This statement was made by one of our members - it was posted in the devotional section which doesn't allow for replies or questioning.

The use of this devotional forum for promoting controversial opinion is questionable.

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"Statistics have it that up to 75% of Christian men are regularly engaged in viewing sexually explicit videos and images and movies, which includes up to 35% (or higher) of pastors. And many women and children are following suit. So sexual immorality in the church is huge! But this is the “elephant in the room” that most people don’t want to talk about, and if you do, you are regarded as the enemy."
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Such a claim needs to be referenced so we can see who made the 'statistic' and how.

When ever a statistic says 'up to X%' it sounds more like advertising an agenda than a scientific conclusion.

So for me the quote does not sound very scientific.

Can anyone confirm this claim with solid evidence please.

Romans 8:28-30 says, “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” To the extent there would be varying degrees in terms of the magnitude of what a person is called for that ends in being justified and glorified, this passage applies to each of us.

God does not verbally tell us of His Plans for us; He communicates through our hearts. Our awareness of His knocking on our hearts can be likened to the extent of our awareness of entertaining angels in the Context of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Hebrews 13:2. Better to be safe by being sober and upright enough to receive God in our hearts.

But how may Romans 8:28-30 apply to Joseph in Genesis 37-Genesis 50? Well, those Chapters tell us that Joseph’s brothers, out of their jealousy of him, leave him by the roadside to be at the mercy of whoever comes by. Is this not a form of evil, to abandon your brother? You may ask yourselves at this point, how does this work for good, for Joseph or anyone else? Glad you asked, since Joseph himself provides the answer.

In Genesis 50:19-20, Joseph, whose brothers were before him in his capacity as an Overseer over the land of Egypt as appointed by the Pharoah in Genesis 41:41 (It’s a long story between Josephs being thrown by the wayside and his being appointed Overseer by the Pharoah, but you can look it up!) and who remembered what his brothers did to him and have asked for his forgiveness, says to his brothers “...As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Joseph was referring to helping Egypt deal with the famine in the land by ensuring that Egypt had enough food for themselves and in neighboring lands. This is the “good” that turned out as a result of the evil, to the “thing” if you will, that Joseph’s brothers wronged on him.

Is there a lesson here? The lesson is that God may call on anyone for extraordinary things, but you must love Him to get the message. Another lesson may be that before you sink your head and wallow in self-pity for something bad that was done for you, or before you seek revenge, consider God’s purpose for you and how what happened to you fits in with His Plans for you.

Did Joseph love God? The Bible doesn’t say. Then again, from what we know of John 21:25, there’s a lot of things the Bible doesn’t say. But what the Bible does say is that “The Lord was with Joseph” from Genesis 39:2 on, ensuring that he was cared and provided for in any situation thereafter. There must have been SOME love exchanged between God and Joseph, and others as well, culminating in a good turnout for Joseph and others.

Recently, I had an encounter with Mormon missionaries, and I felt compelled to engage in a conversation with them. After exchanging contact information, I took it upon myself to delve into the works of Peter Mogila and Philaret Drozdov in preparation for our next interaction. It intrigued me to discover that these notable figures in Eastern Orthodox Christianity were often accused of having been influenced by Western thought. While I may not possess a theological or intellectual background to pinpoint the exact presence of scholasticism in their catechisms, it is evident to some that such influences played a significant role in their teachings.

You probably remember that Moses and his brother Aaron were partners as they led the Children of Israel out of Egypt and tried to bring them to the Promised Land. A series of passages tell us that Aaron and his sons were consecrated as priests. They were given the task of taking care of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, as well as making sacrifices to God. It was their job to instruct the people in the Ten Commandments and God’s law.

Aaron had four sons. If there is any such thing as predestination, it looks like the five men appointed by God as the original Jewish priests at the founding of the priesthood would be predestined to heaven. It doesn’t turn out that way.

After being called to serve as holy priests, two of Aaron’s sons die when they are burned with fire “from the presence of the Lord.”

