New Posts

timf · 2025-12-03T04:12:02-0600

The actual term "born again" which is what Nicodemus was supposed to have understood comes from Ezekiel.

Eze 36:25 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.
Eze 36:26 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.
Eze 36:27 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.

This was for the faithful remnant of Israel that would enter the earthly kingdom. While Christians could be called "regenerated" when receiving new and eternal life when placed into the body of Christ, it can be confusing to also call this being "born again".

BelieveItOarKnot · 2025-12-03T04:10:46-0600

bling said:
First off in Mark 4:15 Jesus specifically says: “Some people” and not “all people”.

IF you believe that is the case THEN Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4 and Deut. 8:3 are all WRONG

or, your reasoning is off

IF all have sin, (we do) and sin is of the devil, (it is) then Mark 4:15 applies to everyone

IF we are tempted in mind/heart, (we are) then Mark 4:15 is true again

I could go on, but if you exempt yourself from Mark 4:15 then you are basically rejecting the Word of God

And of course we know who does that don't we?

The balance of your reply is self justification, which I can't do in light of the above

Oh, and btw I do believe in eternal hell, for the devil and his messengers so that question is off the table

Ellesmere · 2025-12-03T04:00:09-0600

“If you want to do things like gender ideology, go to (the University of California) Berkeley,” DeSantis added. “There’s nothing wrong with that, per se, but for us with our tax dollars, we want to focus on the classical mission of what a university is supposed to be.”

“What this does is reorient our universities back to their traditional mission and part of that traditional mission is to treat people as individuals, not to try to divvy them up based on any type of superficial characteristics,” DeSantis said.

US Rank 2026	WUR Rank 2026	University	Overall	Teaching	Research Environment	Research Quality	Industry	International Outlook
1	2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	97.7	99.2	95.3	99.6	100	91.9
2	=3	Princeton University	97.2	98.2	97.3	99	98	85.4
=3	=5	Harvard University	97.1	95.9	100	98.9	86.7	88.3
=3	=5	Stanford University	97.1	97.5	97.4	99.5	100	83.9
5	7	California Institute of Technology	96.3	96.4	97.4	96.8	100	87.9
6	9	University of California, Berkeley	94.4	87.3	99	98.9	99.5	83.9
7	10	Yale University	94.1	94.6	94.5	97.2	87.6	81.4

1) According to the TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS, the University of California (Berkeley) ranks 6th among US universities and 9th in the world!

2) Two other California universities actually rank ahead of Berkeley, the California Institute of Technology and Stan ford (tied with Harvard) rank 5th and 3rd for US universities - 7th and 6th worldwide!

3) A total of 9 universities in California were slotted ahead of the University of Florida (44th) - the highest ranked university in that state!

3rd - Stanford University (5th worldwide)
5th - California Institute of Technology (7th worldwide)
6th - University of California Berkeley (9th worldwide)
11th - University of California Los Angeles ranks (18th worldwide)
22nd - University of California San Diego ranks 22nd (47th worldwide)
25th - University of California Davis 25th (64th worldwide)28th - University of California Santa Barbara (72nd worldwide)
29th - University of Southern California (73rd worldwide)
35th - University of California Irvine (97th worldwide)

44th - University of Florida (134th worldwide)

4) Apparently Governor DeSantis has decided to start his 2028 Presidental Campaign early but he's finally learned the hard way not to renew his fight with Disney!

5) Now he's decided to take a page out of President Trump's playbook, he's picking a fight with the universities - threatening to establish his own accreditation board as a means of forcing Florida's institutions to comply!

6) Florida's Governor has assumed the role of determining what can/can't be taught in that state's institutions for the express purpose "to focus on the classical mission of what a university is supposed you be!"

7) Someone should inform the Governor that try as he might, he can't recapture his idyllic version of "THE GOOD OLD DAYS" and that the 1950's are not about to make a comeback anytime soon!

8) DeSantis' comments directed at Berkeley, that supposed "bastion of woke," are all the more misguided, given that the Governor has unintentionally issued an open invitation to compare Florida's public universities with those of California - a state where the Governor has made no attempt to impose his will on what is being taught!

9) As previously stated, the "Times Higher Education World University Rankings"
places the University of California Berkeley as the 6th best university in America and 9th in the World - in fact, California has currently placed 3 universities in the Top 10 in the world (2 public, 1 private)!

10) California also has 9 universities (7 public, 2 private) that rank in the Top 35 nationally and all are included within the Top 100 internationally!

11) Compare "woke" California where all 9 universities are ranked ahead of the highest placed university in Florida, where no institution of higher learning, public or private, managed to be included among the Top 100 worldwide!

44th - University of Florida (134th worldwide)
56th - University of Miami (private)(201-250 worldwide)
66th - Florida State University (301-350 worldwide)
74th - University of South Florida (351-400 worldwide)
80th - Florida International University (401-500 worldwide)

12) Many of Florida's universities, both private and public, are better known for their football program than academics!

