2024
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference at the office of the Attorney General on July 13, 2022 in New York City. NY AG James announced today that her office has reached a settlement of $500,000 for more than a dozen current and former employees of the Sweet and Vicious, a bar in Manhattan, after a 16-month investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and wage theft at the establishment. | Getty Images/Michael M. Santiago

State government legal attacks on pro-life pregnancy care centers have been increasing since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, according to a conservative legal expert.

Daniel Schmid, associate vice president of Legal Affairs at Liberty Counsel, told The Christian Post in an interview Thursday that he believed "there's no question" that such attacks are on the rise.

"You see it with the efforts by the attorney general in New York; you're seeing it in Massachusetts right now with the AG there and the governor engaging in this campaign to smear a bunch of pro-life centers to the point where there is a lawsuit now against the attorney general and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," he said.

Continued below.

Former President Donald Trump appeared to suggest Thursday that he’ll vote in favor of a Florida ballot measure aimed at overturning the state’s six-week abortion ban.

“I think the six week is too short. It has to be more time,” Trump told NBC News when asked how he intends to vote on the November referendum. “I want more weeks.”

“I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” the former president added.

The Trump campaign offered this 'clarification':

My whole life I've dealt with the spirit of depression since the traumatic childhood. That led me to new age and finally home to Jesus. I believe I am saved and have holly spirit, but I am really experiencing some serious spiritual warfare. I've been Christian for years now, so I'm not new in faith.

I'm giving it all to God and praying, but my flesh is weak and I'm failing every day. I repent. Then I still fail. I can't break the cycle. I think it's generational curse. I want to. God won't help me, although I know the war is already won. I guess he has a reason.
Still it feels horrible. I'm dealing with lust and guilt. I'm really sensitive to spiritual things, so I know this obviously is something from evil spirits. I won't go and describe it because it's so clearly demonic.
Sin is enjoyable, our bodies are made to feel pleasure, so I can't help it. I'm constantly tempted.
I confess I've given into sexual sin as an escape from depression. I was drowning in pain. I know it's not the solution, it only makes me feel worse, but it's that small spark of joy (from satan) while my soul is in the dark. That' the only high excitement I have in life. Nothing else can do it. But then I'm tormented even more and I want to stop.
I can't fight this without God and I believe in Jesus, but here I am.

Therapy doesn't work, prayer doesn't. I'm lost. I don't want this in my soul and spirit, I think it goes to other people from me then, but my flesh is out of control. I don't have discipline and it's addictive. Sin is just presented everywhere around me. I make a small mistake like listening to secular music, which I really like, and it just opens the doors for other sins.
I don't know how to live in this world where I can't be free to enjoy what I love. The depression just gets worse that way, if I'm denying myself, I feel dead and empty.
Can anyone who dealt with this help somehow?

Can They See God For Who He Really Is?
Steven Curtis Chapman

Too many hypocrites," I heard her say,
"I even saw it in the headlines today;
How can I follow God when His own people turn away."
She said, "Nobody's perfect but I just want to see
Somebody living what they say they believe;
If they've got all this world needs like they say,
I wonder why won't they give some away."

[Chorus:]
Can she see God for who He really is
In what she sees in you and me.
Can she see God for who He really is,
For who He really is is all she really needs to see.

He slips into church and he puts up his guard;
They look so happy but his life's been so hard.
He keeps his distance so they won't see the scars;
It's just a religion that's all dressed up in white,
And God is love as long as you're living right.
But does he know that Jesus also has scars,
And His love can reach Him no matter how far.

[Chorus]
Can he see God for who He really is
In what he sees in you and me.
Can he see God for who He really is,
For who He really is is all he really needs to see.

The skeptics are watching to see who will fall,
While those disillusioned search for the Truth in it all;
Maybe today we'll cross their paths unaware,
And they'll stop and look at us. What will be there?

[Chorus]
Can he see God for who He really is
In what he sees in you and me.
Can he see God for who He really is,
For who He really is is all he really needs to see.