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in
them and added incense; and they offered unauthorised fire
before the LORD, contrary to his command.
So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and
consumed them, and they died before the LORD.
Leviticus 10:1-2 NIV


it, and laid incense on it; and they offered unholy fire before the LORD,
such as he had not commanded them. And fire came out from the
presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

Nadab and Abihu took their censers and,
strewing incense on the fire they had put
in them, they offered up before the
LORD profane fire, such as he had not
authorized.
Fire therefore came forth from the
LORD'S presence and consumed them,

As requested by popular demand I give you the dull thread. For all things dull. Post dull things. Be dull. Be boring. We won't judge. Or don't post & all so there's no activity which is dull. All the dullness your heart desires + more! Now in 1 easy thread.

Do you think that Christianity improves economic wellbeing?

In the scriptures there are passages that say things about economics.
What is said is controversial according to many.

In the scriptures there are passages that say things about laws and freedom.
How will countries that are poor benefit or not from scriptural teaching?

Psalms 25:4-5,10,19-21 ESV


If we are genuine believers in Jesus Christ, then we are his followers, his disciples. And if we are not his disciples, then we don’t truly know him. It is what he taught and what his NT apostles taught, that to know Christ as our Lord and Savior is to walk in his ways and in his truth, and it is not to just give lip service to him. So, we can’t just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and then continue to walk in sin and in the ways of this sinful world.

So, when this says that all the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, this promise is for those of us who are keeping (obeying) his covenant (New Covenant) and his testimonies (the teachings of Christ and of the NT apostles, and the gospel of our salvation, and the teachings of the prophets of old, where they apply to our lives). For all the Lord’s promises to us have spiritual and biblical conditions (stipulations).

So, then, who are our foes (our enemies, our opposition)? They are all those who are enemies of the cross of Christ. And who are they? They are all who will not submit to the Cross of Christ, who refuse to give up their sinful practices, and who refuse to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands under the New Covenant. They will not deny self and die daily to sin and walk in obedience to his commands for they want to still be their own lord.

So they will not only oppose the truth of the gospel, but they may also come against us if what we are teaching is the truth of the gospel. For it appears that so much of what is called “church” here in America has gone the way of the world, and so they have altered and diluted the gospel of Christ to make it more attractive and acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly of this world, so that they can draw in large crowds of people to their “churches.”

Thus, they will also not deal with rampant sin in the church biblically, but so many of them will, instead, coddle the deliberate and habitual sinners in their sin while treating the righteous as though they are the enemy. And this is all backwards, but it is because so many professers of faith in Jesus Christ have now adopted the ways of the world, and so they are also dealing with sin in much the same ways as the ungodly do, but not biblically.

But we who believe in Jesus Christ, in truth and in righteousness, are to be people of integrity and uprightness who follow the teachings of Christ and of his NT apostles, which are for us who profess faith in Jesus Christ. We are to be living godly and holy lives, to the glory of God, in his power and strength, and we are to no longer be walking in sin, deliberately and habitually sinning against God and not living in purity of devotion to our Lord.

[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]

Video Talk:
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My Sheep

An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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This is about as embarrassing as you can get...House Dems support Adam Schiff. Unbelievable. He betrayed his oath of office and lied to the American people...

What is called popular music today is a vitiated compilation of depravity. I'm sure most here know that. But it is still very encouraging to find artists that are spiritual and sing of great subjects and use their talents to God's purpose. Here is one that found its way to my suggested viewing. From a comment in the video: " ... Her style is elegant, luxurious, and delicately feminine. Grace be her habit; blessing be her garment; dignity be her abode ...". We need to support the good ones or we won't have any.

This song is called Popular Music. It is about normal courtship of man and woman and concluding with marriage.

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I am reading in Jeremiah 23

This writing is concerning the shepherds of God’s people and those who preach lies to the people and who themselves are living in adultery and in disobedience to the Lord Jesus. They destroy and scatter the sheep of God’s pasture. And how is this taking place today? They are preaching lies to the people, they are diluting the gospel to make it more appeasing to human flesh, and they are pushing away those who are living righteously, and they are treating the righteous as though they are the enemy while they embrace those who are living wickedly, and they are giving them permission to sin.


