• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

70% Say Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s Economy Is Getting Worse



Seventy percent of adults say the economy under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris is getting worse, according to polling from Gallup. Between July 1 and 21, 2024, Gallup surveyed 1,010 adults and found that only 24 percent believe the economy is getting better. At the beginning of 2024, in February, only 61 percent said the economy was getting worse, while 32 percent said the economy was getting better. Since then, those numbers have all slid in the wrong direction. “Economic Confidence Index registers -35 in July,” reports Gallup, which is “stable compared with the past two months and consistent with the longer trend of negative public sentiment about the current and future American economy."

Prayer for my daughter, 16 and so many unanswered questions

I’ll try to keep as short as possible…… but my daughter 16 is in a toxic relationship and I don’t know how else to pray that God removes him from her life. If I prohibit it, it will only drive her further away from me and straight to him. She doesn’t see it as toxic but as much as I have prayed about it, I can’t see it any other way. I know he is very young and can change. But right now his attitudes and behaviors don’t align with Gods word. He treats her poorly, is selfish and narcissistic, disrespects us as her parents and questions our rules making her only rebel against us. He doesn’t do anything to better his life (he doesn’t do well in school and is failing and doesn’t want to get a job even though his own mother is struggling financially). I am struggling with this because I know we are all children of God but I have given him so many opportunities to redeem himself since my daughter clearly
Continues to forgive his behavior and there is absolutely no change. Although I don’t understand why, it appears that my daughter loves him very much. But it is at the expense of thinking that she needs to stick by him and forgive his ways no matter what. It pains me to think she may waste years of her life with him going no where and not being in the loving relationship that I know God wants for her. But she will not hear any of it and only defends him. My advise usually ends up in arguments between us, driving us farther apart. How else should I be praying for this? I have been praying to God that he directs her life according to his will and his plans for her. But I am also confused as to how much I should just hand over to God and at what point I should take more action as she is still a minor. This has already damaged our relationship quite a bit and I am just treading lightly and asking God for guidance.

1 in 7 Americans plan to move if their preferred presidential candidate loses: poll

A substantial share of Americans say they plan to move out of their state or even the country if the presidential candidate they oppose wins the election, according to a new poll.

A survey released last week by StorageUnits.com sampled the opinions of 1,968 Americans who plan to support either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The poll was conducted on July 22, the day after President Joe Biden ended his bid for the Democrat nomination for president and endorsed Harris.

Overall, 15% of respondents said they planned to leave their state and/or the U.S. if the candidate they oppose in the 2024 presidential election wins. Nineteen percent of Harris' supporters planned to relocate, as did 12% of Trump supporters.

Continued below.

Trump rails against Facebook, Google as censors of assassination attempt photo, of searches

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Former President Donald Trump accused Facebook and Google of censoring news of his assassination attempt, saying it’s an attempt to rig the election.

Facebook has just admitted that it wrongly censored the Trump ‘attempted assassination photo,’ and got caught. Same thing for Google,” Mr. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday. “They made it virtually impossible to find pictures or anything about this heinous act.”

“Both are facing big backlash over censorship claims,” he said as he switched into his signature all-capitals style. “Here we go again, another attempt at rigging the election!!! Go after Meta and Google. Let them know we are all wise to them, will be much tougher this time. MAGA 2024!”

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Republican mayor of Mesa, Arizona announces endorsement of Kamala Harris

Mesa Mayor John Giles, a prominent Republican in Arizona’s largest suburb, announced his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the upcoming November election.

In an op-ed for The Arizona Republic, Giles called on Republicans to reject former President Donald Trump, citing concerns about his influence on the party’s direction.

“Our party used to champion the idea that every Arizonan, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to pursue the American Dream,” Giles wrote. “But since Donald Trump refused to accept the outcome of the 2020 election, Republicans have yet to course correct,” he added. “The Republican Party with Trump at its helm continues down the path of political extremism, away from focusing on our fundamental freedoms.”

"Kamala Harris is the competent, just and fair leader our country deserves,” Giles said. “This year too much is at stake to vote Republican at the top of the ticket.”

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗Embracing Joy in Life's Imperfections˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

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In our quest for happiness, we often cling to an idealized vision of joy, one that is unblemished, free of sorrow, and steadfast regardless of life's circumstances.
Yet, life teaches us that joy and sadness coexist.
Perhaps joy is never perfect, but we can still celebrate amid challenges.

