In this world, many people suffer from physical, intellectual, developmental, or mental disabilities, such as OCD, PTSD, bipolar, ADHD, Autism, Down Syndrome, split personality disorder, etc. How should we see them in God's family?

God loves them, John 3:

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

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The Paraclete dwells in them when they are born of the Spirit. This connects them to the body of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ...
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

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That's the spiritual reality in the body of Christ.

We look forward to the day of recreation, Philippians 3:

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21s who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body,

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No more disabilities.

Jesus will reward every one of us, Matthew 20:

15 "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?" 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.

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When we look at the big picture, in the end, God is just.

Take a look at this article and see what you think...
"For decades, plastic producers knowingly misled the public about the feasibility of plastic recycling, according to a recent study by the Center for Climate Integrity. The non-profit’s report details how the plastic industry marketed recycling as a solution to plastic waste for decades, all while dismissing it internally as both technically and economically unviable.

This may be a tough pill to swallow for those who grew up hearing about the virtues of plastic in ad campaigns (see: “plastics make it possible”). However, statistically, most plastic is either landfilled or burned—just about 9 percent is ever recycled, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an intergovernmental group.

Crucially, the Center for Climate Integrity’s report is about plastic recycling—not all recycling. Other materials, such as paper and glass, statistically fare better when you toss them in the recycling bin. More than 68 percent of paper and paperboard was recycled in the U.S., according to 2018 EPA data, while glass has a recycling rate of about 31.3 percent.

Login to view embedded media The American Plastics Council’s 1997 ad, “Plastics Makes It Possible,” features children extolling the virtues of plastics.

he Center for Climate Integrity’s study pins the blame not on consumers, who typically shoulder such criticism, but instead on oil and gas companies and the plastic industry itself. The industry’s actions “effectively protected and expanded plastic markets,” the report states, “while stalling legislative or regulatory action that would meaningfully address plastic waste and pollution.”

In the 1950s, the plastics industry began churning out single-use plastics in a bid to boost profits. This “shift to disposables,” as the report puts it, created a waste problem, and the plastic industry promoted landfilling and incineration in response. By the 1980s and 1990s, however, the industry faced growing backlash from consumers over plastic waste and legislation to limit the sale of single-use plastics. According to the Center for Climate Integrity’s report, the industry invested in extensive campaigns to sidestep such bans, convincing the public that recycling was the solution. As a result, worldwide plastic production rose from 2 million tonnes to 120 million tonnes annually from 1950 and 1990, per a Our World in Data report. And it’s soared ever since, hitting 459 million tonnes per year in 2019. The resulting plastic pollution is now everywhere — from the Mariana Trench and Mount Everest to the air we breathe and the food we eat.

“[Plastic] recycling cannot be considered a permanent solid waste solution, as it merely pro-longs the time until an item is disposed of.”....

I wonder what else they have lied to us about..

This is prayer for especially the most needy Matthew 25:35-40 in the western VA suburb of Washington, DC about 8 to 25 miles away from the city which stretches out to Dulles Airport. On February 22 the Fairfax Connector which is the primary transit provider for the county used by tens of thousands daily, the contractor's 650 bus drivers and mechanics went on strike. Zero replacement bus service since then, even with an option of getting drivers from other cities the nationwide contractor operates in (someone has to foot their hotel expenses), is the sad part in one of the richest counties of the US. County leadership not getting involved in union-management negotiations which the last 12 rounds have failed, and another session with federal mediators scheduled for March 5 (may be hope). If that fails, the five year bus service contract with the contractor expires April 17. As retired, I use the Connector service maybe once or twice a month, but am not totally dependent on it like some others who use it frequently daily or weekly. There is the DC Metrorail, 3-4 lines (Orange, Silver, Blue/Yellow) still operating normally, but that is 5-15 miles away for some. Not everyone can afford Uber or Lyft daily for that distance. Ok, some can work remotely including federal workers if their jobs permit it instead of taking express buses from a suburban park and ride lots. There are people from over 100 countries in this county, some of them struggling financially working two or more jobs. This needs much prayer, but even a baseline critical bus service with replacement hourly service for the 'least of these' as spoken in the Gospel. Unlike county leadership here, Jesus would have handled this much better. Sadly, this strike is much about money, the bus contractor making huge corporate profits and treating its workers poorly; and the county trying to keep upcoming property tax bills down, a $500 increase on an average $750K residential assessment at an increased around $1.13 per $100 rate, which can be hurtful especially for some senior citizens. At the same time, passengers/customers/taxpayers/constituents suffer. This situation in a way, maybe be a little humorous, perhaps IMO comparing county leadership here with Pharaoh's hardened heart in the Old Testament, where the phrase 'let my people go' which in 2024 with people who use buses locally here primarily for getting around allowing them to GO to take care of daily needs including work across the metro area.