They are teaching lies to the people, some of which come out of the mouths of false prophets and those who are living in sexual immorality and who are giving people carte blanche to do likewise.


And that is exactly what is happening in what appears to be the majority of the gatherings of what is called “church” here in America today. For they are turning evil for good and good for evil so that if you teach the biblical requirement for repentance and walks of obedience to our Lord in holy living, you are now the enemy. And those who are giving the people the freedom to keep on in their adulteries have now become the heroes.


And please know here that to prophesy is not just future telling. It means to proclaim, to preach. So this includes all those who call themselves preachers or ministers of the gospel who are teaching lies to the people. And from what I understand, they are in the majority here in America, not in the minority. For they are telling the people that all that is required is that they make a confession of faith in Christ Jesus and now all their sins are forgiven (past, present, and future) and heaven is now guaranteed them upon death.

But the Scriptures do not teach that, not in context. Jesus Christ and his NT apostles taught that we must die with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and that we must walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant), in practice, and that holy and godly living should now be our practice, and sin should no longer be our practice. For if sin is our practice and righteousness and obedience to God are not what we practice, then we will not inherit eternal life, and heaven is not our eternal destiny.

[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]


And that is the essence of the gospel of our salvation, that we must turn away from our sinful lifestyles and we must be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and now we must walk in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord and no longer walk in sin.


And this is where so many professing Christians are today, by their own admission to somebody, for statistics have it that up to 75% of Christian men are regularly engaged in viewing sexually explicit videos and images and movies, which includes up to 35% (or higher) of pastors. And many women and children are following suit. So sexual immorality in the church is huge! But this is the “elephant in the room” that most people don’t want to talk about, and if you do, you are regarded as the enemy.

But the Scriptures do not take the same stance that so many who call themselves Christians today are taking with regard to habitual and deliberate sin, and especially in this area of sexual immorality and adultery. These have become so commonplace that they are being accepted as normal, and in some cases even encouraged. But it appears very few take seriously what 1 Corinthians 5 teaches on this subject, that if they continue in deliberate and habitual sin that heaven will not be their resting place.

So, we need to be people of God who take God and his word seriously, and who do not coddle people in their sins, but who are telling them that they must turn from their sinful practices and now obey God or else they will end up in hell and not heaven, regardless of what faith their lips profess. For this is what the Scriptures teach (see noted Scriptures above). And if we tell the people lies to make them feel good, and we do not tell them the truth, and if they embrace the lies and not the truth, then they will end up in hell. But we should want them to be truly saved and to be in heaven one day.

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

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A fascinating piece on the importance of supervision for those in ministry, here: Professional supervision after the Royal Commission

I think the key paragraph is probably this one:
"Supervision makes visible practices of power and influence, and guarantees a conversation about power in a discursive space. The effect of supervision, if used consistently and authentically, is it ensures that it’s harder to misuse power — not because the supervisor seeks to control, but because supervision offers the space for a person to understand their power, to ensure they do no harm and can become informed so as to withdraw consent from situations in which they are experiencing harm.

From my experience, supervision breeds cultural safety."

My own experience would suggest that this is the ideal, but whether or not that happens is very hit and miss. I'd be interested in others' take on it, and how else we might do the same kind of work effectively?

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 ESV


If we are walking in fellowship with Jesus Christ, and if we are sharing the truth of the gospel, the whole counsel of God, as Paul said that he did, we are going to have enemies, as he did, too, and as Jesus had. For Satan hates Jesus Christ and his gospel and those who represent Jesus Christ in this evil world of ours in sharing the whole counsel of God with the people of this world and with others who profess faith in Jesus Christ.

Especially if we are at all like Paul and like Jesus, which we are supposed to be, in how we present the gospel of Christ (the whole counsel of God), so that we give the whole picture of what it means to be saved from our sins, then definitely the enemy is going to be hot on our trail. And if we are exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are, which again we are all supposed to be doing, then we are definitely being targeted.

