Victor Hugo wrote Les Misérables, it is a book about justice become cruel, a society grown harsh, prisons about punishment and suffering, and that offers no path to redemption. Yet in the story is a bishop, the good bishop, who - while poor himself - gives all the wealth he has to redeem a thief.
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What do you think of it?

I have a job interview today at 12pm central time. Pray that I will do well and be confident and not anxious and that I will get the job Amen

Login to view embedded media Login to view embedded media A psalm of David

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy kindness:
According to the abundance of thy mercies, blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in thy sight: So that You are justified when You speak, And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy kindness: According to the abundance of thy mercies, blot out my transgressions.

Pope Francis appeared on Italy’s most popular prime-time talk show on Sunday night where the pontiff shared how he hopes that hell is “empty.”

Three million people in Italy tuned in to watch the nearly hourlong television interview with Pope Francis on Jan. 14 in which the pope responded to resistance to the recent Vatican declaration on same-sex blessings, previewed prospective papal trips to Polynesia and Argentina, and spoke of his fear of nuclear armageddon.

The 87-year-old pope began his appearance on the television show “Che Tempo Che Fa” by joking that he is “still alive” and has no plans to resign.

“For as long as I feel I still have the capacity to serve, I will go on. When I can no longer do it, it will be time to think about it,” Francis said.

Hell as ‘empty’?​

Continued below.

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Imagine a "free" country where someone being offended is enough to get you arrested. No investigation no hearing out the other side. While being cuffed the police can't even tell you what is the exact thing you said that was considered offensive. Then caught lying over the phone about their wrongful act until the you have to get a freedom of info filed against your own police force to get a straight answer. The cherry on top of the cake the police lost the suit you filed against them. One would imagine this being China or Russia or some autocratic nation but this is Scotland, UK.

£5,500 is too little for what could have ended up in prison time. IMHO the police should pay at least 10x the amount and the specific officer should be jailed for the same time as an actual hate crime. Getting away paying with tax payers' money is unacceptable. But hey UK has been a "progressive" autocratic state for some time now.

So many professers of faith in Jesus Christ here in America today are still deliberately and habitually sinning against the Lord in these various ways mentioned here in this passage of Scripture. They are still addicted to sexual immorality, sensuality, idolatry, fits of rage, envy, drunkenness, and the like. Yet they are convinced that their salvation is secure because they make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and/or they will have all kinds of excuses for why they cannot live a morally pure life in obedience to the Lord Jesus.

And so this passage of Scripture deals with those situations.

For those of you who are full of excuses for why you cannot live morally pure, honest, and faithful lives, and so you continue in deliberate and habitual sin, the solution is that you must walk (in conduct, in practice) by the Spirit (and not according to the flesh), and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For those who continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord are not walking by the Spirit, but they are still walking according to the flesh, to please the passions of the flesh.

And this is because their lives are not under Holy Spirit control but they are still under the control of the flesh. Their lives are not surrendered to Jesus Christ to do his will, and they are not living in submission to Christ as Lord (Owner-Master). For they have not truly died with Christ to sin, and they are not daily dying to sin and living to God and to his righteousness. And they are not walking in obedience to his commands and following him wherever he leads them, for they are still in control over their own lives.

And thus many of them are doing what they call “struggling” with sin, which usually means that they are habitually yielding to the flesh and giving in to the desires of the flesh and they are doing the exact opposite of what they know that they should be doing. But this will go on in the lives of many who profess faith in Jesus Christ and who are convinced that their sinful addiction will not impact their relationship with God and their salvation and their hope of eternal life with God. So this passage deals with that, too.

Not only does this let us know that the way out of sinful addiction is for us to surrender our lives over to the Lord to walk in his ways, and in his truth, but it lets us know clearly that if sins such as these are what we practice (our habit) and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess or we are convinced of that we believe about Jesus in our hearts. And so this serves as a warning to us to not let sin overtake us but to follow the ways of God.

