This will be a hard hitting interview.....: ) .....

Former president Donald Trump is scheduled to be interviewed on social media Monday night by billionaire Elon Musk. The interview on X, the platform owned by Musk, is set to air on Trump’s account.


...and look who is back on X? The Trump campain is reportedly running adds on X as of today.

We all know there are a lot of dishonest people out there who will pull any tricks they can to make sure their side wins the election. Please pray for the Lord of the angels to send his heavenly hosts out to protect us from stolen elections.

This incident occurred in Indonesia in late June 2024.
Location of the incident: Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia

Source : Permadi Arya on Instagram: "cuma di Indonesia, umat islam boleh solat berdoa di rumah, tapi umat kristen tidak boleh berdoa di rumah kejadian di desa mergosari Tarik Sidoarjo, jemaat GPdI dilarang berdoa oleh kepala desa, padahal menurut SKB 2 menteri bab 1 pasal 3: berdoa di rumah tidak perlu izin sampai kapan diskriminasi SARA anti kristen ini dibiarkan di negeri pertiwi ini? mohon atensi gus menag @gusyaqut @ansor_satu pak plt. bupati sidoarjo @cakband1 @polsektariksidoarjo @polresta_sidoarjo teman2 bantu mention 5 akun di atas di kolom komentar yaa yuk banjiri notif bapak2 itu viralkan"

Local Muslim community leaders forbade Christians from worshiping together in their homes. On the grounds that religious activities require permission. However, if a Muslim community group holds a joint worship event at home, permission is not required.

The excuse that worship activities require permission is often used by community leaders in Indonesia to prohibit Christians or minority religions from worshiping in Indonesia. They require Christians or other minority religions such as Buddhists, Hindus and Catholics to apply for permits if they want to hold an event. However, if Christians ask for permission, permission is usually not given for various reasons.

In late 2022/early 2023 I fell in love with a young Christian woman (she was attending a Calvary chapel but didn't limit the Christian life to Sunday) from Fontana CA. Sadly, we never got to meet in real life, only online. Our ways would part eventually and I wonder why it was not meant to be. I wish not to date an non-believing woman, especially not in a sick world like this.

I do miss her tho, in fact, I do have lust problems. Is this normal? I know God wishes that I may marry a Christian woman, but in my area I have little options. Yet distance shouldn't be an issue.

2. The iconoclast crisis

The Second Council of Nicaea marked the end of a long process of reflection on the meaning and place of images in the life of the Church.

Before the beginning of the third century, there were few images in the Church. This was due to the danger of idolatrous practices widespread in the pagan world, which had already been at the basis of the Old Testament legislation forbidding the fashioning of images.

The peace of the Church at the time of Constantine had decisive consequences. As the number of baptised Christians increased, exterior signs of Christian devotion multiplied, the cult of the martyrs grew, people began to make pilgrimages, and everywhere new churches and basilicas were built. Christian art ceased to be mainly funeral iconography, unintelligible to the uninitiated, and was used to further the evangelisation of the growing numbers of Christians.

In the fourth century, for the first time in the history of the Church, voices were raised in opposition to religious images on the basis of the prohibitions contained in the Old Testament (cfr Ex 20:4; Dt 4:15-18). Canon 36 of the Council of Elvira, (ca. 300 AD.), a Council of which we know relatively little, decreed that “images may not be exposed in Church;” while iconoclast statements are found in the letter from Eusebius of Caesarea to the Empress Constantia and the writings of Epiphanius of Salamis. According to scholars, this first form of aversion to icons was a limited and restricted phenomenon, perhaps somewhat coloured by Arianism; there would seem to be a connection between the Arian insistence on God’s transcendence and the banning of images. However iconoclast views persisted as the centuries passed, and so other voices were raised in defence of icons. Gregory the Great (540-604) wrote that “it is not without reason that in the older Churches the lives of the saints were depicted in paintings... what Scripture is for the literate, so the image is for the illiterate... images are the books of those who do not know the Scriptures” (Letters, IX, 209).

