedom is restricted by legislation dating back to September 2011. The Kazakhstan government has been increasing its control over the whole of society, which has led to heightened surveillance, raids on meetings and arrests.

What does Open Doors do to help Christians in Kazakhstan?

Open Doors helps Christians in Central Asia* who face persecution for their faith. They provide immediate aid and support by distributing literature, prayer, training and various social and economic projects such as rehabilitation centres.

* For security reasons, the name Open Doors cannot be associated with certain activities in this country. When communicating about projects in this country do not use the country name, instead use the region name: Central Asia.

How can you pray for Kazakhstan?

• Pray for Christians who can be targeted for violations of Kazakhstan’s Religion Law. Ask God to protect churches from misuse of these regulations.
• The government of Kazakhstan regularly monitors church leaders. Ask God to protect His servants.
• Many believers in Kazakhstan have trouble getting regular access to Bibles and Christian literature. Pray that God’s Word will find its way to every believer in the country.

So, since this is the moderate forum, I must ask, what makes you a moderate?

I'm personally starting to think I am a moderate, but I also kinda wary of the label due to fear of drifting towards progressive Christianity and theological liberalism.

I come from a conservative evangelical background, so I saw moderates as a slippery slope towards apostasy.

Now, though, I am not sure if I am a conservative anymore. I still hold conservative viewpoints on Nicene orthodoxy and LGBT related issues pertaining to weddings and ordination, but I think I am moderate on most other issues.

I think the Bible is infallible when it comes to matters of faith and practice, and its purpose is to point the reader to salvation. It's not meant to be a science textbook nor an exhaustive source of all knowledge.

I lean towards a complementarian stance on women's ordination, but I also now know there's more nuance to the issue than I had initially assumed. Aside from thinking the office of pastor should be reserved for men only, I think I am a believer in gender equality in all other areas of life.

I guess I realize that some initial assumptions I held were wrong, and I think I am closer to moderate viewpoints, but I worry about drifting towards liberalism.

A minor thing, but I have been told mainline denominations might be a better fit for me, even though I still think of myself as an Evangelical, though that's likely due to the stereotype of mainline = liberal.

What about you? Anyone else have similar concerns?

For century after century porneia in the new testament was translated as sexual immorality. But in the 20th century, romantic poetry and arts leaned towards porneia being love. Romatic love, unrequited love, love at first sight, free love. People moved by lust commit adultery and can't deny their feelings and falll in love with the other woman and leave the wife for the lover. There are stories true and fiction of men falling in love with their prostitute. A lover can be, or become first love. Ladies can be in love with their first love, lover for the rest of their life, despite getting married and having children with the second love.

Is it as simple as saying porneia is sexual immorality?

John the Baptist was called of God, even before he was born, to be “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” And he did exactly as the Lord had called him to do. He came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And people were coming to him to be baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins (see Matthew 3:1-6).


The scribes and Pharisees (and Sadducees, too) of Jesus’ day were skilled at hypocrisy. Jesus described them in this way (see Matthew 16 & 23):


Therefore, when John saw them coming to him for baptism he did not trust their motives. He doubted the genuineness of their actions, and for good reason. So he called them a “brood of vipers.” For they were malicious, treacherous, and venomous in their nature and in their actions. And they were deceptive, and sneaky, and those who liked to trap people with their words, and who got pleasure out of causing other people pain.

So, he knew that they were not coming to have their hearts, minds, and actions altered (changed, transformed) via genuine repentance. He knew that they were not wanting God to change them inside and out so that they would escape the wrath of God to come. And so he let them know that genuine repentance will result in the bearing of spiritual and biblical fruit (results, outgrowth). There will be evidence that a change has taken place.

And the same is true for us today. For repentance is not just mouthing words of confession of sin, but it is a change of heart and mind resulting in a change of behavior. And it is gifted to us by God, as is our faith, as is our salvation from sin. And it has to do with us dying to sin, being changed in heart and mind by God, and us now walking (in conduct) in obedience to our Lord’s commands, living holy lives pleasing to God, by the grace of God.