13) In 2023, Governor DeSantis set aside $1 million in pubic funds to finance a Florida State University's (FSU) legal challenge directed at the College Football Playoff Committee when FSU wasn't included as one of the playoff teams that year!

Top Universities in the US 2026 - US College Rankings

Discover the best colleges in the US according to the Times Higher Education’s trusted World University Rankings. This list highlights the which universities in the US excel in teaching, research, and global influence. The Times Higher Education US college rankings are based on a trusted...

www.timeshighereducation.com

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Sets Aside $1 Million For FSU's Legal Battles Against CFP

The outrage in Tallahassee isn't limited to just supporters and fans of the program.

www.si.com

‘Go to Berkeley’: Ron DeSantis said students seeking ‘woke’ classes should study elsewhere

'We want to focus on the classical mission of what a university is supposed to be.'

floridapolitics.com

TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS, the University of California (Ber

“If you want to do things like gender ideology, go to (the University of California) Berkeley,” DeSantis added. “There’s nothing wrong with that, per se, but for us with our tax dollars, we want to focus on the classical mission of what a university is supposed to be.”

“What this does is reorient our universities back to their traditional mission and part of that traditional mission is to treat people as individuals, not to try to divvy them up based on any type of superficial characteristics,” DeSantis said.

DamianWarS · 2025-12-03T03:52:32-0600

SabbathBlessings said:
If no more was added to the Ten Commandments Deut5:22 so how are they part of a “greater covenant”. No more added means they are the greater covenant all by Itself without man having to make it complete.

You're taking a narrow view of a single verse without allowing it to be informed by the broader context. The entire verse encompasses Exodus 20 to 31 (if we are talking about the first edition) or 34 (if we are talking about the second edition), depending on when you want to draw the line. The same is done in Deut. 4:11-13.

We can plainly read the entire event as it happened in Exodus with greater detail. Deut. 5/4 is a being spoken to Israel from Moses as an after-the-fact reading; the whole book is a series of speeches by Moses recalling past events like farewell speeches. He goes back and forth depending on the point he wants to make. Where Moses, years later, in Deut. condensed the experience into a handful of verses, we can actually read what events took place in Exodus. The 10 is a symbol of the law, they are called the two tablets of the covenant law in Exodus and Exodus very clearly couples the 10 with a covenant greater than itself as noted in Exodus 24 where an actual blood covenant was established for all the laws/commandments that had just come (From ch 20-23). This is easily decipherable just by reading the order of the events in Ex 20-24. But you see the words "and added nothing else" and create this wild doctrine from it. It's not about adding to the 10 (which SDA adds an 11th commandment for dietary laws) but rather understand the 10 are a part of a greater covenant.

SabbathBlessings said:
That’s interesting considering so much Scriptures I have posted has not been addressed.

Most of your posts have been just been your own commentary. I have addressed Mat5:17-30 many times. Basically all we need to do is read it just as Jesus speaks and allow Him to define which law He is speaking about, and not add our words like Jesus ever writing in scrolls with ink which is not in our Bibles, plus He already promised jots and tittles from the scrolls written with ink would end. Dan9:27 Heb10:1-10 so obviously that can’t be the Law He speaks of.

He quoted directly from the Law He was referring to from Ten Commandments and fulfilled what He promised to do Isa 42:21 magnify His righteous and eternal laws which He gave clear examples of Him doing so using two of the commandments from the Ten Commandments so no need to lean on our own understanding Mat5:19-30. And this Law was written on stone by God. How does one debate ones opinions with Scripture as if its the same Exo31:18 Deut4:13. If a law was going to be eternal without editing, would it be one written by the Holy Spirit or the laws written by man on paper. Sad this is even a debate.

Sorry, I have supported my arguments with Scriptures, I am going to stick with that and move on and leave it as agree to disagree.

you keep hinting at this idea that my words are not of scripture, saying various suggestive remarks like my own ideas/commentary/traditions of men, etc.... Merely saying these things doesn't actually make it so and I can say identical remarks to you, but alone they are unproductive. Mat 5:17 opens with a context of the law and prophets but you don't seem to feel this is important and ingore this context. then we do right into v18 and you switch the context to that of only the 10 rather then the previously established context of the law and prophets. You just echo this over and over and seem to think this is enough citing examples that Christ quotes 2 of the 10; therefore the prior context is trumped but this new context. Yet Christ quotes from more than the 10, he actually quotes more within the Ex 20-23 passages showing that Christ is not trying to separate the 10, but rather is addressing something far more broad. He already establishes a context of the law and prophets in 17, and then quotes from the law and prophets in his examples... so why would 18 and 19 change the context to only the 10 commandments? jots and tittles are references to written scrolls as would be the characteristics of the more modern script used in the scrolls that would work for that expression. The tablets are written using an older script where the jots and tittles expression doesn't make sense. This is not unsubstantiated and is well supported over simply saying I really want it to be the 10 therefore it must be the 10 then using a bunch of verses with law and pretent it actually is saying the 10 commandments.

