The Text: Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)

Some quotations I have gather from CF and the internet.

• Of course the "water" is amniotic fluid, not plain old H2O. That verse does not include the word "again" so the word "born" can only mean your physical birth. He did not say "baptized in" water either. So you can't say he meant being baptized in a lake or river. Show me a verse where he explicitly said to be born again you must be baptized in water.
• You said, “Natural birth is the plainest interpretation and therefore correct.” “Born of water" is not a straightforward statement of anything, but is by the very words an oblique reference to... something.
• While many scholars and commentators deny, even vehemently, that there was any cultural or Old Testament background among first-century Jews about water referring to physical birth, their denials simply “don’t hold water.”
• Some have taken “born of water” to an absurd level of asserting all bodily fluids such as sperm, serves as a functional equivalent of “born of water.” "Born of bodily fluids" runs into tension with John 1:12-13 concerning regeneration and the new nature: “He gave the right to become children of God….who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

If indeed, “born of water” refers to natural biological birth, it would clearly be a hapax legomenon….a word or phrase which only occurs once in Scripture, and even stranger, this idiom is not found in Hellenistic literature as scholars inform us. It certainly is possible for “born of water” to refer to natural biological birth, but some very strong evidence should be marshaled to overcome the long historic interpretation “born of water” is water either referring to the power of the HS to cleanse us from sin or possibly baptism.

Natural birth isn’t caused by amniotic fluid and isn’t the only factor in natural birth. There are genitals, Fallopian tubes, conception, fluid in the umbilical cord, contractions, etc., of which amniotic fluid is one of the elements…. in a near-last long chain of events. Amniotic fluid or any other bodily fluid fails instrumentally as the cause of natural birth.

People are born from their mothers; they are not born from amniotic fluid. Bodily fluid isn’t what gives birth to them, their mother is. The Scriptures bears this out:

• For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. (I Cor 11:12)
• God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law (Gal. 4:4
• I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; (Luke 7:28)
• Man, who is born of woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil. (Job 14:1)
• Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. (John 16:21)
• “How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman? (Job 25:4)

Jesus was not talking about the difference between natural birth and spiritual birth. Furthermore, if "born of water" does refer to natural childbirth, why does Nicodemus need to be reminded he is already born? Why would anyone who has been naturally born need to be reminded of that fact? Existing is self evident and presupposed. Jesus is not speaking of the doctrine of creation. He is speaking of redemption.

There are only two types of people in the world: those who are born of the Spirit and those who are not. In the end, only those two categories matter (John 3:3). Our earthly lives are extended opportunities for us to respond to God’s call and become born of the Spirit (Hebrews 3:15).

As J.I. Packer wrote: Regeneration is a New Testament concept that grew, it seems, out of a parabolic-picture phrase that Jesus used to show Nicodemus the inwardness and depth of the change that even religious Jews must undergo if they were ever to see and enter the Kingdom of God and so have eternal life (John 3:3-15). Jesus pictured the change as being "born again". The concept is God renovating the heart, the core of a person's being, by implanting a new principle of desire, purpose, and action, a dispositional dynamic that finds expression in positive response to the gospel and its Christ. Jesus phrase, "born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5) harks back to Ezekiel 36:25-27, where God is pictured as symbolically cleansing persons from sin's pollution (by water) and bestowing a "new heart" by putting His Spirit within them.

I believe that this is more scientific evidence showing how dangerous mRNA vaccines can be.

Jesus said a man should love his wife as Jesus loved the church what does this verse mean ?

Hello to everybody,

I wanted to ask if anyone has a certain moleben service in his/her parish where names of relatives could be included in the prayer service for the required fee.

The moleben was recently introduced in the Russian Orthodox Church (Synod meeting from 13.10.2022) . It is intended for "baptised orthodox but unbelieving"
(which most practicing orthodox laymen have among their relatives) It is also intended for other groups of people, the currently described one is just the one of my current concern.

The moleben's name in Russian is "Молебен о заблудших" (roughly translated as "Moleben for those that are deceived/in delusion as to the Truth")

The Russian churches in Russia offer the possibility to pay online and record names for this moleben, however the EU does not permit bank payments to Russia (due to the war in Ukraine). Having nobody living in Russia who could help is an additional problem.