And just because you attend services at an institutional “church,” and perhaps you went through the waters of baptism, or just because your parents claimed to be Christians, or you serve on some kind of church committee, that does not mean you are a follower of Jesus Christ. Just because you verbalize faith in Jesus Christ, it does not guarantee you salvation from sin or eternal life with God. We must truly repent.

And the Scriptures make it very clear that if we do not have that change of heart and mind, resulting in a change of behavior, and if sin is still what we practice, and not obedience to God and to his commands, we will not have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God. And that was John’s point to the Pharisees and to the Sadducees. And that is God’s point to us, as well. For it is not a verbal confession of faith in Jesus Christ which saves us, but it is obedience to God that results in life eternal with God/Christ in heaven.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Walking in The Light

Based off 1 John 1-2
An Original Work / November 16, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

When I lift up my voice, and
Sing praise unto God,
I will fellowship with my
Lord and Savior, King.
In Him there is no darkness.
He is in the light of truth.
If we walk in His light,
From sin He purifies.

If we repent of our sins,
He’ll forgive us now,
When we humble ourselves, and
Before Jesus bow.
The man who says, “I know Him,”
But does not obey His truth,
There is no truth in him.
In darkness still he’s found.

Do not love the world of sin,
For it is hell bound.
If you follow the world, you’ll
Not in Christ be found.
The world and its desires
Will not last; they’ll expire.
The one who does God’s will,
Receives eternal life.

See that what you have heard from
Christ remains in you.
Then, you’ll remain in Christ, and
In His Father, too.
This is what He promised us –
His eternal life with God.
So, continue in Him, and
You’ll receive a crown.

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Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance
An Original Work / November 28, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

It seems that there is a distraction from the things of God among His people, especially His love when it comes to each other. A loss of Godly affection, true brotherly love, the caring for others and any anguish and contrition for harming one another and forgetting what we have been given, to love your neighbor.

Instead Christians, have turned into the type of person who is beyond experiencing guilt, shame, or regret for their terrible actions against others, because all they care about is themselves and nobody else.. They have become ‘remorseless', and 'uncaring', with only the things of self.

A character defined by narcissism with an exaggerated sense of self-importance, looking for others to focus on them and give them worldly 'praise' and 'honor'. Many forget what God in His Word tells us...

1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

2 Timothy 2:24-25
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

What can be done?

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/28/politics/us-military-second-strike-caribbeanis

While I previously posted thoughts on boat killings and how the law and bible applies to them, This act of killing alleged drug smugglers after the boat was disabled is taking things another step further. It brings into question too, what lengths Trump might go to in possible ground operations.
Critical Issues on Trump Policies in South America. T

Trump Announces Pardon for Honduran Ex-President Convicted in Drug Case​

In other words he is pardoning a ex president who was found guilty of doing the same thing he accuses the Venezuelan president of doing. To me, the pardon power needs to be amended and removed from presidents.

Pray The Holy Spirit Intensely Fights Against & Defeats AI-generated Synthetic pornography:

Praise,Thanks,Glory,&Power to Jesus Christ for ensuring that Airbus company responsibly stated that some Airbus airplanes needed emergency maintenance work:

Here’s what those verses actually mean, and why they aren’t about LGBT people:

1. “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind.” — Leviticus 18:22 / 20:13
These verses are part of the Holiness Code, a set of purity rules given to ancient Israel.
Important context:

The laws were meant to separate Israel from surrounding cultures, not to comment on sexual orientation.

The Hebrew terms focus on male dominance, ritual purity, and idolatrous temple-sex practices, not loving relationships.

Christians today don’t follow the same code (it also bans mixed fabrics, shellfish, trimming beards, etc.).
So this is not about consensual LGBT relationships as we understand them today.

2. The story of Sodom — Genesis 19
The issue in the Sodom story is attempted gang rape, violence, and violation of hospitality norms — not sexuality.
Even the Bible itself explains the sin of Sodom elsewhere:

Ezekiel 16:49 says the sin was arrogance, greed, and neglecting the poor.

Nothing in the text condemns loving LGBT relationships.