GoldenBoy89 · 2025-12-03T03:40:04-0600

Always in His Presence said:
Who is this? An Islamic group that follows a strict Salafi-jihadi ideology. They are seeking to establish an Islamic emirate in Somalia governed by its extreme interpretation of Sharia law. It is strongly anti-Western, anti-African Union, and opposes the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), which it considers apostate.

This coming from a State governed by someone who could have been VP.

Reminds me of the story about Haitians eating cats and dogs.

Aryeh Jay · 2025-12-03T03:35:44-0600

Time for the UK to outlaw all hammers.

samaus123456789 · 2025-12-03T03:27:10-0600

From chat GPT

⭐ 1. CHRISTIANS ARE ABRAHAM’S SEED

Galatians 3:7

“Those who are of faith, these are the sons of Abraham.”

Galatians 3:9

“So then, those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.”

Galatians 3:14

“That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:16

“The promises were made to Abraham and to his seed… and that seed is Christ.”

Galatians 3:26–29

“If you are Christ’s, you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Romans 4:11–12

Abraham is the father of all who believe, whether circumcised or uncircumcised.

Romans 4:16

“He is the father of us all.”

⭐ 2. CHRISTIANS ARE HEIRS TO ABRAHAM’S PROMISE

Romans 8:16–17

“If children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.”

Galatians 4:28

“Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.”

Galatians 4:30

Believers are the inheritors, like Isaac, not Ishmael.

Hebrews 6:17

God confirmed the promise to Abraham for the heirs (Christians).

⭐ 3. CHRISTIANS ARE JEWS INWARDLY, THE TRUE CIRCUMCISION

Romans 2:28–29

“He is not a Jew who is one outwardly…
but he is a Jew who is one inwardly,
and circumcision is of the heart, in the Spirit.”

Philippians 3:3

“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit…
and have no confidence in the flesh.”

Colossians 2:11

Christians receive the circumcision of Christ, not made with hands.

⭐ 4. CHRISTIANS ARE “THE ISRAEL OF GOD”

Galatians 6:16

“Peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”

Most scholars agree Paul uses this to describe the church, not ethnic Israel.

⭐ 5. CHRISTIANS ARE THE TEMPLE, PRIESTHOOD, AND HOLY NATION

All titles given originally to Israel in the Old Testament.

1 Peter 2:5

“You are a holy priesthood.”

1 Peter 2:9

“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for His own possession.”

(These titles come from Exodus 19:5–6 describing Israel.)

1 Peter 2:10

“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.”

1 Corinthians 3:16–17

Christians are God’s Temple.

Ephesians 2:19–22

Believers are fellow citizens, part of the household of God, being built into a holy Temple.

John 15:1 Jesus is the true vine

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman"

⭐ 7. CHRISTIANS ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD / CHILDREN OF PROMISE

John 1:12–13

“To all who received Him… children of God.”

Romans 9:6–8

“Not all who are of Israel are Israel…
The children of promise are counted as the seed.”

Paul explains that true Israel is defined by faith, not ethnicity.

Galatians 4:4–7

Believers become sons and heirs.

⭐ 8. CHRISTIANS ARE “ONE NEW MAN,” NOT TWO PEOPLES

Ephesians 2:11–18

Christ abolished the dividing wall and created:

“One new man from the two.”

Not two covenants.
Not two Israels.
One reconciled people in Christ.

⭐ 9. CHRISTIANS INHERIT THE WORLD / THE KINGDOM

Romans 4:13

The promise to Abraham was that he would inherit the world,
and this promise comes through faith, not the law.

Matthew 5:5

“The meek shall inherit the earth.”

1 Corinthians 6:2

Christians will judge the world.

⭐ 10. CHRISTIANS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE JERUSALEM ABOVE

Galatians 4:26

“The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.”

This contrasts with earthly Jerusalem enslaved under the law.
Also Jesus was Abrahams seed so God gave Canaan to Jesus around 2100 BC the Israelites were only temporary residents on the land. Jesus did not want the land so he replaced it with the new Jerusalem for his followers Christians. Canaan /Palestine is no longer the promise land.

Larniavc · 2025-12-03T02:54:19-0600

Adhering to the law in America is the REAL surprise.

Anhelyna · 2025-12-03T02:51:59-0600

Theotokos virgin, hail most blessed Mary, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have given birth to the Saviour of our souls.