And then if we are walking by the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh, and we are living to please our Lord, and not our flesh, and sin is no longer our practice, but righteousness and obedience to our Lord, then our lives should reflect the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. For those who truly belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires and they have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

So, don’t let the fear of man or the influence of (humans) keep you from obeying the Lord. Don’t let what others do impact what you do and how you live. And if you are walking by the Spirit and not according to the flesh, do not fear what other humans might do to you or say about you just because they don’t like it that you are no longer walking in sin but that you are now living holy and godly lives in the power of God for his will. Just keep obeying the Lord and keep sharing your testimony of God’s saving grace.

Why Are You Afraid?

An Original Work / December 5, 2013
Based off Various Scriptures

Do not be afraid.
Your Lord is always by your side.
Serve the Lord in righteousness
Before Him all your days.

Those who hate the light
Will not come to the Lord.
They fear their deeds
Might be noticed.
So, they hate the light,
And they embrace the night.

Do not be afraid,
Although your enemy attacks.
Dare to share your testimony
Of God’s saving grace.

Do not fear their threats,
But honor Christ, your Lord.
Be prepared to give an answer
For the hope you have,
With gentleness; respect.

Why are you afraid?
For all that’s hidden will be shown.
What I tell you, speak in daylight.
Let the truth be known.

Do not be afraid
Of those who’ll take your life.
Fear the Lord with understanding.
Trust Him with your life,
And give not up to strife.

Do not be afraid.
Take courage, it is I, your Lord.
Bow before Me; now adore Me.
Oh, why do you doubt?

Listen to the Lord.
Get up and bear His name!
Run and tell the world He loves them.
Jesus came to save.
Give Him your all today.

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We are all aware of increasing persecution of Christians for expressing scriptural truth about homosexuality, trans-sexual mutilation, abortion, euthanasia and other issues which have been adopted by certain “progressive” governments, media and major corporations, for example, this incident involving QANTAS who I will definitely not be flying with on my upcoming trip to Australia, not that there are any really superior airlines (years ago, I remember Alaska Airlines would serve a prayer card with meals, I received one while flying First Class with them to Seattle in March of 2006, which was a lovely flight, on an MD-80, which in Alaska Airlines service had particularly nice interiors, and which I always enjoyed flying, but I would be surprised if they still do that, however, the conduct of QANTAS was particularly terrible in that case). Or in some cases simply for being Christian; there was recently a firestorm of hate launched on X formerly known as Twitter against a YouTube content creator known as Wendigoon simply because of his well-known Christian faith, in an effort to “cancel” him.

In some instances, distressingly, the persecution seems to be of conservative clergy by hierarchs in their own church.

My desire is to post a thread in General Theology to discuss specific instances of these persecutions and the theological response, since in all cases we know those who suffer for Christ our True God will be rewarded.

Now there are controversial instances that are edge cases, and some groups like Westboro Baptist Church actually aided the opposition by engaging in very nasty protesting at the funerals of deceased soldiers who had nothing to do with sexual immorality. In general, my goal is not to dwell on these edge cases, nor on the eschatological implications of this persecution, but rather on the subject as an issue of moral theology.

Specifically, I would like to review any instances you have heard of involving the potential or actual persecution of Christians for their beliefs, whether by online groups, businesses or other organizations, governments or their own churches for teaching and practicing traditional Christianity. I also have a particularly complex issue of moral theology I would like to discuss, ideally if someone happens to post a similar case they are familiar with.

The American People went to the ballot box during a winter blizzard and chose Donald Trump to be the next President.

I'm trying to limit the pools to either WMR, 9mm, or 38 sp. what's best? She's an 80+ Grandma and needs a good gun in the house she can use because the town has gotten less safe...

The world economic forum ( translation: "I'm rich, so now I want to rule the world)meets again in Davos.

They'll be coming in their private jets, yachts, and gas gusslers, clutching their pearls over global warming, vaccines, and the unwashed eating insects in between bites of the finest qusine .