Does anybody know of an orthodox parish which has this moleben service and where a bank payment for the fee will be accepted from an EU country? (e. g. a Russian parish in the US/EU or elsewhere?)

Thank you all in advance.

Should Debate be an Olympic sport?

Many Colleges and Universities have Debate teams.

Four Types of Judgment, and USA is under all 4!

1) As in the days of Noah. Matt 24, Luke 17. The earth was filled with violence. Gen 6. America is filled with violence. Mass shootings in US have doubled since 2019, being between 610 and 690 a year, while in the 6 years between 2014-2019 there were between 273 and 417. Assaults are commonplace, and society seems obsessed with fighting and violence.
The other thing going on in Noahs day was when the sons of God (Benai HaElohim) took the daughters of men to which giants were born. I don't know what you believe, but I believe wholeheartedly these were fallen angels. Benai Elohim is used in Job 1:6 & 2:1 where it's obvious they are angels, then Job 38:7 when it speaks of the sons of God and morning stars at creation. Some theologians think it means sons of Seth. I reject that theory.
Why is this relevant today? Devils mating with humans produced mutant offspring. Do a quick google search on "alien reproductive experiments" and "alien human hybrids." Or just consider how popular the History channel's "Ancient Aliens" has been since 2009. Google "Otherkin." Its a whole subculture of people who believe they are other than human. Started around 1990. I've known some of these personally.
Otherkin - Wikipedia
On top of all this we have the twisted diabolical LGBTQ movement practically forcing our government to authorise mutation surgeries on children. This is the kind of wickedness that went on before the flood, and brought the judgement of Almighty God upon the entire world!

2) As in the days of Lot and Sodom. Luke 17:28, 2 Peter 2:4-8, Jude 7. We know what the sin of Sodom was. I don't need to speak much on this. We see it everywhere. In one so called "Pride" parade this year they chanted "We're Queer, We're here. We're coming for your children!" This too started in the 90s and they said then "We want your children!"
The sin of Sodomy is abomination according to Leviticus 18, and abusers of themselves with mankind in 1 Corinthians 6 also refers to the sodomite. God hates this sin! This sin is sure to bring destruction on any nation that allows its practice, and what did America do? Legalized Sodomy under the softer term "same sex marriage" in 2015, then the Federal government not satisfied with that, and bowing to the demonic movement of the LGBT crowd codified it as law in 2022.
On top of all this they hijack the covenant rainbow and use it for their flag. God WILL keep his covenant portrayed by the rainbow. He won't destroy the entire world by flood, though He's sent plenty of local floods in recent years. He will burn down all this wicked sin with FIRE though, and abolish these abominations forever!