Hans Blaster · 2025-12-03T02:03:17-0600

Landon Caeli said:
AI Overview

Morphic resonance is
a theory proposed by biologist Rupert Sheldrake that suggests all natural systems, including organisms and crystals, have a collective memory that influences their form and behavior over time. This proposed mechanism of "formative causation" claims that past forms and behaviors of similar systems create a cumulative, invisible influence that shapes the development and patterns of present systems, rather than being governed by fixed physical laws alone. It implies that nature is habitual and that new behaviors can spread more rapidly through a species because of this shared, non-physical memory.

Key concepts

Collective memory: Each species, from animals to plants, possesses a collective memory that individuals can access and to which they contribute.

Habitual nature: The theory suggests that the regularities of nature are more like habits that have been reinforced by repetition, rather than being immutable laws.

Similarity: The resonance is based on similarity. The more similar an organism or system is to past ones, the greater the influence it will have.

Behavior and form: Morphic resonance is said to influence both the physical form and the behavior of a system. For example, it is proposed to explain instincts and how certain patterns of behavior, like a new trick learned by rats in one location, can be learned more quickly by other rats of the same breed elsewhere.

Individual memory: The resonance of a system with its own past is also suggested as a way to explain individual memory, where memories are not entirely stored in the brain but are accessed through a resonance with the brain's past states.

No. SHeldrake is a fraud.

Perpetual Student · 2025-12-03T01:44:45-0600

rambot said:
Release Honduran President found guilty of importing millions of dollars of drugs into the country: It doesn't matter. Trump did it so he's keeping us safe.

After the Clean Coal we will have the Healthy Drugs.

Servus · 2025-12-03T00:24:34-0600

Belk said:
Please explain how that changes my observation?

It sounded to me like you misinterpreted the term strongman to mean someone who tends to be fair and generous. Terms like strong as in virtuous, and strong willed, and strongman are not synonymous. Therefore it doesn't make any sense to compare the term strong as in virtuous to the term strongman just because they both contain the word "strong". Otherwise one might as well throw strong odor into the mix.

samaus123456789 · 2025-12-03T00:19:06-0600

Isaiah 65 starts off saying how God will reveal himself to the Greco Romans first century but also the Israelite remnant as they are no longer his people first century but he promised to save some of them. Well I think it is double meaning maybe it is just Greco Romans
It is written to the southern kingdom of Judah aka Judeans Jews.

then

15 You will leave your name
for my chosen ones to use in their curses;
the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,
but to his servants he will give another name.

Since 70 AD the word Jew means Christ killer, liar, deceiver, charlatan, dishonest, greedy, slimey etc. a curse word. And ofc God killed them all throughout the OT, and then 70 AD. Gods servants Christians have another name Christians. They were first called Christians at Antioch, and don't be ashamed of the name Christian because God has given you that name.
So does Romans 2 28 29 continue on after 70 AD or was it meant just to highlight the difference between the OT definition of Jew, and NT definition in the transition period from the old covenant to the new covenant 30-70 AD?

partinobodycular · 2025-12-02T23:48:40-0600

Tom D said:
It's likely if this didn't happen before.

I would say that it only started happening when I passed 65. When trying to watch a movie I can't help but feel like I'm wasting time that could be better spent doing something productive. I've tried watching a movie on one monitor while doing something productive on another one, but I inevitably find the movie to be too distracting, and so I have to turn it off. This happens even if I set aside a specific time during the week to watch it. I just can't sit around doing nothing. I have to be actively doing something all the time.

It's like having that voice in your head when you're trying to go sleep...that you just can't get to shut up, only for me it isn't sleeping that it doesn't like, it's sitting still and doing nothing.

RabbiJames · 2025-12-02T23:34:30-0600

HOSEA 12:13-14:9

The prophet condemns Israel for “forsaking the LORD.” Israel was led out of Egypt by the prophet Moses (Moshe) and tended to, provided for by YHVH, yet Israel forsook the LORD, chasing after false gods, going into idolatry. Now the LORD will punish, and his wrath will fall upon his people.

Yet YHVH still loves his people, yet will exact punishment and judgment just like a father, will punish and judge a disobedient son or daughter. Can we expect anything less from Adonai? If we abandon our LORD and live like a lost person, loving the desires of the lost world and the flesh, can we expect anything less than judgment from HIM who set us free from sin?

We always hear "God is Love", "God is kind." "God is good." Yes, yes, all true, but we also need to look at the other side of our creator. He is also a God of wrath and judgment, of discipline. Does this not show how our earthly fathers are? Our fathers showed us love, yet also discipline when we erred. They needed to spank us or punish us to get us on the right path again. Exodus 34 describes God as abundant mercy and long-suffering, slow to anger. The Hebrew idiom, "erech Apaim" (long-suffering or slow to anger) is known as "long nose." We imagine an angry person breathing heavily through their nose, but having a loooooonnnggg nose would mean more patience. But God does have his limits.