Indeed, the examples of textbooks being used in classrooms nationwide promoting anti-Zionist and antisemitic tropes remain innumerable.
World History: Patterns of Interaction (McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company 2009): page 1019…“While the United Nations granted the Palestinians their own homeland, the Israelis seized most of that land, including the West Bank and Gaza, during its various wars.”
This is false. In 1948 the United Nations partitioned Palestine according to UN Resolution 181 between Arabs and Jews.
World History: Patterns of Interaction (McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company 2009): page 270… “Because the Qur’an forbade forced conversion, Muslims allowed conquered peoples to follow their own religion.” This is false. Those who were conquered by the Muslim empire became its citizens. Forced conversions were routine. The only other choices were exile, death, or a heavy tax.

We need school choice so this kind of propaganda is not forced on our children.

A drone operator happened to be in the right place at the right time to film this mass migration of cownose rays off Forster in New South Wales, Australia.


Forster is about 315 kilometers (200 miles) north of Sydney.

Hi all. I am new here. What forum can I post a question about the biblical meaning of numbers? This is not numerology, it is a genuine divine communication from God. Is this topic allowed here?

I have no clue what category to put this. We really need a homosexual category as this demographic is growing and growing whereas the Bible clear talks about it in no uncertain terms.

Anyway, it occurred to me that God only gives child rearing possibilities to heterosexual couples because He doesn't want gay people to reproduce and have more of an influence on society than they already have. He blesses hetero couples only with children. Gay couples have no natural options and thereby foist themselves into a barren existence with no chance of natural offspring.

Single heteros have the option but may not exercise it of course. But having that option is nice, something they can always use in the future. We all like options.

One could also make the point that only couples that get along reasonably well tend to have many children so making that effort for the spouse is extremely important. It usually involves swallowing our pride, something human nature tends to resist but God wants us to work at as it hugely increases our general humility which helps us in many other areas. An arrogant person is rarely humble in anything.

So what do you think?

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they have attacked the "espionage headquarters" of Israel in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, state media reported late on Monday, while the elite force also struck in Syria against the Islamic State.



Several explosions were reported near the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Iraq, an Iraqi security source told ABC News.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps quickly took responsibility for the attacks, saying it was targeting the "headquarters of spies" and "anti-Iranian terrorist gatherings in parts of the region" with ballistic missiles.

Four people were killed in the IRGC bombings, an Iraqi security source told ABC News.

Explosions reported near US Consulate in Iraq; Iran claims responsibility

Several explosions were reported near the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Iraq, an Iraqi security source told ABC News.

abcnews.go.com

The Goodly Word That Saveth The Soule

Of Those Who Minister the Word

Psalm 119:113-117
" I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.
Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually."

This is the scripture I was led to to start this message on those who minister the Word of God. This also goes for those lay-people who may on occasion speak in the congregation, lead a Bible study, fill in to give a message, etc. It's not just for ordained leaders and elders. Hating vain thoughts, but loving the law of the LORD, making Him your hiding place, your shield: hoping in His Word. And praying always to be upheld, and not ashamed, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

James 3:1 says, "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation." It's talking about teachers there, anyone who leads or facilitates in a church body, including a home church. Doesn't matter if it's in front of thousands of people or a few in a living-room. God's expectations are the same.

Paul wrote regarding the Jews in Rome in Romans 2, but this part applies to all of us who might teach the Word in any way: "Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?" (Romans 2:21-22)
Samuel was called by the LORD, and the Bible says this about him: "And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground." (1 Sam. 3:19) He was a prophet and a judge of Israel, and from everything we know about him, he was blameless: his word was solid, and he ministered only in the things of God, according to Gods will. 1 Samuel 9:6 says this: "Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass..."

Jonathan Edwards had this to say regarding ministers who handle the Word and minister the ordinances of God before others:
"They are holy, in that God has hallowed them, or consecrated them. They are conversant about holy things. And God ordained them that in them we might be conversant about holy things. They are for a holy use. And it is God who, by his own immediate authority, ordained them for that holy use, which renders them much more sacred than otherwise they would have been."

