Having watched the presidential debate, and not caring to make a comment about party politics, all I have to say on the debate is that the debate amounted to saying:
Indeed, the scriptures urge both Christians and Israelites to honor the elderly and cherish their wisdom. The debate emerges over whether this principle is absolute or if there might be a point when someone is too aged to govern a nation.

Scripture teaches respect for the elderly, as seen in Leviticus 19:32, which instructs people to stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, emphasizing the importance of showing reverence and care to senior citizens.

As voters seek divine wisdom on their journey to the ballot box, these teachings remain a guiding light.

Those before Christ was born how were they saved?
Imagine you are a normal citizen during Moses time, you heard about the Ten commandments, you follow Sabath day, you give sacrifice of animals,
you tried to do good, but you are not perfect.
You really fear God and believe in Him.
However, you are still a sinner.
You never have chance to listen to the Gospel.
In this case, how can you be saved by faith?

Pro-Kremlin X accounts push fake Fox News articles ahead of debate​

Efforts to manipulate social media discussion around the debate underscore warnings from experts regarding the threat that disinformation continues to pose.

The fake articles, first reported on X by the account @antibot4navalny, an anonymous group of analysts tracking Russia-related influence operations, directed people to a fake version of Fox News’ website. That website appears to be part of a known Russian disinformation campaign that has mimicked legitimate news websites from Le Monde in France to The Washington Post. E.U. researchers dubbed it the doppelgänger network in 2022.

In March, Alethea, a company that researches online risks including disinformation, identified 81 websites and more than 5,000 X accounts as part of the campaign.

Laundering propaganda through Kremlin-created or approved news outlets is a tried and true tactic, but this campaign has taken on a modern twist. It uses a fake website that credibly imitates a legitimate news outlet, sharing links through a network of seemingly automated accounts in a way that is not easily detected by platforms and researchers.

The fake website looks almost identical to Fox News’ real website, and the fake article uses the name of a real Fox News reporter.

Another article shared by accounts in the network with the headline “Mission: Almost Impossible” included an argument that President Joe Biden would need only to remain on his feet to win the debate and that Democrats were plotting to steal the election. It also included dehumanizing language about immigrants, in furtherance of the conspiracy theory of widespread illegal voting by immigrants.

[Wait a minute, are we sure it's fake?]

“The story is fake,” a Fox News spokesperson confirmed in an email.

Hello Everyone!

I have a question regarding potentially entering into marriage. I'll explain the situation and I am looking forward to any guidance. I entered into a relationship with a girl almost 2 years ago. Things are going great, and we are now talking about marriage, children, etc. Here's where my question starts. She was married before. The marriage ended due to the husband having issues with alcohol. She told him to leave, and after 3 months, he entered into a relationship with another woman. He had a child with the other woman. He was the first to do so, she did not enter into a relationship first. I am concerned because in the Bible it states that to marry a woman who was married before is adultery. I have been praying about it, researching it, reading scripture and my thought process currently is that the Bible does grant divorce in certain situations, one of those being for adultery. Since he entered into a sexual relationship with another woman, he broke the bonds of marriage and thus I would not be committing adultery by pursuing a marriage with her. I would appreciate any guidance on this. Thank you everyone in advance.

I feel that it is difficult to understand these verses, did Jesus say that figuratively? Or is he serious we must eat his flesh and drink his blood?
Protestant said the cup and bread of Lord's Supper only symbolize Jesus' sacrifice.
But Catholic said the Eucharist really transforms the bread and wine into Jesus' flesh and blood, you are eating his flesh and drinking his blood.
What did Paul say about this?

John 6:
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Well?

If anyone haven't told you
I love you in the Lord
You are worthy
You matter
You are God's precious child
You are great as you are
God's love to you

With all the talk about microphones being cut so the candidates cannot interrupt each other. I was thinking about the moderators. It is their job to ask the questions - not editorialize.

So I started this thread and every time the moderator asks a question and interrupts the candidate during his 2min reply. Simply write the candidates name in a simple post. We record it in real time then and we can compare the totals at the end.

Just an interesting experiment.

Hello folks. This is the Wall Street Journal's coverage of the Presidential Debate. I might not watch it, but as public service, here it is. The debate starts on June 27, 2024 at 8:00 PM CT or 9:00 PM ET (01:00 UTC on June 28, 2024 for the British folks). Use this thread to discuss the debate. Left, center and right are all welcome to join in the conversation.