Yet there is hope. In Chapter 14, it starts with: “Shuvah Israel ad YHVH Eloheikha” (Return Israel unto the LORD thy God…” There is always hope while we have the breath of life. The words “Ad” or “Ed” have the same Hebrew consonants, “Ayin Dalet,” which can also mean “Witness.”

Adonai witnesses our waywardness as well as our “return” to Him. There is sin, and there is also repentance. This is what he wanted His people to do, this is what He wants US to do, since we are all part of His people. So, don't wait until it is too late. We might feel His chastisement in one way or another in this day and age, yet He still loves us and is calling our attention.

The word "Teshuvah," from which "shuv" is the verb, is "return, turn around, having a change of mind and direction." So the Prophet Hosea calls the attention of wayward Israel to their waywardness. As an example, God told him to marry a prostitute, an unfaithful wife. She found herself on the slave market, yet Hosea bought her back. This is the same way God reaches out to all believers who have gone off the straight path and jumped off the deep end of the pool with cement shoes! He'll break the cement and bring us back if we are willing.

Like Israel, have you gone astray? I think we all have, some more than others. There is hope in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ), who paid it all.

John 1:51

This part of John tells of Nathanael's encounter with Yeshua. Early in Yeshua's ministry, when there we only a few disciples, John, Phillip, and Simon Peter, Yeshua saw Nathanael under a fig tree. We might imagine what he might have been doing, perhaps in prayer or just resting. He got up and followed Phillip, and Yeshua saw him and said, "Here is a true son of Israel, nothing false in him." So, we could say that Yeshua looked deep inside of Nathanael and saw the "inner Nathanael. (meaning "a gift of God) God's gift was faith and sincerity. He told him the following:

"You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." This echoes the time that Jacob was fleeing from angry Esau and was headed to Haran, about 400 miles away, to seek a wife (or two). He had a dream of a ladder (Sulam), the Hebrew word meaning for "Sulam" is a "ladder with rungs" or a "Staircase." And angels were descending and ascending on the Son of Man. The identity of the "Sulam" is Yeshua himself. Angels are being sent to serve him, and also, angels are called "messengers."

In Hebraic thought and commentary, the ladder or staircase had 22 rungs or steps symbolizing the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each Hebrew letter has a meaning, so if Yeshua is the ladder, then we get to God the Father through the Son, as in John 14:6. Each step or rung could be part of our relationship with the LORD, "Aleph" being God, "Beit" (B) Household of faith "Gimmel" (G) greatness in our relationship "Dalet' (D) "Yeshua as the "Door" as in John 10:9. Like I said, it is commentary, but don't we all advance in life with the LORD step-by-step, and rung-by-rung?

Now Nathanael was not living at the time of Jacob, but Jacob's name was changed to "Israel," so Nathanael being a "Son of Israel," can mean that "Yes, indeed, he is a descendant of Jacob, and he has the faith of Jacob. But now, Nathanael will see that Heaven has indeed opened and Yeshua has come down from Heaven to minister on Earth, and indeed, the angels will be at his service. Who knows how many times angels have gotten us out of fixes and situations, being instructed by God? We will find out in heaven, and hopefully will meet our guardian angel.

Shalom, have a blessed rest of the week.

Reluctant Theologian · 2025-12-02T23:23:39-0600

com7fy8 said:
First, about porneia > I think this is listed in Colossians 3:5 as a thing to put to death >

"Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Colossians 3:5)

Here, "fornication" is porneia. And we are to put it "to death". So, I see this does not only mean to stop the outward and physical immoral actions, but put to death the spiritual depth of it including feelings and emotions and desires that are spiritual but immoral. So, it is stuff that is keeping a person away from relating right with Jesus as our Groom, and with brothers and sisters in Jesus the right way. It means stuff that keeps us from living in God's love. It gets our attention away.

So it is, then, an anti-love thing which needs to be put to death . . . getting rid of what in my heart would have me being immoral. Kill it so I can be alive in God's way of loving, instead. My experience is that interest in immoral activity has different things operating, and which keep me from loving the way I should >

*Interest in the pleasure*, even if I don't act on it, can keep my attention away from personally submitting to God in His peace . . . all the time > as we are "called in one body" to do >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

God's peace is so better than the feelings of pleasure of sexual stuff. To be intimate with nice feelings is not as great as being intimate with God and one another in His peace ruling us. I have found how I can use a woman for pleasure, but my intimacy is not really with her, but with the feelings I like. So . . . it is anti-love . . . using someone, instead of really loving her. And what contributes to this? >

*beauty discrimination* > I can favor a nicer looking woman, instead of loving every woman the way God wants. And immoral attraction can be brought on by how nice a woman acts and looks; so it is not really getting to know her and share deeply. And look what happened when Jacob discriminated against Leah because she was not beautiful like Rachel >

"When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren" (Genesis 29:31)

Jacob did not want Leah to be his wife; he got tricked into getting her. And he favored Rachel more than Leah, because of what they looked like. And I see how the LORD expected him to love her dearly and completely; and so the LORD enforced this, by not allowing Rachel to have children. And yes I have seen how my way of loving women can be connected with what they look like and how nicely they talk and move.

