Valletta said:

Unfortunately a significant portion of Muslims in the world today express contempt and even hatred for Jews and Christians, and even for fellow Muslims (Shiite vs. Sunni) to the point of violence and the justification of killing. T

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Throughout history, true Christianity has often faced hostility. Jesus himself was crucified, and he told his disciples that following him would bring persecution and rejection. The belief that Christians will not face animosity is not supported by biblical teachings; Jesus made it clear: "If you follow me, the world will hate you."

A genuine Christian, one who follows the teachings of the Bible, does not harbor hatred towards those who oppose them. Instead, Christians are taught and instructed by Jesus to pray for those who hate them, to love their enemies, to show compassion, provide care, and, above all, fulfill the greatest commandment—the Great Commission—by sharing the gospel with them.

Regrettably, I have noticed that certain American evangelical communities sometimes display contempt towards groups they view as unfriendly to Christians. This thread alone demonstrates how many self-identified Christians fail to reflect the love Christ commanded.

why did Martin Luther removed them?

This week's Torah portion Vayeshev begins with the story of Joseph. This beloved son of his father Jacob was betrayed by his brothers, sold to non-Jews, and became the second most powerful ruler in Egypt. Eventually, he reveals himself to his brothers, and he and his family are reunited amid great joy and tears. This is a beautiful foreshadowing of the Messiah Jesus and His Jewish family today.

Lord Jesus, we thank You that even though You are the King of the Jews, You died to unite Jews and non-Jews in Your eternal kingdom

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Eph 2:14

Messiah, we praise You that we hear of the exponential growth of Your kingdom in so many parts of the world and for the multitude of Jews who are being grafted back into their own tree

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for G-d is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? Rom 11:23-24

‘Rabbi, thou art the Son of G-d; thou art the King of Israel.’ (John 1:49b) Amen!

Abba, even though it is still a mystery to us, we thank You that You have blinded the eyes of Your people in Your sovereignty so that the Gentiles might be saved

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed G-d, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For G-d hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. Rom 11:25-32

Thank you, G-d, for your faithfulness to Israel and to us

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lam 3:22-23
G-d is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Cor 1:9

Reminds me of the time when Trump was told he needed to add braille to the elevator controls, and he said, "We're not going to rent to blind people!"

Factotum said:

You dislike Trump, so I don't anticipate you agreeing with facts verifying the satanic Engeron/Tish lawfare used to concoct a bogus prosecution:

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Prosecuting criminals is satanic?

Factotum said:

Trump is suuuper competent.

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The facts show otherwise.

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

Strong in Him said:

If you don't believe people ever went to the moon, why were you agreeing with me?
You gave a list of astronauts involved in the space missions who were Freemasons. One of those even said, "........ was the 6th man to walk on the moon." Why would you quote that if you don't believe it?

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Apple Sky said:

I'll have to go back over the posts to check this out.

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Do you have any idea which post it was now ?

Brightfame52 said:

You don't know what you believe.

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This is an admission that you are unwilling (or unable) to engage the argument that was just laid out. I know exactly what I believe, and why. I've made a clear grammatical and logical distinction, supported it at length, and even shown how it leads to the very conclusion we both affirm. Simply dismissing that by impugning my self-awareness avoids the substance entirely. If you think there's a contradiction, identify it! If you think the logic is faulty, show where. Otherwise, you're conceding the point without the candor to say so.

The irony here is that I'm not opposing your conclusion at all. I'm trying to strengthen it. We agree that John 6:44 teaches effectual grace. My concern is how that conclusion is argued. Collapsing necessity and sufficiency into the conditional clause itself is a logical mistake, and it hands critics an easy win they don't actually deserve. Your argument will be refuted by a sharp critic, and it will strengthen their confidence in their view. Why are you so opposed to my efforts to improve your own argument?

Well something is about to happen today. My ship is currently flying this message to our little fleet.

Wonderful news!

The Ecumenical Councils - Church History Simplified​

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And look at this. In a recent episode of his show, Kirk Cameron publicly announced a change in his long-held views on Hell. Previously accepting the view of eternal conscious torment for the wicked, he now rejects it — calling such a fate “cruel and unusual punishment.”

Cameron says that the Bible, especially in its Old Testament writing, does not depict the souls of the wicked as immortal. Instead, the only souls promised eternal life — immortality — are those granted to believers.