And for those of us who are doing this full time, as being led by the Lord, we need your prayers big time! For Satan is fighting against us right and left. And he doesn’t always do what he does outward, but a lot of it is sneaky, underhanded, and deceptive, as he uses other humans as his instruments of attack against the righteous and against those who are telling the people of this world the truth so that they will repent and obey the Lord Jesus.

And we need prayer that the Lord will protect us from enemy attacks so that we can continue to spread the truth of the gospel so that many will be saved before our Lord returns. For the enemy of our souls is looking for any way possible that he can to trip us up with our words so that he would have cause to accuse us, just as he did with Jesus and the NT apostles and the prophets before them and the saints of God who have gone before us, too.

So, pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not all who claim to have faith in Jesus Christ truly have faith, and many are those who are opposing us strongly. Some of them are pastors and elders in gatherings of the church or in what is falsely being called “church.” And some of them are just those who attend what are called “church gatherings,” most of which, it seems, are not biblical gatherings of the body of Christ.

For who were Jesus’ strongest opponents? They were rulers and teachers of the Scriptures in the temple of God and/or they were people of enormous influence in the Jewish faith who professed faith in God the Father, and thus they should have been waiting for their promised Messiah to come. So we should not be surprised if our strongest enemies are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ and who attend what are called “church gatherings.”

And then remember that the Scriptures teach that the evil and the wicked are those who make a practice of evil and wickedness. They are those who make a practice of sin. And righteousness, godliness, the forsaking of sins, and walks of obedience to our Lord are not what they practice. So they can easily be those who make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ outwardly but who are still living for sin and self privately when no one is watching.

But the Lord is faithful! Amen! And this doesn’t mean that he won’t let us be hated and persecuted. He will! His word teaches us that if we follow Jesus with our lives, in truth, and in practice, that we will be hated and persecuted as Jesus was hated and persecuted. And we will have people who are plotting evil against us to try to destroy us and to take us down because they don’t want us spreading the truth of gospel and calling out sin.

So, when this says that our Lord will guard us against the evil one, that is not a promise that no evil will befall us, i.e. that evil people will not ever be able to harm us. Because that would be contradictory to what we are taught in the Scriptures that we will be hated and persecuted and even killed for our walks of faith in the Lord Jesus and for our testimonies for him and for his gospel message. And Jesus and Paul are definitely examples of that.

So, how should we take that promise? I believe it is more of a spiritual protection from the evil one. He will keep us from falling, if we are willing, and if we are cooperating with his work of grace in our lives. He will keep us from getting discouraged and giving up, if we trust him with our lives. And he will give us all the strength and wisdom we need to combat our enemies if we rely on his strength and wisdom and not on our own thinking.

So, please know that following Jesus Christ involves the fact that we will be hated and persecuted for righteousness’ sake. So don’t let that take you out. Trust the Lord with your lives, lean on him for support, and don’t try to get your validation from other humans who may just as well turn against you “on a dime,” with little to no warning at all. And these are people who may be pretending to be your friends and even on your side. But have no fear!

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

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23BURKINA FASO​

Burkina Faso has risen from number 32 to number 23 on the World Watch List. Across the country, violence against Christians is increasing, as is pressure – particularly on the Church and from the community.
Jihadist activity is expanding and many churches and Christian schools are being forced to close. The targeting and killing of Christians have created an environment of fear, with many Christians being too scared to attend church services or send their children to school. Jihadist groups are also replacing the government in areas under their control, so have the power to withhold social services. The threat from extremist Islamic groups has even spread to cities that were previously beyond their reach. There are over a million internally displaced people in Burkina Faso, a significant number of whom are Christians who have fled the rising jihadist violence.
Meanwhile, in addition to being targeted by jihadists, Believers from Muslim Backgrounds face enormous pressure from families and communities to renounce their faith. Many are afraid to express their faith in public because of such threats.

Meet “Salamata”​

“Your prayers have changed many things in my life. I received joy and peace in my heart. Please, keep on praying for me. It does bring change.”
Salamata, whose pastor was killed in attack by Islamic militants

Please pray​

• That God will heal and comfort all those severely traumatised and affected by jihadist attacks .
• For continued wisdom and provision for Open Doors local partners as they seek to serve those who are being persecuted.
• For the protection of believers and local partners in the country, and for strength to stand firm in their faith.