And a couple of women I have fallen for "the hardest" have turned out to have major personal and character and emotional problems. But they were "extravagant" looking and acting.

But Jesus says >

"if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" (in Matthew 5:46)

So, it is anti-love if I favor someone only because of how I can use her for pleasure . . . physically, or just to look at her, and/or because of how she can charm me. Yes, God "gives us richly all things to enjoy," we have in 1 Timothy 6:17; however, this does not mean for me to discriminate in how I love each person.

Paul says how to relate >

"not in passion of lust" > in 1 Thessalonians 4:5.

I think this goes even for in Christian marriage. There can be a difference between lust, versus desiring one another in intimate and tender caring for one another . . . in God's love. God's love is so better than just lust for the pleasure and what the companion looks like and the charming voice.

"Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)

"All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." > in 1 Corinthians 6:12.

So, even in holy matrimony . . . it seems to me that God wants us to be first about sharing with Him in His love, all the time, and in this intimacy with God we discover how He has us sharing with one another in marriage and our other close relating as brothers and sisters in Jesus.

So, if I am just thinking about using someone, and only using someone to look at . . . this is getting me away from loving her . . . including how instead I need to be blessing and praying for her. And it has me away from staying submissive to God in His peace ruling us in our hearts > Colossians 3:15.

That is all true yet it remains essential to understand there is no Greek word 'lust' in the NT. In the English the word 'lust' is inherently immoral/bad, but the same cannot be said for the underlying Greek word for 'strong desire'. And even strong (physical) desire within marriage should be considered good with the morally 'right' attitude. The LXX even uses the word 'agape' in Song of Songs in an erotic context. Strong physical desire in marriage without the proper holistic love is selfish and probably ends up hurting the other party. But there is a Christian tendency to Asceticism (growing very strong already in the 2nd century AD) that seems to depart from the Jewish perspective, and that views physical desire by definition as sinful, or at best just tolerated for the sake or pro-creation.

eclipsenow · 2025-12-02T23:17:52-0600

keras said:
Isaiah 49:1-26 Listen to Me you peoples far distant,...... But Zion [the Holy Land] said: The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me…. The children which you will have, after you have lost the former ones, shall say to you: This place is too small for us, give us more space to dwell . Then you will say to yourself: Who has begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am alone and desolate, and where have they come from? Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders, for they shall not be ashamed that have faith in Me.

There's a sense in which this is all fulfilling the oldest of promises and prophecies, before they even ENTERED the land in the first place!
Yes, I'm talking about Deuteronomy, where God promises that he will judge them if Israel rebel and expel them from their land.
But even then he will remember them - and bring them back.

That's exactly what happened.
Israel was expelled by the Babylonians, and returned by the Persians!

keras said:
Hebrews 12:22-24 But you have come unto mount Zion......
We Christians are the latter children of Zion, Spiritually of the twelve tribes, the true Israelites of God, all the faithful Christian peoples from every tribe, race, nation and language. Revelation 5:9-10

Now let's try something a bit different.
Let's try reading it in context - not just plucking it out of context to justify our own little Nicholas Cage movie!

If you look in context - it's full of warnings and encouragements to the Christians reading the letter - not a prophecy about the future - not at this point anyway. The bit you quote is about their current relationship with God. It's a metaphor for how Christians are the current expression of God's kingdom on earth right now as we await his return when heaven and nature meet!

If you strip out Mount Zion to the future - you do irreparable damage to the rest of the passage and make it nonsensical. Because it's all part of the application to the immediate readers!

This is one of the classic verses that illustrates how the apostles saw the "Kingdom of God" in eschatological tension.
The church, representing the kingdom, in the 'now but not yet' nature of our era.
The overlapping outbreak of God's kingdom on earth while earthly rulers still frustrate, and sometimes even persecute us.

They pray, from where-ever they are scattered across the Roman empire, and it's as if they've come to Mount Zion!
It's that simple and beautiful!

Hebrews 12:
14Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our “God is a consuming fire.”

And you want to turn this into a Nicholas Cage movie?

A2SG · 2025-12-02T22:57:44-0600

The Barbarian said:
Texas Senate passed a bill that forbids public schools from teaching history and current events about race that might upset students.

How dare they try to upset students at a time like this! Don't they know there's a war on? We're at war with Eastasia, we've always been at war with Eastasia.

-- A2SG, report to room 101, immediately!

A2SG · 2025-12-02T22:40:35-0600

essentialsaltes said:
GOP faces a familiar dilemma: What to do about Obamacare?
Republican leaders have found themselves in a familiar place: pledging to make major changes to the Affordable Care Act, citing rising health care costs and a looming deadline - but far from agreeing on how to do it.

