I think a lot of us have read a series of books at one time or another. Though do they have to be written in chronological order? Well, there are book series (even Christian series) are written that way. Though there are series that weren’t published that way. I’m sure there are numerous examples we could think of.

Now, if you were writing a Christian book series (it could be any genre: fantasy, mystery, end time prophecy fiction, historical fiction), would you write them in chronological order? Why or why not?

Hi everyone, I would greatly apricate your prayers. I am extremely ill, deathly ill, I have been like this for the last 24 hours or so. I am so ill I feel like I may have to go to the hospital but I really do not want to go, they probably couldn't help me there anyway, God is the only one who can help me. I am in extreme pain in my entire body and my body is jerking severely and uncontrollably every few minutes. Please pray for a miracle healing! Thank you!

This past weekend was the annual Rednecks with Paychecks event in St Jo, TX (pop: 881), where folks from all around show up for a weekend of drinking, mud bogging, bikini contests, and all around debauchery.

Adding to this event's long history of serious (often fatal) accidents, this year, a man used his monster truck to assault several other people:

MONTAGUE COUNTY (KFDX/KJTL) — A man faces five felony charges after officials with the Montague County Sheriff’s Office said he ran over multiple vehicles with a “monster truck” at Rednecks with Paychecks in Saint Jo, causing two victims to be hospitalized.

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A brief word of encouragement from Joni Earekson Tada...

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What are we talking here? A phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range?

They have access to weapons "beyond even military scope" but they're coming to America from the pits of poverty and oppression in their own countries to find a better life?
Great follow-up question!

1 loneliness 2 poverty 3 overpopulation 4 car pollution 5 the incel movement 6 my dad 7 disappointment 8 insomnia sometimes 9 my ocd and depression 10 having too many places to go to 11 having no places to go to.

for this people

My theological hero, Dr. Montgomery died yesterday at the age of 92. In 1981, I went to Strasbourg, France to study apologetics under him personally. We used to joke that he had more earned degrees than a thermometer (Eleven earned degrees). He will be sorely missed.

I first heard of JWM from Walter Martin in the 1970's. I bought his book The Suicide of Christian Theology, which contained his seminal essay The Theologian's Craft which influenced me greatly. It is also around this time, Os Guinness published the Dust of Death, another work which influenced me as I was studying Philosophy at San Jose State.

JWM was an evidentialist....with heavy emphasis on historical apologetics, literary apologetics, and in these last thirty years....legal apologetics.

One book which everybody recommends: History, Law and Christianity....a short but stout book, which with effort could be read in a weekend.

Former Trump administration Department of Justice official Jeff Clark said Wednesday that he cannot find evidence that Vice President Kamala Harris ever personally led the prosecution of a single case at the local or state level.

If he’s correct, it’s the equivalent of Walz’s claim of retiring as a Command Sergeant Major.

A message sent universally to all the core people God gave to me to love with His love - to whom I utterly failed.

This testimony has been in the works for the last 17 years of self-induced isolation - due to the devastation over my divorce, and what I feared the most - another nervous breakdown - this time as a believer.

Name it, I lost it - all.

All due to not a genetic disorder, but for using His grace as a license - to fall back into serious sin.

Yet I declare to you all, that our God is an awesome God! He knows exactly what He's doing and He doesn't waste a single day of our lives - in my case not 60 years of suicidal ideation (healed), not struggles with mental illness since 1983 (healed), not various addictions (set free), and not shame over it all - borne for me instead by my best friend Jesus on His cross. He offered repeatedly to set me free, and I finally said yes and He broke my chains.

Jesus has restored a 30 yr. prodigal son, the chief of all sinners, left the 99 others to rescue me, and released a man held prisoner alone in his mind and isolated from the world for 17 yrs.

All for the purpose of reaching just one person. I throw my reputation down in an offer to bring glory to HIS Name again, because you are worth it to Him, therefore worth it to me.

All of my personal info follows, to whoever just needs a friend who is waaay beyond condemning anyone - and dedicated to encourage you along your walk and hold your hand through the worst.

Jesus loves you. Full stop. Whoever you are, believer or non-believer - as long as you draw breath - you are not beyond redemption. Anyone who is telling you so, send them to me!!!

God bless us all!