• Jonathan Edwards: A Warning To Professors or, The Great Guilt Of Those Who Attend On The Ordinances Of Divine Worship, And Yet Allow Themselves In Any Known Wickedness.

Testimony: Let's talk about testimony for a minute. I do not believe we should testify all our GORY. That's what many do - tell how BAD they were. We don't need the sordid details. The Apostle Paul gave a very short one sentence, 10 word testimony in 1 Tim. 1:13, and Philippians 3:5-7 he uses one sentence in 2 verses about his past. Then he says he counts all that as loss for Christ, and as dung, so that he might win Christ. The drunkard, the drug addict, the adulterer, the thief: they don't need you to "relate" to them about what you did that corresponds to what they do. They need to hear and be convinced they are sinners, and they are in dire need of a Saviour, because the wages of sin is death, and that's a second death more terrifying than just physical death, which terrifies most. They don't need to hear your junk. They need to hear about the cross, the blood, that payment for sin that was made by Jesus; They need to hear of the new creature they'll be made: they need to hear about the abundant life they can possess if they are born again by the Holy Spirit of a just and righteous and holy God!

Our testimony should be that which is holy before the LORD: that which is keeping in line with strait Bible teaching. Samuel was called an honorable man. He had integrity.
2 Corinthians 4:2 has this to say, "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

You know those who have been called to speak or write the Word, to present the Word in truth to others, they often have been refined by the fire? Those who've endured affliction and come out strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, have shed off the besetting sins, they are those more effective.
1 Peter 4:1-2 "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God."
Let's look at Isaiah 45 here, verses 22 - 25, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory."

Have I righteousness? Christ imputes righteousness to us, and we are called to walk in that righteousness, and in His strength. This is a very powerful scripture here in Isaiah. And here it's not just speaking of the nation Israel, the chosen people, because it says at the beginning, "Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth." Then goes right into the scripture that's quoted in Philippians 2:10-11,
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

There's a good Old Testament verse you can use if anyone starts questioning whether or not Jesus is God! And "The LORD" there is Yahweh, יהוה - the name of God Himself.
As for all the seed of Israel being justified, anyone born again, who has the Spirit of God and of Christ dwelling in them, is of that seed, for Galatians 3:29 says, "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Now, that's not replacement theology. The church isn't Israel. God is not done with the Jews. It just means Gentiles who are saved are heirs through Christ who was of the tribe of Judah and a descendant of Abraham.

The following are two passages from 1 Timothy and Titus that lay out the qualifications of elders. But elders in the churches are to be examples for everyone else, so it is good to pray and seek these qualities for ourselves. All true Christians are called to this. After all, it is a higher calling. We are not of this world, just as our Saviour said He was not of this world, nor is His kingdom of this world. Amen?

1 Timothy 3:1-13
"This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach,
Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus."

Titus 1:6-9,
"If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers."

Now it's a shame I gotta go here, but not every church out there is preaching the Word, and there's a lot that certainly are NOT living it. Or they are using the Bible, but twisting and wresting the scriptures unto their own destruction. I just recently looked up on a church finder website how many LGBTQ affirming churches there were in various parts of the U.S. Must be thousands. I looked at a few of their websites. "Pastors" in same sex marriages. Kids waving rainbow flags. Little kids, like 5 or 6! They say they teach the tolerance and heart of "Jesus." Sorry, not the Jesus of the Holy Scriptures. It's another Jesus. Our Saviour warned that false Christs and false prophets would come. People think that just means kooks who think they're Jesus or say they're Jesus. Yeah, there's been some of those. But the thing to really watch out for is what Paul wrote about to the Galatians and Corinthians. Another spirit, another gospel, another Jesus - those who pervert the gospel of Christ. He says if even we (meaning the ministers, the elders) or an angel preach any other gospel unto you than that which we preached, let him be accursed. Then he repeats it a second time so it'll sink in: if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Heavy stuff there. Serious stuff. People preaching this junk, and lots of other junk are under a deceiving spirit, a great delusion. Let us who have ears to hear, hear this. Go to the Scriptures, confirm that it's true.