If you are in the DMV (DC, MD, and VA) region, you have almost surely heard about the strike from TV or internet news. Know this is a more regional issue that needs prayer. How can social service agencies and churches fill in, I do not fully know, but some transportation is already provided through those. As a good Samaritan, Day 1 of the strike, dropping off a piece of mail walking outside the neighborhood, at a highway bus stop shelter, I posted a sign in the covered shelter about the strike and no bus service. Seen one other car picking up a neighbor without a car walking to the bus stop. Hope more of this is happening at least until the strike is over.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Laken Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student out on her morning run at the University of Georgia when authorities say a stranger dragged her into a secluded area and killed her, sending shockwaves through campus as police searched for a suspect.

The arrest of a Venezuelan man who entered the U.S. illegally and was allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case put the tragedy at the center of the 2024 presidential campaign.

Former President Donald Trump blamed President Joe Biden and his border policies for the Augusta University student’s fatal beating. A conservative news site blasted “open-border elites” for accepting the deaths of women such as Riley as “collateral damage.”

I am going to remain silent on here! This will be my only post. Just here to observe. My name is The Silent One.
Thank you

We who are followers of Jesus Christ are not to be ashamed of the message of the gospel of our salvation, the testimony about our Lord Jesus Christ. And we are not to be ashamed of his true servants and messengers who are speaking the truth of the gospel to the people, either. But please make sure these messengers truly are speaking the truth and not the lies, for the lies are what so many are teaching as the gospel these days, at least here in America. And the lies will appear Scriptural, but they are largely based off Scriptures which are being taught outside their appropriate context.

So, what is this gospel that we are not to be ashamed of and that we are to suffer for? It is first of all that God the Father sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ (God the Son) to the earth to be born as a human baby, to live to manhood, to minister to the needs of the people, to share with them his gospel message, to be hated and rejected by the religious leaders, and ultimately to be put to death on a cross. But in his death, he who knew no sin became sin for us that we, by genuine God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, might become the righteousness of God in our daily practice.

And it is that this faith which is required of us for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God is of God, it is persuaded of God, and it is gifted to us by God, and it is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. Jesus Christ is the author and the perfecter of our faith, and we can’t even come to faith in Jesus Christ unless God the Father first draws us to Christ, i.e. unless he first persuades us as to his holiness and righteousness and of our sinfulness, and of our need to repent of (turn from) our sins to now follow him in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living.

[John 1:1-36; John 3:16-21; Philippians 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 6:44; Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:1-32]

And now we read in Romans 6:1-23 that, by this faith in Jesus Christ, we were crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin, and we were raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For we are to no longer let sin reign in our mortal bodies to obey its desires, for if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with Jesus Christ our Lord.

And Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience in holy living, then we have eternal life. And he said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven. And many will hear, “I never knew you, depart from me you workers of lawlessness.”

[Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; cf. Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 4:17-24; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 3:1-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Now, it is true that we are not saved by our own fleshly works. Not one of us is saved by our own merit, by the good deeds that we do in the flesh. Even the faith to believe in Jesus is not of our own doing but is a gift from God. But by that faith we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 2:10; cf. Titus 2:14).

And our Lord saved us to a holy calling. And we are to be holy in all of our conduct (1 Peter 1:13-16). And to be holy means to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. So we are to be people of integrity who live holy, upright, godly, morally pure, honest, and faithful lives to our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, for to this we have been called. But if, instead, sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord, then we will not inherit eternal life with God (see all Scriptures referenced above).

So, this is the gospel message that we are to be sharing with others and that we are to be living, as followers of Jesus Christ. And when we do both, we are going to have people, even others who profess faith in Jesus Christ, who will turn against us, who will want nothing to do with us, who will shun us, and ignore us, and abandon us, and who will delete us out of their lives. And some of them may come against us and fight us and attack us, too. But we must stay the course and keep on living for the Lord and keep sharing his gospel message so that many others can come to know Jesus, too.

Should I Not Preach Jesus

An Original Work / July 4, 2013
Based off 1 Corinthians 9:16-10:13

Woe to me should I not preach Jesus.
I’m compelled to preach the full gospel.
I make myself a slave to ev’ryone
To win their hearts to Christ.
All this I do for my Lord Jesus,
And for the sake of His Name;
Do it for the sake of His gospel,
So that I, its blessings gain.

Scripture notates the sins of others;
Written down for us as examples
To keep us from setting our hearts
On evil as did those of old.
Do not worship other gods of man;
Do not give your hearts to them;
Not partake in immorality.
Do not test your Lord and King.

So, be careful if you think you are
Standing firm in your faith in Jesus.
God has given his word to warn us,
So through faith we will not fall.
No temptation has o’ertaken you
Except what is commonplace.
God is faithful to not let you be
Tempted past what you can bear.
He gives the way of escape.