3) USA has committed the sins of King Manesseh in 2 Kings 21 through 25: massive idolatry, sorcery, and the shedding of innocent blood. There's been somewhere around 64 million abortions in 50 years, and actually MORE abortions since Roe v Wade was overturned, because of the abortion pill mainly.
What stands out in this entire history of Manasseh is that the LORD would not overlook the sin of the nation committed under his watch, despite a national revival under King Josiah. (2 kings 23:26 & 24:3-4) Judgment didnt come in Josiahs day, but later it fell and Judah was defeated, Jerusalems walls and temple destroyed and the people taken captive to Babylon.
The judgment is pronounced in 2 Kings 21:10-12 by the LORDs prophets, and by Huldah the prophetess in 2 Kings 22:14-20. In the latter prophecy it shows judgment would not come in King Josiahs days (22:19-20)
The parallels with what America is doing are obvious. Idolatry and the occult are rampant in US today. 2 Kings 21:3-6 show how the same was going on in ancient Israel under Manasseh. He built altars for all the host of heaven, even in the house of the LORD. He sacrificed his son in the fire, observed times, used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards. America has experienced a massive occult revival since the 1960s, though there was spiritism going on back to the 1800s.
The rock music of the 60s cast a spell on Americas youth, introducing numerous Satanic and occult themes. Today paganism has revived in America while people are leaving churches and churches are closing. Giant Egyptian style pyramids were erected in Memphis Tennessee and Las Vegas in the early 90s. A lot of stuff started in the 90s as we'll see when we cover Romans 1. In 2015 the Hindu goddess Kali was portrayed on the Empire State building. Kali represents death, destruction, and doomsday.
National Geographic statistics show in 2001 only 134,000 Americans practiced some form of paganism, whereas in May 2023 it was over 1.5 million. I can tell you its way higher than that. Even if a person isn't practicing paganism overtly they often do unawares. Millions believe in astrology, actually about 1/3 of Americans; there's millions practicing the old Native American religions, 61% of American adults have seen at least one Harry Potter movie, 44% are avid fans.
I could go on and on about the occult portrayed in movies, TV shows, video games, the internet. American media is literally saturated with it. No cutesy comedy shows like "Bewitched" from the 60s & 70s. Now there's too many to name: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, Charmed, Supernatural, Winx Club - all occult.
Sorcery also includes drug abuse, pharmakeia, pharmakeus, in Greek. In 24 states Marijuana is fully legalized now, and only 4 states is it still illegal. All the other states its legal to a certain degree or decriminalized. Some psychedelics like mushrooms are legal in certain states. Drug abuse is rampant, especially methamphetamine and fentenyl, the latter has killed tens of thousands of people in recent years. What started in the 1950s and 60s as a rebellious subculture has become mainstream and accepted. Of Mystery Babylon it is said by her sorceries were all nations deceived.
Just one little note on Babylon because it would take an entire message. I believe Babylon in revelation 17-18 refers to both the religious system & Vatican with any state run churches, and political which includes western Europe AND The US and Canada. That's based on the fact that all the nations that came in and took over the territory of the old Roman empire are the same exact nations that "discovered" and settled the Americas. That makes America an extension of everything mentioned in Daniel and Revelation regarding 7 heads and 10 horns.
As for the innocent blood King Manasseh spilled, 2 Kings 21:16 says he shed it very much, filling Jerusalem from one end to the other, and 24:4 says the judgment came "for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon." 63+ million abortions as well as all the murder. America's the most homicidal nation among affluent countries in the world.

4) Finally, America has gone through all 3 stages of being given up and given over in Romans chapter 1.
Stage 1 started around 1860 - Romans 1:18-25. Darwins On the Origin of Species was published in 1859 and soon became very popular in America. It is the "Bible" of those who believe in evolution by natural selection. Just 18 months after this America found herself in a bloody civil war. Spiritism began to increase, and the late 1800s into the early 1900s saw a rise in immorality, mainly fornication & adultery.
The scripture does say they changed the image of the uncorruptable God into an image made like to corruptable man, to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things (1:23) which is evolution theory in reverse. They say first there were fishes & creeping things, then fourfooted beasts, then birds, then man, in that order. Professing themselves wise they became fools, wherefore God gave them over to uncleanness.

Stage 2 started in the 1950s shortly after WW2. Romans 1:26-27. Here the scripture shows the major sin of this stage after God gives them up the second time is homosexuality, as well as a continuation of the loose morality. The 1950s saw the introduction of rock music, and drugs like LSD were being introduced, even by the CIA in their MK Ultra experiments: Here's from the CIAs own declassified documents:
"Project MKULTRA remains highly classified.E81 Contents � 1 Title and origins � 2 Goals � 3 Budget � 4 Experiments n 4.1 LSD � � 4.2 Other drugs � 4.3 Hypnosis and Magic
LSD Early efforts focused on LSD, which later came to dominate many of MK -ULTRA's programs. Experiments included administering LSD to CIA employees, military personnel, doctors, other government agents, prostitutes, mentally ill patients, and members of the general public in order to study their reactions. LSD and other drugs were usually administered without the subject's knowledge or informed consent, a violation of the Nuremberg Code that the U.S. agreed to follow after World War II. � Efforts to "recruit" subjects were often illegal, even discounting the fact that drugs were being administered (though actual use of LSD, for example, was legal in the United States until October 6, 1966). In Operation Midnight Climax, the CIA set up several brothels to obtain a selection of men who would be too embarrassed to talk about the events." PROJECT MK-ULTRA | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)

As a result, by the 1960s rock music and free love became popular along with the drugs and the occult. You see how all 4 of these types of judgments coincide. Everything converges right down to our time. Homosexuality became more and more accepted in the 1960s, but it was the early 90s when it really exploded on the scene and they began demanding rights. Notice how everything started ramping up in that decade of the 90s?
What happens when a nation continues down this dark and slippery slope? God gives them over to a reprobate mind: Romans 1:28-32. I believe we entered this stage starting around 2020. Notice how everything started going to the extreme that year. It was the year of Covid lockdowns, yet there were riots in every city, racial tension not seen since the 60s; blatant, in your face confrontation. The whole LGBTQ+ alphabet crowd became more militant, slithering their wicked tentacles into everything.

