Not one of us is saved from our sins, delivered out of slavery to sin, saved from the punishment of sin, and given the hope of eternal life with God because of our own goodness, in our own flesh, but only because of God’s grace to us in sending Jesus Christ to that cross to take upon himself the sins of the entire world, putting our sin to death with him so that, by God’s grace, we will no longer walk in sin but now in righteousness and in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commandments (New Covenant).

[Heb 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Acts 26:18; Rom 3:9-26; Rom 5:12-19; Rom 6:1-23; 1 Co 15:21-22,42-49; 1 Peter 2:24]

And we are only able to be the Lord’s servants and messengers and witnesses for him and for his gospel because he delivered us out of our slavery to sin and he gave us new lives in Christ Jesus to now be lived for him and for his purposes, by his grace, and in his power and strength. And only because of God’s grace in pardoning us from our sins and in renewing us in our spirits and minds, and because he chose to call us to his service, can he use us for his purposes in ministering his word to the people.

So, I am not here doing what I am doing because I lived a perfect life. I did not! I followed the Lord closely for a period of time, and then I had a time of failure, but then he drew me back to himself, and when I turned back to him, and I surrendered my all to him, and I accepted his sovereignty over my life, and that I will have trials and tribulations as part of serving him, then he called me to this present ministry of writing down what he is teaching me each day from his word and to place these on the internet.

And when God called Paul (then Saul) to the work of the ministry, he was on his way to persecute even more believers in Jesus Christ, for then he was opposed to Christ and to his followers. But God turned him around, just like he did with me, and he changed him, and he gave him a new lease on life, not because Paul (Saul) was a righteous man, but because God was going to change him into a righteous man, by his grace, and he was going to empower him to live a holy life and to share the gospel of our salvation.

Many people erroneously misinterpret Paul’s words here when he said that he was the foremost of sinners (he said “I am” the foremost). But if we read of Paul’s life in the Scriptures, and all that he taught in the Scriptures, and did, we will see clearly that he was not saying that he was (present tense) the foremost of sinners, in practice actively. But he saw himself as the worst of sinners in comparison to all others because of what he had previously done in persecuting the church, which was against Jesus Christ.

For we need to go back a few verses to verse 13 where Paul stated that he was “formerly a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief.” So he said that he formerly was this person who he described as the foremost of sinners, for that is how he viewed himself, not that he was still living that way. But the things he had done to other Christians, he believed, categorized him as the worst of the worst. But by God’s grace, he was delivered from that life of sin.

See: Was Paul a Hypocrite? II

Paul did not deserve God’s grace and mercy, and I did not deserve God’s grace and mercy for the time that I deserted him and I gave in to my flesh. So I am extremely humbled that God would choose to call me to this ministry, and that, I believe, is what Paul was expressing, too. He had no room for pride, and neither do I. He was well aware that all that he was able to accomplish was only by the grace of God, but as he submitted to God’s will for us his life. The same with me. So all the glory goes to God.

So, what does this tell all of us? We don’t have to be defined by our pasts. But, for some people, their past is still their present, for they are still living in the past, still doing all the same evil they did before without change of heart and mind and direction. So this is not saying that we can continue living in sin and that God is going to use us to be his witnesses and messengers and servants. But it does encourage us that not all is lost. We can still come out of our pasts and change and be given new lives to live.

So, even if you are one who has failed yourself and others and God miserably, as long as you are still alive, God can change you and make you into someone he can use for his purposes if you will turn from your sin and now commit to following the Lord wherever he leads you. You are only “wasted space” if you choose to be. Your past life does not have to be your present life. And it doesn’t matter if your sins, in your opinion, were the worst of the worst. God can change you, if you will surrender to Him.

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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Ac 19:

11 God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

Click to expand...

Paul did not directly contact these sick people but indirectly through his handkerchiefs or aprons. God worked miracles through Paul using different methods at different times. The handkerchief method was not a normative practice for Christian healing—then or now. There is no formula to effect miracles.

See also Did Peter's shadow heal the sick people?