The use of icons became more widespread in the sixth and seventh centuries, encouraged by popular faith, legends and miracles. Yet it did not spread evenly throughout Christendom; because of their cultural background, the Syrians and Armenians, for example, were much less inclined to use images. Significant, the emperors who encouraged iconoclasm were of Isaurian or Armenian origin. In 692 the Council in Trullo stated that: “in certain sacred images the Precursor is portrayed pointing to the lamb. This portrayal was used as a symbol of grace. It was a hidden figure of the true lamb, that is Christ our God, revealed to us according to the law. Having therefore accepted these figures and shadows as symbols of the truth handed down by the Church, today we prefer grace and truth themselves as the fullness of this law. Therefore to expose by means of painting that which is perfect we decree that henceforth Christ, our God, shall be represented in his human form and not in the old form of the lamb” (Can 82). Already for the Fathers of the Council in Trullo, the image of Christ implied a confession of profound faith in the incarnation.

One factor which contributed to a hardening of positions for or against the use of icons was the advance of Islam, which claimed to be the highest and purest revelation of God, and accused the Church of polytheism and idolatry in her veneration of images. The eighth century saw the rise of heated disputes. The opening act of the first stage of the iconoclast conflict was an order, issued in 726 by the Byzantine emperor Leo III ‘the Isaurian,’ to destroy the image of Christ over the bronze gates of the imperial palace in Constantinople; the image was replaced with a cross beneath which the emperor placed the following inscription: “Since God cannot bear for Christ to be portrayed in an image without word or life and made of corruptible matter despised by Scripture, Leo and his son the new Constantine, engraved the sign of the cross, the glory of believers, on the palace gates.” That act was followed by the official promulgation of measures against images and their veneration, as well as by acts of violence directed against icons and those who venerated them. It should be recalled that these iconoclastic measures begun by Leo III came only a few years after the edict of Caliph Yedzid II to destroy images in every Christian province he conquered and attacks on Christian worship by Jews. The emperor sought a cultural compromise aimed at enabling Arabs, Christians and Jews to live in harmony by eliminating elements of conflict. Reasons of state were more important than the rights of the faith. Pope Gregory III reacted in 731 by excommunicating those opposed to icons and their cult. In the East it was mainly Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople, George of Cyprus and John Damascene who defended the veneration of icons. Germanus stated that to reject icons was to reject the Incarnation; for in the icon “we depict the image of [Christ’s] human aspect in the flesh, not that of his incomprehensible and invisible divinity, because we feel the need to represent that in which we believe, in order to demonstrate that God did not embrace our nature only in appearance, as a shadow, but that he became truly man” (Letter to John of Synnada). John Damascene fought the iconoclasts at various levels. He countered the accusation that in icons a piece of wood was adored, saying: “It is not matter which I venerate, but rather the Creator of matter who became matter for me” (Discourses, I, 16), and added that icons are “the books of the illiterate” (Discourses, II, 10). However the most important argument was theological; the dogmatic foundation for the cult of icons is the Incarnation. The Word became flesh: Jesus is the human face of God and therefore we may represent Him (Discourses, I, 22). The Old Testament forbade images; in the Old Covenant God had revealed himself only by word. In the New Testament, the Word becomes an image. Psalm 47:9 was often used to defend icons: “What we have heard, we have seen.” John Damascene makes a clear distinction between the icon and the prototype which it represents. The image is the object of veneration, not adoration; the latter is reserved for God alone.

In 754 a Synod convoked at Hieria on the Bosporus at the initiative of the emperor Constantine V gave normative status to the decisions of the iconoclasts. About 388 Bishops took part, but none from the Sees of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch or Jerusalem. The Synod declared the emperors equal to the Apostles, filled with wisdom through the working of the Holy Spirit, and charged them with leading the faithful back to the right path and instructing them; it also condemned the making and the cult of icons. It insisted on the distance between the icon, a material object, and that which it claimed to make visible. It considered the Eucharist the only true image. In this way, iconoclasm, hitherto supported by an imperial edict alone, became a dogma of the whole Church.

In the two decades that followed, the monks, the chief promoters of icons, were violently persecuted; numerous monasteries were confiscated, their monks were forced to join the imperial army, and some were tortured. In 769 Pope Stephen convoked a Synod at the Lateran which anathematised the Synod at Hieria; the Patriarchs of the East, Theodore of Jerusalem, Theodore of Antioch and Cosmas of Alexandria also rejected the decisions made at Hieria.

The church is mainly made up of Gentiles who became Christians. Unlike Jews, Gentiles do not know anything about the law or the perfect standard of God. Usually, people come to church because of brokenness (in need of physical healing or emotional distress) or invited by friends.

Without the knowledge of the law, we do not know what the flesh and sin is.