God gave them over, and is in the process of giving them over to a reprobate mind to do those things that are not convenient. being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, deceitful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
All that, everything in that list is being committed in America today, and it coincides with the prophetic 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
And consider the condition of the professing church in America. 64% of Americans identify as "Christian" but then so does Ozzy Osborne! Diary of a Madman, Black Sabbath. He sang this back in the 70s "Take a life, it's going cheap, Kill someone, no one will weep. Freedom's yours, just pay your dues. We just want your soul to use." Very Christian, huh?

Truth is about 10% of the professing church is truly born again, and about 10% of that number is truly walking in sanctification and holiness. The new age and occultism has seeped into many churches, "Christian" rock bands sound little different from their worldly (and demonic) counterparts, and some supposedly Christian songs lyrics could as easily be sung to a lover as to God because no doctrinal identifiers are present.
Because churches embrace sin, sin creeps into the camp, and like the sin of Achan the church cannot stand before her enemies because they let an accursed thing in the camp. See Joshua 6.

All kinds of immorality take place, sometimes right IN the church! Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. Or, claiming the power, yet using it to gain riches and a big following at the expense of the congregation. And ordaining homosexuals? MARRYING same sex couples? Blasphemous abomination! the accursed thing is in the camp and if we say something we're labelled as making hate speech, discrimination, bigotry, etc.
The Word of GOD COMMANDS us who are saved and KNOW the truth, and LIVE a life set apart, sanctified to the LORD to warn others of error, of sin, especially sin in the church.
I don't just say this lightly, nor without experience. I was the sinner IN the church. I was the Christian adulterer, and fornicator, and drunkard, and sorcerer - that includes pharmakeia sorcery when I smoked weed and thought it was ok according to scripture. God had to chasten me hard, set me down, endure affliction, so that I can say as Psalm 119 that before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word, and, it is good that I've been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes.

You know, David Wilkerson wrote some prophetic books back in the 80s and 90s. A lot of what he wrote has happened in America and she has not repented. I saw a few things back in the early 90s that happened, and again in 2020. America has NOT repented, therefore like Judah under King Manasseh, she WILL be judged severely, more severely than what has already happened with Covid, with storms, whirlwinds, hurricanes, floods, fires, civil unrest, political upheavals. One day nuclear war will become reality and it will be a shock to many but not me. I expect it and believe the scriptures describe it, judgment by fire, which will be both man made and natural, as well as supernatural, fire from heaven.
So the only answer to what we do about all this is REPENT.

"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness," (2 Peter 3:11)
Thats what we need to do.
I've heard 2 Chronicles 7:14 so many times in messages, but one thing often lacking is the part about Gods people turning from their wicked ways. Mostly I hear "we need to pray for our nation, 2 Chronicles 7:14" then the verse gets rattled off like machine gun fire and the most important element is lost. Prayer is emphasized, which is good, but all the prayer in the world avails nothing if people do not TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS!
Have YOU let sin in? Are your walls broken down, the temple about to be destroyed, are YOU captive in Babylon? Captive by the world, the flesh, the devil?
Whoever defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. You're not your own. You are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your bodies.
Amen

Maybe you should.

Luke 21:33 "Heaven & earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." My question is, if we're in Heaven & it passes away what happens to our souls? Where do they go if there's no Heaven? Am I reading it wrong?

A Florida man was accused of threatening to kill Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and his family, according to federal court documents.

Prosecutors allege Michael Shapiro, 72, of Greenacres, left several profane voicemail messages for a lawmaker’s D.C. office on Dec. 19, which included violent threats.

[Shapiro] was arrested and charged with transmitting a violent threats in interstate commerce.