3. “Against nature” — Romans 1:26–27
Paul is talking about idolatry in pagan temples and people acting against their own nature, meaning going against their own desires as part of cult rituals.
Key points:

The word “nature” (“physis”) in Greek doesn’t mean “universal law” — it means “someone’s individual nature.”

Paul is describing people who were heterosexual engaging in ritual acts that violated their own orientation.

Paul had no concept of sexual orientation as we understand it today.
So this isn’t a blanket statement about LGBT identity or relationships.

4. “Arsenokoitai” and “malakoi” — 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10
These two Greek words are often translated poorly.

Malakoi means “soft” and was used to describe laziness, decadence, or sometimes male prostitution — not gay men.

Arsenokoitai is an extremely rare word that likely referred to economic or sexual exploitation, such as trafficking or abuses of power.
There’s no evidence i
t refers to consensual same-sex relationships.

Also, Jesus never mentioned LGBT being wrong. And why would a god create people who are born to be naturally LGBT if he didn't want anyone to be LGBT? It makes no sense why God would create them and then hate it.

DHS is offering $1,000 exit bonus and free plane tickets for voluntary departure by February 2026​

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants living in the United States.

The agency posted a federal register notice stating that the 353,000 Haitian migrants who currently hold TPS will see their status expire in February. TPS protects eligible migrants from deportation and lets them work legally in the United States while conditions in their home country remain unsafe.

"After consulting with interagency partners, Secretary [Kristi] Noem concluded that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS," DHS said in a news release. "This decision was based on a review conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, input from relevant U.S. government agencies, and an analysis indicating that allowing Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is inconsistent with U.S. national interests."

DHS told Haitian migrants under TPS to prepare to depart if they have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States.

Continued below.

"I am hereby cancelling all Executive Orders, and anything else that was not directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally."

We can't have a country where unknown people issue presidential orders.

"If you were born or raised in the United States, you have grown up in the Whiteness Pandemic, and you can play a role in halting and reversing this pandemic, especially if you are White because of the power and privilege you hold in this racialized society. If you were socialized into the culture of Whiteness during childhood it is not your fault, but as an adult it is now your responsibility to self-reflect, re-educate yourself, and act."

This may be helpful in understanding the Minnesota political culture.

A little Biblical history and perspective first.

First and foremost is Jesus Christ -



There is the Original 12:

• Simon (Peter)
• Andrew (his brother)
• James (son of Zebedee)
• John (his brother)
• Philip
• Bartholomew (Nathanael)
• Thomas (Didymus)
• Matthew (the tax collector/Levi)
• James (son of Alphaeus)
• Thaddaeus (Judas son of James, also called Jude or Lebbaeus)
• Simon (the Zealot/Cananite)
• Judas Iscariot (the betrayer, later replaced)

Judas was replaced by Matthias - After Judas Iscariot's death, Matthias was chosen by lot to replace him and is explicitly numbered "with the eleven apostles" (Acts 1:26). He is therefore referred to as an apostle. They held a unique position (role) in the Gospels -

Rev 21:14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The Reader will notice that the writers of their Gospels - Luke and Mark were not part of the 12. - yet many refer to them as Apostles



Keep reading:

Same 12 people - their titles changed from disciple to apostle because they were sent out on a specific journey.
EXACTLY the same direction from the Lord - EXACTLY the same authority and results.


Then there is Paul - an Apostle to the Gentiles

Barnabus - Acts 14:4 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out

James - Gal 1:19 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

None will ever be to the level of the 12 -

But there are numbers called by God and sent who bear the Title Apostle who preached the Gospel, cast out demons and healed the sick.

When I think of modern times, I think of Dr. Billy Graham, who preached the Gospel to over 1 billion people - ministered to Kings and President, who's ministry saw tens of millions come to Christ for Salvation.

We should be thankful to the Lord in all circumstances, in pain and suffering, as well as in times when all is well. For he allows us to go through hard times as well as good times, because the difficult times are for our good, to humble us, to mature us, and to make us more like Jesus in character, in word, and in deed. And we need that pruning to change us and to mold us into the likeness of Christ so that we follow our Lord in his footsteps, and we do what he commands, and we live for him to do what pleases him.