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Veteran actor Jon Voight has one of the most impressive careers in Hollywood, with an Academy Award, four Golden Globes and numerous other accolades under his belt. But according to the 85-year-old actor, all of it is meaningless without faith in Jesus Christ.

“I was raised Catholic, but I got a little bit away from it and made some very bad mistakes on my own,” the “Ray Donovan” actor told The Christian Post. “And then I got a wake-up call: I know that God is real, and I know that our whole lives are only meaningful in relation to God. I'm very fortunate to have had that understanding in my life … I've had an extended career because of it.”

For Voight, faith today serves as the cornerstone of his identity, and it informs everything he does: "As Christians, we have the great guidance of Jesus and His help from above. That’s all real, and it’s what gives us hope to become our greater selves,” he said. "Our souls are pieces of God, pure God each one of our souls. Once we stand up to that and identify ourselves as that, our lives change."

Continued below.

Hi everyone, I would greatly appreciate your prayers- I am extremely ill right now, I am on a powerful medication that has given me a condition called metabolic syndrome, it is a problem with your hormones and blood sugar. I am extremely hungry 24/7 and eating does not help, I have been eating alot and nothing happens, I am still hungry, just like I didn't eat anything. There must be something extremely wrong, there is no cure for this condition. Please pray for a miracle healing! Thank you!

Salvation is a free gift, yet it’s often treated as if it could be earned. You can acquire this precious gift in this divine marketplace without spending anything. Everyone can access the blessings of heaven, as the door to truth is open to all. There’s no barrier to entering this door; the Savior and the voice within invite us to come. Christ urges us to seek His refined gold, making us truly rich.

The gospel is a blessing available to everyone, regardless of wealth. Even the poorest can obtain salvation, as it can’t be bought with money. We accept it through the willingness to obey and surrender of our wills to Christ. High education doesn’t bring one closer to God by itself. The Pharisees, despite their advantages, were spiritually blind and poor.

Salvation can't be earned, but it requires a sincere desire that leads to a willingness to give up everything God asks of us. God will not complete the good work in us against our will. God wants your willing obedience, shows us our deficits, and empowers us to turn away from our sins to him as long as we submit to him.

Now, these words are being addressed to those who were once slaves to sin, meaning that they are no longer living in slavery (addiction, bondage) to sin. Sin is no longer their practice, but now righteousness and obedience to the Lord and to his New Covenant commands are their practice. Now they are slaves of righteousness. And the standard of teaching to which they are committed is what Jesus taught and what his NT apostles taught, which is not what is predominantly being taught in America today.

Yet, we are still human beings living in flesh bodies in a fallen world with all sorts of evils and temptations everywhere you look, pretty much. And so many people today are teaching a diluted, altered, and corrupted gospel message, which also corrupts the grace of God. And so even those who have been walking faithfully to the Lord in obedience to him may be tempted to be drawn into false teachings which may make no (or little) demands for holy living and for walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands.

And so the truth of the gospel is being reinforced here. Just as once we presented our members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness, we are now to present our members (bodies, minds, hearts, souls) as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For Jesus died on that cross so that we would be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness.

For when we were slaves of sin, we were free in regard to righteousness. Do you understand what that is saying? We cannot be slaves to sin and to righteousness at the same time. It is one or the other. Either sin is our practice, and what we obey, in practice, or righteousness and obedience to our Lord are what we practice. So we are not righteous in the sight of God if we are still slaves to sin. The two don’t mix. And this doesn’t mean we are perfect and that we never fail, but that sin is no longer our practice.

And then really pay close attention to verses 21-23, for many people are teaching Romans 6:23 out of context, and they are making it say what it does not say, if taught properly in context. For the free gift of God is not given to those who are still walking in sin. For God’s gift of grace to us is not freedom to keep walking in sin, only now without having to feel guilty. For what does this say? If we are still living as slaves (addicted) to sin, the end of those things is death, not life eternal with God.