A school shooting in Iowa just occurred when a male who identified himself as part of the LGBTQ community entered the school on the first day of classes after the break and shot three people before killing himself.


Two gunshot victims were taken by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in the state capital of Des Moines, a health system spokesperson said. Some other patients were transported to a second hospital in Des Moines, a spokesperson for MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center confirmed, declining to comment on the number of patients or their statuses.

As the story develops it discovered that the shooter had been posting on social media that he identified as gender fluid, acted out a shooting and had trans supporting messages on his social media pages. These pages are being quickly removed.

This person was obviously mentally disturbed. More details will be coming as the story develops.

But we seem to have another shooting from the mentally ill LGBTQ community.

What was true when this was penned by Micah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is still true today in the Messianic age. We have been told, too, what is good, and what the Lord requires of us in the way of holy living and us not walking in sin. And another word for justice is righteousness, and we are to walk in righteousness in genuine humility with our Lord. And justice is also fairness, honesty, integrity, and uprightness, which we are to practice.

[James 2:12-13; James 3:17; Jude 1:23; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:12; Romans 6:13-23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 4:17-24; Ephesians 5:8-10; Ephesians 6:14; Philippians 1:9-11; Philippians 3:9; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 12:11; James 1:20]


And the New Testament echoes the same types of sentiments. We are also taught to walk in the fear of the Lord, in honor, respect, reverence, and obedience to our Lord and to his commands. And to fear the Lord is to believe him and his word and to show respect for him and his word by obeying what he teaches us that we must all do as followers of Christ. And we are to believe his promises and his judgments and their conditions.

For we cannot just give lip service to the Lord and then expect that heaven is now guaranteed us regardless of how we live. That is not what the Scriptures teach! They teach that we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. For if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord’s commands (New Covenant), then we don’t know God, we are not born of God, and we will not inherit eternal life with God unless we repent and we are obeying our Lord.

Yet there are many who profess faith in Jesus Christ who are still “wandering in the wilderness,” still walking in sin, in wickedness, in deceit, in conniving and trickery and manipulation, and in lying to cover up their wickedness. They are habitual liars and deceivers and those who make a practice of sin – of sexual immorality, thievery, lying, and unfaithfulness, who masquerade themselves as servants of righteousness, but who are hypocrites, in reality.

[Jn 3:19-20; 2 Thes 2:9-10; 2 Thes 3:1-2; Jas 1:19-21; 3 Jn 1:10; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 15:18-20; Mk 7:20-22; Lu 6:45; Lu 13:26-28; Jn 5:28-29; Rom 1:29-32; Rom 2:6-10; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11; Heb 3:12; 1 Pet 3:12; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]


Many people professing faith in Jesus Christ have this mistaken idea that a mere profession of faith in Christ is enough to secure heaven for them, but regardless of how they live. They believe that all their sins, even future sins, are all forgiven and thus no matter how much they sin, it will not be charged against them. And so they go on from bad to worse, living in immorality and idolatry, lying, cheating, and committing adultery without conscience.

But God will judge, and not just at the very end, but he will judge the sins of his people and those giving lip service to him only. For he disciplines those he loves and he rebukes and chastises them in order to bring them to full repentance and to genuine faith or to renewed faith in him and in obedience to his commands (see Revelation 2-3 and other NT verses). But at the end he will cast judgment on those who refused to obey him, and they will not inherit eternal life with God, even if they professed him with their lips.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

For…


For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

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Horizontally, the Jews understood the concept of the coming Messiah as a figure like David. He would be a military warrior and king geopolitically. This figure was illegal according to Roman law. Vertically, Jesus presented himself as the Messiah of the spiritual Kingdom of God. When he comes again, then he will fulfill the horizontal part of the Messianic function. The Jews did not want to understand this difference.

NIV John 10:

24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

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Tell us that you were the warrior king, the Messiah against the rule of Rome.

25a Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe.

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I told you already that I was bringing in the spiritual Kingdom of God. Repent and believe. But they didn't want it. They wanted a leader to fight the Romans.

Later, Peter declared that Jesus was the Messiah in Matthew 16:

20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

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The Jews understood the term Messiah differently. It would promote misunderstanding by using the term.

