mindlight said:

I am not an atheist and shallow and broken spirituality is the root cause of Europe's problems. We are materially rich but hollow shells because of the crisis of faith that has emptied out the heart of Europe and denuded it of all power.

Click to expand...

Which problems are these? I live in the UK and I don’t see anything different. Exactly what problems are you referring to?

All for Jesus

Under His wings (Psalm 91:4)

PloverWing said:

I just finished watching "Wake Up Dead Man", the third movie in the Knives Out series. It's a complicated murder mystery, which I won't spoil by discussing any plot details here. But what caught my attention most about the movie is that, in the character of Father Jud (a Catholic priest), we see one of the most accurate portrayals of the Christian faith at its best that I've ever seen on screen.

Most often, movies don't even address religion. If they do, it's often generically bland; or, worse, the religious dialogue is clumsy, and the religious characters are flat caricatures. Only rarely have I seen Christian characters portrayed with a faith that resembles my own and dialogue that sounds like Christians I know in real life. This is one of those rare movies. I recommend it, for that reason.

Also, it's a good murder mystery.

Click to expand...

Apart from the entertaining WHODUNIT aspect .. because the crime scene is a Church community, the movie made me think about what a church fellowship should look like, how to avoid the obvious caricatures of bad leadership, dysfunctional servitude, or even unhealthy motives to be there in the first place. It could be a therapeutic experience for any church attendant.

Most of the characters seemed to be cultural/traditional church-goers stuck in a religious system not encouraging growth. I found it encouraging the main character was the good guy honestly trying to serve God despite his past failures and current weaknesses.

The writer/director grew up in an Evangelical environment; it seems the movie has strong autobiographical elements - yet in the end the movie doesn't bash faith - it criticises what's unhealthy in the way its practised. So it leaves believing viewers with the challenge: 'how not to become that church' ..

BobRyan said:

AI goes to post NT traditions and non Bible sources to try and figure that one out.

Interesting help from the Catholic Church explains why AI can not find any commands for Sunday keeping in the actual New Testament.

The Faith Explained (an RC commentary on the Baltimore catechism post Vatican ii) states on Page 242 that
====================begin short summary
"we know that in the O.T it was the seventh day of the week - the Sabbath day - which was observed as the Lord's day. that was the law as God gave it...'remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.. the early Christian church determined as the Lord's day the first day of the week. That the church had the right to make such a law is evident...

changing the Lord's day to Sunday was in the power of the church since "in the gospels ..Jesus confers upon his church the power to make laws in his name".


page 243

"nothing is said in the bible about the change of the Lord's day From Saturday to Sunday. We know of the change only from the tradition of the Church - a fact handed down to us...that is why we find so illogical the attitude of many Non-Catholics, who say that they will believe nothing unless they can find it in the bible and Yet will continue to keep Sunday as the Lord's day on the say-so of the Catholic church"

Click to expand...

I agree

Because a scripture says on the first day of the week Paul met and prayed / preached, does not mean he did this every first day of the week.

And besides Christians were persecuted by the Romans, they were persecuted by the Jews and they met often whenever they could, in any house they could.

Paul kept the Sabbath / as it is written, "as was his custom"
Login to view embedded media

Constantine change the day of rest / and worship from the seventh day to the first day. And their Church accepted it.

Sunday | Rest, Worship, Reflection | Britannica Sunday | Rest, Worship, Reflection | Britannica

Brightfame52 said:

Christ part is to give, cause repentance

Click to expand...

Paul said in (Gal. 6 (v.3) For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. (v.4) But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

The book says let every man prove his own work, and if your work is good then you will rejoice in it.

(v.5) For every man shall bear his own burden. That’s right; every man must bear his own burden. You mean you thought that all you had to do was confess the name of Jesus and that was it? Brothers and sisters you must work to get salvation. (v.7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. God is not to be played with. Whatsoever you plant, that’s what you are going to reap. Be it good works unto eternal life, or evil works unto eternal damnation. The choice is yours, and your works belong to you.