To operate in the flesh does NOT mean to sin. Operating in the flesh is like a TWO-edged sword. One side is following the desires of your flesh which will lead to sin. The other side is to use your flesh (will-power, determination, perseverance and other good traits in human) to do good deeds or obey the law. When you think you are doing well, pride arose, and you will eventually end up failing and falling flat on the ground.

Peter was a very good example of a disciple of Jesus who depended on the flesh to follow Jesus. Before Jesus was capture, he was telling Jesus that he will not deny him and will die with him.

Matthew 26:35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.

But fearing death, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.

Everyone is who not born again, is living in the flesh. The flesh sometimes does good works. But God does not accept everything that is from the flesh. Everyone who tries to earn their own salvation through the flesh is condemn.

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

If good works from the flesh alone can earn salvation apart from the work of Christ, then Jesus died in vain!

New or immature Christian will try to combat sin by obeying the law with their flesh. Since we have been living in the flesh since birth and that is the only way we know and operate.

The first step to Christian maturity is knowing what the flesh is, and sin comes from the flesh.

The law empowers the flesh to act. From the flesh spring forth sin and no good thing.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

After endless cycle of obeying and failing which is like a refining process to remove dependence on self (flesh).

The second step to Christian maturity is to know our helplessness. The more we depend on ourselves (flesh), the more we fail.

Romans 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

The third step to Christian maturity not to be law and sin conscious. To do that, we must know what Jesus did for us and as us on the cross.

Hebrews 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins

Jesus has fulfilled the law on our behalf so that we are no longer under law. The law demanded that all sinners be put to death. When Jesus went to the cross, he went to the cross representing us. We have been put to death with Jesus and the payment for all our sins have been paid. With all our payment paid, the law is done with us, and we are no longer under it.

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

The fourth step is focus on Jesus and remind yourself of what he has given and did for you. It will help you to be humble and grounded. When you encounter a problem, you will pray before doing.

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God

The fifth step is to learn how to walk in the Spirit. The Lord knows all things including our beginning and our end. He knows what is to come for tomorrow and nothing catches him by surprise. For we do not know what is to come for tomorrow, but the Holy Spirit is God, and he knows. By praying in tongues, we are allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede to the Father on our behalf.

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Conclusion:

For a Christian, the final stop for maturity is Grace. The law is just a stepping stone to the final stop. Without the law, we will not know our helplessness for salvation and how much Jesus has love and given to us. From the Law to Grace, it is like from infancy to adulthood.

1 Timothy 1: 8-9 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers

Law and Grace cannot be mixed. They represent different stages of Christian growth and maturity.

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

The Supreme Court Ruled that cities may have laws against homeless camping on public property. Grants Pass Oregon was taken to Court for having a camping ban with the complainants calling it cruel and unusual punishment and lost its case originally. They pursued the case to the Supreme Court who ruled that governments response to homelessness is best left to the locals to decide how to handle it.

So cities and states may allow homeless camping or disallow it.

This is a victory for cities who have areas that are made dangerous, unsafe and filthy and wish to disallow them.

It also allows cities to decide they want those areas and wish to allow it. It's up to the locals to decide.

Commandments four to ten focus on our relationships with one another. In Catholicism, three commandments are dedicated to God's relationship with humanity, and seven govern interpersonal relations.

• Honour your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.​
• You shall not murder.​
• Neither shall you commit adultery.​
• Neither shall you steal.​
• Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbour.​
• Neither shall you covet your neighbour's wife.​
• Neither shall you desire your neighbour's house, or field, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.​

No debating please. This is a fellowship/testimony thread. Please respect it.

I am interested in testimonies from those who heard someone speaking in tongues, speaking in their native language when they knew the tongues speaker had not learned the language. Here is an example: Derek Prince led a non English speaking woman in Germany through to the baptism with the Spirit and when she spoke in tongues she started praising God in Oxford English. Dr. Prince ask the woman (through an interpreter) which she understood English. She replied in German that she didn't, and then she continued to praise God in perfect English! In another meeting, in Tennessee, an American woman praised God for an hour in French. These were witnessed by everyone attending those meetings.

Having This Ministry

This was part of a letter from Paul and Timothy to the church in Corinth. It was penned by the apostle Paul as he was carried along by the Holy Spirit. So these words are from God, and they are included in our Scriptures.

Paul was called of God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. I know not whether Timothy was regarded as an apostle, but he was a fellow worker for the gospel of Christ, and he had some level of authority within the body of believers of Jesus Christ. To what extent, I do not know. But he was also called of God to this ministry, and he was gifted of the Holy Spirit, and Paul encouraged him to fan into flame the gift of God within him, and to not fear other people, and to not be ashamed of the gospel (2 Timothy 1:1-14).