They arrested Jesus in Luke 22:

66 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67 “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”

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I.e., Are you the warrior-king Messiah?

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me."

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You will not believe that I came to establish the spiritual Kingdom of God and not to fight against the Romans.

They sent Jesus to Pilate in (BSB) John 18:

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.”

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Jesus clarified the concept of Messiah to Pilate, and he understood even though the Jews did not.

Why did Jesus order his disciples not to tell anyone he was the Messiah?

The Jews understood the Messiah as a political king. Jesus wasn't. To avoid this misunderstanding, he ordered them.

John 6:

14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

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Jesus wanted to avoid the above scenario being repeated over and over again.

After his death and resurrection, the disciples were free to proclaim that he was the promised Messiah. Jesus was no longer physically available to them to push him to be king.

In the press release, published in six languages, Cardinal Fernández provides one ‘concrete example’ of what the spontaneous ‘pastoral blessings’ might look like in practice, explaining that they should only last ‘about 10 or 15 seconds.’

The Vatican’s doctrine office issued a response on Thursday to “clarify the reception of Fiducia Supplicans” amid widespread international backlash to the Vatican’s recent declaration on same-sex blessings.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), published a five-page press release on Jan. 4 that refers to Fiducia Supplicans as “perennial doctrine” and underlines that pastoral blessings of couples in irregular situations should not be “an endorsement of the life led by those who request them.”

Cardinal Fernández said that the responses he has received from bishops’ conferences around the world to the declaration highlight “the need for a more extended period of pastoral reflection” and that what is expressed in these bishops’ statements “cannot be interpreted as doctrinal opposition because the document is clear and definitive about marriage and sexuality.”

“There is no room to distance ourselves doctrinally from this declaration or to consider it heretical, contrary to the Tradition of the Church, or blasphemous,” the cardinal said, pointing to a few paragraphs in the text of the original declaration that affirms the Church’s doctrine on marriage. Read the full text of the press release here.

Continued below.

During Donald Trump’s presidency, his businesses received at least $7.8 million in payments from the foreign governments and officials of 20 countries, including China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to a report released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.

The report argues that the payments were in violation of the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause [but SCOTUS] in 2021 said the cases were moot because Trump no longer held office.

When Republicans took control of the House in 2023, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) ended the congressional investigation into Trump’s alleged violations of the emoluments clause. He also declined to enforce a court-ordered agreement that Mazars USA, Trump’s former accounting firm, produce evidence related to Trump’s financial dealings.

According to information available to committee investigators, China made the largest total payments — $5.5 million — to Trump’s private businesses. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), one of China’s biggest state-owned banks, was among Trump Tower’s largest office tenants during the Trump presidency. The report notes that during Trump’s first year in the White House, several Chinese banks — including ICBC — came under scrutiny for financial ties to North Korea, causing the administration to weigh sanctions against them. [Ultimately, the Trump Administration did not take any action against ICBC]

Among the actions the report urges Congress to consider are a requirement that senior executive officials disclose to Congress receipt of any foreign emoluments, and an “explicit procedure for presidents and senior officials to seek the requisite congressional authorization for the receipt and retention of emoluments.” The report also recommends Congress implement a process for disclosing payments to entities in which a sitting president has a financial interest by foreign officials and lobbyists acting on behalf of foreign governments.

Misinformation continues to thrive in America...​

​

A quarter of Americans believe in conspiracy theory that FBI operatives organized and encouraged the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol​

Q: Do you think it is true or false that FBI operatives organized and encouraged the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021?




Despite a detailed congressional investigation and more than 725 completed federal prosecutions of Jan. 6 participants that did not yield evidence of FBI involvement, a substantial minority of Americans still embrace conspiracy theories not unlike the ones that drove many rioters to storm the Capitol three years ago.

I am a continuationist according to the gifts of the Holy Spirit because there is nothing in the New Testament that the decline and cease of the spiritual gifts were the result of some decree of God. If God meant for the gifts to be temporary, He would have clearly said so.