But now that we have, IF we have, been set free from our slavery to sin, and we have, IF we have, become slaves of God, the fruit that we get leads to sanctification (holiness), and its end is eternal life with God. So when this says that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, we have to read that verse in the context of the whole of Romans 6, and in particular in the context of verses 21-23 which makes it very clear what it all means. If sin is our practice, it will lead to death.

So, we don’t just pray a prayer or confess belief in Jesus Christ and now all our sins are forgiven (past, present, and future), and so now we have heaven guaranteed us when we die, and it can’t be taken away from us, but regardless of how we live. For the free gift of God’s grace instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions (lust), and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For God’s grace frees us from our slavery to sin so we now become slaves of righteousness.

So the free gift of God, although we do nothing to earn or to deserve it in our own flesh, is not without cost. It is not without rules and regulations which we must follow. For the gift is deliverance from our slavery (addiction) to sin, and it is empowerment of God’s Spirit to now live in moral purity, honesty, integrity, faithfulness, and in obedience to our Lord’s commands (New Covenant). The gift is not freedom to keep living in sin while claiming Jesus as Lord and heaven as our eternal destiny. So please see this!

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown
Music by American Melody

“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

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I’ve felt like this all my life, since childhood, which was lets say sort of ok, sort of dark. I grew up not having a dad among other things.
I hated living with my mom since I felt like a parent to her, so I run away from home. I lived on my own ever since, I’m close to 40 now.


I’ve never managed to find a passion in life and stick to it. I only go through the motions. I work because I have to. I distract myself with hobbies and friends, but I still feel depressed, although I’m highly functioning so I guess it’s not noticeable.


Nothing worked to help with sadness, not therapy, not faith.

I got so hurt by people that I stop believing in true friendships and in love and marriage.

truly the only thrill from life I get is when I have crushes on men, so I can daydream about them while not actually doing anything about it, because I just don’t want to, it has no point. Some are married, some not, nothing is serious.
I even wonder do I have jazabel spirit on me, because I get high on it, being a bit of a flirt sometimes, but never crossing the line, not even with a kiss, nothing.
Even that doesn’t do it for me, because I feel guilt over lust.

Life feels so empty. I pray and talk to Jesus every day. I’m grateful for all I have, I have not much to complain about.
Volunteering makes me even more depressed being around so much pain, I can’t. It’s so draining.
Communicating with people seems boring. So I’m isolating.

I don’t know where’s I’m going with my life. Am I gonna end up in hell?
Did you ever felt like this, any thoughts?

I want some ideas on how to spend time with God, outside of just Reading the Bible and Prayer and want some input from you guys/women on how to do so, One thing I've thought about is picking up gardening.

Hello folks. Tomorrow is August 30, 2024. That day is important in Star Trek lore, as that is two days before the September 1, 2024 riots in San Francisco. I watched this Deep Space 9 episode. I will probably get the last season of Star Trek: Deep Space 9 done in September, 2024 (the start date of the Bell Riots). My guys, @Vambram and @Kylie might like this one.

Episode summary:
In the episode "Past Tense" (1995), a teleporter anomaly accidentally sends Commander Sisko, Dr. Bashir, and Jadzia Dax back in time to a pivotal moment in Earth's history [on August 30, 2024]. The episode received critical acclaim for analyzing U.S. social issues in a science fiction context, but also for addressing various societal issues such as homelessness, poverty, and technology. For myself, 2024 was a long time in the future, but 2024 is now here, and this year even has artificial intelligence tech that is almost as smart as Star Trek's computers in the 2300s.

Life Anecdote:
When watching the Bell Riots episode for the first time in 2014 or 2015, 2024 was 9-10 years away, and 1995 was only 19-20 years ago. Now, 1995 is almost 30 years ago, and September 2024 is only three days away. Currently watching Deep Space 9 again to the end for the first time in my life, as I didn't understand the societal complexities of the show as a teen 9 years ago (gave up the show halfway twice in 2014 and 2017).

Source:

Screen capture of the episode from 1995.