Presidential Debate: June 27, 2024 (Age rating: 15+, due to heavy topic, and potential slander from both sides)
Login to view embedded media

AP News link below (no summary, as AP has strict copyright rules):

I stopped using Google for search years ago, but recently started using it again occasionally. The results page has something new on it, a section titled "People also ask", where it doesn't necessarily provide a link, but just answers related questions. I assumed this was done with AI, but today I received an answer which contained an opinion about food - "An American 'Full Yankee' is equivalent to the 'Full English' Breakfast. You can top this with brown sauce but no beans are allowed. If you want a breakfast with beans, go for the TexMex Breakfast Burrito which is much better than the British tomato flavoured mush."

So is this AI or not?

An Armenian citizen has been sentenced to a decade in prison in Iran under accusations of proselytizing, which is considered illegal under the country’s strict religious laws.

His conviction was not based on evidence but on the judge’s “personal intuition,” per the Islamic Penal Code of Iran, which permits judicial decisions on mere suppositions of criminal activities.

Hakop Gochumyan was sentenced earlier this month despite no clear evidence, the Catholic outlet Asia News reported.

Continued below.

I am wondering how Trump will do tonight. Will he attack and lose track of the topic? Will he discuss policy or water pressure?

I wonder as this was what he said at a recent rally:





Hillary Clinton said this about debating Trump:

Note the topic is Trump and how he will do tonight.

I prefer Real Clear Politics because it is inclusive across the spectrum.

Right now - hours before the debate:



Battleground states:

Over a thousand religious pilgrims have died of heat stroke in Mecca, news outlets tell us.

I have not seen a cartoon of the oceans boiling but that would be far more accurate than most of the editorial cartoons that I do see.

The evidence of global warming is all around us, yet I am often stunned by the arrogance of those who deny that it exists. At the least, many deny that global warming is caused by human activity.

One of the lines we hear is that carbon dioxide is just a part of the atmosphere. It is always been there and so is nothing to worry about. It is beneficial to plants. This notion has just enough truth in it to be dangerous. Is CO2 always harmless?


Contrary to this cheerful picture, carbon dioxide actually has a “permissible exposure limit” in workplaces.

<< The levels of CO2 in the air and potential health problems are ...

• 2,000–5,000 ppm: level associated with headaches, sleepiness, and stagnant, stale, stuffy air. Poor concentration, loss of attention, increased heart rate and slight nausea may also be present.

5,000 ppm: this indicates unusual air conditions where high levels of other gases could also be present. Toxicity or oxygen deprivation could occur. This is the permissible exposure limit for daily workplace exposures. >>

From a different source:

<< At 4%, CO2 levels can be fatal. >>

Why is CO2 potentially fatal to humans? It triggers the exhale reflex in the lungs. Above a certain level of CO2, you can only exhale.

The connection between carbon dioxide and global warming is straightforward to anyone who knows anything about chemistry. Carbon dioxide is O=C=O, oxygen double bond carbon, double bond oxygen. The carbon-oxygen double bond absorbs infrared rays on a wavelength crucial to the earth’s climate. Machines are in use every day that make use of this fact, namely infrared spectrometers.



Links
Toxicity: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/chemical/carbondioxide.htm#:~:text=5%2C000%20ppm%3A%20this%20indicates%20unusual,harmful%20due%20to%20oxygen%20deprivation

Fatal Level at 4%

Carbon Dioxide Levels Chart

Discover what safe, elevated, and dangerous CO2 levels mean with our carbon dioxide levels chart. Learn how CO2 impacts indoor air quality and when action is needed.

www.co2meter.com

After mistakenly leaking the decision before releasing the final ruling, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Idaho hospitals must perform abortions in certain emergencies.

The 6-3 decision, issued in Moyle v. United States, means that Idaho hospitals are compelled to perform abortions, despite it being illegal in the state.

The decision hinged on the court’s interpretation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) that hospitals are required to provide abortions “when needed to stabilize a medical condition that seriously threatens a pregnant woman’s life or health.”

While Idaho law allows abortions only in cases to save the life of the mother, the court now holds that this is too narrow an exception.

Continued below.

People believe in a literal week of 24 hour days but no one can tell me when this week happened.

I have a very simple question. When did Genesis chapter one take place?

In 1658, Bishop James Ussher, an Anglican cleric and biblical scholar, wrote in his chronology "The Annals of the World" that the world began on October 23, 4004 BCE.

"In the beginning, God created heaven and earth, which beginning of time, according to this chronology, occurred at the beginning of the night which preceded the 23rd of October. If Adam was created on the SIXTH day that would be 23 plus 6 or Oct 29, 4004, So God rests for a day. Oct 30 then we see Adam in the Garden of Eden Oct 31 4004 BCE.