Now, if we are going to be ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which all Christians are called to do, we must first of all be in fellowship with Jesus Christ in following him in obedience to his commands and in living holy lives, pleasing to him. We must have renounced all sinful practices, such as what is disgraceful, underhanded, deceptive, cunning, immoral, crooked, and evil, etc. And we must not be those who dilute and who alter the message of the gospel to make it more acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly.

And this is critical that we understand this, for we have so many charlatans and “wolves in sheep’s clothing” among us in positions of pastor and elder over “church” congregations, who definitely are using disgraceful and underhanded ways in order to manipulate the gospel message to make it more attractive to human flesh, and so as not to offend the ungodly. And they are definitely practicing cunning, and they are tampering with God’s word by teaching Scriptures out of context in order to teach what is false.

But Paul and Timothy were not like that. They were above reproach, men of God who took seriously the word of God, and who taught it in its true form in the power of God and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Veiled to Those Perishing


If something is “veiled,” it is concealed or hidden. Now Paul and Timothy were not servants of the Lord who concealed the message of the gospel in any way, as many are doing today. Especially Paul was very forthright in making certain that the whole truth was presented and that nothing was hidden that needed to be made known. So if the gospel was concealed, it was hidden from those who were perishing, for Satan had blinded their eyes so that they did not see the truth. But they had a part in that blindness, too.

For we read in Romans 1 that God made himself known to all humankind via his created works so that his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived in his creation. But people suppress the truth that can be known about God by their own ungodliness and unrighteousness, so they are without excuse. They can’t just blame the devil. For they exchange the glory of God for the idols of the flesh and they worship the created rather than the Creator. We make our own choices.

Especially if we have been raised in the gatherings of the church, and if we have heard the gospel taught in truth and in righteousness, and not in part, but in whole, we are definitely without excuse if we then turn to a false half-truth gospel message in order to appease our own consciences and so that we can continue living in sin free from the feelings of guilt. But this is what many are doing today, rejecting the truth that they know to follow after a lie so that they can keep sinning while consoling themselves that all is well.

But Paul and Timothy did not teach lies, especially not deliberate lies which so many are doing today in order to willfully deceive the people. And if we claim Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, we need to not be following after the lies and/or spreading the lies to others. So we need to be students of the Scriptures who study them in their context so that the Word we are spreading is the whole truth and not these tampered with gospel messages which so many are spreading today as though they are the truth.

For many people are being deceived, and others disheartened by all the lies which are being spread in the name of Christ and of his gospel. And those who are following the lies are definitely those who are prone to continue living in deliberate and habitual sin without conscience. But they will never be at true peace as long as they are at odds with Christ and with his gospel message. And if they continue in sin, they will not have eternal life with God, regardless of what their lips profess. So know and follow the truth, please!

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; 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 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

Come, Ye Disconsolate

Lyrics by Thomas Moore, 1816
Arr. by Thomas Hastings, 1831
Music by Samuel Webbe, Sr, 1792

Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish,
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot cure.”

Here see the bread of life, see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heav’n can remove.

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What is Harris’ position on late term abortions?

Hi, I was pleasantly surprised to see the priest doing this prayer today. I initially couldn't recognize it because it had been so long since I'd looked at it. This was the first time I had ever experienced a priest using this prayer. I hope that I hear it again.

“This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”

There is an old saying that God gave a person two ears and one mouth. Therefore, a person should listen twice as much as he speaks. James words in verse 19 carries that same thought. It is surprising that very few people are good listeners. Too often, a person will listen to just enough to decide what the other person is going to say, and then either interrupts or does not pay careful attention to what else is being said; because he assumes that he already “knows” what the other person is going to say.

In another example, two people may be having a mild disagreement. One will listen to just enough to give him “ammunition”, and then he comes out with a response without fully listening to what the person had to say. Then the other person does the same thing! Is there any wonder that miscommunication occurs so often?

Careful listening is a skill that must be developed. Good listening requires a person to pay attention to what is being said and WAITING until the person is done. A person paying attention to a cell phone, a text message while “listening” to another person is not good listening. A good listener cares about what the other person has to say.

Careless listening can lead to misunderstandings, arguments, and even anger. But James warned that a person must be slow to anger. There are times where anger may be appropriate, but that should be the exception and not the rule. “Slow to anger” means that a person listens, considers, and only then responds. A hasty comment rarely leads to good results.