Login to view embedded media

Hi,

Is it ok to do good, help others, because u feel God wants you to, but you do not really want to, you rather do something else like learn a new skill, make some more money, I mean there is always lots of other stuff to do for urself.
Will the other not get offended if you are only helping them because of God but not that u really want to ? Rather not help or help ?

Br,

Hi all, back after awhile, and an idea I thought I'd have would be to do notes for everyone at a Bible study I attend every Wednesday at a Baptist Chapel.

Bible study this evening was great and with a twist- a visiting pastor came and he was from my wife's Country- Zambia! Was a great laugh when he detected my wife was a fellow Zambian and they had a exchange in Bemba!

The visiting pastor took us to the book of Acts and the events there to show how God uses broken people to his glory- Peter, the man who denied Christ had now converted 3000 people!

He ended with an amazing story- he was struggling to find a space to drop off his son to school and a kind man happened to let him use his own drive!

After dropping his son off, he came to thank the man and the man asked what he did and the Pastor said- he was a pastor, the man said his daughter was a Christian and she'd love to meet him!

It turned out the Daughter had been praying about her dad, that he might come to Christ.

The months went by and then the Daughter called the pastor up- her dad was ill on his deathbed and wanted to see the pastor, the Pastor wanted to wait until the weekend but his wife insisted he go RIGHT THEN.

As he approached the man, the Pastor sat next to him and prayed next to him, the man became saved! Had he ignored his wife, the Pastor would have been too late as 20 minutes later the man breathed his last and slipped into eternity!

I look forward to more Bible studies every Wednesday and it was great catching up and having fellowship with Christian family!

Why is it that I always feel like it's me? It has to be me because three of my family members don't take responsibility for the way they talk to me disrespect me or just reject me. I speak up and then all fingers are pointed at me. I must be the bad guy.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is telling the nation that people in his state shouldn’t rely on the state-run insurer of last resort, raising new questions about Citizens Property Insurance ahead of what is expected to be an active hurricane season.

“It is not solvent and we can’t have millions of people on that because if a storm hits, it’s going to cause problems for the state,” the second-term Republican Governor said on CNBC’s “Last Call.”

DeSantis has warned about Citizens’ bloat in the past. He noted in 2022 that Citizens was “unfortunately undercapitalized” and that the company could go “belly up” if it actually had to weather a major storm.

[Florida Senator Rick Scott] called the state’s insurance marketplace a “disaster” earlier this year, saying the departure of Farmers Insurance was a “wake-up call” to the state.

During an interview with WFME in Orlando, Marco Rubio said his homeowners insurance rates had “seen probably a 300% increase in the last two years.”

If you're a religious christian (repentance, confession, and a constant focus on sin is the foundation of your faith) where your faith is all about doing this or that and not doing this or that, then this may be difficult for you to read. On the other hand, if your christian faith is all about relationship, loving God and loving your neighbour, then this should be a pleasant read.

So, why is there such a difference from christian to christian in our understanding of the Gospel? There are many reasons we could draw from, but I think the most logical reason lays in our understanding of the fall. If you have a clear and solid understanding of the fall, then you have a clear and solid understanding of the Gospel. There is so much that is revealed to us about the fall that most of us miss. Most importantly around the death that Adam and Eve experienced in the fall. If you correctly understand this then you will correctly understand the role forgiveness plays and, as I said, have a better understanding of the gospel.

I am sure most of us have been taught that there was no death before the fall. That the fall is the point where sin entered the world and as a result, death. This death that entered the world is most often understood to be spiritual death which would have taken place instantly. And then physical death, which would start to take place from that point on. It is in this understanding that most the confusion arises.

Lets first start with the understanding that there was no sin before the fall. I believe this to be an incorrect understanding. Yes! I am aware of what Paul says in Rom 5:12. But bear with me, because you will see there is a problem with that popular interpretation of what Paul is saying.
If I tell you a lie, or try and deceive you, have I not sinned? Of course I have. Did not the serpent deceive Eve (Gen 3:13, 1 Tim 2:14)? Then we have to acknowledge that yes, there was sin before the fall. Now, if physical death is the result of sin, why did it not come about until Adam's sin? Either Paul missed this, or Paul wasn't referring to physical death. And, if Paul isn't referring to physical death, is it also possible that he wasn't meaning that this was when sin first entered the literal world? Isn't it more likely that Paul was speaking in the context of man's relationship with God? It makes far more sense that both sin and physical death were present in the world, but not present in man's relationship with God.
Say you're in a new relationship. Although there is hate in the world, there is no hate within your relationship. However, given the right lie or deception, that hate could then find it's way in resulting in the end of your relationship.