Unqualified said:

https://photos.google.com/direct/AF1QipMlTSWX04TQpjWKRnUvAXIdgfLai5V4GrQvQkLuqTeFMFG3Lv_AYIJzWomdBnEZKg/photo/AF1QipPZ-hg4Nmn4CYlJAAHLBr7FgI3amI7PcIq-avz4

here is our back yard and the neighbors. A rare photo I got from my wife. It was too cold to go out and spend much time, about 0 degrees Celsius. Looks kind of neat and we were all rejoicing. It was when our daughter was still alive. Surprisingly the yard is still short cut. And I think we had a fire that day, in the fireplace.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I could not load your photo:


A lot of people have fire pits out doors to extend our backyard season. We have a propane fire table and roll-up awning and it is nice to sit out on a cool evening. 0 C is about our limit for sitting outside. Speaking of which, if it is clear this week, there are a couple days meteor showers are supposed to be visible. I'm uncertain it will stop snowing long enough. LOL.

BTW, I bought a bit of a rough project gun at an auction, really rough British Fouling Piece, single barrel, 20 ga. I'm going to clean it up with the intent to get it shooting, but if it is not good enough, it will make a wall hanger:

I don't know that I have answers to those questions, but I thought you might appreciate this artwork:


Virgin Mary and Eve
Crayon and pencil drawing by Sr Grace Remington, OCSO
© 2005, Sisters of the Mississippi Abbey.

NewLifeInChristJesus said:

I had a feeling we were on the same page.

Click to expand...

We definitely are, great reply!

He Who Has Been Forgiven Much Loves Much

I am the Lord, the God of history and of tomorrow.
I do not change, though nations rise and fall before Me.
What you see unfolding in your time, I have already written in former days
not to frighten you, but to teach you.

Have I not shown you this before?

I Saw This at Babel​

When men gathered to make a name for themselves apart from Me,
I scattered them, not because unity was evil,
but because unity without truth becomes tyranny.
So now you see the same desire:
one voice, one system, one power,
yet without reverence for Me.
Confusion follows where I am rejected.

I Saw This in Sodom​

When a people loved pleasure more than righteousness,
when injustice cried louder than repentance,
I listened to the outcry of the innocent.
So now you see societies calling evil good and good evil.
Know this: I am patient, but I am not blind.

I Saw This in Egypt​

Pharaoh hardened his heart against Me and against My people.
He trusted in his strength, his army, his gods.
I warned him again and again.
Deliverance came for My people,
and collapse came for the system that refused to let them worship Me.
So it is still:
oppression does not endure forever.

I Saw This in the Days of the Judges​

When My people rejected My ways,
each did what was right in their own eyes.
Chaos followed.
Division followed.
So now you see nations fractured, truth contested,
because I am no longer their reference point.

I Spoke Through My Prophets​

I warned kings and nations:
Do not worship power.
Do not exploit the poor.
Do not silence truth.
They mocked My messengers
until what I spoke came to pass.
I am still speaking, though many no longer listen.

I Revealed Babylon​

I showed you a system clothed in luxury,
drunk on power,
seducing the nations.
Babylon is not only a city, it is a spirit.
You see it again:
markets without mercy,
culture without conscience,
influence without wisdom.

I Built My Church in Persecution​

When rulers tried to silence My name,
My Word spread faster.
When they imprisoned My servants,
My Spirit moved freely.
Do not fear hostility,
I grow My kingdom in opposition.

I Remembered Noah​

When violence filled the earth,
I preserved righteousness.
Judgment came, but so did rescue.
I always make a way through the storm for those who walk with Me.

I Showed You the End From the Beginning​

I told you the world would shake.
I told you deception would increase.
I told you kingdoms would rise and fall.
But I also told you this:

The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of My Christ.

Click to expand...

Do not be afraid when systems fail.
Do not be shaken when darkness speaks loudly.
I am still seated on the throne.