James wrote in verse 20, “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Passage after passage describes and commands that Christians are to love one another. Will there be disagreements among brethren? Of course there will be disagreements! Paul and Barnabas disagreed upon taking John Mark with them on their second journey.

Luke recorded in Acts 15:39-40 “And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.” Their disagreement did not prevent them from serving the Lord, and over time the disagreement was resolved.

But if a disagreement results in anger between two Christians, and it is not resolved, then the result can go beyond a simple disagreement into sin! James said that the anger of man does not achieve righteousness. Anger based on worldly pride, arrogance, or ambition will not further the cause of Christ and the Father.

In verse 21 James wrote, “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” The worldly nature, the old many of sin, will not disappear easily. The worldly nature will fight and struggle to retain the dominance. And, when a Christian may think that the world nature is finally gone, it can suddenly reappear.

Growing and maturing as a Christian takes WORK. It is not easy, and sometimes it can be quite painful. But that nature MUST BE put aside. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said that a person cannot serve two masters. The focus must change from the world to the Lord. There can be no other way.

Instead, a Christian must “put aside” the worldly and receive the word with humility (Some translations use the word “meekness”). Why humility? The answer is simple. God has given every person the information needed to be able to achieve salvation. James wrote that it is able to save your souls! It is a precious gift that was freely given to people that did not, and do not, deserve it!

Not only that, but James described the it as “the word implanted”. The ”word implanted” sounds very much like the parable told of the sower of the seed. In the parable, the seed is the Word of God. The Word, the seed leading to life, has been sown.

But now, what does the person do with that seed?

Will it fall on the road and be carried away?

Will it fall on rocky soil, sprout quickly, but then whither and die?

Will it fall in soil, but the cares and worries of the world choke it out and it dies?

Or will the seed, the Word of God, fall on good soil?

Jesus said, “15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”

Twiddling his thumbs? Plotting rebellion? Suffering in fear and torment? What do you think?

I'm stressed from work. I have been assigned a project which after working a few months into it found out is beyond my capability to deliver. At least not to a professional standard. This is a big project and it is too far in and late to pull out and no one else in my company is able to help me (delivery wise). Partly because the project scope was not defined properly by the main contractor and we underestimated the complexities of it. I'm constantly underdelivering during meetings and the customer knows it. It is really stressing me out because I don't like to underdeliver. This is eating into my mental health. I'm burnt out. I don't have any motivation to work. I'm living each day scrapping by the bare minimum of project delivery. I can't take this any longer. I just want this to end. Days will go by paralyzed with inaction and doubt. This is the first in my life to ever have days like these. Where time moves so fast and I'm praying for time to stop. I needed time to stop for me to catch up (if this make sense).

I have talked to my boss and he is quite understanding. But understanding doesn't deliver the project. I still have to do something I know I will fail and make a mess of it. I'm trying but I can't even say it's trying my best. I have told my boss that I would be leaving the company. I feel guilty for not performing on top of the stress. I don't know what I will do when I have served my notice period. I'm thinking of a sabbatical. Money might be tight for a while.

I can't tell my parents regarding this. They are the type to over worry which add more to my stress and guilt.

When I put it into word, it doesn't seem so bad reading back but reality is it is really severe for me. I really feel trapped at this moment and words can't convey it fully. Am I worried about my reputation? my professional pride? my responsibilities towards others? I can't tell. All I know is I'm failing myself.

What is the most important thing or things you would like to see improvements on in the country.

The third commandment, concerning the Sabbath, has been extensively debated in Christian forums. Therefore, this discussion will not focus on the correctness of observing Saturday or Sunday. Historically, it is highly probable that Saturday was designated as the Sabbath in ancient times.

Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work--you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

This commandment emphasizes the importance of setting aside time: time for rest, time for communion with God, and time that is sacred.

I. The Sabbath Day

2168 The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the sabbath: "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD."92

2169 In speaking of the sabbath Scripture recalls creation: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."93

2170 Scripture also reveals in the Lord's day a memorial of Israel's liberation from bondage in Egypt: "You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with mighty hand and outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day."94

2171 God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant.95 The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on behalf of Israel.