Republicans promised a mid-December vote on how to proceed on the expiring subsidies, in exchange for support from some Democrats for ending the government shutdown in November. Democrats have argued that the simplest and most politically popular option is to extend the subsidies, which were implemented in 2021 and meant to help defray the cost of health coverage during the covid-19 pandemic. But many GOP lawmakers have campaigned for years on pledges to “repeal Obamacare” and say that continuing to fund the subsidies is a nonstarter, calling instead to shift the money to Americans in the form of health-savings accounts.

“The White House has a solution for cost-sharing,” [can we see it? The last one the WH rolled out vanished in less than a day] Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” predicting that “people are going to work this out” by Christmas.

“We don’t want to cause panic for the folks who are worried that they’re going to lose the thing that they have,” Hassett added.

Thirteen House Republicans, mostly from liberal-leaning states, sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) during the shutdown warning that a failure to extend a version of the subsidies would “risk real harm to those we represent.”

However, many Republicans oppose extending the subsidies - arguing that they are a pandemic-era relic - and instead see the debate as an opportunity to revisit health care reforms the party has sought in the past.

The problem lawmakers of both parties face is they don't want to lose the millions of dollars the for-profit health insurance industry funnels into their reelection campaigns. This money is largely why the GOP first promoted the Heritage Foundation plan as it was market-based and relied on private, for-profit health insurance. It's also why Democrats supported it later on, and that's the only reason the GOP now has a problem with it. But, the problem there is, they haven't come up with any idea that actually provides health care coverage AND relies on for-profit health insurance (protecting their own campaign bottom lines). The only idea I've heard floated about is health savings accounts, which seem like a good idea...if you have money. If you don't, it isn't.

Then again, when has the GOP ever really cared about people who don't have money?

-- A2SG, except when they vote Republican, of course....

GoldenBoy89 · 2025-12-02T22:33:47-0600

Aryeh Jay said:
And speaking of politicizing, when is the President going to order the flag lowered for the death of one of our troops?

Too divisive. It's not like she was some important podcaster or Youtube personality known for pushing politics.

samaus123456789 · 2025-12-02T22:25:17-0600

Solomon sins, and Israel splits into two. The northern kingdom sins, and they are exiled. Ask chat GTP to show all the OT prophecies about restoring the kingdom to Israel, reuniting all the tribes, rejoining the southern, and northern kingdoms, and then ask chat GPT how it happened on Pentecost. The remnant was regathered from all nations on Pentecost, the Davidic kingdom of Israel was restored (Hosea said it would happen without violence, and Jesus kingdom is not of this world), 3000 believed in Jesus, and will live in the new Jerusalem the promise land forever. All lost sheep of the house of Israel was saved via belief in Jesus by 70 AD when the fullness of the nations came in aka Romans destroyed Jerusalem or by 62 AD when Colossians 1:23 had been written, and "the gospel has been preached to the whole world", and the maximum number of Greco Romans had converted to Christianity. Spiritual circumcision via belief in Jesus Christ replaced cutting the penis as the sign of the Abraham covenant. Belief in Jesus makes someone born again, and become a descendent of Abraham Isaac, and Jacob which replaced physical ancestry. The new Jerusalem replaced the old Jerusalem as the promise land which is why Christians are Jews Israel Abrahams seed heir to the blessing etc Romans 2:28-29 Galatians 6:16, 3:29. The synagogue of satan do not believe in Jesus so are none of those things, and are not Israel despite their lies. They are not Jews aka Gods chosen people. Jew= Judean living in Judah where the God of Abraham lived in a temple. So Judean= faithful to the God of Abraham. Adam, and Eve were Jews same with Abel but not Cain he was from satan. Which is why Christians are Jews. No other way to be faithful to the God of Abraham other than believe in Jesus. Anything else is a different gospel. The third temple the church the Israel of God was born in a day on Pentecost (isaiah 66) . God does not close up the womb because people keep getting born again. It is sin for Christians to support promote , and defend the synagogue of satan, and their country. Jesus said they are blind, and should be ignored not promoted. Worse than that their country is the beast country in Rev 13, and the mark is the hexagram. Will post on that another time if I dont get banned for this
.
Yehudi/ yehudim in masoretic hebrew= Judaean/Jew living in Judah in the OT Judea in the NT. First appears 732 BC in 2 kings 16 6 when there is a civil war going between the southern, and northern kingdoms. Ioudaios is the greek word Judean in the septuagint, and NT. Jew-ish. Ish is Germanic, and means like something so judean-ish. Appears only once in the entire KJV 1 titus 14 don't give head to jewish fables. Comes from a derivitive of the greek word for Judean. Judaism also from greek ,and appears only in Maccabees in the septuagint, and in context means the law of Moses. Appears 1-2 times in the NT both times in context of Paul persecuting the church according to his old religion of the traditions of his fathers aka the leaven of the pharisees commandments of men that make the word of God the law of Moses of none effect so basically it is satans religion in that context not Moses religion. So Judaism can mean two different things biblically, and is a confusing word so I don't use it same with jewish. I don't use Jewish either due to confusion. All English bibles in Romans 2 28 29 have Jew. Christians are actually Judeans not Judean-ish but real Judeans. I suppose the synagogue of satan religion is Jew-ish meaning their religion kind of looks like the OT Judeans religion on the outside with claiming they follow the torah of Moses, some feast festival things loosely based on the OT etc- but they are lying they are the synagogue of satan. Ask chat GPT about the etymology of those words. Goyim/goy ethnos/ethne= nations but mostly means non Israelite nations in the bible. If someone defines gentile to mean people not in covenant with the God of Abraham then all non Christians are gentiles. The NT calls the synagogue of satan dogs evil doers, and mutilators of the flesh. Philippians 3:2. They are outside the covenant.