Understanding Imperfect Joy
The Word of God showcases stories of joy intertwined with sorrow.
David expressed exuberance before the Lord while penning heartfelt laments.
(Psalm 30:5), he writes, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning," reminding us that sorrow often precedes joy.

Celebration of Life's Duality
God doesn't expect us to live pain-free; rather, He calls us to recognize our struggles while seeking joy within them.
(John 16:20), Jesus reassures us with this statement, "You will weep and mourn, but... your grief will turn to joy."
Joy can thrive alongside sorrow.

Finding joy in life's imperfections may manifest as gratitude for a friend, a walk in nature, or in small victories.
These personal moments invite us to experience joy, however imperfectly.

Embracing Imperfection
Expecting perfect joy leads to disappointment and disillusionment.
Joy exists in small moments, a shared smile, or sunshine after a rain shower.
In (2 Corinthians 6:10), Paul states this: "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing," reminding us that joy is rooted in our personal relationship with God, not by our circumstances.


Finding Joy in Fellowship & Community
Fellowship & Community plays a vital role in navigating emotions.
Sharing burdens can transform sorrow, allowing joy to rise.
(Ecclesiastes 3:4) states this: "A time to weep, and a time to laugh."
Inviting others into our lives fosters a space for joy to flourish, even in tough times.

Reflections
Let us accept that joy may never perfect, but it's real and worthy of celebration.
Let us embrace our sorrows while actively seeking joy, recognizing the beauty in life's duality.
Our Sovereign Lord invites us to celebrate amid sorrow, assuring us that joy is waiting to transform us.

Let's choose to celebrate our imperfectly perfect journey together.

Please continue to pray for me

Please continue to pray for me everday of my life is incredibly hard. I continue to ask that God will heal me and I know you would do the same if you had a brain like mine. I am trying as hard as possible to be content so please try not to judge what you don't understand.

This is what most people I know think of me so pray that at least the people that are taking care of me will try and understand.

People constantly think that I don't like to make decisions because I'm afraid of making the wrong decision but that is just them judging me wrongly. They don't understand how someone can barely have any thoughts compared to them so they assume that I'm exagerating. They don't realize that I have NEVER done much at all to take care of my (ex)wife, kids, house, myself or much else because my mind can't figure out how to plan, organize, remember much, can't hardly remember or understand most of what I read, and just don't have the thoughts that I need to figure much else out. Ppl just think if I have had a wife and kids than my brain works fine.
I care about others and try as hard as I can to show it but it would mean so much if at least one person didn't think that I'm exagerating and reilize my agony that I face just to try to stay alive every single day and that I mostly do it for God and for them and for others.

Thank you for caring❤

Missouri Attorney General suing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris



BREAKING: I am filing suit against @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris for REFUSING to turn over documents about the flying of illegal immigrants into Missouri. We have reason to believe they are deliberately flying illegal aliens from the border into our cities. Not on my watch.
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Why didn't Philip directly answer Jesus' query in John 6:5?

John 6:

1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
That's the setting: Jesus had performed healing miracles among a great crowd, and now, people were resting on a mountainside.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
Jesus asked Philip, "Where?".

6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
Why didn't Philip directly answer Jesus' query in John 6:5?

He might have, but John didn't bother recording that part: "Oh, there is a baker not far off, but…".

He might not have, but he went straight to the practical point: "But Jesus, we don't have the cash to buy …".

In either case, he failed Jesus' test. Philip looked at the horizontal limitations instead of the vertical possibility of Jesus performing a miracle.

Andrew fared slightly better:

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
Jesus proceeded to use the limited resources to multiply.

Why didn't Philip directly answer Jesus' query in John 6:5?

That wasn't the point. The point is this: what is impossible for men is possible with God. Philip did not see that.
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Going to meet with the hospice team today

This has been a long time coming. TBH, I feel a great sense of relief. For many months I couldn't get rid of the feeling that this is what God wants. Leaving my family behind does make me sad, but deep down inside, I feel like this is the right thing to do.

Why is John's gospel so much different

Why is the gospel of John so different?