I am not losing control.
I am revealing hearts.

Therefore​

Return to Me.
Stand in truth.
Love righteousness.
Care for the broken.
Proclaim My Son.


What you are witnessing is not the end of hope,
it is the unveiling of what cannot last.


I have shown you these things before.
And just as before,

I will be faithful again.

stevevw said:

Ok so I will engage again but please refrain form the personal attacks.

This time I think I will take a more pragmatic approach and walk through this step by step.

So the first thing is to clarify what you are saying. Are you saying that all the examples shown so far have natural explanations.

Click to expand...

Cut out the baloney, you did not even engage when responding to my posts by deliberately ignoring the content and then lying by omission by claiming there are no refutations of your pseudoscience using peer reviewed science or evidence which supports the Egyptians used rudimentary tooling and high levels of craftsmanship.

What I pointed out to you in my post is the pitfalls of using YouTube videos instead of peer reviewed science as it was riddled with errors.
Here is another monumental error from your video.




Here is a brief lesson for you in “material science” not your butchering of the term to reflect a philosophical outlook.

The pretty colours in the image are due to a phenomenon known as birefringence which is an optical property of crystalline materials in which a single incoming light ray is split into two rays that travel at different speeds and in different directions through the material.
When plane-polarized light from a polarizing filter enters a birefringent crystal, it splits into two rays vibrating at right angles and at different velocities.
They exit the crystal out of phase and when recombined with another polarizing filter in the microscope they interfere producing interference colours as shown in the video image.

If the rock was melted and as the video points out rapidly cooled the crystalline structure would be destroyed and you end up with an amorphous rock. If the rock a geopolymer to start with there would be no crystalline structure as the mouldability depends on the geopolymer being amorphous. Geopolymers remain largely amorphous even after aging.

This what you would expect to see from an amorphous rock (in this case obsidian) as a result of heating and softening, or a geopolymer using a thin sliced samples and imaged with a polarizing microscope.


The irony is the video has destroyed its own hypothesis by the evidence it has presented.

This is from an article published in Adventist Today. Many in the SDA church are realizing that their present state of doctrinal requirements, such as strict adherence to the sabbath, following the dietary laws, and life style requirements, are quite legalistic so the focus is on strict adherence to the 28 fundamental beliefs. This article speaks to this tension.


An uncomfortable tension

The Adventist Church has put itself in a bind. By codifying belief into a creed, it has essentially turned from the radical trust in Jesus that both Scripture and Ellen White proclaimed, and has shackled itself to a legalistic structure that cannot bring life. If it continues down this road, the church risks losing its soul even while clinging to its shell.

In practice, enforcement varies. In some parts of Europe and North America, pastors emphasize commitment to Christ and community more than box-checking all 28 beliefs. But in South America, Africa, and conservative regions of the U.S., enforcement is strict, and a member or employee who questions a belief risks discipline or dismissal. What Ellen White warned against has become official policy, though not always universally applied.

It leaves us with an uncomfortable tension. The prophet who declared “The Bible, and the Bible alone, is our creed” has been made the prophet of a denomination that demands assent to a creed. Depending on where you live, you may feel those iron bands more or less tightly.

A possible solution

What can save the Church from itself? The General Conference could begin by retiring the language of “28 Fundamental Beliefs” as a test of fellowship, and instead present them as a dynamic, growing “Statement of Faith in Progress,” open to re-examination in light of Scripture and the Spirit’s leading. Baptismal vows could be rewritten to center on faith in Christ alone, not assent to a creed. The Church Manual could be revised to explicitly affirm that no creed other than the Bible itself binds the conscience.

Such steps wouldn’t destroy Adventism’s identity—they would rescue it. They would return the movement to its original DNA, when early Adventists rejected creeds as “the mark of the beast” and proclaimed the Bible as sufficient for salvation. Unless Adventism rediscovers this heartbeat, it may survive as an institution—but not as a Spirit-filled movement.