Genesis 2 7 "Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.d"

So are we going back to Oct 29, 2004? Then we read: Genesis 2:8 "8And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, where He placed the man He had formed. 9Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."

In Genesis 1 first God created the animals and then man. In Genesis chapter two first God created man and then He creates the animals. In Genesis chapter 1 Man was told to fill the earth and subdue "it". In Genesis chapter two man was told "15Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it." So which is it? Fill the earth or cultivate the garden?

Next we are told: "18The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.” In chapter one we have male and female given the whole earth. In Chapter two we have a man and a women give the garden of eden. In chapter one the animals are created first, in chapter two man is created and then the animals and then Eve.

The Sixth Day

24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itselfd and every creature that crawls upon it.”

27So God created man in His own image;

in the image of God He created him;

male and female He created them.e

28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”

29Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. 30And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good.

And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Exactly what is the timing of Justification ? When is one for whom Christ died Justified before God ? John Gill gives reasons why he believes that the saint is Justified before God, from everlasting. I concur with his sentiment and here's why, and of course in ursuit it is reasonably concluded why Justification before God is before Faith:

1. Faith is not the cause, but the fruit and effect of justification. The reason why we are justified, is not because we have faith; but the reason why we have faith is because we are justified. Was there no such blessing of grace as justification of life provided for the sons of men, there would be no such thing as faith in Christ bestowed upon them, nor, indeed, would there be any use for it; and though it is provided, yet since not for all men, therefore all men have not faith. The reason why some do not believe, is, because they are not of Christ's sheep; (John 10:26) they never were chosen in him, nor justified by him, but are justly left in their sins, and so to condemnation; the reason why others do believe, is, because they are ordained to eternal life, (Acts 13:48) have a justifying righteousness provided for them, and are justified by it, and shall never enter into condemnation and, in asserting this, I say no more than what Dr. Twisse, the famous Prolocutor to the Assembly of Divines, has said before me. His words are these: "Before faith the righteousness of Christ was ours, being in the intention of God the Father, and Christ the Mediator, wrought out for us; and, because wrought out for us, therefore God, in his own time, gives us grace of every kind, and among others, faith itself, and, at last, the crown of heavenly glory." And, a little after, he says: "Before faith and repentance the righteousness of Christ is applied unto us; since it is on the account of that, that we obtain efficacious grace, to believe in Christ and repent." Likewise the judicious Pemble writes to the same effect, when, observing a two-fold justification, he says, the one is "In foro divino, in God's sight, and this goes before all our sanctification; for even whilst the elect are unconverted, they are then actually justified, and freed from all sin, by the death of Christ, and God so esteems of them as free, and, having accepted of that satisfaction, is actually reconciled to them. By this justification, we are freed from the guilt of our sins; and because that is done away, God, in due time, proceeds to give us the grace of sanctification, to free from sin's corruption still inherent in our persons." The other is, "In foro conscientiae, in their own sense, which is but the revelation and certain declaration of God's former secret act of accepting Christ's righteousness to our justification." And Maccovius says, "That because that God justifies us, therefore, he gives us faith, and other spiritual gifts." Now, if justification is the cause, and faith the effect; then, as every cause is before its effect, and every effect follows its own cause, justification must be before faith, and faith must follow justification.

Will be sorry to see the old girl go.....

NASA will have a spacecraft from Elon Musk’s SpaceX guide the International Space Station’s destruction later this decade, the agency announced Wednesday.

We all know that God created all things bright and beautiful but what about the thing that arn't so good such as the;

Wasps, snakes, scorpions, thorns, poisonous apple trees & plants and last of all Satan.

King James Bible
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

The deadly Manchineel apple tree;
Known as the most dangerous tree in the world, the manchineel tree is found along the sandy beaches and mangroves in tropical climates;

Christ and his followers drew parallels between the OT and the NT in order to demonstrate that he was the Messiah and the fulfillment of the prophecies.

*Is there anything in the OT about the manner of Christ's death? I e., on a cross or a tree or something that suggests that.

Also, could you say something about tree symbolism and stories in the bible, in both OT and NT and the significance of tree symbolism in Judaism and Christianity.

Thank you

Hello Everyone!