So here are some scriptures warning about leaders who cause others to go astray,

Jeremiah 8:9
"The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?"

Jeremiah 23:1 & 14
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
"I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah."

Well, um, yeah - That, certainly. Sadly. That's reality today. Makes me both angry and makes me cry. Angry as in righteous anger...be ye angry and sin not. Pray for them. Because you know what's gonna happen if they continue down the road they're on? They're going to hell. The worst kind of wrath is reserved for those who handle the Word of Truth deceitfully. The dreadful flames burn into the lowest parts of the pit; the painful burning knowledge that you spurned and abused the Word, trampled the precious blood of Christ, treated the LORD as an unholy thing and profane. Those who do such in ministry have a most terrifying and dreadful future unless they repent, O, and most seriously repent.
I pray the Word they claim to teach convict them as they read it, for the Word shall not return void. I pray they are not lost and ordained unto destruction because it would be a most fearsome destruction. Just as Sodom and Gomorrah - that's what we have in society today, and it's crept into the professing church. We know the fate of Sodom, we know that Abrahams pleading did not spare those cities of the burning destruction that fell from God out of heaven and consumed them, till the smoke of their torment ascended up forever.

Jeremiah 23:36,
" And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God."

That's right. Jesus said "Go and sin no more" - in fact He said, "sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." (John 5:14). Those who pervert the words of the living God will be held accountable by that living God, by Him who judges righteously, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, and His presence a consuming fire: a purging fire, whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor: He will clean His house, in time, in His time, He will do it. Jesus will come; He will return in power, and He gathers His elect, but the rest: Oh how terrible, for he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God! And the judgment will be set, and the books opened, and anyone found not written in the book of life shall be cast into the lake of fire, that which was prepared for the devil and his angels, but is also now reserved for anyone who lives in darkness, who has the devil as their father: all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ezekiel 13:3,
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!"

Ezekiel 22:25-28,
"There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the Lord hath not spoken."

2 Peter 2:1,
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."

Oh, how great a responsibility it is to speak the Word before others; even more so when there are weak brethren, or the lost who know not Christ. It is the highest profession, the highest calling, for it is ordained of God, not of man. Seminary, Bible college, theology training, all that can help you grow in knowledge, but the calling and the anointing comes from God by His Spirit. If you have not the Spirit of Christ, you are none of His. Even the devil has head knowledge of the Scriptures: He used them to try to tempt Christ in the wilderness, but Jesus, full of the Holy Ghost, with the anointing of the father, spoke the Word, and His word was with power. The devil had to flee. The light of Christ shineth in darkness, and the devil cannot abide it. Get in that light!

Isaiah 10:27 tells it: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing." It's the anointing that breaks the yoke of bondage, the yoke of sin, the bondage of sin. The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, most powerful as a two edged sword does pierce and divide, and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. Lay yourself bare to this sword, for it seeks not to slay you, but to save you, and it cleanses you, and becomes your weapon against all darkness.

So, to wrap it up, let us all take heed to how we handle the Word of God, and how we are living. We are examples, we are witnesses, no matter what position we may have in the body of Christ. People watch us. If we're sinning, lying, deceiving, foul mouthed: then we are bringing reproach on Christ, we are making mockery of holy things - we are mocking a Holy God, and He does not hold those guiltless who do this. You are the temple of God, and the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Therefore glorify Him in your body: you are a living epistle to be read by everyone who encounters you. You are lively stones, built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ: We bring a sacrifice of praise, and the LORD inhabits the praises of His people!

If you've done any of this, any of this wickedness that's crept into the churches and into the ministry,repent. Make that repentance sure. And if you are sharing the Word and the faith with others, that's even a higher calling, for as the Scripture says, those who are masters, or teachers - that word in James is didaskalos, means teacher or master, one who teaches. And it says those who do teach will receive a greater condemnation: that being because you're responsible for what you teach.
Ultimately, let us seek the will of the LORD, and pray that He may guide us into all truth, for He is the way, the truth, and the life; Jesus, and no man cometh unto the Father but by Him.
Amen

.