The three synoptic gospels start different than John. Jesus' message of each of the synoptic gospels doesn't start until after an introduction of Jesus' ancestry and John the Baptist's message. After that the gospels will follow Jesus as He interacts with the nation of Israel. Jesus is sent to the nation of Israel. He is talking to and interacting with people who are, for the most part, sinners under the law, therefore, they are sinning. The NT does not start until Jesus dies. Therefore, caution has to be used when applying scriptures to His church.


The gospel of John starts out before the world began introducing Jesus as the Word of God. Then John the Baptist's mission is described briefly. Next, the Word becomes flesh and His purpose is described briefly. Then there is a wedding taking place on the third day which is prophetic. It is also important that Jesus, to honor His earthly parent, pushed His hour ahead. Therefore, John could write of the doctrine after His hour. After the wedding Jesus cleanses the Temple. In chapter 3 John describes how the bride is chosen. His message is for His bride, righteous people not under the law. For the most part John's gospel applies to His church.


Therefore, in general, the main gospel that can be applied to His church is the gospel of John. The other gospels, except where He deals with His disciples and a few other places, does not apply to His church.


Example: Luke 13:2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. NKJV


The above message cannot be applied to His bride because His bride is righteous. Jesus was talking to people under to law and still in sin. His bride's sins are forgiven, and her sins are covered by Jesus' blood.

Another example: Matthew 19:17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." NKJV


Jesus does not need to tell His bride to keep the commandments to enter life. Why is that?


Romans 4:6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin." NKJV


Because the bride's righteousness is imputed to her through her faith, not works. She is ready to enter eternity.



Test: Can the following be applied to His bride?



Mark 8:31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." NKJV



People do not rebuke God. Jesus called Peter Satan; he must have blasphemed.


























Yes, this can be applied to the church. What Jesus told Peter to do is the same thing as He tells His church to do when they make a mistake (sin). He wants His church to repent and walk in the Spirit (follow Him).

John 2:13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." NKJV



This definitely applies to His church and this placement is important. First thing after the wedding Jesus cleanses the temple. We are the temple of God. We are His fiancé, to the Jews we are considered His bride. Jesus does not require, it's good if we do, us to prepare His temple for His arrival (repent), He sprinkled His blood over everything and made it clean. After that we need to heed His voice and follow Him with a dustpan. He will clean His temple. He will put items in the dustpan for us to throw out. It is our job to let go of the things that He chooses to throw out. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, we ourselves will toss things out.

Do we have to clean the temple to be saved? No! If we had to clean the temple to be saved, it would be a works-based salvation. The problem arises if we do not want the temple cleaned. In that case we kick Jesus out of the Temple because He cannot leave the temple dirty. He will not leave on His own. Because He will get a clean temple even if He has to kill us to get it, some people will choose to kick Him out. Heaven is only for those who want it. He will not stay where His services are not welcomed.


John 3: 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." NKJV


Can the above be applied to His bride.


Not verses 19-20 because there is no condemnation for those who believe in Him. There are verses that I could cite, but here's the ultimate reason- because God says so. Under the new covenant anyone that believes in Jesus cannot sin. That is His law under the new covenant. Millions of unsaved people will scream “that's unfair.” His bride says “Praise God and thank you for Jesus. "Which group are you in?

Influencer went to the West Bank to see if Palestinians support Hamas – he almost didn’t make it out alive



"Israelis are literally not allowed into Palestine; they're not allowed into the West Bank. However, I'm not Israeli, I'm an American Jew, and it doesn't say ‘Jew’ on my passport. So, I was told, ‘As long as you don't say you're Jewish, you know, they're not going to kill you on the spot,’" Fox told Fox News Digital.
During the journey, Fox told anyone who asked he was an Italian American and was able to cross the border into the West Bank without issue, which he felt was "kind of shocking."
Fox began his time in the West Bank with a prearranged interview with a man who was described to him by his Muslim producer as a "very smart and civil," "somewhat moderate" thinker who holds a Master’s degree and speaks good English. They sat down at a coffee shop in Ramallah, the Palestinian "capital" located near Jerusalem.
The man denied that "innocent Israelis" were killed during the attacks of October 7, expressed support for Hamas and suggested rape never occurred during the barbaric attacks.
"I realized quickly, if this is someone being presented to me as one of the more educated people, I might be in for a real shock," Fox said.
Then he hit the streets to find locals and recorded a series of spontaneous interviews while walking around Ramallah. But Fox said "things got very contentious very quick" once he hit the streets. "It was like one after another, massive love and support for Hamas," Fox said. "I was specifically looking for younger people thinking, OK, someone here is not going to support Hamas. And they all do," he continued. "It really ranged from sympathy to actual love and admiration for Hamas…. I thought I would find at least some people who were not diehard Hamas supporters, and I couldn’t find one."