There is still more to present on physical death. To begin with, physical death is never spoken of as being an evil in scripture. A possible result of evil yes, but not evil in and of itself. "But death is an enemy!" Yes, but so where we. Being an enemy doesn't make us evil, separated yes, but not evil. Remember, we were created in the image and likeness of God. Now, if death is not an evil, then logically, it has to be good. And, if death is good, then it had to exist as part of creation. I am referring only to physical death, not spiritual death.
Let's, for sake of argument, say death is an evil. Hebrews tells us that there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood, Heb 9:22. In other words, something has to die in order for us to receive forgiveness. If death is an evil, then are we not simply exchanging one evil for another? "You sinned, therefore we must commit another sinful act so you can be forgiven!"
When God told Adam he would die when he ate from the tree, it's clear that Adam must have understood what death was.
In Gen 3:19, after God curses the ground, he tells Adam that he will return to the ground from which he came, not as part of the curse, but as a reminder. How did I come to this conclusion? Gen 3:22. If physical death is the result of sin, then it would be impossible for the tree of life to give eternal life. You cannot give eternal life to a sinful being when sin eventually leads to death. This would be a contradiction. Physical death had to have always been a part of God's creation. Why else would there be the tree of life to give eternal physical life?

"No, I disagree. The two trees represented choice! Adam could choose a life independent of God by eating from the tree of knowledge which leads to death, or an eternal life fully dependent on God represented by the tree of life."
If the trees represented a choice given by God, then why did he hand out such sever consequences when they made their choice? In fact, why put the two trees there to begin with? Without the tree of knowledge there would be no possibility of man sinning, and therefore, no death making the tree of life unnecessary.
"Then it was to test Adam to see if he would remain loyal to God!"
That would be circular reasoning. Besides the tree of knowledge and the prohibition attached to it, there was nothing in all of creation that would lead man to stray from God. By placing the tree in the garden and adding the prohibition, God created the only thing that could lead man astray. He created the very problem for which he was testing man.

Recognizing that physical death was a part of God's creation helps us to better understand the fall. Since it is a part of creation, it cannot be what God was referring to when he told Adam he would die in the day he ate from the tree of knowledge. Considering Adam lived to be 930yrs, God had to be speaking of spiritual death. Another very important fact we need to understand here is that spiritual death is not the result of sin, but the punishment for sin. Sin does not result in spiritual death like a terminal cancer results in death. Spiritual death is the punishment handed out by God for sin. God's very nature cannot let sin go unpunished. Furthermore, without divine intervention, death is a final and permanent state. A very obvious but overlooked fact. You see, when Adam sinned, God removed his presence from within Adam leading to spiritual death. That was the punishment. The overlooked fact is that any sin committed by either Adam or Eve from that point on would have been of no consequence. The consequence has already taken place, that being spiritual death. I am speaking here only within the context of man's relationship with God, not man's relationship with his neighbour.

Since we all come into this world in the image and likeness of Adam, spiritually dead (we were all in Adam when Adam sinned Rom 5:12) it cannot be our sin that separates us from God. Please read that again! Eph 2:1,5 We are separated from God because we are spiritually dead! Not even God, who is spirit, can have a relationship with a spiritually dead man.

In order for God to establish the possibility of a relationship, we must first be cleansed of all our sin. This relationship is going to require spiritual life. But the problem is, God cannot give us spiritual life when we will just lose it the moment we sin. And, to make matters even worse (somehow we have all missed this), we cannot even approach God for salvation until we are first cleansed. We see this throughout the old testament. Priests had specific guidelines for purification and rituals before entering the tabernacle or temple to perform their duties. Ordinary people were also expected to adhere to certain purification rites before approaching God in worship or seeking his guidance.

What I am saying is, "Before we can be saved, we must first be forgiven our sins." You read that correctly. They are not the same thing! Our salvation is not found in getting our sins forgiven, because the forgiveness of sins is a separate issue.

In Matt 12:31, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world tells us that all sin will be forgiven. All but the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is simply unbelief, John 16:8-9. What Jesus is saying here is that all sin, at the moment of his death, will be forgiven all men. All but their unbelief. That is the only way this verse can be correctly understood. If, forgiveness is only received at the moment we ask for it, the moment we ask to be saved, then either we are all unsaved, or Jesus lied. How so? Well, since we all come into the world unbelievers by default, and our unbelief will not be forgiven according to Jesus, none of us are saved. Or, our unbelief is forgiven at the moment we ask for forgiveness, and Jesus lied. Of course, neither is correct. When Jesus said all sin will be forgiven, he meant exactly that. Everyone who has come into the world from the cross forward, has come into the world already forgiven of their sins. Their unbelief, however, must be repented of. And until that unbelief is repented of, although they are forgiven, they remain spiritually dead and separated from God. In 1 Cor 15:17, Paul tells us, knowing full well that Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins, that if he has not been raised from the dead, our faith is futile and we are still unsaved.