••••

[copied: my ex-wife of 17 yrs, my children estranged for 5 yrs, my own estranged family, and a select group of friends - new and some restored after 20 yrs]

Howdy, folks. New Contact info:

Joe/Joseph Gunlock
1950 Webberville Rd. #3314
Austin, TX 78721
1-979-431-2325
joegunlock@gmail.com
Facebook (facebook.com): 'Joe Gunlock'.
Christian Forums (christianforums.com): 'Joseph G'.
Believe In Jesus Forum (Log into Facebook): 'Joe Gunlock'.

Friendly reminder for us all...

According to the Bible, forgiveness is not a suggestion by God, but a command:

Matthew 6:14-15 NIV
"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

The key to restoration, for fractured families and a fractured world, is 3-fold: 1) Receive/return to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, 2) be willing to dialogue, and 3) mutual forgiveness.

It really is that easy. The invitation is extended by Him to us all. And therefore from me, as long as we all draw breath here. Speaking of which, until that last breath, NO ONE is beyond redemption!

The Good News is that God's purposes will NOT be thwarted:

Acts 3:21 NIV

" Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets."

God bless us all!

biblegateway.com

•••••

p.p.s. All are invited to call, email, pm, join/post, vid chat, drop a line via carrier pigeon - anytime. Would appreciate reply verifying your up-to-date info.

/finish

•••••

A little gift for all, from ~ 30 years ago. God bless us all!

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••••

Wow, look what I stumbled across, folks!

Emily Janellen (Spencer) Gunlock

Love ya forever, Mom! We all who believe gonna see you again in Heaven, sooner than we probably expect.

You struck gold twice, Dad. Love ya, too, Trish (Mom 2).

Blessings


•••••

Copied from my FB tribute. Some may wonder why I'm such an unashamed "Jesus freak" these days. Well what follows is just one of many things God has done for me since leaving the 99 fauthful sheep to come get me - since ignoring the jealousy of the older brother and welcoming the 30 year prodigal back into the Loving Father's home.

Can I do no less than shout the name of Jesus from the rooftops? If I don't, the stones will!

One of the last things Mom said to me was this, "Joe, you still have something to contribute". This to a guy whom God gave it all, and I blew it all by using His grace as a license to sin.

God met me face-to-face on Christmas Day last 2023, and He answered my cry and confusion over whether I was really ever saved, or had perhaps lost my salvation. I had been faithfully reading His Word and praying every morning and floundering in the midst of serious spiritual warfare - one side quoting all the promises passages, the other quoting all the frightening warning passages - both sides applying to me.

The only thing I knew to do was daily beg for mercy and grace, ask Him to make Romans 8:16 come alive to me, and keep walking in faith dedicated to loving and planting just one seed for His Kingdom that day - despite my feelings.

On this awesome day, The Author of Scripture Himself settled it thusly...

He got my attention first, by direction my focus on an old man digging through the dumpster for cans in the parking lot - to reveal His heart of compassion (I'll elaborate with the full story to whoever is interested).

I looked a second time and the old man was picking up everybody else's trash off the ground and throwing it away.

Jesus said to me, "The greatest amongst you shall be the servant of all."

And now that I recognized Him, He did this....

He placed His hands on my shoulders, locked eyes with me, and said, "I keep telling you, Joe, you... are... my... son!"

I was stunned and speechless. God had actually said yes to my prayer. He brought Romans 8:16 to live and permeated my being with His peace.

After a few minutes, through tears, I finally asked Him, Why me, Lord? Why me? After all I've done to your Name, and hurt, betrayed, neglected, and abandoned those You gave me to love, why have you chosen me?"

His answer:

Romans 9:15-18
King James Version

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."

And God then said to me, "For the remainder of your days here, go and do
likewise."

I know very well that I am seriously estranged from some copied here. I want you to know that I hear you at last, and I am seriously grieved and sorry for rejecting your love for me and sinning against you. I take full responsibility. I would and will acknowledge being the source of your pain face to face again if given the opportunity. And clearly ask for your forgiveness. I ask for nothing from you, other than a sincere request that you risk resuming dialogue and building trust in me in the wild hope that I might finally have something of value for you - His love and encouragement to you through me. I'm dedicated to continuing to give as much and remain in prayer for each of you for the rest of my days here, regardless of your response. I don't seek the restoration of any title in relation to you, other than "friend" - as it is the highest honor Jesus bestows upon us - calling US His friend.

I don't even know if this and my past messages are reaching the correct phone numbers, but if it reaching just one of you, would you find enough mercy in your heart to pass along to the rest of my dear ones from whom I'm estranged, too? Just this one time?