Relevant News:

[Geek Mode deactivated]

Seems like a legit reason to me.

I noticed throughout Harris' interview with CNN, that she kept looking down; as she was answering the scripted questions; as if she herself was reading a script.

Where do you suppose the teleprompter was hidden from camera view?

• Reply to a comment1h
  
  I don't encourage physical punishment but a figurative "slap in the face" is definitely what a lot of disruptive students in the classroom need. Send them to the office to have a talk with the principal, in school suspension or out of school suspension. If it needs to be done every day, do it. Let the administration handle the problem. If the administration says the teacher needs to handle the situation (and the teacher has), get the union involved. Here is the big problem (and a lot of parents are really in the dark about it) students think they are on equal standing with their teacher - they aren't. Students need to respect the authority of the teacher and this needs to be taught in schools starting in kindergarten. Unfortunately, a lot of students don't listen to their parents so they bring that same attitude to the classroom. It needs to be crushed when they are young because the students take it for a ride as they get older.
  
  
  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/students-need-tech-free-classrooms-opinion/ar-AA1oQk49?ocid=UCPNC2&pc=U531&cvid=b726edf33b314cdf9424befdfbb4a955&ei=15#comments&commentId=1252df72-45a1-452e-8c80-9c68ca4495c7
  

I just had my response comment censored by MSN so I wanted to bring the whole argument here to do some more discussing of the subject. I responded to a person who said "students in the classroom need to be slapped up a little more often". Now I know students should never be touch by a teacher not alone "slapped up a little" but I responded to the person's comment by saying "I don't encourage physical punishment but a figurative "slap in the face" is needed...". Now the reason I said that is because my wife is a teacher and she along with growing number of teachers are get overwhelmed by disruptive students in classrooms. There is NO respect for teachers in the classroom and alot of students are just sitting in the classrooms socializing with others (and being disruptive) or they are on their cell phones. It has gotten very bad everywhere. These are some of my other comments on the subject:

• • I agree with you that some students learn better by watching something than by listening. But the teacher should be the one who runs the slide presentation, video, and electronic easels. Students should NEVER be allowed to have cell phones in the classroom and their computers should only be allowed to be connected to what the teacher wants them to be connected to. My wife is a high school teacher (for about 18 years) and one of her biggest problems in the classroom are students on social media and not paying attention to her presentation. When you try to correct these students they get defensive with the teacher. Back in the day when there was more respect for the teacher and his/her authority in the classroom, it would have been fine to bring notebooks, laptops or cell phones into the classroom. Now, students think they are the center of the universe and they can do what they want in the classroom. So, the hammer now has to come down on them because they aren't even trying to learn anything. They just want to socialize. Now, we can talk about how we should give kids a decent social time during the school day but during class time, it's pay attention time.
  • 
    
  • 
    
  • 
    Because they are not using the social media to learn. They are using it to socialize with their friends and not paying attention to what is being taught to them. If the teacher had control of what the student is watching on his/her notebook, laptop, cell phone then it would work well. What happens then is the student does lousy in the class, parent/student blame the teacher when it was the student's fault in the first place by not paying attention. My wife is a teacher and every teacher she has worked with over the years, identifies this as the biggest problem. In the one school, the administration got smart and they gave teachers a software package that allowed them to see what each student was doing on their notebook, laptop or cell phone. This allowed the teacher to shut down any social media programs that students weren't suppose to be using during class time.

Any other thoughts in the classroom? What should students be allowed to bring to class? What can be done about student's visiting social media sites during class time?

im not exactly sure where to start but il give it my best shot
im 14

I have close to zero control over my life and thus can do nothing about the issues i deal with

in the last month 4 cars have broke down
we already live check to check
my mom can get to work but as for how long we do not know
I was deep into sin for a solid 6 years
I recently freed myself,and during that time i already hadnt heard from God in 4 years
but sin kept me praying,guilt,fear ect God never responded but it helped
now i have no attachment or pull
i dont know if i belive in God
but i think i do
id like to get closer but dont know how

Vulgar (actually obscene) jokes will not win over women. It shows how crude he can be. It shows there is no bottom to his lying and insults.
It does not befit a president.