Complete article:

Kirk Cameron no longer believes in eternal punishment​

(OPINION) In a recent episode of his show, Kirk Cameron publicly announced a change in his long-held views on Hell. Previously accepting the view of eternal conscious torment for the wicked, he now rejects it

Platte said:

didactics,

When did the concept of ANE begin? That might help you in your quest.

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Ancient Near East, or ANE, concepts of cosmology similar to those found in the Bible, date back several thousand years ago, at least to 2500BC but likely much earlier.
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A pro-"Palestinian" analyst from Gaza reveals how Hamas hid tonnes of baby food to stage an artificial famine. Yet in the West, people stubbornly cling to the narrative that Israel is starving children. The refusal to look has long been part of the problem itself.

There are moments when a single video can shake an entire moral architecture. The footage published by Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, an analyst from Gaza, falls squarely into this category. It shows cats running over boxes of baby food. A desperate voice can be heard swearing and crying: ‘Our children are dying of hunger and they are hoarding all this instead of distributing it.’

x.com

No Israeli spokesperson, no foreign journalist, no activist said these words. Instead, they were spoken by a man who describes himself as ‘pro-Palestine, anti-Hamas’ and who lost 31 relatives in the war. Alkhatib is anything but a friend of Israel. But he is an enemy of lies. And that makes him more dangerous to Hamas than any Israeli press release.

He describes how the Ministry of Health in Gaza (Hamas' civilian front) hid tonnes of baby food for months. Not because of logistical problems. Not because of shortages. But deliberately, to exacerbate the disaster, create images of misery and serve a political narrative that had been prepared long before the war began: Israel is starving Gaza.

This narrative dominated Western reporting for months. Major media outlets proclaimed that Israeli restrictions were the cause of an ‘artificial famine.’ International organisations spread alarming figures without questioning who was controlling them. Headlines became moral accusations, often without any empirical basis. And anyone who disagreed was defamed.

Alkhatib speaks openly about this: those who pointed out the manipulation were threatened. Not by Israel, but by those in the West who dominate the discourse and punish any deviation from the desired narrative. He calls them ‘the pro-"Palestinian" activist cartel’. These are precisely the groups that reflexively reject any responsibility on the part of Hamas and brand any criticism as treason, no matter how many facts are on the table.

But the West plays along. Not because it doesn't know the truth, but because the truth is uncomfortable. The mechanism is an old one: when it comes to Jews, many find it easier to believe the worst. The words have changed, but the reflexes have not. Medieval ritual murder legends have become modern accusations against a democratic country that protects its population against terror. The structure, however, has remained the same: insinuation of evil first, investigation later – if at all.

It is this cultural bias that Hamas continues to exploit to this day. And it does so unscrupulously. The supposed Ministry of Health, whose figures are accepted as ‘neutral’ by many media outlets, hides life-saving food. The same ministry provides death statistics that no one is allowed to verify and yet are considered indisputable. How credible can an actor be who withholds food from babies in order to create a narrative?

Alkhatib's warning is crystal clear: there is no such thing as ‘pro-"Palestinian"’ that absolves Hamas of responsibility. Anyone who takes the suffering of the civilian population seriously must name the perpetrators – even if they are based in Gaza and speak Arabic. Morality does not mean always condemning the same side. Morality means looking at where the blame actually lies.

If people in the West continue to serve as ‘useful idiots’ and reinforce Hamas' propaganda, the cycle of lies will continue. And others will pay the price, Israelis, "Palestinians", everyone who wants to live in truth and not in an artificially created tragedy.

But this video breaks something open. It shows that even in the heart of Gaza, there are people who refuse to be part of the game. The truth does not come from Jerusalem, nor from Washington, but from the ruins of a city betrayed by its own leadership.

It asks the crucial question: How long will the West continue to look away when reality reveals itself?

bbbbbbb said:

I agree completely which is why I rest on God's day of rest and do not add unscriptural nineteenth-century American Protestant religious activities in violation of resting.

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I am assuming you are speaking of EGW, I only quoted Scripture. What activities on the Sabbath did she promote that is in violation of what God said we should do on the Sabbath. Please stop making vague accusations and provide what you are speaking about. Remember, we are accountable for any false testimony we have against others.

Rescued One said:

I don't like debate. God, not debate, converts people. But Cakvinists don't teach that childless women go to hell.