The church stands at a crossroads. One road leads deeper into legalism, where creeds harden, enforcement grows harsher, and grace is eclipsed by intellectual conformity. The other leads back to its origins: a bold trust in the love of Christ, righteousness by faith, and the Bible alone as the rule of faith and practice.

A return to righteousness by faith is the church’s only salvation. By it we preach the true Gospel to all the world and prepare for the return of Jesus Christ.


Has the SDA fallen into legalism as the article implies?

St. John the Baptist, despite his continued imprisonment, had heard about the works Jesus was doing and sent two of his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” John was no pushover, not some reed swayed by the wind, but from this question we can gather that while John sat in Herod’s prison some doubt arose about whether Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah.

Notice how Jesus reacts to the question. He does not lose his temper or condemn them for asking. He gives them a helpful response: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” In other words: “Report to John my mighty works for these show that I am the Messiah of whom Isaiah wrote (e.g., ‘Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.’) How I accomplish my purposes may appear strange, but remember that a person who takes no offense at me is blessed.” Jesus was patient with people who asked him questions in good faith.

Nicodemus did not want to be seen in public with Jesus. That’s why Nicodemus approached him at night. But Jesus still engaged with his questions. The Samaritan woman at the well may have first thought the man speaking to her was weird, but Jesus invited her probing questions. And the rich young man who asked Jesus about the way to eternal life wasn’t quite ready to fully commit to following Christ, but Jesus looked at him, loved him, and gave personalized responses. Despite their flaws, they asked Jesus questions in good faith and Jesus answered them. What Jesus does not like is questions asked in bad faith.

Continued below.

essentialsaltes said:

Rising tensions and finger-pointing at DHS amid pressure to ramp up deportations​

White House pressure to ramp up deportations has sparked rising tension and finger-pointing inside the Department of Homeland Security, with the agency’s secretary, Kristi Noem, and her top adviser blaming subordinates for not hitting arrest quotas and undermining their relationships inside the West Wing, according to two DHS officials with direct knowledge of the matter.

Noem and her close adviser Corey Lewandowski have sought to deflect blame from themselves for any White House frustration with the pace and scope of the deportations, pinning it instead on the leaders of the agencies in charge of immigration enforcement — acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, the DHS officials said.

Underscoring the turmoil, Scott recently expressed concern to colleagues that Lewandowski is able to monitor his emails, the two officials and another DHS official said, sparking concern among other top staffers that their messages were being reviewed.

“Everyone in leadership is so worried about what they say in email and text,” one of the top staffers said.

The rising tensions within DHS come as deportation numbers continue to lag behind the administration’s goals, with Trump nearing the one-year mark of his second term.

Click to expand...

Trump was stupid if he thought he could deport tens of millions of people in four years anyway. What he should do is just deport if they get caught otherwise breaking the law, OR if they apply for assistance as long as they are pulling their own weight and being productive let them be.

Have you people not heard of Purim?

Dressing up and so on.

Login to view embedded media

Two Advent traditions not mentioned in that article are the Advent Wreath and the Jesse Tree.

Every year since we got married, my wife and I have marked the time leading up to Christmas with an Advent wreath. Although it's a bit late to start one this year, here is a great article that explains its purpose and symbolism.

When the kids were growing up, we gathered with a group of other families and a few singles to decorate a Jesse Tree. Each adult and child who participated created an ornament based on a biblical story from Salvation history. They shared the story and then hung the ornament on the tree. Here is an article

The tree was simply a branch scavenged from a forest preserve, painted gold, and placed in a coffee can filled with sand. Most of the ornaments were made from paper or everyday household items. The neighbor kids would tease our kids about our Charlie Brown tree.

Unfortunately, most of the people involved with that have moved or passed away. I miss it.