Germany supposedly has discovered Russia's plan to attack NATO in 2025 and is preparing for war.

The good news is I've got a week off from work.
The bad news is it's to isolate for COVID-19
The good news is that the symptoms are much milder than when I had it a couple of years ago.
The bad new ... well, can't think of any right now.

This cant be right, there must be some misunderstanding, or has the Pope really done this?

"Pope suggests blessings for same-sex unions may be possible

VATICAN CITY ? Pope Francis has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions, responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality ahead of a big meeting where LGBTQ+ Catholics are on the agenda.

The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote to the cardinals on July 11 after receiving a list of five questions, or "dubia," from them a day earlier. In it, Francis suggests that such blessings could be studied if they didn't confuse the blessing with sacramental marriage.

New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics, said the letter "significantly advances" efforts to make LGBTQ+ Catholics welcomed in the church and "one big straw towards breaking the camel's back" in their marginalization."

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/03/1203...ings-for-same-sex-unions-may-be-possible

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/02/world/francis-same-sex-unions-intl-latam/index.html

The pope just opened the door to blessing same-sex couples. This nun secretly blessed one more than 15 years ago.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/...e-sex-unions-catholic-priests-rcna118525

Hey, here's my sermon from yesterday's service. God bless!

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2nd Sunday after Epiphany
A brief sermon from our English services at Kita-Osaka Evangelical Lutheran Church
(Pre-recorded for web)

The Rejected Stone
Lutheran Church
Osaka, Japan

I heard this and was amazed, I could not grasp what was happening, till I came across this..'

A quarter of Methodist congregations in the U.S. are leaving the United Methodist Church as one of the country's largest Protestant denominations wrestles with issues of sexuality and gender identity.

More than 7,600 of United Methodist’s approximately 30,000 congregations had voted to leave as of this week, and the number could grow as the Dec. 31 deadline for departures approaches.

“It’s the biggest schism in any American denomination in the history of our country,” said Ryan Burge, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston....

What's at issue?
Controversies have been brewing within the church for several decades, particularly those dealing with LGBTQ+ issues, Wilson said.

Progressive factions within the church, he said, want to overhaul church teachings to, for instance, permit same-sex marriages and allow the ordination of gay clergy....'
.. A quarter of Methodist congregations abandon the church as schism grows over LGBTQ+ issues

In addition to the allegation that Fulton County District Attorney Willis is Nathan Wade's girlfriend, it is alleged that Willis' office paid Wade more than $650,000 with taxpayer dollars to be outside counsel to prosecute Trump and that Wade has allegedly paid to take Willis on lavish vacations.

Also, House Republicans are investigating allegations that Wade has invoiced meetings with President Joe Biden's White House, a fact Trump is saying furthers his long-held allegation that the indictments against him are coming in coordination, if not collusion and conspiracy, with Biden administration officials, up to and including the president.

But, despite all the allegations of impropriety, conflicts of interest, and potential conspiracy with the Biden White House, Wade's "utter lack of experience" and being paid more than $650,000 to take on perhaps the most prominent anti-racketeering case in American history against a former president is a major red flag, according to defense attorney Manny Arora.

There are no coincidences in American politics especially from the left side of isle. All 4 suits against Pres. Trump with little doubt being coordinated from the WH Counsels office and DOJ just 1 room down the hall from Presidency living quarters. Only the blind and I might add even the blind can see the political persecution of Pres. Trump because they know they lost by 30 million in '20' and know it will be double that this time around. Watch watchmen they will not give up power even if it means throwing America in an all out war. They will not stop at anything to retain their corruption and power.

Wade has never tried a criminal case and is nothing more than a low level ambulance chaser.

Don't forget the Iowa caucus today.
Its live on court TV. There is much discussion right now.