I just heard of a book: The Martyrdom of Thomas Merton: An Investigation By Hugh Turley and David Martin
I probablay wont read it but I will read all the reviews.


"In Part 3, entitled “The Enemies of the Truth,” Turley and Martin accuse Mott and other biographers as well as Merton’s monastic colleagues for selling Merton short. They contend that the United States government deemed Merton sufficiently dangerous that they plotted and carried out Merton’s death to silence his voice against war and for social justice. They conclude: Contrary to the common view, there is really no mystery about how Merton died. The best evidence indicates beyond any serious doubt that Merton was murdered. It’s a simple fact that the average person is far more likely to be murdered than to be killed by an electric fan, and Merton was no average person. The story that a fan killed Merton is so preposterous that a series of fantastic stories have had to be invented to make it believable. . . . Who did it and why? . . . The CIA had the motive and they had the means."

The move has caused a storm on social media, with users blasting the Biden administration for 'anti-Catholic bigotry' and 'blasphemy.'

ROME (LifeSiteNews) — The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See has once again prominently displayed the LGBT “pride” flag on the exterior of the large building it occupies in central Rome, in direct defiance of Catholic teaching on LGBT issues.

In a message issued on its social media platforms, the U.S. Embassy announced June 1 that for the month the nation “celebrates Pride Month.”

The embassy “stands with the LBGTQI+ community against discrimination and other forms of persecution because of who they are and whom they love,” adds the message.

In the tweet, an image is displayed of the LGBT “Progress Pride” flag hanging on the outside of the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See’s building.

Continued below.

2 Corinthians 10:1-6 ESV


All of us who are followers of Jesus Christ are to be ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It should be our lifestyle, our practice, to be sharing with others the message of the gospel as taught by Jesus and by the New Testament apostles. And as followers of Christ we are all part of the body of Christ, and so we are all to be ministering to one another, according to the Scriptures, in encouraging, exhorting, urging, provoking, and instructing one another in our walks of faith and in obedience to our Lord.

And even though we are not all in positions of authority over others within the gatherings of the church, this doesn’t mean we are any less responsible for the spiritual growth of our fellow believers, not that we have any control over what they do, but that we are to be encouraging them away from following after the sinful cravings of the flesh and toward walks of holiness and righteousness, in obedience to our Lord. In other words, we are to look out for one another to help one another to maturity in Jesus Christ.

[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]

Nonetheless, we live in a day and time and in a Christian culture, at least here in America we do, when these biblical instructions to us are largely being ignored and shunned and regarded as taboo. And we are being taught to “stay in your own lane” and to not offend anyone with the truth of the gospel, and to only say to people what they regard as positive and to not talk about sin, repentance, obedience, and judgment, for those are all considered “negative.” For they want the “feel-good” messages, instead.

But actually, this is nothing new, for the prophets of old faced this where the people were telling them to stop telling them what they did not want to hear, and when the people told them, instead, to say pleasant things to them. And the apostle Paul faced some similar criticism as that, too. And we will, as well, if we take these instructions to us in the Scriptures seriously, and if we literally are putting those instructions into practice. And that is because following these biblical instructions to us is not socially acceptable.

Thus, if we are true servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, like Paul was, and if we follow these biblical instructions to us (in the verses listed above), we are likely to come under some of the same criticism as Paul faced, and as Jesus faced, and as the prophets before them faced. And we may have to come to our own defense, too, at times, when we are being falsely accused of things we did not do or say. For that is what Paul was doing here, as recorded for us in this passage of Scripture.

And, in our day and time, we will have to defend ourselves against the lies because so many people are believing the lies, and not the truth, and so they are convinced that we are in the wrong, and that they are in the right, even if the Scriptures themselves say otherwise. And I am not claiming that any of us are perfect people here, okay? I am just saying that, if we are genuinely teaching the truth of the Scriptures, we are going to come under criticism such as what Paul and Jesus and the prophets of old faced.

And then look at what he said here. He said that he, and the other apostles, I presume, were in the practice of destroying arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and they took every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. And this should be what describes us, too. But, again, our Christian culture speaks ill of people who make this their practice and who exhort other believers to walk in holiness and in obedience to the Lord. So, if we do this, we should expect to be persecuted for it.

[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]

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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Pope Francis pointed out that one way to picture the Holy Trinity is to think of ‘the image of a family gathered around the table, where life is shared.’

VATICAN CITY — Each time that a Catholic makes the sign of the cross, it is a reminder that God is a communion of love, Pope Francis said Sunday.

Speaking on the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the Pope highlighted how the simple gesture that Catholics are taught as children is a sign of the central mystery of Christian faith.

“By tracing the cross on our body, we remind ourselves how much God loved us, to the point of giving his life for us; and we repeat to ourselves that his love envelops us completely, from top to bottom, from left to right, like an embrace that never abandons us,” Pope Francis said on June 4.

“Yes, brothers and sisters, our God is a communion of love: this is how Jesus revealed him to us,” he added.

Continued below.

The prostitute is a wicked man's Sexual Fantasy.


*Many wicked men visits her city.