Kamala Harris must still hold Biden’s border, inflation baggage — even as Dems’ myth-making machine fires on all cylinders

Her excruciating “We’ve been to the border” interview with Lester Holt was perhaps the nadir of her vice presidency, although it’s hard to choose. The attack ads write themselves.
She has been enthusiastically in favor of every bad idea the left has dreamed up in the last decade: open borders, cashless bail, banning fracking, Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, racist identity politics.
Her boosters think they will cast her as The Prosecutor versus The Felon. But as the original Soros prosecutor, she is really the anti-law-and-order candidate. Installed with the help of her lover Willie Brown as San Francisco’s district attorney in 2003 and California’s attorney general in 2010, she owns the crime-infested hellholes they have become.

The establishment is powerful, and they are experts at propaganda. But they are short on time to remake Kamala. We will see.
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Some Among Us Walk in Idleness

“Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 ESV)

Evidently there were people in Thessalonica who professed faith in Jesus Christ who were lazy, idol, and slothful, who did not work to earn their own living, but who fed off of others and their generosity. We have people like that still today, even within the gatherings of the church, who are capable physically of holding down a job, but who take advantage of others and their kind hearts, and who use others to get what they want, sometimes to use the money not wisely, and sometimes to feed sinful addictions. Sadly so.

But then we have a different situation in our world today where we have such things as social security (NOT welfare) and retirement accounts which people work for many years and pay into these retirement packages so that when they get to be elderly that they can retire and not have to continue to work to earn money, though some still do because these retirement systems are not enough to pay all their bills. So they earned the money which is then paid out to them in increments when they retire. This is not wrong.

However, there are many Christians who get into their retirement years who then become lazy, idol, and slothful. They don’t have to work for money, for they already earned their living, but they have this idea that retirement means they can just do whatever they want, and so they sink into lifestyles of laziness to where they spend their days just entertaining themselves. But as Christians we are to be working for the Lord, and our lives are to be surrendered to him to do his will, so we should be busy about the Kingdom.

God did not call us to his service so that we would sit around just giving pleasure to ourselves. He called us with a holy calling, and we are to work for him in doing what he has called all of us to do. So we should be busy doing the work of the Lord in ministering to the people of God, and to the people of the world, and in sharing the message of the gospel of our salvation and whatever else the Lord has for us to do to show his love to other people and to spread his gospel throughout the world.

But there we need to be cautious, for many people get into ministries where they feed the hungry, which is a good thing, but it is not good if we are feeding those capable of earning a living who are idle and who are taking advantage of others while they feed their own fleshly appetites. And I believe that is the caution here. It is good to have compassion, but compassion can be misdirected sometimes. As the saying goes, sometimes we need to teach people how to fish instead of just supplying the fish.

And Paul and Silas and Timothy here set the example for us in how we ought to conduct our lives in so many different areas. We are not to be idle. We are not to take advantage of others. And I know that times are hard right now and some people are having difficulty finding jobs while I see lots of signs up in places of employment where they are looking to hire workers. But I think there is some crooked stuff going on there high up, so not everything is as it appears on a surface level. Just saying that some people can’t find work.

So we must be discerning people, for there are people everywhere asking for money. Especially, we must pray before giving money to any charitable organization, for they are not all on the up-and-up, and sometimes the money never gets to the people, or most of it goes to administration fees and very little gets to the people. Sadly there is so much deception these days that we must pray through everything, especially when it comes to contributing to what is being advertised as legitimate needs of others.

And if we have retirement money, and we don’t need to have a job to pay our bills, at least for now, then we should do volunteer work under the direction and leading of the Lord. Even if we are somewhat handicapped, as I am, we can still do something. I can’t do a whole lot physically, and even my brain is not as sharp as it was when I was a lot younger, but I am able to write, and so that is what God has called me to do. And he has something that he wants all of us to do, and it isn’t to just entertain ourselves.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Gal 6:1; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Eph 6:10-20; Php 2:1-8; Col 1:9; Col 3:12-16; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; Jas 5:19-20; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84


Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

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Eleven children and two adults have been knifed at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport

Eleven children and two adults have been knifed at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport

A knife-wielding attacker has injured eleven children - two of them fatally - and two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga event in the town of Southport in northwestern England.