The good news! When Jesus took the punishment for all sin, which means there is no more punishment to be handed out by God, this cleansed every single one of us. Everyone has been made clean in the sight of God, setting us free from the punishment of sin. Anyone can now freely approach God for salvation, wherever they are at and regardless of what they have done. No repentance of sin required since that would be a redundant act. This salvation, being new spiritual life and a relationship with God, is found in Jesus' resurrection. Jesus' death dealt with our sins over 2000yrs ago. His resurrection, however, gives us life today should we believe. Because there is no more punishment to be handed out, there is no more possibility of spiritual death. We can now have eternal life with no fear of losing it.

"Woah! You can still choose to walk away from God and lose your salvation." Really!? Explain to me how this is possible? If spiritual death is the punishment for sin, and there is no more punishment to be handed out, do you just wilfully spiritually die? Also, why would anyone choose to walk away from God other than say something terrible happens in their life for which they blame God? The emotions experienced from the suffering they are going through would obviously blind them to truth. Do you think God, knowing what they are going through, and when they need him the most, would simply let them walk away? Especially, if it wasn't for said circumstance, God would still be their first love? Would you let your child, who is blind by the hurt they are going through, destroy themselves? Or, maybe said person was deceived and led astray. Is God so small and unloving to just let them walk away? Does love not protect? Is love not faithful, Rom 8:38-39

"No no no, this is all wrong! We must do our part! We must first repent of our sins, then we will be forgiven and saved!" If repenting of your sins gives you a sense of importance and pride disguised as humility, and makes you feel like you're playing an important role in your salvation, then all the power to ya. You can choose to remain under the bondage of sin, from which Christ's death set you free, or you can choose to live by his grace. "Yeah, well that will just give people a licence to sin, wont it!?" Everyone but you, correct? Because somehow you know better than the rest of us? Give me a break! Your sin was hammered into Jesus' flesh. Your unwillingness to accept that Jesus did everything, and your only work is to believe, John 6:28-29, is a mockery of the cross and puts Jesus to shame. It's your hypocrisy that turns unbelievers off.

"Ha! Jesus said the world would hate me because of him!" Jesus told those that were with him the world would hate them, not you. Much of the world today doesn't even know who Jesus is. So, if they hate you, it's because of you.

You want to know what the true deception was that the serpent pulled over the eyes of man, and still to this day? That it's all about you! People today figure that unless they're somehow playing a role in their salvation, then they're not good enough. The result, religious attitudes. Love goes out the window... all but self love that is. The only goal of "religion" is the role you can play in your salvation. Christianity is not about you! This is contrary to what Jesus taught, Matt 22:37-40. Nowhere are you the focus. Religion divides, relationship brings people together. 1 John 4:19, God is always the initiator, we are the respondents. We do not move God according to our faith, God moves us according to our faith.

"But, there is so much in the bible about not sinning and how bad it is." Yes, there is. Much of it, however, was for the chosen people of God, the Israelite. The law was never given to us. It was given to them, but we've come along picking up the crumbs trying to make a name for ourselves. Also, we are still a part of this world in that our actions effect those around us. We don't attract people to God by what we say, we attract people to God by what we do. Our actions will always speak louder than our words. Love thy neighbour is not an emotion, it's an action. Treat your neighbour how you want to be treated is to love your neighbour. It's that simple. Don't focus on what you shouldn't be doing, focus on what you should be doing. If you're doing what you should be doing, you wont be doing what you shouldn't be doing. What is it you should be doing? Loving God and loving your neighbour.

Christianity is, and always will be, a relationship.

The bridge has been closed since Sunday after there was an "unexpected movement" in the bridge that crosses the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin.

Work is now beginning to stabilize the 93-year-old piers so the bridge can re-open. The Iowa DOT said the work could take up to two months.

Until the bridge is repaired or other crossing options put into place, drivers have to go to either La Crosse or Prairie du Chien to cross the river.

[Those two cities are ~60 miles apart along the Iowa/Wisconsin border.]

Among the ads at this year’s Super Bowl was one from the organization He Gets Us (HGU), the latest in a series of TV and social media videos that have appeared over the past few years. The 2024 Super Bowl ad features a series of still photographs of a wide variety of people washing the feet of others. No narrative or captions accompany the photos. Rather, at the end of the video, banner-style messages state, “JESUS DIDN’T TEACH HATE,” “HE WASHED FEET,” “He gets us. All of us.”

