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.

Click to expand...

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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The GraceLife Pulpit

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

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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

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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 ?

"The 18-year-old son of Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., was arrested on Tuesday and faces 22 charges after a series of alleged vehicle and property thefts around Garfield County, Colorado, authorities said.

Tyler Boebert is charged with four counts of criminal possession of a financial device, three counts of first-degree criminal auto trespass with intent to commit a crime, four counts of criminal possession of ID documents, one count of conspiracy to commit a felony, four counts of ID theft possession with intent to use, three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and three counts of theft less than $300, according to the Rifle Police Department."

Yet just yesterday, Boebert was Xing about other 'crime' families....

I've wondered about this myself, since I moved away from a "fire and brimstone" approach to hell.

Does God continue to love them or look at them with a holy vengeance?

Blessings

If you believe anti-Christian attacks have skyrocketed over the last decade, you’re right. Attacks on churches have increased 800% in less than six years — and more than doubled over the last year, according to a new report released today by Family Research Council. Documented acts of anti-church hostility include attempted bombings, shootings, satanic vandalism, and numerous attacks based on anti-Christian bias due to support for abortion or extreme transgender ideology. Some constituted unpunished election interference.

The report identified 915 acts of hostility against churches between January 2018 and November 2023, including:

• 709 acts of vandalism
• 135 completed or attempted arsons
• 32 bomb threats
• 22 gun-related incidents
• 61 other incidents, including assault, threats, and interruption of worship services.

These acts of “religious intimidation” send the message “that churches are not wanted in the community or respected in general,” Arielle Del Turco, who authored the report, told The Washington Stand. “Regardless of the motivations of these crimes, everyone should treat churches and all houses of worship with respect and affirm the importance of religious freedom for all Americans.”

The report shows that church attacks, and acts of violence, continued to explode in 2023. During the first 11 months of last year, researchers verified at least 436 acts of hostility against U.S. churches — more than double the number of attacks in all of 2022, including:

• 315 acts of vandalism
• 75 completed or attempted arsons
• 20 bomb threats
• 10 gun-related incidents
• 12 instances of satanic graffiti
• 59 churches faced repeated acts of hostility

These statistics likely understate the extent of the problem, because “[m]any acts of hostility against churches are likely not reported to authorities and/or are not featured in the news or other online sources from which we collected data,” says the report. “[T]he number of acts of hostility is undoubtedly much higher.”

Acts of anti-church hostility blanketed the country in 2023, taking place in 48 states and Washington, D.C. California experienced the largest number of incidents, with 91. Texas churches endured 62 incidents; New York had 58; and Florida had 47.

“The rise in hostility we identified in our December 2022 report has neither slowed nor plateaued; rather, it has accelerated,” says the new report. “The rise in crimes against churches is taking place in a context in which American culture appears increasingly hostile to Christianity. Criminal acts of vandalism and destruction of church property may be symptomatic of a collapse in societal reverence and respect.”

The raw numbers paint a grim picture of escalating anti-Christian action boiling over into bigoted action. The report totals:

• 50 acts of hostility against churches in 2018
• 83 in 2019
• 55 in 2020
• 96 in 2021
• 195 in 2022
• 436 in 2023

Release International workers were visiting Eritrea to meet with the persecuted Church, they were incredibly nervous as they heard from the Church that the police were harassing the Church about who these workers were.

On their visit, one of the Eritrean sisters in Christ described her 40 days in prison as a "good time" and that it went very quickly. Was she insane? No, she had such intimacy with Christ and she worshipped constantly with other believers in jail! Oh, that we may have faith like hers.

The Release International workers were still nervous as they knew their visit was known about by the authorities and they knew what Eritrean jails were like.

The time came, after saying goodbye to the brothers and sisters in Eritrea, they made their way to the airport, the passport check came up and the workers hearts were thudding.

Alas, they were ok but the nerves didn't stop until the plane officially took off, the workers thinking of the Brothers and sisters' hardship while looking at the aerial views below, the aerial views containing the Church and believers, they had seen and fellowshipped with.

When they arrived home to see their families, they had learnt that the hosts had been arrested (not because of hosting the workers but because of evangelising).

May we always think of the persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, as they are outlr literal family.

Source:

"When faith is forbidden" by Release International

John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

John 12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

John 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

John 19:19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

John 19:21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.


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So there you have it. Jesus was born into this world to be a king, words of Jesus Himself, John 18:37. Pilate writing the title on the cross about Jesus - King of the Jews, John 19:19. The Jews rejecting Jesus as their king, John 19:21.