Kevin Sorbo went to a local Barnes and Noble to check out some of the kids books they had, you'll be shocked by what he found.
Books like "Twas The Night Before Pride" "Woke Baby" and "People of Pride" were all in the children's book section!
This makes it clear that Barnes & Noble is more worried about pushing an agenda that promoting, wholesome, good children's content. And it isn't only Barnes & Noble. Target, Disney, and a ton of other examples are blntantly pushing an agenda. We need to stop giving our money to these brands.
We need to support brands that stand up for the values that matter to us, instead of trying to tear them down. Brands that are safe for our children and their young imaginations.
And BRAVE Books is just that. We make content that not only entertains children but will also strengthen their character and teach traditional biblical values.
Our books teach values like hard work, perseverance, and humility. When you join our Freedom Island Book Club, you will get a new book sent to your door every single month that teaches a different pro-God, pro-America value.
Plus, for a limited time, you’ll get Kevin Sorbo’s brand new book for FREE! Claim this limited time offer by clicking the link below!

https://bravebooks.us/pages/fibc-sorbo-s4b6

Hello folks. Have you guys heard of Open Hymnal? It is a Christian hymn book which is free to use, and most of the songs have no copyright. The website looks like something from 2001, but the Open Hymnal 2014 version is just over a decade old. God bless the folks who have worked on this. @Kokavkrystallos , you might like this, if you are planning on building a chapel, as this book is free and digital.

Open Hymnal Project:

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You have to watch it.

According to Science race does not exist. Yet we still have racism. It is interesting with my son that no one has ever guessed that he is asian. They say black or hispanic but never once has anyone ever said asian. So even though there is no scientific basis for race people still get to choose what "race" they are.

In American we have a very long history of dealing with "racism". According the the United Nations and scientific studies it has been shown that China tries to deny that racism exist and so they do nothing to control racism in that country. They are far behind other countries in controlling this issue.

This is the Wiki article on racism in China.


The subspecies of Homo erectus known to the present day include:

1. Homo erectus erectus (Java Man)
2. Homo erectus pekinensis (Peking Man)
3. Homo erectus soloensis (Solo Man)
4. Homo erectus latianensis (Latian Man)
5. Homo erectus nankinensis (Nanking Man)
6. Homo erectus yuanmouensis (Yuanmou Man

Terry Lewayne Murphree, 39, threatened to kill himself and his wife if the teen victim didn’t comply with his demands, according to court documents.

Murphree is charged in Blount County with 17 crimes: nine counts of a clergy member having sexual intercourse with a child, three counts of sexual abuse, and one count each of first-degree rape, electronic solicitation of a child, human trafficking, traveling to meet a child for sex, and first-degree attempted sodomy.

Intercourse against the girl’s will took place at least seven times and possibly as many as 15, records state. Those acts took place at the unnamed church, at Murphree’s home and at the victim’s home.

What online AI generators do you find to be really good at accurately generating images from text prompt?

I know it's sinful to live together but what about a group of people of mixed genders living together? I'm listening to the Left Behind series and a group of people are living together.

The intersection of faith and bitcoin — and the government's misuse of money — is at the center of "God Bless Bitcoin," a documentary by Christian couple Brian and Kelly Estes hoping viewers will rethink their relationship with money and enable them to become better stewards of their God-given resources.

The documentary, releasing July 25, seeks to answer the question, "How do we fix our broken money?" by examining the moral and ethical dimensions of current financial systems and the broader implications of Bitcoin's rise.

Narrated by Natalie Brunell, the project highlights voices from both the financial and religious spheres, including Bitcoin experts like Anthony Pompliano, Cathie D. Wood and Michael Saylor, as well as religious leaders such as Dr. Darrell Bock of Dallas Theological Seminary and Fr. Robert Sirico.

"For 3,500 years, humans used gold and silver as money. In 1971, we shifted to fiat, and it's clear that this system doesn't work for everyone," Brian Estes, CEO & CIO of Off the Chain Capital and longtime Bitcoin enthusiast, told The Christian Post. "It steals from the poor and the middle class, and it gives it to the rich. It's an unjust system, but we could opt out of that system."

For the Esteses, parents of two who both co-wrote and co-directed the film, the journey to creating the documentary began with a pressing concern about the state of the monetary system and a belief in the potential of Bitcoin to serve as a more ethical alternative.

"Over the past decade, we've watched our money lose its value, making it increasingly difficult for people to keep up with the rising cost of living," Kelly Estes told CP.

Continued below.

Fact Checking Biden

From angry yelling to that creepy whispering, Joe ran the gambit last night. Even calling Donald Trump his Vice President.

But let's look at fact checking some of the more creative things he said.

Joe said: “In fact, the day after Putin invaded Ukraine, here’s what he said. ‘It was genius.’ ‘It was wonderful.’ Some of you forgot that. But that’s exactly what he said.”

Reality is the DAY BEFORE Trump stated:


Fact check fail - number one.