Of course, it is certainly true that Jesus gets us. It’s not at all clear, however, that He Gets Us gets Jesus. Indeed, it seems that the ads reduce the concrete particularity of Jesus Christ to a vague admonition to be nice and not to judge. Being nice and not judging others are good ideas. But you don’t need Jesus to know that. And knowing Jesus is much, much more. More to the point, being nice and not judging are not means of salvation.

Staged in various contexts, the Super Bowl ad features unlikely photos of people washing the feet of others who are portrayed as having disparate interests and perspectives. For example, an oil field worker washes the feet of an environmental activist against the backdrop of land riddled with oil drilling equipment; a rancher washes the feet of a native American; a woman washes the feet of another woman in front of a “Family Planning Clinic,” while anti-abortion protestors mill about indifferently in the background; an apparently non-Muslim woman washes the feet of an apparently Muslim woman, while the non-Muslim woman’s husband looks on suspiciously; an apparently Catholic priest washes the feet of a man in a caricature of an effeminate pose. And so forth.

What about salvation?​

Continued below.

A judge in Cook County, Illinois, on Wednesday ruled that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, also known as the "insurrection clause," bars former President Donald Trump from the 2024 Republican primary ballot.

The order overrules a January determination from the Illinois State Board of Elections that Trump could remain eligible.

Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter placed an immediate stay on her decision until March 1 "in anticipation of an appeal to the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, or the Illinois Supreme Court."

A Trump spokesman responded in a statement, calling Porter's ruling "unconstitutional" and adding, "We will quickly appeal."

Free Speech for People, a watchdog group helping to represent the group of voters who brought the 14th Amendment challenge in Illinois, billed the decision as a "historic victory."

Porter's ruling is the latest in a string of conflicting decisions around the country about Trump's eligibility under the 14th Amendment. The dispute is expected to be settled by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dumb question but what exactly does having a rosary blessed do? Make it more powerful or what?

In a surprise move, the Supreme Court agrees to hear Trump's appeal for immunity, but calendars it so late that it is now almost certain that the January 6th case (the most important one) will not be held before the election. Surely, our country is going well.

Court watchers widely believed that SCOTUS would not take up the case, since Trump's entire argument is absurd: a president cannot be tried for a crime except by congress.

The Alchemist Restaurant, Copenhagen, Owner Rasmus Munk.

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24RS HB 500

Bill Summary
24RS HB 500

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 337 to provide for certain employment activities to be exempt from minimum wage and overtime wage requirements; specify activities and instances that do not require an employer to pay minimum wage or overtime wage; provide for employer requirements regarding lunch periods; amend KRS 337.010 to change the definitions of "employee" and "agriculture"; amend KRS 337.385 to specify instances of employer liability for employee causes of action regarding unpaid wages; specify statute of limitations for employee causes of action for unpaid wages; bar punitive damages; amend KRS 337.990 to remove penalties for repealed statutes; repeal KRS 337.050, 337.355, and 337.365; amend KRS 95A.250, 337.020, 337.420, 337.423, 337.425, 337.427, 337.430, and 337.433 to conform.

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I'll be the FIRST to say my track record on putting up legislation is laughably bad so if folks choose to ignore it, I'd understand.

But all of this seems like it is going to have a huge benefit for those with capital and a huge problem for those trying to earn capital with low skills.

Am I messing this one up again?

It seems like this kind of legislation would/could be aimed at attracting more business into Kentucky..... is that fair to say?

A thread where @J_B_ and @loveofourlord can discuss evolution and others can observe.

I'm OK with brief comments from the peanut gallery, but don't expect a reply from me and please give us some room, at least for awhile, to have a talk before the thread is derailed by extensive side conversations about how everyone is an idiot.

Hello everyone, last night, I decided to look around and see if I could find a Christian forum that I would like to join. I dropped in here, and I am seeing several people who are giving great answers to very difficult questions. This is the sort of place I would love to be able to contribute in.

A little about me. First, my user name; I tried to use just Meg, and that was taken. I am absolutely horrible about coming up with good internet handles, so I just went with Meg Christian, which is also my user name on Facebook. My FB user name came up because I have a niece who, at the time had the same first and last name as I do, and I didn't want anyone mistaking us for each other (we have both married since then).

OK so now that that's out here, a little about myself. I have been a Christian for 20 years now(!) I was in my early 40's when I repented into Jesus Christ, so I had a lot to learn over the years, and indeed, I learned a lot! I feel it is of greatest importance to give kind and grounded answers to people's questions, because the man who first successfully witnessed to me did exactly that and it made all the difference in the world for me. I am non denominational, and conservative. I've been studying the Bible since 2003, and I have also studied the early Church Fathers and the origin of the Bible, especially the New Testament.

So I hope to meet dedicated Christians who love and respect Jesus Christ, and to join with others to help people find peace with Him and peace with themselves. God bless all of you, Meg

The senator had been under increasing pressure from the restive, and at times hostile wing of his party that has aligned firmly with Trump. The two have been estranged since December 2020, when McConnell refused to abide Trump’s lie that the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president was the product of fraud.