Didn't plan all this, but here at the end it makes sense to me why it happened. It all goes back to my Mother - who forgave me without me asking, and refused to stop loving me despite my indifference. Same with my Dad. Same with Trish (Mom 2). You two alone never stopped reaching out to me, when I had cut everyone else off because of the shame and humiliation of failing my wife, kids, and both families. The rift to this day has its source in me.

So I dunno... maybe that's why God chose me, the chief of all sinners, to make a weak attempt at offering restoration amongst us all.

Seriously, what do we have to lose from trying?

Thank you, Mom, for leading the way for us all by elevating just one Word - forgiveness.

••••

VP Kamala Harris, while serving as California’s attorney general, sided with an illegal immigrant’s bid to acquire a license to practice law in a move that was opposed by the Obama administration.

Harris’ stance on the issue put her at odds with then-president Barack Obama, whose Department of Justice opposed the move and said it would violate 1996 federal immigration law, San Jose Mercury News reported.

The Garcia situation was one of several examples where Harris was to the left of the Obama administration, which Harris referenced during the 2019 presidential primary when she spoke out against deportations for illegal immigrants who haven't committed any crimes beyond crossing the border.

FLASHBACK: VP Harris pushed for illegal immigrant to practice law in California over Obama admin's objections

VP Kamala Harris, while Attorney General of California, backed the case of an illegal immigrant who was attempting to legally practice law in California.

www.foxnews.com

Is any part of Jesus conception, birth, life or death be copied from the myth of Horus?

Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star
How I wonder what you are

Who is the morning star in the Bible?

Are they angels ?

King James Bible
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

King James Bible
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

What if this is not all to be taken so much literally, but more figuratively? Now I do not always reference commentaries, but I sometimes will go to them when a passage of Scripture is not clear to me as to its meaning. And I do not follow any commentator in particular, nor do I accept what any of them say unquestioningly. I read a variety of them (not all of the same theology) prayerfully, asking the Lord to direct me to the truth of what this is saying. But many of them all seemed to be consistent on this one thing.

This “early rain” is given “according to righteousness,” and also has in this verse a significance of a “teacher” being given, i.e. a teacher “unto righteousness.” This can also be spoken of as spiritual blessings being bestowed on the “Children of Zion,” which have a connection to the grace of God. And if we then connect this to verses 28-29, we can also connect this, potentially, to what happened on the Day of Pentecost when God poured out his Spirit on Christ’s followers and they did prophesy (see Acts 2:1-21).


Okay, what I am seeing from this is that this may be a prophecy, not only of the coming of the Lord Jesus, the Christ (the promised Messiah of Israel), but of salvation from sin, eternal life with God, the receiving of the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the Spirit (who is our teacher and counselor), and of the gifts of the Spirit given to us by the Spirit to be used within the body of Christ to minister God’s love and grace to one another. For both Jesus and the Holy Spirit were given to us to be teachers of righteousness.

So, this would be a prophecy regarding the Messianic age and of God’s grace to us in sending Jesus Christ to be our “sacrificial lamb” to die on a cross for the sins of the entire world. And we are definitely to rejoice and to be glad in that! For this had to take place in order that we might now, by faith in Jesus Christ, 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 as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Jesus Christ is a teacher of Righteousness!!

And when Jesus died, and was resurrected from the dead, and after he appeared to many people, he then ascended back to the Father in heaven. And after a little while he then sent his promised Holy Spirit to indwell and to empower his people and to teach them all things about Christ. So the Holy Spirit living within us is God/Jesus Christ living within us, empowering us to no longer walk in sin and to now walk in obedience to our Lord, and helping us to live righteously and to minister God’s love and grace to others.

But this also has to do with the last days before the return of Jesus Christ, and these days are days filled with trials and tribulations to test our faith, and persecutions and misjudgments because we follow Christ with our lives, and because we believe him and his word, and so we share with others what he is teaching us through his word. And so I believe there is a promise here of Jesus’ return when he takes us to be with him for eternity, when our sorrows and heartaches will be no more, but only rejoicing in heaven.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

A Believer’s Prayer

An Original Work / July 31, 2012

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray
To be Yours, and Yours always.
Lead me in Your truth today.
May I love You, and obey.
Lead me in Your righteousness.
When I sin, may I confess;
Bow before You when I pray;
Live for You and You always.