But our thanks and our praise to God for what he has done should be shared with other Christians, and non-Christians, too, for their encouragement. For we all have our good times and bad times because we are human and we live on this earth, and so we are subject to all that is going on all around us, too. Like if the economy goes bad, and so prices soar, if we are not wealthy people, but we live on limited incomes, well we are definitely impacted by that. And that is just one example. So we need encouragement.

But if we are to make known God’s deeds among the people, well at the top of the list should be the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should be sharing with others how Jesus Christ, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – left his throne in heaven, came to earth, was born as a baby to a human (virgin) mother, and was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and not of man. So he was not born with a sin nature as we are. And he never sinned, not once the whole 33 years of his life on this earth.

Jesus left his throne in heaven and came to earth with the ultimate purpose of putting our sins to death with him on a cross, and then being raised from the dead, so that, by faith in him, we will now die to sin and live for God and for his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands, by the Spirit, in the power of God at work within us. He did not give his life up for us on that cross just so we will verbalize faith in him but while we continue to live in deliberate and habitual sin in disobedience to our Lord. Please know this!

And to seek the Lord and his strength, and to glory in his name, and to sing praises to him, and to speak of all his wonders should never be done superficially and in form only. What we speak of and sing of should come from the genuineness of our hearts in thanksgiving to our Lord for his salvation (deliverance) from our addiction to sin so that, in his power, we can now serve him with our lives in surrender to his will in walks of obedience to his commands. For if we don’t live it, we don’t mean it with all sincerity.

For seeking the Lord is not just about giving him our requests, hoping that he will grant them. Seeking the Lord has to do with us wanting to get to know him, and to know his will and purpose for our lives, so that we will now do what he requires of us in thought, word, and deed – all in his power and strength and wisdom. If we are truly seeking the Lord we will be drawing closer to him in walks of surrender to his will and purpose for our lives, because we love him, and because we want to do what is pleasing to him.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

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Glory in His Holy Name
An Original Work / November 28, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Speaking to U.S. military members on Thursday, Trump praised the recent actions "to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers," involving strikes against boats allegedly carrying narcotics, and a significant military build-up in the Caribbean.

But Trump hinted at more direct action against Venezuela on Thursday. He said his campaign had hampered the drug trade by sea, "and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also," adding: "the land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon."

In October, CNN reported that the Trump administration produced a classified legal opinion that justified lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers.

However, U.S. lawmakers had also been told this month that the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel said there was no legal justification for strikes inside Venezuela itself or any other territories, according to CNN.

Consider the following:

Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is water.
Of that, approximately 2.5% is fresh.
Of fresh water, very little is carbonated to the point where it releases CO2 when shaken.

Therefore, in terms of carbonated water, the Earth is most definitely flat.

Peace in Christ.

There are 2 groups of Christians….the dead and the living. Jesus both died and rose, and revived for us all so that He may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

What we have witnessed so far in Christian history are the “dead” as they have all mortally perished without inheriting an age-lasting life (aka “eternal life”).

They were/are the “flock of the slaughter”…the “vessels of wrath”… as their “pastors” did not feed them the Word of Truth (because of their lack of understanding of the gospel) and were led astray down the broad way to their mortal destruction. They believed in Christ but were led astray from the path that leads to His manifest life. MANY have gone down the broad way that led to their mortal destruction. Matthew 7:13-14 .

But Christ is both the Lord of the “dead” and the living. The "dead"...the first group of Christians... are the last in the resurrection (AT the last day of this age)...while the "last" group of Christians in this age are FIRST in the resurrection.

Rom 14:8-9 KJV
(8) For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
(9) For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

The “dead” Christians shall live again as they will be resurrected AT the “last day” of this age. They believed in Christ but they had mortally died (as they were led astray by false prophets.) The "first" group (the MANY "dead") shall be "last" in the resurrection. the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

Joh 11:25-26
(25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (though he died), yet shall he live:

But the “living” Christians are those who shall live and believe in Him. They shall NEVER DIE into the age. They will be kept mortally standing here by Christ in this earth TO the “last day” of this age. This is the last group of Christians that are yet to be. The last shall be first in the resurrection. They will be the "few" who will find life. Can we believe this?