The two basic theories are (1) that the gifts were only designed for Apostolic times and for the establishment of the Church, and (2) that once the canon of Scripture was established, the spiritual gifts were no longer required. There is nothing stated in the New Testament to support these two theories, therefore they consist of eisegesis (adding to Scripture) and not exegesis of existing Scripture. We can base something on exegesis of Scripture if there is no Scripture to base it on. Proverbs 30:6 says not to add to the words of Scripture lest God comes and rebukes the person and shows that he is a liar. This means that the two popular theories concerning the cessation of the gifts are based on lies and not the truth.

The truth is that what caused the decline and cessation of the gifts was that the church changed into something totally difference from the church that was born out of the Day of Pentecost. The decline of a true commitment to Christ, and standards of holiness, and the more formalised structure of the church in the face of the many heresies that arose during the First Century were the main factors. Instead of the rank and file members having different spiritual functions within the worship of the services, the bishops took over and soon after installed trained clergy to conduct the services. This caused a one man band performance at the front, while ordinary members became passive pew sitters.

So what was the point of individual church members seeking God for their spiritual gifting if they were blocked from being able to use the gifts in the formalised, ritualist church? In the face of this, ordinary church members stopped seeking the gifts and so the gifts declined and by the 4th Century, they were absent from the church services. Also, because the standards of holiness declined, tongues reduced in holiness and degenerated in purposeless babble which put people right off seeking that gift. Because the bishop took over the prophetic function, the "prophecies" regenerated into homilies based on the bishop's own wisdom and not the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is the way the Church itself caused the decline and cessation of the spiritual gifts and not God Himself.

When the Pentecostal revival took place, many believed the the spiritual gifts were being restored to the Church. But because there is no actual operating manual to ensure that the gifts were and are to be manifested according to the Holy Spirit, there was and is much variation among different groups about how these gifts were to be manifested. For example, the gift of tongues brought confusion because different groups had different purposes for its use, and often there was much public speaking without interpretation, contrary to how Paul taught it in 1 Corinthians 14. Others thought they could go to foreign countries hoping to have the people there understand them when they would preach the Gospel in tongues. Most, if not all failed, which brought the gift of tongues into disrepute for many people. Others stood up in church giving "thus says the Lord" prophetic messages, and much harm was caused through people not searching the Scriptures to check whether these prophecies actually came from God or not.

Then rose the "healing evangelist" who did a lot of speechmaking, but with very few actual results. Most of these have no been revealed as frauds. This is understandable given that there were no "healing evangelists" or healing conferences in the New Testament.

So, we come down to today. We have a new Charismatic movement that features hyped up worship feature kundalini manifestations, false teaching that has nothing to do with the Bible, and prophecy that consists in double talk which says nothing.

So in the face of all this confusion and falsehood, why am I a continuationist?

It is because I believe the true gifts of the Spirit are still in the church, albeit in most cases they lie dormant. Although I no longer give "words" of prophecy, which also is missing from the New Testament, I see Scriptural prophecy is preaching the Word, giving Biblical teaching, exhorting other believers to be faithful to Christ, and engaging in counselling to those who require it. It is prophetic when the Holy Spirit works through it to achieve results that we cannot in our own strength. I don't try to give words of knowledge, because I don't know how, and the Holy Spirit hasn't instructed me on it. I don't know how the working of miracles is done, because in my 56 years of Christian faith I have never seen it in action. I also don't know how to have a gift of healing, because the Holy Spirit hasn't given it to me, and all those who say they have gifts of healing, can't seem to be able to healing anyone.

My view is that the church has not yet gained the level of commitment to Christ and the standard of holiness that was a feature of the very early Church We do not yet have the calibre of ministry commensurate of the calibre of the Apostles. Most areas of the modern church are still steeped in formalism and ritual, and have strictly programmed orders of service that make no room for ordinary church members to use a gift of the Spirit even if they could. This is why we don't see a widespread use of the gifts, because most don't see the point of seeking a gift if they can't use it in their formalised, one man band church.

Even in those Pentecostal and Charismatic churches that advise the "full gospel" with the inclusion of the gifts, we hear the motivational talk and speech making, but very little else. There is a church that has a School of Supernatural Ministry, which teaches all the principles, but to date, none of the graduating students have been able to progress into actual supernatural ministry. There is a lot of speech making and teaching about what can happen if we fulfil certain conditions, but nothing happens - as yet anyway.