johansen · 2025-12-02T22:11:20-0600

linux.poet said:
Moderators always win.

feels good doesn't it.

The Barbarian · 2025-12-02T21:48:45-0600

o_mlly said:
Belief in things unseen seems to be the problem.

God doesn't seem to think so:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Fortunately, evolutionary theory is based on evidence of confirmed predictions of the theory. Would you like to learn about some of those?

New Posts

New Posts

⭐ 1. CHRISTIANS ARE ABRAHAM’S SEED​

Galatians 3:7​

Galatians 3:9​

Galatians 3:14​

Galatians 3:16​

Galatians 3:26–29​

Romans 4:11–12​

Romans 4:16​

⭐ 2. CHRISTIANS ARE HEIRS TO ABRAHAM’S PROMISE​

Romans 8:16–17​

Galatians 4:28​

Galatians 4:30​

Hebrews 6:17​

⭐ 3. CHRISTIANS ARE JEWS INWARDLY, THE TRUE CIRCUMCISION​

Romans 2:28–29​

Philippians 3:3​

Colossians 2:11​

⭐ 4. CHRISTIANS ARE “THE ISRAEL OF GOD”​

Galatians 6:16​

⭐ 5. CHRISTIANS ARE THE TEMPLE, PRIESTHOOD, AND HOLY NATION​

1 Peter 2:5​

1 Peter 2:9​

1 Peter 2:10​

1 Corinthians 3:16–17​

Ephesians 2:19–22​

​

John 15:1 Jesus is the true vine I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman"​

⭐ 7. CHRISTIANS ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD / CHILDREN OF PROMISE​

John 1:12–13​

Romans 9:6–8​

Galatians 4:4–7​

⭐ 8. CHRISTIANS ARE “ONE NEW MAN,” NOT TWO PEOPLES​

Ephesians 2:11–18​

⭐ 9. CHRISTIANS INHERIT THE WORLD / THE KINGDOM​

Romans 4:13​

Matthew 5:5​

1 Corinthians 6:2​

⭐ 10. CHRISTIANS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE JERUSALEM ABOVE​

Galatians 4:26​

GOP faces a familiar dilemma: What to do about Obamacare?​

Filter

Forum statistics

Share this page

⭐ 1. CHRISTIANS ARE ABRAHAM’S SEED

Galatians 3:7

Galatians 3:9

Galatians 3:14

Galatians 3:16

Galatians 3:26–29

Romans 4:11–12

Romans 4:16

⭐ 2. CHRISTIANS ARE HEIRS TO ABRAHAM’S PROMISE

Romans 8:16–17

Galatians 4:28

Galatians 4:30

Hebrews 6:17

⭐ 3. CHRISTIANS ARE JEWS INWARDLY, THE TRUE CIRCUMCISION

Romans 2:28–29

Philippians 3:3

Colossians 2:11

⭐ 4. CHRISTIANS ARE “THE ISRAEL OF GOD”

Galatians 6:16

⭐ 5. CHRISTIANS ARE THE TEMPLE, PRIESTHOOD, AND HOLY NATION

1 Peter 2:5

1 Peter 2:9

1 Peter 2:10

1 Corinthians 3:16–17

Ephesians 2:19–22

John 15:1 Jesus is the true vine

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman"

⭐ 7. CHRISTIANS ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD / CHILDREN OF PROMISE

John 1:12–13

Romans 9:6–8

Galatians 4:4–7

⭐ 8. CHRISTIANS ARE “ONE NEW MAN,” NOT TWO PEOPLES

Ephesians 2:11–18

⭐ 9. CHRISTIANS INHERIT THE WORLD / THE KINGDOM

Romans 4:13

Matthew 5:5

1 Corinthians 6:2

⭐ 10. CHRISTIANS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE JERUSALEM ABOVE

Galatians 4:26

GOP faces a familiar dilemma: What to do about Obamacare?