FreeinChrist said:

Sign language services 'intrude' on Trump's ability to control his image, administration says

The Trump administration is arguing that requiring real-time American Sign Language interpretation of events like White House press briefings “would severely intrude on the President’s prerogative to control the image he presents to the public," part of a lawsuit seeking to require the White...

www.pbs.org

The Trump administration is arguing that requiring real-time American Sign Language interpretation of events like White House press briefings “would severely intrude on the President’s prerogative to control the image he presents to the public,” part of a lawsuit seeking to require the White House to provide the services.​

​

Department of Justice attorneys haven’t elaborated on how doing so might hamper the portrayal President Donald Trump seeks to present to the public. But overturning policies encompassing diversity, equity and inclusion have become a hallmark of his second administration, starting with his very first week back in the White House.​

​

The National Association for the Deaf sued the Trump administration in May, arguing that the cessation of American Sign Language interpretation — which the Biden administration had used regularly — represented “denying hundreds of thousands of deaf Americans meaningful access to the White House’s real-time communications on various issues of national and international import.” The group also sued during Trump’s first administration, seeking ASL interpretation for briefings related to the COVID-19 pandemic.​

​

How petty can a person be! It hurts his image??

Click to expand...

How petty? I don't know. fairly certain we have not reached the nadir of rectitude yet.

Now, for those of us who live in the USA, which may be true of other countries, as well, the requirement to be circumcised in the flesh (which God no longer requires), in order to prove faith, is not the issue, although it still could be for some people. But using this discussion as a “spring board,” i.e. as a starting point, I will be looking today at several parallel situations we are being faced with in the USA (and perhaps in other countries, as well).

So, what are people of faith, or of prospective faith, being compelled to do today in order to demonstrate faith in Jesus Christ, i.e. that which is not required of God? Well, some of them are being compelled to be more like Jews and to take on some of the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws and customs in order to be more like Jews. And they are being strong armed into supporting the physical nation called “Israel,” which is mostly pagan. But that is not of God, but is of human flesh, and contrary to God’s will.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-6; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13;1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]

Also, the people of my nation are being compelled to accept a diluted and altered gospel message which is not of God, but of human flesh, which removes God’s requirements of us to die to sin and to walk in obedience to his commands, in the power of God, by his grace, and in daily practice. So they teach the Scriptures out of context, and they twist them to teach lies in order to convince the masses that all that is required is lip service only, i.e. a profession of faith in Jesus absent of true repentance and obedience to God.

And then there are the legalists who add on to the gospel what is not of God, but which is of man, which is what the Judaizers were doing, too. And so they make requirements about certain days of the week or about food and drink and clothing and religious formalities and customs, but while some of them are living hypocritical lives, while they are “straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.” For they obsess over tiny insignificant details while they ignore larger problems involving moral purity, sin, and disobedience to God.

So, why do they do this? Partly it has to do with control over the people, to get them to do what they require or desire, because they are obsessed with power. And so they want us to be like minions, all following the same false gods, believing the lies they tell us so that they have control. And then there is the issue of greed, either for money and/or for positions of power and control. And then it has to do with pride, with them looking good to the people to make a good showing so that they will be praised and worshiped.

But then there are those who are the charlatans (fakes, swindlers, con artists and pretenders) and the “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ in order to deceive the masses, but who are truly out to kill, to steal, and to destroy the sheep of Jesus’ pasture by getting us to believe their lies and to put them into practice. Their goal is to get us to reject God’s commands of obedience and death to sin, and to convince us that we can keep on in our sin and still have salvation from sin.

But Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

[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]

Seek the Lord

Based off Isaiah 55
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Musical Instrumentation by Mark Bradley

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”

Login to view embedded media
They Try to Compel You
An Original Work / December 14, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

God bless you. God, the God of life, has nothing but good news for us when we turn to Him, determined to live fully in His counsel, as Jesus lives in God. The peace of God and the presence of God be upon you in this time of physical turmoil you are experiencing. May the love of God become your anchor and your fortress and may you walk in God's counsel, goodness, and mercy. In Jesus' name. Amen.

TDS phantasia is real
imagination can be a powerful thing