The Antichrist will be the another, John 5:43, who will be anointed the King of Israel, the king of the Jews, as the Jews will think he is their long awaited messiah.

My buddy Darren and I were at the Medina Ice Festival passing out Gospel Tracts when he went to hand them to me and.... Some flew out of his hand! Here's a tip on what to do when that happens...

Times are challenging and we all need a place to vent or rejoice or just share the mundane.

How did your day go?

Now first, the chapter begins that this is the burden of Babylon, so the first thing people would think is this is about when the Persian Empire took over the Babylonians
However
Isaiah 13 contains several references to the Day of the Lord, including signs that Jesus gave during the Olivet Discourse, and shown in Revelation 6 at the 6th seal:

6 Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

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The Darkening of the Sun and Moon is the most common sign associated with the Day of the Lord, Joel 2 speaks of it, it's mentioned in the Olivet Discourse, and in Revelation 6, along with an Earthquake and other signs in the sky like the heavens being shaken/rolled up like a scroll.

Matthew 24:

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

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Revelation 6:

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

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In these two locations, it cannot be referring to when the Medes and Persians destroyed Babylon, Jesus was presenting it as a yet future event from His time on Earth, and Revelation presented it as yet future past Jesus' resurrection, so it was not referring to the Day Jesus was crucified, even though those signs happened on a local scale when Jesus was crucified.

However, despite all this Day of the Lord language....

Isaiah 13:

17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
18 Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.
21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.
22 And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

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and while currently Babylon is ruins, it was inhabited for a long time after the Persians took it over, Alexander took it over too, so did the Romans briefly, and then it was still a regional seat of power under future Persian empires until the Muslims took it over, it fell into decay, and was ultimately abandoned around 1000AD.
I have a lot of trouble accepting that this passage in Isaiah 13 was about the conquest of Babylon BC despite the text mentioning the Medes because of over 1000 years of it being inhabited and being an important city.

So how is this reconciled? It talks about the Day of the Lord, which I believe is future, and has to deal with the return of Jesus, which has not happened yet.
But it's talking about Babylonians, Chaldeans, and Medes, which would point in the past, and yet.. mentions that this event leaves it in uninhabitable ruins which doesn't line up with history either.

Isaiah 14 further goes into how the King of Babylon is equated with Lucifer, and also refers to him as the Assyrian, an empire that if using a historicist or preterist interpretation of this, the Assyrians had been destroyed before the Neo Babylonian Empire, it was what led to the Neo Babylonian Empire becoming a power; the Medes and Babylonians conquering Assyria.

The one thing I can think is that both titles, the Assyrian, and the King of Babylon, refer to the yet future Antichrist, as Micah 5 refers to the one destroyed by the Messiah as the Assyrian. It would of course explain the equation with Lucifer.

It can also be referring to Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18, rather than Historic Babylon, Babylon there has ships sailing to it, and Historic Babylon was inland.

However.. the Medes part still throws me for a loop.
It doesn't fit history, because of continued inhabitation, and, I don't really see elsewhere in scripture where there's a possible connection to future Medes. Future Persians yes, Ezekiel 38 and 39.
But not specifically the Medes.

I don't see a reconciliation in either a historical interpretation or a futurist interpretation, and I don't accept that the destruction spoken of was just.. the historic Medo-Persian conquest and remaining inhabited and important for 1000 years, and only 500 years after that being abandoned to ruins, as fulfillment.
That's not good enough for an Omniscient God who declares the end from the beginning.

I was listening to a sermon and within it, the pastor said that we do not need to be sorry when repenting. In Acts 3:19 it says, "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;" So no mention of being sorry. All we need to do is believe and turn from our sins.
I know that there are verses that say how "Godly sorrow brings about repentance", and "God desires a broken and contrite heart", but the way these verses are worded, contrition is not compulsory.

I believe we need Godly sorrow. This is like falling on the mercy of the Judge.
For instance, you had robbed a bank and then after 10 years they finally caught you and you were now before the Judge. You say to the judge without any sorrow, "Judge be lenient with me. I know I robbed the bank, but I have not done it since." The Judge is not going to be lenient. There was no sign of contrition. You were not sorry for what you had done. You are going to get the book thrown at you.
But let's say you had robbed a bank and then after 10 years they finally caught you and you were now before the Judge. You say to the judge with tears in your eyes, "I am really sorry. I know what I did was really wrong, and I wished I had never done it. It was a foolish thing to do. I am so sorry." So, you fall on the mercy of the Judge. The judge seeing your contrition will be more inclined to the possibility of a lesser sentence.

What are other people's thoughts on this? Do we need contrition? Is it a false teaching to tell others they simply need to leave their sins without any contrition?