Joe said: “As a consequence, working with Mexico, border encounters have gone down over 50 percent. The current level is lower today than when Trump left office.”

Reality is:

Biden’s framing is misleading. He is referring to a Department of Homeland Security estimate that the seven-day average of migrant apprehensions dropped more than 40 percent to less than 2,400 encounters per day since he issued an executive action barring asylum at the southern border. But the numbers are still higher than when Trump was president.

Fact check fail number two

Joe said: There are at least five presidents running or incumbent presidents who had lower numbers than I have now later in the campaign.”

Reality is:

Please note - the topic of the thread is fact checking Biden. I would ask to please stay on that topic -

please delete

16 new saints added to the calendar of the Church!

glory to Jesus Christ!

Hell
Worms and Fire
Mark 9:48
Many Christians believe that the worms and fire that Jesus mentions in Mark 9:48 are being used to torment living people in hell forever. That is certainly a terrifying thought. Being burned with fire is extremely painful. Being eaten from the inside by worms is terrifying and would also be agonizing. And then if one thinks about these things going on for days, and then years, and then hundreds and thousands and millions of years on and on for eternity - well, it is terrible.
But is that what Jesus meant? I think he meant something different. I think he was referring to worms and fire consuming dead bodies and turning them to dust and ashes. What do you think? Why?
Optional: If you want to see a little more detail on WHY I hold the view that I hold, you may watch this 14-minute video:

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A person tried to tell me that child abuse isn't verbal.

Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
— Matthew 26:33-35

Could Peter have stuck to his guns and shown Jesus that He was wrong?

If you are willing to obey Me,
I have treasures for you multiplied.
If you will follow Me where’er I lead you,
And Myself you not deny,

Then I will take you to the farthest corners
Of the world, in written word,
To millions who God’s great salvation
Not been told them, never heard.

For many still without the Savior,
They are dying in their sins each day,
They’re needing someone just to tell them
How to truly find Him; how to pray.

So tell them that the Son of God came
Down to the earth and became a man,
He was crucified upon a cross to
Forgive our sins. For, ‘twas God’s plan.

By faith in Jesus, who is The Christ,
The Son of God, who came down to die,
Our sins delivered; we are set free
To live for Jesus. This is no lie.

An Original Work / January 6, 2019

And last night's launch...

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CNN spoke with more than a dozen members of Congress, operatives and multiple people in touch with both Obama and Pelosi, many of whom say that the end for Biden’s candidacy feels clear and at this point it’s just a matter of how it plays out, even after Thursday night’s news conference. I should also add that it sounds like the Biden loyalists mentioned in the article were correct about Obama being behind the Clooney op-ed. Obama apparently spoke with George Clooney and gave him the go-ahead. A lot of rank-and-file Democrats still believe they make choices through the primary system.

Questions:


In context, Paul was addressing the issue of the Judaizers trying to convince the Christians that they had to add on to their salvation some of the Old Covenant ceremonial and liturgical and dietary laws, including the requirement of circumcision of all males. So Paul refuted what the Judaizers were teaching by explaining that through Jesus’ sacrifice on that cross for our sins that we who believe in him are not subject to those Old Covenant liturgical requirements. But this did not remove God’s moral laws.

For then he went on to explain that, although they were free from all those Old Covenant ceremonial laws, they were not to use their freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love (agape love) they were to serve one another. And this love, which is of God, prefers what God prefers, which is for us to live through Christ, obeying his choices in his power. For what God prefers is all that is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to God and to his New Covenant commands.

Now the fruit (outgrowth, result) of the Spirit living within us, by genuine God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in our Lord Jesus, should be seen in our lives in these various character traits, which are of the Spirit, and which should be reflected by us who are of the Spirit and who are no longer surrendering our lives to the sinful passions of the flesh (see 2 Peter 1:5-11). And this is not saying that we will be perfect in all these areas, but they should be evident in our lives and increasing, not decreasing.

Therefore, we are to be followers of Jesus Christ who exemplify agape love, which prefers and lives by what God prefers, in his power, which is what is holy, obedient, and righteous, etc. We should have the joy of the Lord in our hearts, even in difficult times, for this joy has to do with rejoicing because of God’s grace to us. And this peace is peace of mind, a spiritual wholeness which is gifted to us by God, so this is peace (not enmity) with God.

Now I think patience is a difficult one for all human beings. But patience is possible, by the grace of God and in his power, as we yield control of our circumstances over to the Lord and as we endeavor to not control them ourselves. And the result of this should be steadfastness of spirit and staying-power in our difficult circumstances while we wait upon the Lord to intervene in our trials and in our tribulations.