2172 God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and should let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed."96 The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.97

2173 The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day.98 He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath."99 With compassion, Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing.100 The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God.101 "The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."102

92 Ex 31:15. 93 Ex 20:11. 94 Deut 5:15. 95 Cf. Ex 31:16. 96 Ex 31:17; cf. 23:12. 97 Cf. eh 13:15-22; 2 Chr 36:21. 98 Cf. Mk 1:21; Jn 9:16. 99 Mk 2:27. 100 Cf. Mk 3:4[ETML:C/]. 101 Cf. Mt 12:5; Jn 7:23. 102 Mk 2:28.

II. The Lord's Day

This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.103

The day of the Resurrection: the new creation

2174 Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week."104 Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath,105 it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) Sunday:

We all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the Jewish sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead.106

Sunday - fulfillment of the sabbath

2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:107

Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.108

2176 The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship "as a sign of his universal beneficence to all."109 Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.

The Sunday Eucharist

2177 The Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life.
"Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church."110

"Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Epiphany,
the Ascension of Christ,
the feast of the Body and Blood of Christi,
the feast of Mary the Mother of God,
her Immaculate Conception,
her Assumption,
the feast of Saint Joseph,
the feast of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and the feast of All Saints."111

2178 This practice of the Christian assembly dates from the beginnings of the apostolic age.112 The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful "not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another."113

Tradition preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to Church early, approach the Lord, and confess your sins, repent in prayer.... Be present at the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its prayer and do not leave before the dismissal.... We have often said: "This day is given to you for prayer and rest. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."114

2179 "A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop."115 It is the place where all the faithful can be gathered together for the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. the parish initiates the Christian people into the ordinary expression of the liturgical life: it gathers them together in this celebration; it teaches Christ's saving doctrine; it practices the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly love:

You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests.116

The Sunday obligation

2180 The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass."117 "The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day."118

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

2182 Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. the faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together they testify to God's holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

2183 "If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in the parish church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families."120

A day of grace and rest from work

2184 Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,"121 human life has a rhythm of work and rest. the institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.122

2185 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.123 Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. the faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.

The charity of truth seeks holy leisure - the necessity of charity accepts just work.124

2186 Those Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have the same needs and the same rights, yet cannot rest from work because of poverty and misery. Sunday is traditionally consecrated by Christian piety to good works and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the elderly. Christians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families and relatives, often difficult to do on other days of the week. Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life.

2187 Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord's Day. Traditional activities (sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services, etc.), require some people to work on Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure. With temperance and charity the faithful will see to it that they avoid the excesses and violence sometimes associated with popular leisure activities. In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure citizens a time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers have a similar obligation toward their employees.

2188 In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as legal holidays. They have to give everyone a public example of prayer, respect, and joy and defend their traditions as a precious contribution to the spiritual life of society. If a country's legislation or other reasons require work on Sunday, the day should nevertheless be lived as the day of our deliverance which lets us share in this "festal gathering," this "assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven."125

103 Ps 118:24. 104 Cf. Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1. 105 Cf. Mk 16:1; Mt 28:1. 106 St. Justin, I Apol. 67: PG 6, 429 and 432. 107 Cf. 1 Cor 10:11. 108 St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Magn. 9, 1: SCh 10, 88. 109 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II 122, 4. 110 CIC, can. 1246 # 1. 111 CIC, can. 1246 # 2: "The conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See." 112 Cf. Acts 2:42-46; 1 Cor 11:17. 113 Heb 10:25. 114 Sermo de die dominica 2 et 6: PG 86/1, 416C and 421C. 115 CIC, can. 515 # 1. 116 St. John Chrysostom, De incomprehensibili 3, 6: PG 48, 725. 117 CIC, can. 1247. 118 CIC, can. 1248 # 1. 119 Cf. CIC, can. 1245. 120 CIC, can. 1248 # 2. 121 Gen 2:2. 122 Cf. GS 67 # 3. 123 Cf. CIC, can. 120. 124 St. Augustine, De civ. Dei 19, 19: PL 41, 647. 125 Heb 12:22-23.

Trump falsely claims Harris rally crowd ‘didn’t exist,’ was AI-generated

Former President Donald Trump took to social media on Sunday to falsely claim that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign faked photos of the crowd at her Detroit-area rally last week using artificial intelligence.

The Republican presidential nominee claimed the crowd at the airport hangar “DIDN’T EXIST” and that “nobody was there” in multiple posts to his Truth Social platform, sharing a post from a right-wing former congressional candidate known for spreading misinformation.

The crowd did in fact exist and the rally was attended by thousands of people, many of whom posted their own pictures and videos of the event, which was also live streamed by dozens of news channels and attended by a slew of prominent politicians.