Channel 3 named the suspect as Ali-Al-Shakati, an asylum-seeker who arrived in the UK by boat last year.

Radical Islamists raise £3m to buy Scottish island for new 'homeland'

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A RADICAL religious group has raised more than £3 million to buy an entire Scottish island, with the aim to create a closed community which practices sharia law.

On Sunday, the Daily Mail reported that the London-based preacher Sheikh Yasser al-Habib and his followers were in “advanced talks” to purchase the island of Torsa, in Argyll.

The Daily Mail reported that, in a video calling for donations to help buy Torsa, al-Habib says he will negotiate with the UK Government to allow Muslims “from all over the world” to get a visa to live in their new “homeland”.

Luke 5:15-16 Thoughts

This has been one of my favorite pieces of Scripture so far

" However the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infermaties. So He himself often withdrew in the wilderness and prayed."

My interpretation of this is that even Jesus needs a break and to take time to be in solitude and pray. This shows the true mercy and human qualities that God bestowed. Despite being the Lord, He must still be present and mindful as we all must.

This passage struck me as we must also do the same in order to embrace God's love and Word.

1 Kings 18:46-19:21 and Luke 23:1-24:53

I KINGS 18:46-19:21

In this study, we see a second example of “zeal” for Adonai. Israel was again, bowing down and worshipping Baal, and Eliyahu (Elijah) had enough and decided to do something about it. He initiated a contest between YHVH and Baal. Whoever answers the prayers and brings down fire to devour the animal sacrifices, that “god” would be GOD, who the Israelites would worship from then on.

Of course, we know who won the contest. Yet as soon as Jezebel, the queen and wicked wife of King Ahab, heard this, and was told that Eliyahu had the 450 priests of Baal slain, she sent a “death threat” to Elihayu. Well, he ran to Mt Horeb in Saudi Arabia, hundreds and hundreds of miles away. There he hid out for a while.

There are times when a “man of God” or a “woman of God” can pretty much be tired out, exhausted, and they need a rest. Eliyahu was no different. Adonai understood that. He allowed him to rest, sending an angel to cook for him and reassuring him that there were 7000 Israelites that did not bow the knee to Baal! Elihayu’s mission wasn’t quite over yet, he still had a job to do before being taken up to Heaven in a chariot of fire. Now that was quite a hot exit!

When we serve the LORD, we work to the best of our anointed abilities, yet we need to know when to rest. Not quit mind you. Quitting and resting are two different things. Serving Adonai in ministry is a life calling, ending only at death! So, continue to serve YHVH, in this way, we show our zeal. Always allow yourself a time for personal "Shabbat" time, a time for rest and relaxation. A walk in the woods, a trip to the beach, leaving the cell phone at home, or turned off. Even a trip to the desert would be interesting, that's where Yeshua/Jesus went to be alone with the Father. Just remember to bring water.


LUKE 23:1-24:53

We have seen in the above cases, “zeal” for YHVH, yet in this case, we see YESHUA himself, who the zeal was directed to, in his case, he was the “lamb to the slaughter”. Remained silent in front of his accusers, before Pilate and Herod. There is a time for a believer to protest, to speak out, and there is a time to remain silent. For this reason, Yeshua came into the world. Not to claim kingship then, yet the whole earth was his to rule. His mission was to teach the Torah, heal the sick, and to die for our sins.

Yes, there were times when he got incensed and angry, and there were times when he showed his power, yet on the final day of his earthly life, it was a time to be silent, yet a time to forgive his accusers, to accept the nails, and to say; “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do!’ “Aba, Sh’vook l’hoon la ge’ir yadeen mana av’deen” (Aramaic) and “It is finished” “ha m’shalam” (Aramaic) seems like the translation is saying “the peace’ (is restored)

Zeal can come in two forms, aggressive, and passive, we need to know when to use them.

Jesus born in David's Hometown, the "House Of Bread."