(26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die (INTO THE AGE). Believest thou this?

The “living” Christians are the “firstfruits” as we shall hear the Word of Truth and will believe in it.

The “dead” never got to hear it and have fallen asleep in Christ. They are termed "asleep" for the duration of this age. He will bring them back again AT the last day of this age when death (the last enemy) is defeated.

Jas 1:18-20 KJV
(18) Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

We are to be swift to hear the Word of Truth and slow to speak and slow to wrath.

(19) Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
(20) For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

We…those who will hear the Word of Truth and believe in it…are the “living” who will manifest the presence of Jesus in our mortal flesh so that the people of the outside world may see and also believe and receive an age-lasting life. His manifest life in our mortal flesh keeps us mortally standing here now in this earth for the duration of this age....an age-lasting life.

1Co 15:22-26
(22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Christ the firstfruits are the “living” Christians who will be kept standing here mortally in this earth manifesting the life of Jesus to the people of the outside world. We are the firstfruits of His “creatures”….who are the people of the outside world.

We HEAR the Word of Truth and believe while the people of the outside world will SEE and believe as we manifest His presence to them.

They are His at His “coming”…that is, PRESENCE (Parousia.) The believers among the people of the world (who will SEE His presence being made manifest through us His firstfruits) shall also receive an age-lasting life. They will NOT DIE but will continue to live to the last day of this age.

They are the “eagles” who will gather together around the living body of Christ. Luke 17:37 . The eagles SEE the living prey and are drawn to it.

They are the “clouds” of heaven that the Son of man (those who manifest His life) comes upon.

(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming (Greek: Parousia = PRESENCE).

We…with Christ…will put down all rule and all authority and power….THEN the end of this age comes. We have an age-lasting life to achieve this through Christ. We will not mortally die.

(24) Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
(25) For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

The last enemy of this age to be destroyed is death. This comes AT the last day of this age.

(26) The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

At this time (at the last day of this age), the “dead” Christians will then be resurrected. They will have missed out on the gathering of everything in Christ on this earth.

The “living” shall not “sleep” for the duration of this current age at all as they will be kept standing here mortally in this earth TO the last day of this age. They will then be changed from mortal into immortal thereby circumventing death completely in Christ.

At the last trumpet of this age…the last day of this age, the “dead” Christians that had mortally perished (the “corruptible”) will then be resurrected incorruptible….nonperishable. They believed in Christ but had mortally perished because they were led astray by false prophets to their deaths. But we are assured that God will bring them back with Jesus.

1Co 15:51-52 KJV
(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The “dead” Christians will be raised AT the last day. They had mortally died. They lost their mortal bodies…but God will give them a body as He determines.

But the "living" Christians will have kept their mortal bodies until then which at that time shall be changed from mortal to immortal. They will have never mortally died but will have kept living until the redemption of the body.

1Co 15:35-38 KJV
(35) But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
(36) Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
(37) And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
(38) But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

A CALLER ON MY radio show today asked whether angels are responsible for the “vibrations” heard throughout the universe. He had come across a speaker who suggested something along those lines and wanted to know if it was odd speculation or if the Church actually teaches anything that resembles it. His description mixed a few ideas together, but it touched on something more significant than he realized.

Catholic teaching has always held that angels are real spiritual beings who serve God in ways both revealed and hidden. Scripture hints at some of their responsibilities, the Fathers expand on that picture, and the great theologians explain how their activity fits within God’s providence. The idea that they exercise influence within the created order is not a modern fantasy. It is part of the Catholic understanding of how divine governance reaches into the visible world.

Before turning to St. Thomas Aquinas, it helps to recall that the Church has never claimed to know the full scope of what angels do (Catechism 328–336). What has been revealed shows that they carry out genuine tasks, and the tradition teaches that their responsibilities extend far beyond what Scripture records. That is the context for understanding how a casual remark about “vibrations” can gesture, however clumsily, toward an older and richer teaching.

St. Thomas Aquinas states plainly that angels serve in God’s external missions:

Continued below.