So, why am I a continuationist? Because God's Word says that the gifts of the Spirit were designed to continue until the end of the church age. Although I do not yet see it, and I may never see it seeing that I am now 76 years of age and don't have a lot of years left, I believe God's Word and feel that I am blessed that although I do not see, I continue to believe in God's faithfulness to stand by His word for those who meet His criterial for true Christian ministry.

Our God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present everywhere all at the same time. He is our creator God and he is fully sovereign and in control over all that he has created. And he reigns over all the earth. There is not anything which escapes his notice or that is beyond his power to act when he chooses to act. And righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.


So, what is righteousness? It is morality, justice, decency, uprightness, honesty, and blamelessness. It is the opposite of wickedness and evil. And it means divine approval, i.e. what meets God’s approval. It refers to what is deemed right by the Lord, what is approved in his eyes. So he is the only one who determines right from wrong and what is righteous and what is evil. And his word spells out for us what he approves and what he disapproves.

And idolatry is definitely one of the main things that God disapproves of all throughout the Scriptures. And images worshiped can be anything, including people, possessions, intellect, talent, entertainment, sports, music, movies, games, politicians, preachers, government heads, sports figures, entertainers, the news media, nations, people groups, products, and the like. It is anything we put above God in our lives, to which we are devoted.

But we are to give our worship (veneration, reverence, loyalty, devotion, honor, respect, and fidelity) to God above all others. He is to have first place in our hearts and minds. His word trumps the words of all human beings. He should have our time, our loyalties, and our affections above all else. And everyone and everything else in our lives should be tested against his word to see if they should even have part in our lives, and if so, how much.


Our God is a God of love, but he is also a God of justice who judges his people and the people of this earth and the nations. He makes just and righteous decisions about the deeds of mankind. And he separates the “sheep” from the “goats.” He knows who are his true sheep and who are not, for his true sheep pay attention to his words and they follow him in obedience to his commands in holy living (see John 10:27; Luke 9:23-26).

So, all of us who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, who claim to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, we are to be those who hate evil in all its various forms. And evil is anything that is opposed to God and to his moral laws and to his divine character and will for our lives. So we are to hate all immorality, dishonesty, trickery, faithlessness (to God, to spouse), and the worship of what is not God.

For his word teaches us that the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, trains us to renounce (say “No” to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (see Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:10).

For if sin is what we practice, and not the righteousness of God, and not obedience to his word and to his commands (New Covenant), then we are not in fellowship with God, we don’t know God, we are not born of God, but we are of the devil. And we will not inherit eternal life with God if this is the course we continue on, and if we do not turn from our sins to follow our Lord in obedience in steadfastness of spirit and practice until the very end.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

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Traditionally Christians have been buried because the scriptures speak of those lying in the grave rising on the last day which implies burial. And Israelites were buried rather than cremated. But in more recent times cremation has become the norm for various reasons. Is it consistent with the holy scriptures (full 73 book canon) to cremate a Christian instead of bury them?

So what happens to the person who believes a faith based salvation, but lives a Holy righteous life, and repented of every sin and died in a sinless state?

Can a sinless state be achieved?

Does the person who believed that works had nothing to do with going to heaven not make it, or is that only for the ones who lived in sin?

Maybe the off shore wind turbines ain't a good idea after all?

Please pray for me and my partner. We are having issues in our relationship that might break us apart. She is a believer. There are some toxic traits that I have that I need to work on. Please pray for me, but also the relationship to be healthy, blessed, and to remain firm. Please also pray that God remains the focus.

I wonder how left wing liberals in the media and the government will react to these endorsements?

I've had a rough few months. I found out that my niece is some kind of witch/Satanist and has been for years. My atheist sister hassled me over Christmas for talking to my grandson about the nativity. My boyfriend of 12 years just broke up with me (which might be a good thing by the way he treated me the last few years). But, it's stressful nevertheless.
Please pray that I have some peace in my life considering I'm on a rollercoaster right now.
Thanks.

Maersk cargo is rerouting and avoiding the red sea. Cargo is more valuable than oil in cost. Going to increase prices because of time and now insurance.
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I know this verse doesn’t mean we shouldn’t associate with unbelievers but does this verse mean we shouldn’t be friends with unbelievers or close friends with unbelievers or we shouldn’t have business with them ?