According to local news outlet MLive, “about 15,000 people filled the hangar, the crowd spilling out onto the tarmac.”


"Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she “A.I.’d” it, and showed a massive “crowd” of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN’T EXIST! She was turned in by a maintenance worker at the airport when he noticed the fake crowd picture, but there was nobody there, later confirmed by the reflection of the mirror like finish on the Vice Presidential Plane. She’s a CHEATER. She had NOBODY waiting, and the “crowd” looked like 10,000 people! Same thing is happening with her fake “crowds” at her speeches. This is the way the Democrats win Elections, by CHEATING - And they’re even worse at the Ballot Box. She should be disqualified because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!"

I know there are many that tout the notion of separation of church and state, not understanding the misinterpreted Jefferson source or founding fathers' actual writings on the matter. The irreligious cling to it though, trying in vain to shelter their worldly environment from any sign of the God that created them and blessed America as an exceptional nation of freedom and prosperity.

The attached article concisely summarizes America's motto and how it's still being displayed publicly despite the current anti-Christian government, media, and cultural environment. I don't expect everyone to like it as I do, but only to recognize reality - that America has a strong Christian heritage. Clearly there's people on both sides of the fence trying to preserve it versus destroy it, but too many people ignorantly deny that it even exists.

This short, excellent article serves as a reality check for those that need it and an enjoyable update for those of us that want God's blessing on America.

Vice President Kamala Harris has pulled even with former President Donald Trump in North Carolina, a state he carried in both 2016 and 2020, according to a new poll released on Sunday.

The YouGov Blue survey, conducted on behalf of Carolina Forward, shows Harris and Trump deadlocked at 46 percent each among likely voters in the Tar Heel State. The poll, which sampled 802 voters online from August 5 to 9 has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

This latest poll result represents a significant shift in a state that has been reliably Republican in recent presidential elections. Trump, the GOP's presidential nominee, won North Carolina by 3.6 percentage points in 2016 against former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and by a narrower 1.3-point margin in 2020 against President Joe Biden. The state's 16 electoral votes, increased from 15 after the 2020 Census, makes it a crucial battleground amid this year's election.

Disclaimer
This is not a complaint, since I understand that this world is under the control of the chief evil - Satan. 1 John 5:19
This OP is making an observation, and an analysis of awareness.



Entertainment
Recently, I saw an intro to a film (I think it's Disney) called "The Love Bug".
After seeing this intro, I was appalled at he thought of watching the film.

I thought to myself... so much money goes into making cars that actually run, in this movie (it's not an animation), and then those cars are wrecked, to be repaired again.
Then, what's useless is scrapped to contribute to pollution, and replaced with new parts, to be banged up, and destroyed.

Reminds me of this kid who takes his toy and bangs it against the wall until it shatters. Then cries till he gets a new one, and repeats that same routine.



Science
NASA Telescope Reveals Largest Batch of Earth-Size, Habitable-Zone Planets Around Single Star
NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed the first known system of seven Earth-size planets around a single star. Three of these planets are firmly located in the habitable zone, the area around the parent star where a rocky planet is most likely to have liquid water.

The discovery sets a new record for greatest number of habitable-zone planets found around a single star outside our solar system. All of these seven planets could have liquid water – key to life as we know it – under the right atmospheric conditions, but the chances are highest with the three in the habitable zone.

“This discovery could be a significant piece in the puzzle of finding habitable environments, places that are conducive to life,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “Answering the question ‘are we alone’ is a top science priority and finding so many planets like these for the first time in the habitable zone is a remarkable step forward toward that goal.”




The planets also are very close to each other. If a person was standing on one of the planet’s surface, they could gaze up and potentially see geological features or clouds of neighboring worlds, which would sometimes appear larger than the moon in Earth’s sky.

The planets may also be tidally locked to their star, which means the same side of the planet is always facing the star, therefore each side is either perpetual day or night. This could mean they have weather patterns totally unlike those on Earth, such as strong winds blowing from the day side to the night side, and extreme temperature changes.
NASA Planet Hunter Finds its 1st Earth-size Habitable-zone World

SETI Institute gets $200 million to seek out evidence of alien life
News
By Conor Feehly published November 13, 2023
New funding will allow the SETI Institute to consolidate and expand its search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

The Allen Telescope Array. (Image credit: Seth Shostak/SETI Institute)

For a number of decades, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) has been combing the stars for signs of a technologically advanced civilization lurking in their midst. And although no such signs have materialized so far, it's worth considering that we have only been looking at a small speck of the cosmos — and for a fleeting amount of time.