Ok, how did I make it to 63 and never noticed this before? Is there no end to God's little prophetic gems? Brilliant!

=======

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”​

- Luke 2:4-5​


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Mary and Joseph were betrothed and living in Nazareth, where the angel Gabriel had announced the coming birth of Jesus. But Bethlehem, not Nazareth, provided the environs for Jesus’s birth. A Roman census initiated by Caesar Augustus required everyone who owned property to register it in person for taxation purposes. Because Joseph was from Bethlehem, the census set them on the road to that village.

The Gospel writers make special effort to be sure we know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, as it happened there to fulfill a promise the Lord had made through the prophet Micah. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

Many babies were born in the Promised Land, but only a child born in Bethlehem qualified for consideration as the promised Messiah.
Why did the Lord pick Bethlehem? This was David’s hometown, a village that had enjoyed a long association with David’s ancestors, including his great-grandmother Ruth. To think about Bethlehem was to think about David. To think about David meant to think about the powerful promise the Lord had given him. One of David’s descendants would rise to sit on Israel’s throne and rule an eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Thus an important link was forged through family history and prophecy. From the town of Bethlehem, which means “house of bread,” would come King Jesus who said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry” (John 6:35).
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Prayer​

Lord Jesus, we thank You for fulfilling Your Father’s promise to be born
in the city of David, Bethlehem, “the house of bread,” and for inaugurating Your rule on earth as the King of Kings for eternity.

Amen!!!


From: Holy Land: Born in David’s Hometown, the “House of Bread” - C.S. Lewis Institute

The Didache: Proof of Deviation From Christ's Teachings by Apostolic Fathers

Is there any proof that what is carried on today by the Catholic faith, carries on from the teachings of Jesus and his apostles?

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The Didache is a brief anonymous early Christian treatise (ancient church order) written in Koine Greek, dated by modern scholars to the first or (less commonly) second century AD

Dating the document is thus made difficult both by the lack of hard evidence and its composite character. The Didache may have been compiled in its present form as late as 150, although a date closer to the end of the first century seems more probable to many
.

Baptism
The second part (chapters 7 to 10) begins with an instruction on baptism, the sacramental rite that admits someone into the Christian Church. Baptism is to be conferred "in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" with triple immersion in "living water" (that is, flowing water, probably in a stream). If this is not practical, baptism in cold or even warm water is acceptable. If the water is insufficient for immersion, it may be poured three times on the head (affusion). The baptized and the baptizer, and, if possible, anyone else attending the ritual should fast for one or two days beforehand.

Fasting
Chapter 8 suggests that fasts are not to be on the second day and on the fifth day "with the hypocrites", but on the fourth day and on the preparation day. Fasting Wednesday and Friday plus worshiping on the Lord's day constituted the Christian week. Nor must Christians pray with their Judaic brethren; instead they shall say the Lord's Prayer three times a day. The text of the prayer is not identical to the version in the Gospel of Matthew, and it is given with the doxology "for Yours is the power and the glory forever." This doxology derives from 1 Chronicles 29:11–13; Bruce M. Metzger held that the early church added it to the Lord's Prayer, creating the current Matthew reading.

Daily prayer
The Didache provides one of the few clues historians have in reconstructing the daily prayer practice among Christians before the 300s. It instructs Christians to pray the "Our Father" three times a day but does not specify times to pray. Recalling the version of Matthew 6:9–13, it affirms "you must not pray like the hypocrites, but you should pray as follows." Other early sources speak of two-fold, three-fold, and five-fold daily prayers.

Church Organization
The local leadership consists of bishops and deacons, and they seem to be taking the place of the itinerant ministry. Christians are enjoined to gather on Sunday to break bread, but to confess their sins first as well as reconcile themselves with others if they have grievances (Chapter 14).


From this, we can see quite a number of differences between what the Bible teaches, and what this document alleges is "The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations (Διδαχὴ Κυρίου διὰ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, Didachḕ Kyríou dià tō̂n dṓdeka apostólōn toîs éthnesin)".

Baptism
Matthew 3:16, 17; Romans 6:3-7;

Fasting
Luke 18:9-14;

Praying
Matthew 6:7-13; Acts 2:42-47; Acts 14:22; Romans 15:30-33;

Church Organization
Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 5:41, 42; Acts 20:20, 21; 2 Timothy 4:2-5

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