His refusal to work on the Republican House passed H.R. 2 for border security, and even worse coming up with a bill to promote a continued border invasion, sealed his fate.

How long before regulators find something wrong with the deal?

Someone I follow online recommended sitting down with the Lord and writing to have deep talk with him. I have a blog, but I was actually hoping for something even more private, but also a space where fellow believers could have a place to give feedback.

I have been dealing with being depressed. I've been desiring the Lord to remove it from me. I've fasted a lot this past year+ to achieve more wisdom and knowledge and nearness to God. To have it incorporated in my life to walk in the truth, as He tells us to fast.

Fasting has lead me to be nearer to Him and to sense more sincere love for Him and His people.. But as I draw nearer to people, I learn that they want nothing to do with me. I must be a walking contradiction. I guess I don't really know where I'm at in my walk except "towards him"
He says, take up your cross and follow me. So, here I've been. I haven't been reading the Word as much lately. I believe in order to follow Him, we need to be walking in Spirit and in Truth. The Truth meaning, the Word, the Spirit meaning listening to the sensitive and quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. This isn't something easily achievable unless you're cut to the heart (in my experience and hearing of others testimonies). Grief (loss) of loved ones, loss of what gives you stability. Loss of our assurances, which could be where we live, where we work, who we hang around with, the things we find identity in. For me this was everything. And it really feels like I've given up everything.

But I keep finding more to lay aside. And for the longest time it is my appetite for food, which I have not had control over and it has lead to weight gain, then loss, then gain (all my life), specifically binge eating is my crux. No I didn't just look up names for disorders and write them here, this has been a severe struggle of mine since I was 13 or younger. I've had such difficulty with this. The Lord revealed some wisdom to me on this about it stemming from childhood.

I have an aversion to people (building relationships) and was at one point diagnosed with AVPD - Avoidant Personality Disorder I like to scroll on Facebook or play a game on my phone. I like to listen to sermons and audiobooks from pastors and leaders, but I don't often pick up the bible to glean for myself. I've been often to encumbered by the woe's of life to be fully surrendered, which makes me think of the Sowers parable and the seeds that sprout and grow but remain unfruitful due to the thorns (cares of this life and deceitfulness of riches). I'm in a lot of debt and worry about things constantly. I just hate all of this. I want out...

Fruits of the spirit instead of what I've been struggling with:
Self-control for eating, forbearance/kindness for AVPD, joy and peace for depression.

I don't know how to begin to trade these things to God for the fruits of the spirit, but I desire to.
Maybe I need prayer. I'm working on a long fast. I don't know that there is or ever will be the perfect time to fast (except when the Lord calls us into it). I sensed Him call me into a fast like this several times but I gave into what I wanted several times, leaving me with the knowledge that I have not yet laid down my SELF as Lord. I had not killed 'Self' which is something He delivered me of the last time I fasted.

I hope some of this makes sense and perhaps I can return and expound on this sometime in the future. Thank you for prayers.. <3

Check out the sermons at the bottom.
In Chinese, we continue through proverbs.
In English, we continue our study in Pilgrims progress.

1 JOHN 4
约翰一书4章
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

不是我们爱　神，乃是　神爱我们，差他的儿子为我们的罪作了挽回祭，这就是爱了。


THE EVIDENCE OF GOD'S LOVE


John is the apostle of love; he is the one who was closest to Jesus. He was the one who leaned on Jesus at the last supper. He was one of the three on the Mt of Transfiguration and he was the only one standing at the cross, so he above anyone else can give us the unique perspective on God's love.
约翰是爱的使徒;他是最接近耶稣的人。他是在最后的晚餐上靠在耶稣身上的人。他是在变形山上的三个人之一，他是唯一一个站在十字架前的人，所以他比任何人都能给我们一个独特的视角来看待上帝的爱。
The love that God gave and has given us is completely unearned and undeserved. In fact, we deserve Hell, judgement and punishment. I know that I do.

上帝给予我们的爱 完全是无条件的，也是我们不配得的。事实上，我们活该下地狱，接受审判和惩罚。我知道自己罪孽深重！


Now God could have kept that love to Himself. He could have said, “Well, I really do love humanity and indeed I feel sorry for them, but they got themselves into this mess. Let them get themselves out of it”.

现在神本来可以把这份爱留给自己。他（完全）可以说，“好吧，我真的爱人类，我确实为他们感到难过，但他们自己陷入了这个困境。让他们自己摆脱吧。”


Now there is a long word at the end of the verse, what does this word mean? In the Greek it means Hilasmos. It means a sacrifice that turns away God's wrath and turns it into favour.