Thus, a new philanthropic gift for the SETI Institute, to the tune of 200 million dollars, will ensure the SETI Institute's efforts will continue long into the future, giving astronomers the best chance of answering one of the most intriguing scientific and philosophical questions our species grapples with — are we alone?

The SETI Institute, founded in 1984 [SETI STARTED SMALL. In 1960... With funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF)], is a non-profit, multidisciplinary research and education organization that employs over 100 scientists across 173 separate programs. Research grants form the bulk of SETI's federal funding, yet most projects the Institute carries out are dependent on philanthropic and private funding. SETI has an annual operating budget that usually falls between 25 and 30 million, which means the gift will quite greatly ensure the continued operations of the Institute for years to come.


The pollution caused by rocket launches

Nasa
Apollo 8 Saturn V launch (Credit: Nasa)
Rocket launches are an integral part of our 21st-Century world. But how do we stop their polluting exhausts accelerating climate change?




Photo courtesy of NASA

We Must Restore Nature This Decade​

As the world grapples with the climate crisis, nature is facing a parallel crisis—one that both exacerbates climate change and intensifies with rising global temperatures. Nature, like climate, may be approaching irreversible tipping points where changes push systems into completely new states, even as more than half the global GDP (US$44 trillion) depends on the planet’s natural systems.

That’s the imperative behind the UN Decade of Restoration.

Why a “decade of restoration?” Because, scientists say we have less than a decade to fundamentally transform our relationship with the rest of life on Earth, without which we cannot survive, let alone prosper. This nature-positive transformation will require us to rethink how we protect and manage the resources nature affords us across all sectors—as well as restore damaged ecosystems.

Fixing damaged ecosystems: How much does restoration help?​

Billions of dollars are spent annually on repairing ecosystems damaged by people. A new meta-analysis of 400 studies that document recovery from such large-scale disturbances worldwide suggests that while ecosystems can bounce back, they rarely mend completely, with the final stages of recovery being most difficult. The study also found that more costly active restoration efforts did not consistently result in faster or more complete recovery.

"Our study suggests that, in many cases, once damaging activities are halted, the most economically expedient restoration strategy might be to let ecosystems repair themselves," Northern Illinois University scientist Holly Jones said. She led a team of researchers from five countries on the study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

"Our findings do not diminish the importance of active restoration efforts but instead suggest they can be planned more judiciously to maximize gains per dollar spent," added Jones, who holds a joint appointment with NIU's Department of Biological Sciences and the university's Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability and Energy.

The science of ecological restoration is relatively young but important. Finding the best way to repair disturbed or damaged ecosystems is critical to stemming the biodiversity crisis. Every day, the planet's biodiversity is being lost at up to 1,000 times the natural rate, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.



10 years to restore our planet. 10 actions that count
A decade may sound like a long time. But scientists say that these next 10 years will count most in the fight to avert climate change and the loss of millions of species.


It is evident that man will continue to burn money, even in his best efforts.
The reason, is mentioned in the disclaimer.

Is there a solution? The Bible says there is only one solution, and that does not lie in man's hands.
It does mean the end of this world, in the control of the wicked one, though. 1 John 2:17

Tim Walz has made the claim more than once that "misinformation" and "hate speech" are not protected by the First Amendment, and that laws can be passed limiting such speech--essentially prosecuting people for expression

"There's no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech, and especially around our democracy." -Walz

This shows a shocking ignorance of the First Amendment and federal laws surrounding free expression. There is absolutely NO concept of "misinformation" OR "hate speech" in the Constitution or federal law. SCOTUS has routinely shot down any attempt to curtail political and ideological expression under the guise of "misinformation" or "hate speech"

likewise, in regards to the quote above, we do not live in a Democracy--this is a republic

Walz's knowledge of the Bill of Rights seems on par with his understanding of the economy and stock markets: he has never owned a security or bond, and simply spent all his salary over the years, before selling his house and moving into the governor's mansion. So we could have someone within a heartbeat of the Presidency who thinks the government can jail people for criticizing it, and doesn't understand what a stock is. Terrifying

Hi everyone my name is Patricia, but known as Trish. I hope to connect to others and be a blessing.

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Here is the question: Jesus said He would never leave us, Jesus also said that the Holy Spirit (the helper) would dwell in us and be in us.

When would we ever be out of the Presence of God?