Now Jesus Christ was not born with a sin nature as we are, because he was conceived of the Spirit of God and not of man. And while he lived on the earth he never sinned. But Jesus strived against sin to the point of shedding his blood on a cross to put our sins to death with him, so that, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in him we will now die to sin and live to God and to his righteousness. And sin doesn’t have to be some major moral failure. Sin can be doubt, fear, lack of faith, and retreat, which disable our work for God.

So we need to be those who follow the example of Christ, who resist the devil, who flee temptation, and who draw near to God in full assurance of faith, regardless of our circumstances. For the devil likes to “put us through the wringer” (to subject us to very stressful experiences) in hopes that we will fail, and that we will give up the fight, and that we will retreat out of sadness, fear, and physical and mental and emotional exhaustion. But the Lord allows us to go through difficult times of suffering for his purposes.

Just like he allowed the devil to inflict God’s servant Job, to murder his children and his servants and his livestock, and to give Job painful sores all over his body, to test Job’s faith, God will allow difficulties to come into our lives to test our faith, too. This is the discipline of the Lord in our lives to keep us humble, to purify our hearts, to purge us of any known sins in our lives, to keep us focused on God’s purpose for our lives, and to teach us endurance, patience, love, and compassion, that we might grow in Christ.

But when I look at the world around me, in our present day and age, and I see so many signs of the last days, and of times of tribulation, and of the nearness of our Lord’s return, I can’t help but feel that God is allowing some of us to suffer in painful ways because he is getting us ready for greater sufferings yet to come. And/or he is getting us ready for his soon return, so he is purifying our hearts to make us ready for when we will meet our Lord face to face. For the Scriptures talk about that, I think in Revelation.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

Be Still, My Soul

Hymn lyrics by Katharina von Schlegel, pub.1752
tr. by Jane L. Borthwick, pub.1855
Music by Jean Sibelius, 1899

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well-pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

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Do Not Grow Weary or Lose Heart
An Original Work / November 26, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Hi Friend,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!



I wanted to share some great one-liners from the saints about gratitude. Spend some time chewing on these today. It’ll lift your soul. And if you live them, it’ll change your life. (The first four are from an American, Blessed Solanus Casey.)



“It’s heaven begun for the grateful on earth.”

— Blessed Solanus Casey



“Thank God ahead of time.”

— Blessed Solanus Casey



“Be sure, if the enemy of our souls is pleased at anything in us it is ingratitude—of whatever kind. Why? Ingratitude leads to so many breaks with God and neighbor.”

— Blessed Solanus Casey



“Gratitude is as necessary for social order and harmony as are the laws of gravity for the physical world.”

— Blessed Solanus Casey



“Thank him for everything, because everything is good.”

— St. Josemaría Escrivá



“Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has, and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.”

— St. John Chrysostom



“The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.”

— St. Gianna Beretta Molla



“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.”

St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier



“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”

— St. Ambrose



“Think of all the beauty in yourself and in everything around you and be happy.”

— Anne Frank (I know. Not a Saint. But a hero nonetheless!)



“What most attracts God’s graces is gratitude, because if we thank him for a gift, he is touched and hastens to give us ten more, and if we thank him again with the same enthusiasm, what an incalculable multiplication of graces! I have experienced this; try it yourself and you will see! My gratitude for everything he gives me is limitless, and I prove it to him in a thousand ways.”

— St. Thérèse of Lisieux



If you’re reading this, I’m grateful for YOU, and to know that I’m spiritually walking through life with you. My family and I are praying for you today.



HAVE A GRATEFUL DAY!



God bless you,



Chris Stefanick

Real Life Catholic

I have seen a trend with these, not too long ago a man set a woman on fire, and claimed he was drinking, and that he has a drinking problem.

What does this have anything to do with these murders?

Our Morning Offering

One Minute Reflection

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal propers & commentary (EF)

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal propers, blessing & investiture (EF)

Thursday of the Thirty-Fourth Week of Ordinary Time; Opt. Mem. of Thanksgiving Day (USA) readings & commentary (OF)
Other Commemorations: Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

The Miraculous Medal

Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

As Miraculous Medal feast coincides with Thanksgiving, faithful have special chance to offer gratitude to Our Lady

The Miraculous Medal: Going to Mary with Mother Seton and St. Catherine Labouré

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