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.
Life with You will never end.
You are with me through each day,
Giving love and peace always.
You will ne’er abandon me.
From my sin You set me free.
You died on that cruel tree,
So I’d live eternally.

Soon You’re coming back for me;
From this world to set me free;
Live with You eternally.
Oh, what joy that brings to me.
I will walk with You in white;
A pure bride, I’ve been made right
By the blood of Jesus Christ;
Pardoned by His sacrifice.

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One of the counter snipers on the Hercules 2 team told the committee that after hearing shots fired, he thought that his partner was hit, “due to the proximity of these whip-like cracks.”


After the shooting, the sniper said he “asked my partner how close he thought the rounds were to our left, and he looked at me and said, ‘I heard them on my right.’ And the[re] were approximately six feet between him and I when we were on the rooftop at the main site.”


Sen. Johnson, who is the top Republican on the committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that has helped lead the probe, said the testimony from the sniper suggesting a bullet passed between him and his partner when the tree line allegedly obstructed them from Crooks’ position on the AGR building is confusing.


“They couldn’t see Crooks. Crooks couldn’t see him. So how did a bullet pass between the two of them?” he told The Times.


“How do you verify it? How do you prove it?” Mr. Johnson said. “I don’t know, but it’s why we need the FBI’s trajectory [analysis] accounting for all the bullets. I don’t know how you explain that one.”

What are the basics of St Tikhon’s umbrella plan? I may have something to do with efforts preparatory to unifying Orthodoxy in America?

New York City Mayor Eric Adams Indicted​

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on at least one federal criminal charge, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN. The New York Times was first to report the news of the indictment.

The indictment follows a monthslong federal investigation by the US attorney’s office in Manhattan, which was reportedly scrutinizing his connection to Turkish officials and businessmen, and campaign donations he received. The charges he is facing are not publicly known at this time.

Adams has previously denied any wrongdoing, and he has frequently repeated that he told members of his campaign and administration to follow the law.

“I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target – and a target I became. If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit,” Adams said, responding to the news on Wednesday night.

The mayor is expected to have several days to turn himself in, according to sources familiar with the case. He’s not expected to appear in court Thursday: Prosecutors previously informed his attorneys that if charged, he would be summoned to surrender at a future date, multiple sources told CNN.

I hear vague concepts such as spirituality and meditation and crystals but what exactly do new agers believe in ?

I’m still holding out hope for humanity but am seeing more evil than good in this world. It could be where I live, residing in Racine, Wisconsin the epicenter of where the world’s evil dwells. Maybe my view is a bit skewed based on my residence.

I understand people can be both good and bad and everyone is a sinner, yadda yadda, but the level of badness I’m referring to is not telling a little white lie and goes beyond that.

So do you think that there is more good than evil or vice versa? I would love your perspective.

I am curious about the thread posted by @cradleGO


People exploring Orthodoxy, especially in the US, can form the opinion that Orthodoxy is tied to an ethnic identity, more particularly, many ethnic identities. While that is true to a large extent, it is not what it seems.

It certainly does seem that way. How do the Orthodox respond when someone is concerned that it is tied to national or ethnic Identity? From the outside looking in, it looks like the two often go together. As I was reading the OP of that thread, and then the answers, it just seemed to get more complicated.

So, I read the news today about Russia.

Even though I suppose I shouldn’t. My husband told me not to awhile ago.

And now I feel physically ill.

My heart literally hurts.

I’m trying to remind myself that God is in control, to not be anxious/worried, have hope, and to trust in the Lord.

I read (Attention, Christians!. Priest Tarasiy Borozenets) that “He who obeys Christ fears nothing and no one, is not tempted by anything or anyone, does not become conceited and is not saddened by anything or anyone”

I am incredibly saddened by these things (though I do try not to be frightened…it is difficult). Does that mean I am not obeying Christ?

I’m not sure, I feel sick to my stomach. The hormones aren’t helping either I think?

In May, central banks reported buying 10 metric tons of gold, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other sources. What’s more, the 2024 Central Bank Gold Reserves Survey, conducted between February and April, found that 29% of central bank respondents planned to increase their gold reserves over the next 12 months.


This plan is driven by “a desire to rebalance to a more preferred strategic level of gold holdings, domestic gold production, and financial market concerns including higher crisis risks and rising inflation,” according to the council.

Long, but very good investigate report.

Jake Tapper asked Nancy Pelosi this question. Can you name 5 things a Harris administration will make great - without mentioning Trump, or Republicans?