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For the 2nd time, that is not what I'm saying. If my wording made it seem that way, I apologize, but that was not my point which is why I referred you to my first response that I made that clarified my point. My point was based on Calvanists Unconditional Election stance (The U in TULIP) and how the argument for childless mothers being about salvation is equivalent to Calvanists argument root of Unconditional Election, not literally saying Calvanists preach childless women go to hell.

I hope that clears things up.

FredVB said:

I think the conundrum I posted is only so for literalist views of anything in Bible passages that are as likely symbolic. The book of Revelation is full of symbolic passages, and much of what will be said of what is in any afterlife would be, as any of that goes outside of experiences any have in this world. This applies to the afterlife of the saved, too. Eye has not seen, not ear heard, not have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love God. 1 Corinthians 2:9

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That, my friend, is actually yet another aspect which has caused all manner of division within Christianity. The interpretation of Revelation is a minefield, indeed. That there are very obviously many things in it which are symbolic and allegorical is obvious to everyone except to those at the very extreme end of literalism. The difficulty is determining whether or not passages which could be taken at face value are, in fact, literal or symbolic or even both, has vexed Bible commentators since, at least, the earliest centuries of Christianity. It is no small difficulty to overcome to avoid reading into the passage one's own extrabiblical thoughts and beliefs. A classic case is the woman in chapter 12 who, according to Roman Catholics, is none other to Mary, but for Protestants is the personification of God's wife, Israel, who gave birth to her son, the Church.

BrotherJJ said:

Metaphorically?
Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

(PARSING: This verse cites, Tribes of Jacob = Israel & his children. Next 4 verses God breathed scripture clearly names Israel/Jacobs 12 sons/children.)

The saints that rise from the grave (after Jesus) in Matt 27:52-53 & are seen by many are OT elect.

Jesus rises then 50 days later comes the Acts 2 Pentecost, where the Church via the Holy Spirit outpouring in born. So, I don't see how 1 Cor 11:2, where Paul is speaking to believers in Corinth, is applicable to the OP.

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My understanding.....

Revelation uses numbers in two main ways to make symbolic points.
First, there's Biblical Numerology, which is just spotting the consistent, traditional meaning of numbers used all through the Bible. These numbers are metaphors in themselves! For example, 7 is always shorthand for perfection or divine completion, and 12 means God's people (like the 12 tribes or 12 apostles). So, when you see the 144,000, it's not a literal census count; it's a perfect symbolic team: 12 (God's people) \times 12 (completeness) \times 1,000 (fullness/vastness) = the entire, perfectly sealed number of the redeemed. That's pure symbolism!
Second, you have Gematria, which is a little different and acts more like a secret code. It's when a number is used as a numerical key to unlock the name of a person or thing. The best example is 666. To the original readers, adding up the numerical values of the Greek or Hebrew letters in "Neron Caesar" would equal 666, making it a very pointed, coded nickname for the ultimate human persecutor. So, 144,000 is a metaphor for completeness, while 666 is a code for an individual tyrant.

AstralHammer said:

I guess this is why this an interesting topic for me and should fictional video games with magic in it be avoided when there is no deity worship or deity-sourced powers? At the beginning of my first post in this topic, my answer would be it is acceptable. From what you and @CoreyD have been sharing, it causes me to think a bit about it.

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I think the answer comes down to discernment and asking God. If there isn't a source stated for the power, I think it can go either way but I wouldn't say just outright its wrong or okay. I think it depends on the storyline, message and themes at that point.

BobRyan said:

from: https://x.com/WesleyLHuff/status/1998190919539892630

Quoting Wes Huff:

"I’m seeing a lot of people attempting to critique it. I hold to ECT, but I do understand the topic of conditional immortality and I have yet to see anyone actually give a rebuttal that shows me they’ve interacted with the arguments and biblical reasoning from the other side. To condemn conditionalism/annihilationism as heresy is to say that John Stott, Edward Fudge, F. F. Bruce, potentially even Athanasius of Alexandria, are all heretics. This is, with all due respect, ridiculous. While the position might be unorthodox it is not heresy. If you actually want to interact with someone who knows the topic reach out to my friends
@datechris and/or @DanPaterson7
. Both are solid, fair minded, well educated and articulate..."

Texts like Ezek 28:28:14-19 and Matt 10:28 come up in those discussions as we might expect.