在这一节的最后有一个很长的词，这个词是什么意思?在希腊语中是Hilasmos的意思。这是指一种献祭，使神的忿怒消散，转为恩典。

The problem man had was impossible for him to conquer on his own. Someone had to come down and deal with Sin. What Jesus did was to take God's full righteous anger and justice to declare us righteous and justified. I, for one, can't get my head fully round what God did in reconciling us to himself.

人所面临的问题 靠自己是不可能解决的。人子 不得不降生下来 解决罪的问题。耶稣所做的，是用神完全公义的怒气和公义，宣告我们为义，称义。就我而言，为了使我们与他和解，神所所做的一切，我真的不能测透。

God's love was in evidence in Him dealing with sin. Jesus came to be the propitiation for our sins; He came and died to turn our judgement into righteousness our condemnation into justification and our bondage into freedom.

神的爱 在他解决罪的时候显现出来。耶稣来为我们的罪作了挽回祭;他来了，死了，要叫我们的审判变为公义，叫我们的定罪变为称义，叫我们的捆绑变为自由。

We now have God's favor because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Let us never lose sight of the glory of the cross.

我们现在因耶稣的牺牲而蒙了神的恩典。让我们永远不要忘记十字架的荣耀。

Archibald Brown penned these amazing words.

阿奇博尔德·布朗写下了这些让人惊叹的语句。


Before God could forgive a sinner in accordance with His infinite holiness and perfect justice — think what had to be done, sacrificed, and suffered! Measure God's pardon, by the obstacles His pardoning love overcame— and then you can form some idea of its intensity.

在神按照他无限的圣洁和完全的公义赦免一个罪人之前，想想他必须做什么，牺牲什么，忍受什么!衡量上帝的赦免，用他的赦免之爱克服了多少障碍来衡量——然后你就可以大致了解这一切的强度了。

God has fathomed His love and pity in one text, "God SO loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son." That little word "so" contains more than Heaven or Earth can describe. In it, is the heart of God; in it, is the depth of pardoning love. Oh think for a minute what that pardon cost, which now makes your soul sing for joy. You received it freely enough, because Another paid the price; but what was that price?

神在一段经文中表达了他的爱和怜悯:“神（如此）爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们。”这个小小的“如此”一词所包含的内容，是天地所不能描述的。里面，是上帝的心;其中，是宽恕之爱的深度。哦，请想一想，那次赦免的代价有多大，现在它使你的灵魂欢唱。你足够自由地得到这恩典，因为另一个人付出了代价;但代价是什么呢?




God's love is most in evidence at the cross, but let us realize what it cost His Son to put us right with God.

上帝的爱在十字架上最明显，但让我们认识到他儿子让我们与上帝和好所付出的代价。

The cross.. the cross.. is such a place
A place of beauty
A place of pain
A place where sin was destroyed
Where The saviour bled and died
For me.. for me

十字架上. .十字架上. .一个美丽的地方，

一个痛苦的地方，

一个罪恶被清除的地方，

在那里，救世主为我流血而死。



God bless you

上帝祝福你




SOAK IN SCRIPTURE

CHINESE

PROVERBS BY OUR PASTOR

09-父母的道路 The Pathway for Parents

Our Pastor | 箴言 Proverbs

Proverbs 4:1-9










sermonaudio.com/sermon/32521828375096

10-两条路 Two Roads

Our Pastor | 箴言 Proverbs

Proverbs 4:10-19

sermonaudio.com/sermon/4121249474510

11--你要保守你的心 Guard Your Heart

Our Pastor | 箴言 Proverbs

Proverbs 4:20-27

sermonaudio.com/sermon/51321244505806










12--不要陷入性罪 Don't Fall Into Sexual Sin

Our Pastor | 箴言 Proverbs

Proverbs 5:1-23

sermonaudio.com/sermon/51821611265724

ENGLISH

PILGRIMS PROGRESS

21. The Flatterer and the Atheist: A Roadmap to Pilgrim's...

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sermonaudio.com/sermon/71420188573611

22. Hopeful's Testimony: A Roadmap to Pilgrim's Progress

Mike Riccardi | Pilgrim's Progress

The GraceLife Pulpit

sermonaudio.com/sermon/714201811131328

23. Ignorance's False Hope: A Roadmap to Pilgrim's Progress

Mike Riccardi | Pilgrim's Progress

The GraceLife Pulpit

sermonaudio.com/sermon/721201858122647

24. The Cause and Manner of Apostasy: A Roadmap to Pilgrim's...

Mike Riccardi | Pilgrim's Progress

The GraceLife Pulpit

sermonaudio.com/sermon/721201859374006

If you know the person lived against God and a non-christian religious belief and someone asks you is this person going to heaven or hell how to respond ?