And kindness is not saying to people what they want to hear so that they will like us and not hate and reject us. It is not ever kind to lie to people to make them feel better. For kindness is uprightness and goodness and excellence, so not lies. And it refers to meeting real needs in God’s way, not in the way of the flesh. So it is kind to speak the truth in love to people, the truth that they need to hear which they may not be receptive to, and which may lead them to hate and reject us, and to not want anything to do with us.

And goodness is not based in human thinking and reasoning, but it is based solely in the goodness of God, which has to do with moral purity, honesty, uprightness, faithfulness, and obedience to our Lord. And if we are faithful, we are full of biblical faith in the Lord Jesus which dies with him to sin and lives to his righteousness. And we are trustworthy and dependable with regard to our Lord and to his requirements for our lives, and in our marriage relationships with regard to fidelity in our unions with our spouses.

And gentleness is meekness, but meekness is not weakness. Jesus was meek but he was not weak. He never compromised his faith or convictions or the truth or righteousness so that others would consider him “gentle.” For he was the one who overturned tables in the temple courts and who drove out the moneychangers with whips. And he was the one who called out the hypocrites and publicly derided them for their hypocrisy. So gentleness is reserved strength which expresses power with a level of reserve.

And self-control is not all about self and us saying to God “Me Do It,” like how some people operate. Self-control is the ability to control our own behaviors and to not allow ourselves to be out-of-control, living in riotous and immoral behaviors. But for the believer in Jesus Christ this falls under Holy Spirit control, as we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ to do his will, and as we resist Satan and flee temptation and draw near to God to do his will. For if we are in Christ Jesus, by faith in him, we have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

So, if we are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, we are to be those who are also living by the Spirit, walking (in conduct) according to the ways of the Lord and no longer according to the ways of our sinful flesh. This does not mean we will be perfect in every way (1 John 2:1-2), but that sin is no longer to be what we practice, but now righteousness and obedience to our Lord and to his commands are to be what we practice. For if sin is what we practice, and not obeying our Lord, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

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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Questions:


“Caught” can be “caught in the act,” or it can be “trapped in sin” or “taken by surprise” or “overcome, overtaken, or stricken” by any transgression (any falling away, sin, deviation from truth, error, or wrongdoing). But what is clear is that it requires that the person be restored (adjust to being in good working order; to bring into its proper condition). So there is a definite sense of a falling away and of the need to be brought back to good working order.

And this word “restore” is a medical term used for “setting dislocated limbs.” And how do they do that? They'll carefully push and pull on the dislocated joint to move it back into alignment. So this is not painless. But the most important treatment for a dislocation is putting your joint back in its correct place. And that is the entire object of restoring a Christian who has fallen back into sin back to being in good working order spiritually. And this involves a transformation of heart and mind and a willingness to obey.

Now, it is our responsibility as followers of and believers in Jesus Christ to help others to come to know Jesus Christ, in truth, and then to help them to follow him in obedience to his commands in moral purity, uprightness, godliness, honesty, and faithfulness, where possible. And if a brother or a sister in Christ, or one professing faith in Christ, should wander from the truth of the gospel, we who are following the Lord with our lives are to bring that wanderer back, if possible (men with men and women with women).

We must not, ourselves, be those who are habitually and deliberately sinning against the Lord. For how can we help restore a brother or a sister in Christ back to the correct spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus if we are not there ourselves. And if we are not there ourselves, this is no excuse for not helping others to be there, but we should first of all get ourselves back in good working order spiritually, by the grace of God, via submission to Christ as Lord, in obedience to his commands, so that we can help others.

Now we are to do this in a spirit of gentleness, which is meekness, which has to do with reserved strength. But now Jesus Christ was meek, but he was not weak, and he never compromised truth and righteousness and the gospel message in order to be “gentle” and so as not to offend anyone with the truth. He spoke the truth of the gospel strongly, powerfully, and with much conviction and determination to make certain that he told them the truth that they needed to hear, even if they rejected him, in return.

So, if we are too gentle so as not to offend people, then we will never be true servants of the Lord Jesus and of his righteousness, and so we will not be able to be used of him to help others come to genuine faith in him and to walk in obedience to our Lord, and not in sin. And this goes back to the medical term of restore, which has to do with resetting a joint which is dislocated. If the doctor is so gentle that he fears hurting us, he will never be able to put our joint back in its proper place. Do you see this?