I have a question. I'll explain the situation first. I began seeing a girl almost 2 years ago. Things are progressing nicely, and we're now talking about engagement, marriage, children, etc. Here's the part I am seeking guidance on. She was married before. The marriage largely ended due to the former husband being an alcoholic. She kicked him out, he then when out and began seeing another woman, with whom he had a child. This was a significant period of time before I began seeing her. My concern is marrying her being adultery in the eyes of God. I've been praying about it, researching it, and my thought process is this:

1. Re-marriage is allowed in the Bible under certain circumstances, one of those being adultery. If he has gone out and had relations with another woman, having a kid with her, and entering into a relationship with her, in my eyes that is adultery, and thus would allow her to re-marry and me to marry her without committing adultery.

Am I right in this line of thinking? I've really been praying over this and the world wide web has a load of opinions on this. Seeking guidance. Thank you everyone!

No single Koine word corresponded 1-to-1 to the English word "like".

2 Corinthians 9:

7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves [G25] a cheerful giver.

Click to expand...

God likes a cheerful giver. God is fond of a cheerful giver. God finds pleasure in a cheerful giver.

In the NT, G25-agape love usually meant a noble kind of love but it had other nuances particularly outside of the Bible.

BDAG ἀγαπάω:

2 Cor 9:7.—Jesus’ affection for people Ἰ. ἠγάπησεν αὐτον J. liked him or was fond of him Mk 10:21 (displayed affection, caressed him has also been suggested;

Click to expand...

Contemporary English Version, Mark 10:

21 Jesus looked closely at the man. He liked [G25] him and said, "There's one thing you still need to do. Go sell everything you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come with me."

Click to expand...

Ἀγαπῶ μῆλον means I love apple. There is nothing noble about that.

There was another word for "love": G5368, φιλέω, phileó. BDAG:

① to have a special interest in someone or someth., freq. with focus on close association, have affection for, like, consider someone a friend.

Click to expand...

John 21:

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love [G5368 like] me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love [G5368] me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love [G5368] you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

Click to expand...

Both agape-love and phileo-love carried a nuance of "like".

You don’t have to like her to love her. Really?

Right, you don't have to emotionally like her to nobly love her self-sacrificially. That's true. However, I would not completely divorce the liking aspect from agape or phileo. I would not emphasize that liking dimension either. It is not the primary or defining characteristic of agape love. If I agape-love her self-sacrificially, that itself would give me some pleasure, so I must have liked her in some way.

For the Father so agape-loved me that he gave his one and only Son, that if I believe in him, I shall not perish but have eternal life.

Before any of us became believers in and followers of Jesus Christ we were dead in the trespasses and sins in which we once walked when we were still under the control of Satan and of the flesh. We were separate from God and unable in our own flesh to be acceptable to God and to share in his holiness and righteousness. We were doomed to destruction, without hope, and with no way out of our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin.

But, by God-provided, and God-gifted, and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing (not of the will nor of the flesh of man), we were crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So sin is to no longer have mastery over our lives. For if we obey sin, it leads to death, not to life everlasting.

Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24; Acts 26:18; Matthew 7:21-23; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10

For what does it say here? “You WERE dead in the trespasses and sins in which you ONCE WALKED” (past tense, not in the present). So as those who have been saved from our sins, delivered out of our bondage (slavery) to sin, and who have been given new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived for his glory and purposes in holy living, and in walks of obedience to his commands, we should no longer live as those who are addicted to sin.

We once followed the course of this world, but that is now history. We once lived in the passions of our flesh, but no more. We once walked in sin, but Jesus delivered us from our bondage to sin. We once carried out the desires of our flesh and minds, and so we were once children of wrath, like everyone else. But if we have died with Christ to sin, and we are now walking in obedience to his commands in holy living, all of that should be in our past.

Now this is not saying that we are now perfect in every way or that we will never fail again (see 1 John 2:1-2), but that we who believe in Jesus Christ, if our faith is genuine, should no longer be those who are living according to our flesh to obey its sinful desires. We should now be living for the Lord Jesus to please him in all that we are and say and do, and for his glory and purposes. For we should now be his possession to do his will, not ours.

For Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us on that cross that we might die to sin and now live to righteousness, by his grace, in his power. He died that we might now live for him and no longer for self. And he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives, and honor him with our bodies, and walk in his righteousness and holiness.

2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:1-23

For the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. And the faith to believe in Jesus, which comes from God, is persuaded of God as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to turn from our sins and to now walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

Titus 2:11-14; Romans 1:18-32; Acts 26:18; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30

And, although not one of us can be saved by of our own fleshly works, we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. For Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works, which are the works that God ordained and requires of us that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Galatians 5:6; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:21; John 15:1-11; Titus 3:8; James 2:17

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

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

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

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