I am a 37 year old male. What is the best group in here to connect with like minded who burns for Jesus?

"Double predestination" vs "Single predestination"

2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 ESV


In America, leisure and entertainment are consuming many people’s lives. Some people who could work live off the government. Some people who do work for pay are still lazy and slothful, and in their spare time they relax and watch TV and play games and entertain themselves. Some people who are retired from their jobs and who live off of retirement, which they paid into, feel that this is their time to just relax and to be entertained.

As Christians, we are to work for the Lord. We are to serve him with our lives. There really should not be any such thing as full retirement for the follower of Christ, for they should be working for the Lord and for the benefit of other people instead of just relaxing and being entertained so much. And I am not saying we can’t relax or that we can’t enjoy a table game or some good music or a wholesome play of some kind. But we shouldn’t be idle.

We shouldn’t be people who are wasting away what time we have left on this earth being entertained consistently. We should be those who are doing the work of the Lord which he has called us to do, to take the gospel message of our salvation to the people of this world, and to minister to the body of Christ as the Scriptures instruct us to do, and to minister to the needs of other people who legitimately are in need and can’t help themselves.

And, although the Scriptures teach us to be generous, we need to be people of discernment in our giving to make certain of where that money is going and what it is being used for, for there are so many scam artists out there these days, and some of them are charitable organizations. And so some of them are not using the money the way they claim, and the money is not even getting to the people in need, in some cases, or very little is.

So, we should not be idle people who are living for ourselves and who are taking advantage of others, which is what this passage is implying, I believe. For it seems as though people were feeding those who refused to work and who were idle, and so the instructions here are not to do that. If someone can stand outside in the rain, snow, and extreme heat all day long begging, it seems to me they are strong enough and healthy enough to get a job.

And I am not hardhearted, neither am I unsympathetic to people’s genuine needs. My husband and I are both generous people. But what this passage is teaching, at least from a Christian standpoint, is that we should not be feeding those who are unwilling to work, if they are physically able to work. For we are not helping them any. We are teaching them that it is okay to take advantage of others while they do nothing to earn their keep.

And this is also teaching that we, as followers of Christ, are not to be lazy and idle people who do not work at something to help others and to minister to their needs, and who are not using their time wisely and for the Lord. We are to be working for the Lord, whether at a paid job or a volunteer job and in doing the work of the ministry to which our Lord called us. And our lives should be focused outward on the needs of others and not inward only.

For the Lord did not put us on this earth to entertain and to be entertained incessantly. Life is not to be about having fun all the time. We are to take our Lord and his word and his commands (New Covenant) seriously, and we are to be walking in them and in truth and righteousness. And we should be doing the work that God has called us to do written down for us in the Scriptures, which is to live for the Lord and not for ourselves.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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Hi Everyone,

I don’t know where to begin this post…but I guess I will start with the most recent. My wife and I have dated for 6 years, were married last October, and she now wants a divorce.

We both moved from Florida to South Carolina and lived separately for 2 years - this was the first time we lived on our own! Then she had managed to buy a home in which we lived together a year prior to marriage. I know this was wrong, and we both knew - unfortunately, there was no financially suitable way we could have lived apart. Because of this, the church we were attending refused to marry us.
Fast forward to now, the only reason I am getting for this divorce is because I “do not do ENOUGH around the house” and she does not feel “validated in her emotions with me.” I have been a complete wreck for the past month since this started as she has completely separated from me, sleeps in the other room, and has sneaked around with friends. Her behavior has been very unusual the past few months as well.
I need to add that the past 4 months have been very stressful as I have crippling anxiety. I was going through medication changes and this caused me to go through withdrawals, crying, panic attacks - it was horrific. The entire time, my wife was very unsupportive and even would blame my medical issue on why she’s not happy.
I don’t want to go into all of the details. But, I did make one mistake in all of this. I reached out to her friends/coworkers to see if there was anything “going on” or “cheating” that they knew of. This immediately spread like wildfire as she’s in EMS…
I went to her parents for advice the first weekend after she said she would like a divorce and they completely cut me down personally, physically, spiritually, and even ragged on my job and family. I then reached out to a friend we had met when first moving up here - he is in the church body and is always “looked up to.” I called him for advice and he told me that when he first met me he thought I was a “narcissist, controlling, and prideful.” He wouldn’t even let me talk and even said “stop blowing smoke up my (expletive)” and, “stop defending yourself, you (expletive) up”. I was in shock. I’m still in shock. Everyone who knows me personally can not believe what is happening…