*Remember folks, QANON cannot be promoted here.

This is why we love Jesus - above all...

Above All - Michael W. Smith

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Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

There's 3 sides of the story with this one.

Conservatives: Kamala Harris has stated she will sign a bill that allows 650 million dollars to go toward building the border wall. She also used photos of portions of the border wall built by Donald Trump in a political ad stating how tough she was on illegal immigration.

Progressives: The bill was a bipartisan bill that requires compromise on Harris' behalf to get policy on other progressive issues passed. The money is also not new money, but money that was already allocated to building the wall.

Independents: Harris is playing both sides of the field.

Let's hear your opinions.

it's good to live in a red state!

I have a new guy in my life, he is a church member at the church I go to. Have known him for 5 years as friends at first. He is a great guy. Last time I dated was 10 years ago after a divorce and decided to try it again. He is a widower, lost his wife to breast cancer, dated several that were bad to him. He is the one that asked me on a date and told him yes.It was this afternoon at church. Going on a date on Saturday

Hi, everyone.

I am 30 years old and am dating a 20-year-old girl. I haven't dated many girls in my life, but all who I have dated were around my age, excpect for this one I am with right now. I really like her and our relationship has been very respectful. Our families approve of us dating. However, since the very beginning, this large age gap has been weighing on my mind and causing me a lot of worry. Sometimes I feel like I am creep for dating someone so much younger. What should I do? Should I end things now, even if that hurts me and her? I want and I need to make the right decision.

Thank you

I am thinking of theodicies, and why God created Lucifer knowing he would become so evil and curse so many. God loves us, and I tried describing that to a friend, but my explanation did not cut it with him. He is a free thinker, seems to have settled for pantheism, the universe is his god. Does anyone have a gift or a dream on this matter?

In this article from NBC, an audit of over 300 case involving sexual abuse of children the FBI was extremely deficient its investigations. In one case in particular a child had continued to be abuse for an additional 15 months while the FBI continued its investigation. In over 40% of cases it was found the FBI was not following mandatory reporting requirements. In some documentation was not present and in others the FBI needed to begin investigative steps that should have already been taken at the beginning. The article also discusses the failures of the FBI in the Larry Nasser (US Gymnastics Team doctor) case.

It seems the FBI is failing in protecting children from predators. I work on an Anti-Human Trafficking Initiative and often handing cases involving sexual abuse of child and sexual abuse materiel (known as CSAM). Some of the cases I received from the FBI. I hate to imagine my work on those just sitting in some file with no action taken on them, because I make sure I provide actionable intelligence.

I recently met with a local law enforcement office from what is called an ICAC Unit (Internet Crimes Against Children) and he told me how critically short staffed and under funded they are in dealing with these issues. The largest city in my state that has a population of about three quarters of a million people has only one ICAC detective. He or she cannot have the capacity to deal with the millions of tip and pieces of actionable intelligence.

I won't point fingers any anyone (Liberal v. Conservative/Democrat v. Republican), but I will blame the FBI for its failures in the cases sited. These horrific crimes will continue until actions are taken in the form of staffing and funding, along with proper training.

Interesting and helpful. When I was a Reformed Baptist I view Luther through a Reformed lens due to Bondage of the Will but that is simply not the case.

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Yours in the Lord,

jm

I'm in my mid 40s, really want to get married to a good Christian woman and start a family.

My 40s kind of crept up on me, a series of jobs to different countries meant I never was at a place long enough to meet someone to settle down - I had to leave when the work ended and two previous long term relationships ended in the previous two countries I left respectively.

Now I look back on my life and wonder whether all the career chasing was worth it. Maybe it would have been better if I lived a simple life and raised a happy family.

Even now while I am in Taiwan, Christian, English speaking women are rare enough and I will probably relocate again for work in several months tops. It is not uncommon for women here to not want to start a family.