But I think Wes Huff's list of Bible scholars is interesting
John Stott,
Edward Fudge,
F. F. Bruce,
potentially even Athanasius of Alexandria

Dale Moody,
Clark Pinnock

could be added to that list

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I’m undecided on this. I have a book, 4 views on Hell and there are convincing arguments for all 4 views

13 December 2025 – Algeria​

Pray that Christian children and youth in Algeria will have opportunities to remain in their country and to grow and develop in their faith without persecution or discrimination.

12 December 2025 – Algeria​

Pray for freedom of conscience and religious belief for all Algerians, not only in law but also in their minds, hearts, homes and communities. May God’s people have courage to stand up for the truth in this challenging period.

11 December 2025 – Algeria​

Please pray for God’s protection and care for Algerian Christians such as our partner, pastor ‘Yuba’, and his wife and children, who take great risks to stay in Algeria and continue ministering.

10 December 2025 – Algeria​

Pray for wisdom, courage and grace for church leaders as they continue to struggle for legal recognition, freedom and rights for Christians and churches within Algeria. Pray for an end to the relentless hounding of the church by the authorities.

09 December 2025 – Algeria​

Pray for the ongoing court cases involving pastors and other church leaders who have been prosecuted simply for their Christian ministry. May those who have been convicted see their sentences overturned on appeal at the Supreme Court.

08 December 2025 – Algeria​

Please pray for the re-opening of the more than 45 Algerian Protestant churches that have been closed by the Government.

07 December 2025 – Iran​

Pray for work translating the Bible into the many ethnic-minority languages of Iran. In a closed country with no physical churches and where even home groups can be at risk, a believer’s Bible – especially in their indigenous language – is vital.

Claiming what God Himself said is doing justice and righteousness Isa56:1-2 which is the foundation of His throne Psa89:14 is not moral I believe is taking the liberties that only God has. Only God can bless and only God can sanctify both of these God connected with the seventh day Sabbath. Gen2:3 Exo20:11 Isa56:2 Eze20:12

Our Heavenly Father said Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Exo20:8-11, it is the holy day of the Lord Isa58:13 God is love and we are made in His image to love. If our earthy father asked us to remember something that was important to him, would we show love by forgetting and doing what we want instead or modifying it to make it more convenient for us. Would our spouse appreciate it if we celebrated their birthday on a different day because we made other plans, is this love? I believe those who separate this one comamndment, when God did not Deut4:13 Exo34:28 Exo20:6, are missing the whole point of what God is asking of us if we love Him Exo20:6 John14:15. Forgetting something that God said to Remember that He made holy, sanctified and blessed, I think shows bigger implications of the issue, the heart. Eze20:16 1John2:3-4

keras said:

What is really obvious, is how Jewish Israel is once again is the same apostate and God/Jesus rejection condition as twice before.

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Today's modern mostly secular state of Israel is nothing really to do with any of this.

Now, back to the focus of these visions.

Given that the prophets specifically said BABYLON was the enemy, and that Israel would be under BABYLON’s captivity and RETURNED from BABYLON within 70 years, we don’t have any choice. Most of these prophesies are about Babylon’s captivity of Israel - and then Babylon’s judgement and defeat by God. (With cosmic language of the heavens shaking from the clash - classic cosmic symbols of conflict.)

JEREMIAH 25:11-12 and JEREMIAH 29:10 just don’t give us any other choice.
2 CHRONICLES 36:21 says it HAPPENED! It confirms Jeremiah’s prophecies were fulfilled.

"...to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. As long as it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years."

DANIEL 9:2 says:

"...I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years."

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Isaiah, wrote 150 years before the Babylonian exile. He names the specific Persian king who would end the exile and let Israel go home!
ISAIAH 44:28

"who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, and he shall fulfill all My pleasure'; even saying to Jerusalem, 'You shall be rebuilt,' and to the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.'"

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ISAIAH 45:1

"Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut:"

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It’s so specific Jewish historian Josephus apparently had a theory that Cyrus was SHOWN these Isaiah prophecies, and decided he’d better comply unless he make Yahweh angry!
(Or so I’ve head - don’t quote me on this - can’t be bothered looking up another text after the work above.)


You haven't really considered these prophecies in their historical context, have you?

The Nicholas Cage movie "Knowing" came out a year before your "vision" in the Middle East in 2010.
I wonder what subconscious Hollywood influences acted on your "vision" from back then, hey?
Let me help you.

These sun and moon and stars verses are not actually the celestial astronomical events you want them to be.

They are well-known symbolic descriptions of battle and the clash of ancient empires.
That's just what they are.

You're welcome.