I’ve been praying and praying for comfort and guidance as this may force me to go back to Florida. I have people who tell me it sounds like she’s cheating. I have others who say it sounds like she’s “snapped” (which some in her family are bipolar and controlling). I’m so hurt, lost, confused, angry…I have a Christian counselor I have been working with who is amazing. But has anyone gone through this? And what does God say about the WIFE ending a marriage? I have tried everything in my power to get her back, but she is already gone. She has started buying workout stuff, new clothes…it’s scaring me so much because it is all so sudden and not the woman I married before God.

Though it's not getting much attention, some countries are rolling back the restrictions they had on off-label prescribing of Ivermectin (the prescription drug at the center of a lot of controversy from 2021-2022). (the US removed a lot of the restrictions in late 2022 without much fanfare)

I think that whole situation was handled rather poorly. While there were no studies showing that it was particularly effective against covid, I think efforts to limit all off-label prescribing (as well convince a large segment of the population that it was somehow only a veterinary medicine) was rather short sighted.

It still was useful for things like rosacea, head lice, and certain parasitic infections and some doctors regularly used it off label (with success) for various dermatological conditions.

I think creating a stigma around a drug that's useful for other things probably wasn't the right way to go. With regards to covid, I think they also made a mistake by purposely constructing studies later in the game with the clear intent of "proving that it doesn't work".

The right approach would've been to not call it a horse dewormer and to do an honest clinical trial to show that it was a sub-par therapeutic compared to monoclonal antibodies, instead, I think they strengthened some people's resolve in trying to defend it as a covid treatment by not being honest in their approach to discourage it. Now when a dermatologist prescribes it for something legit, some people are going to falsely assume their doctor is a quack.

Hello. I am 18F. When I was younger, I was very studious. But, I was also really ugly even if I still think I am. It was bad when I was in high school. I was fat, I had crooked teeth, I still have a huge forehead and thin eyebrow. But all that didnt matter to me because I just kept on foucing on Jesus and school. I got called ugly by own friend and I got asked out as a joke while eveyone laughed at me and told me I was super unattractive. This kept going until last year of high school . I didnt fit in with the popular girl and they teased me asking me if I ever had a bf or if I had sexually active. Obviously not. One day, I decided that I wanted to fit in the beauty standard.I spent 2 hours at the gym everyday and I ate very very small portion. I got so sick of eating food with calories. I was anorexic. But, a random man at the gym told me I was attractive and I got super confused because I am not.When I went to college, a friend kept on telling me I was pretty which confused me even more.So, I started to give more care about my looks. I started to wear makeup. trying to look less ugly. I spent hours trying to look less like the kid that got bullied in high school . Stuff like school and how smart I was didnt matter to me anymore.I wanted to fit in with the world.I installed dating apps just for some validation. I hang out with the popolar kids and they just talked about boys and sex/My grades started to get really bad. I got lazy and depressed.Today, I realize that I do not care about being pretty and fitting in the beauty standard all that matter is Jesus and my education because I am wasting my intelligence and all my talents. I also do not know why I cant be pretty and be smart and religious, in my head I cant not try to be pretty and smart. Maybe some of you will ask why cant you try to be both, idk I cant be both.Theres nothing I can do to change how huge my forehead is, how crooked my nose is unless I have surgery. Even when random men tell me Im pretty. I cant believe it. I do not care about that anymore so its ok .I just want some prayers because I decided to apply to a program. I want to change my life and stop being superficial. I want to be in Christ more than anything because he never judge my looks. He was always with me, but I decided to ignore him due to my own selfishness. Im just asking yall if any of you struggle with what I struggled and what books I can read in the bible , what can I do to be more in christ.