We cannot be afraid to tell people the truth out of fear of what they will think of us. We must care enough about other people’s spiritual lives and their eternal destiny that we will lay down our lives for them enough to risk having them hate and reject us for telling them the truth about God and salvation and repentance and obedience to God. And we must warn them about where they will spend eternity if they do not leave their sins behind them to now follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands. For Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).

And all of this has to do with bearing one another’s burdens. For this is about us stepping out of our comfort zones and risking our own lives and our own reputations in order to give people the truth that will set them free. And the truth is that Jesus died on that cross so that we will now die with him to sin and so that we will now walk with him in obedience to his commands, by his Spirit. And this is true love to tell people the truth and to help them to walk in that truth and to help them to leave their lives of sin behind them so that they can have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

[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]

In Harmony

An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17

Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

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John 4:1-2 says that , when therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus MADE and BAPTIZED more disciples than John .

Though Jesus himself BAPTIZED , NOT // MU , which is a DISJUNCATIVE PARTICLE NEGATIVE , which means Jesus NEVER EVER did one BAPTISM , but his disciples .

I say that Jesus will baptize , what say you ??

dan p

I wanted to revisit a theory that Jesus' parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32-35 suggests that Israel's progressive restoration is a sign that the time of the end is near. To do this, I want to go back to Ezekiel 36, where God treats the surrounding nations and "Edom" the way they treated Israel by reversing the curses back on them and blessing Israel. Take a look at the similarities:

"Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near;"
- Matthew 24:32 NASB1995

"But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come."
- Ezekiel 36:8 NASB1995

I suggest that the parable of the fig tree is a reference to Ezekiel 36:8 and provides us guidelines on when to look out for signs. We know that the Mandate of Palestine was given over to the Jews that fled Europe after the Holocaust in 1948, forming the nation of Israel. When they returned they sought a nation that honored God above all and obey His commands (even though they still reject Jesus). Take a look at Deuteronomy 30.

"Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD you God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecute you. And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today."
- Deuteronomy 30:6-8 NASB1995

In both Ezekiel 36 and Deuteronomy 30, God says He will turn the curses He placed against Israel against those who persecute him. This is HUGE.

Now take a look at Revelation 6's six seals. Jesus opens a sealed scroll, which is the deed to the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and the Twelve Apostles. Take a look and notice how they all lead to one another:

Seal 1: Restoration of the Land of Israel: Beginning in 1948 and continuing to this day.
Seal 2: Intifadas and Terrorism: Beginning in 1987 and continuing to this day.
Seal 3: Gaza Blockade and Post-war Lebanese Economy, beginning in 2006 and continuing to this day.
Seal 4: Desolation of Gaza in 2023 (and likely Lebanon in the coming months) and continuing to this day.
Seal 5: Islamist Jihad across the world stemming from protests of the War in Gaza in 2024. Likely to intensify after the U.S. presidential election.
Seal 6: Sign of the Son of Man. The elect remnant of Israel given seal of protection.
Seal 7: The Great Tribulation begins (against the world). God will stop restraining the son of perdition so the people of God can be refined (See Zech 13:8-9).

Given that, and understanding how sensationalist this comes across, I think we should be getting our things in order (as every generation should). David once wrote that a generation is 70-80 years old. 1948 + 80 = 2028. The Time of the End is 3.5 years. Makes you wonder.

I imagine many will disagree with me, and that's fine. Just staying watchful. God bless.

Biblehub placed Paul's conversion in 34 AD.

Galatians 2:

1 After fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.

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The Jerusalem Council took place in 48 AD. Paul and Barnabas wanted to consult the Jerusalem church on the circumcision question.

2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.

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Paul didn't think circumcision was required for the Gentile believers, but they wanted the opinion of the pillars:

9 When James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

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The Council agreed that circumcision was not required for Gentile believers.

Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch. Peter/Cephas visited them.

11 When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles.

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E.g., Peter had likely eaten in Cornelius' house (Ac 10:28).

But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group.

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Later, some brothers from James visited Antioch. Peter changed his behavior because of them.

Was James part of this circumcision group? Was Peter afraid that they would report him to James?

I understand the "circumcision group" as the Judaizers. The immediate context suggested that James might be part of this group. However, the broader context did not.

13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

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Was James part of the circumcision group?

At the time, the teachings of James, Cephas, John, and Barnabus were a bit more traditional than Paul's. The former focused on Jews, while Paul focused on Gentiles. James was closer to the circumcision group than Paul but he was not part of that group.