This formula also makes mass eternal stuff not dependent on time …

Mass (m) = Energy (E/c2)

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In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus talks about the will of the Father. There is only one other place in the Bible where Jesus talks about the will of the Father and that is John 6:37-40.

In John 6:37-40 we learn that not one of God's sheep will be lost and that the Father's will is that all who truly believe in Jesus will be saved.

Now I've heard of many wills of the Father from preachers and youtubers and across my scripture studies on the internet. It's very popular in these circles to make up something that is meant here and almost every preacher and person I've come across almost never talks about John 6:37-40 as the definitive proof text as to just what Matthew 7:21-23 means. Why is that? I mean, it couldnt be any clearer the passage means just what Jesus has said from the beginning. That there are sheep and there are goats. The sheep are forever saved the goats are not.

So why doesn't virtually anyone go by what Jesus says in John 6:37-40? Even Paul Washer teaches something different in his sermons. I'm not calling these people heretics or false prophets. I'm just wondering why virtually nobody teaches people what scripture says about the Will of the Father. Why does almost everyone talk about something completely different. I mean the will of the Father is right there in black and white for everyone to see. Everyone who is in the book of life that was written before the foundation of the world will be saved. EVERYONE. Everyone that is not in the book Jesus will deny on the day of Judgemenr. Its very simple. The Bible isn't cryptic and Jesus did not leave us with no word of God to go with.

So why do we all come up with our own interpretations of scripture and call some of the saved not saved? Or call some of the lost saved? It makes no sense. It just doesnt.

Hebrews 1:2 is often translated to say God made the worlds through Christ. Sometimes it even says universe.

Why would it they choose to translate it as "worlds "when the actual word in Hebrews 1:2 is aiōnas and it refers to a period of time? The word for the physical world is something entirely different.

For those who deny inherited guilt is spoken of in Romans 5:12 and that we inherit a sin nature, but not guilt for Adam's sin. What do you do with the ending of the verse that says, "because ALL sinned"? Thanks

I go into the parks quite regular and tell people the Gospel. When I do this, I have a script that I have memorised.
Now when it comes to how a person is saved, I have always said this,
"First, you need to believe that Jesus died on the cross for you. That he died in your place for your sins. And then, you need to repent. That is to tell God how sorry you are and then turn from your sins. Don’t be the hypocrite who says he is a changed man but then continues in his sin. If you do this, and you truly mean it, God can wash you clean and grant you everlasting life as a free gift."

I realise that if you have a true belief in God, that he died in your place for your sins, then you will also naturally honour Him. But I was thinking, should I add that we should always put God first? If so, this would be the wording: (extra in bold)

"First, you need to believe that Jesus died on the cross for you. That he died in your place for your sins. And then, you need to repent. That is to tell God how sorry you are and then turn from your sins. Don’t be the hypocrite who says he is a changed man but then continues in his sin. Lastly, always put God first in everything you do. Honour Him with your life. If you do this, and you truly mean it, God can wash you clean and grant you everlasting life as a free gift."

So, do I add the bold that we should put God first or not?
Personally, I think so but what are your thoughts.

Do you think the root of this particular social issue is that we've intermingled civil and religious marriage and in so doing we've philosophically combined the two in our collective consciousness when they're not the same concepts?

With that in mind, I've heard that New Zealand has essentially separated the secular and legal status from the sacramental. In other words, every Kiwi couple regardless of their religion or sexuality enters a civil union in the eyes of the government, all the necessary documents are signed to make it official and legitimate. Then, on a separate occasion religious couples can hold a wedding within their respective traditions.

Is this even possible as Catholics or is this sacramentally a non-starter? If the Church sees this as acceptable then it seems like the best possible way to protect marriage and the LGBT mob still gets what they want (which is some sense of equality with actually married people).