*She can transfigure into any woman a wicked man desires.

*Through her, a fatherless child is born.

*Because of her, wife becomes widow.

*She is an idol created by a wicked man.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:14-15

“Suppose someone should be caught in the act of adultery and the foulest crimes and then be thrown into prison. Suppose, next, that judgment was going to be passed against him and that he would be condemned. Suppose that just at that moment a letter should come from the Emperor setting free from any accounting or examination all those detained in prison. If the prisoner should refuse to take advantage of the pardon, remain obstinate and choose to be brought to trial, to give an account, and to undergo punishment, he will not be able thereafter to avail himself of the Emperor’s favor. For when he made himself accountable to the court, examination, and sentence, he chose of his own accord to deprive himself of the imperial gift.

This is what happened in the case of the Jews. Look how it is. All human nature was taken in the foulest evils. “All have sinned,” says Paul. They were locked, as it were, in a prison by the curse of their transgression of the Law. The sentence of the judge was going to be passed against them. A letter from the King came down from heaven. Rather, the King himself came. Without examination, without exacting an account, he set all men free from the chains of their sins.

All, then, who run to Christ are saved by his grace and profit from his gift. But those who wish to find justification from the Law will also fall from grace. They will not be able to enjoy the King’s loving-kindness because they are striving to gain salvation by their own efforts; they will draw down on themselves the curse of the Law because by the works of the Law, no flesh will find justification.

What does this mean? That he has justified our race not by right actions, not by toils, not by barter and exchange, but by grace alone. Paul, too, made this clear when he said: “But now the justice of God has been made manifest apart from the Law.” But the justice of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ and not through any labor and suffering.” Chrysostom on Justification, (347 – 407 AD) Discourses Against Judaizing Christians.

~~~

I've gotta admit. I'm the type of person that needs certainty. "Better safe than sorry" is a good phrase for most people, but I'm the type who will examine everything over and over and over, and never really have a sense of peace. Sometimes, nothing ever feels "safe". Sometimes, things never feel secure as they should. My mind can be exacting and restless. It has always been this way, though with other matters, for my faith has not always defined everything I do! But my God, the Lord Jesus Christ, has saved me from the punishment my sin warrants, and my life is built upon that!!

So, consequently, over a period of a few years, my restless thoughts found a new target: my faith. The accusations were, more specifically, this: how do you really know you have the actual Gospel? How can you know that God will really accept you?

I know I'm utterly tainted by sin. The only way I'm living and breathing is because of God and His living and active work in me, that is for sure. So each time I saw another argument about our participation in grace through our own merit... I felt sickened. The cognitive dissonance was not serving me well either: after all, how can grace- which, by definition, is undeserved love and kindness- be deserved or merited? How could one merit the unmerited?

Or have I just been interpreting it wrong the whole time?

These past several days, I can't lie, I have been utterly consumed by these thoughts. I have been struggling with- what Gavin Ortlund (from the channel Truth Unites) so eloquently dubbed- "ecclesial anxiety". I scored every resource imaginable on justification according to Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism, wondering if I had made the right choice. Each day I read patristic sources and arguments and debates. I remember the first night this started. I tend to question everything and search for resolutions to each problem immediately, but this one was different; I was spiraling. How could the Catholic church have dominated church history for so long, if it were truly obscuring the Gospel as I'm believing? What if I'm making the wrong choice?

I listened to arguments from all sides, and some were really helpful! (One great example is on the doctrinal development of icon veneration, here: Login to view embedded media )

However, I was not given a sense of lasting peace. I still woke up in the morning and felt unsettled, and the spiral continued the next day. I searched for certainty again and again and again.

No one can bring true, lasting peace but God. His Word strengthens me when I have no strength left.

One night, as is my custom, I played someone reading the Bible as I went to sleep. I asked my Alexa device, so I didn't choose any specific passage. I knew God was present then, though, in the passages I heard. They were passages about false prophets who distort the Gospel, and how we are to live in the grace of Christ!! How marvelous, how beautiful, how priceless is the Gospel message!

And our Savior Himself said: "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light".

This is my Savior... the pinnacle, the epitome of mercy. How great is our God! Who can be greater? Who is more merciful than He is, and who is more just than He is? He is perfect in everything.

I believe in the Lord Jesus, and by His wounds, by His sacrifice, I am healed of my sins.
We can trust the Word of God. It is breathed out by God. What can contradict it? We can trust God and His Word with our lives.

I hope this was of help and was a good reminder to others of our amazing salvation. Take heart! Our Savior has overcome the world. We are safe with Him, clothed in His righteousness by faith. That is a gift too precious to lose!

Thank you so much for reading. If you have any words of encouragement, my brothers and sisters, please share them! I struggled a lot with this. However, I know that I'm not alone in that!

May the God of peace bless you!! I love you guys!

I think this is the right forum...



I know I had a few tunes posted on the forums with my music, but I've since deleted them as best I could. I did this because they were instrumentals.

Genesis 4 tells us that the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes is Jubal, son of Lamech, son of Methushael, Son of Mehujael, son of Irad, son of Enoch, son of Cain.

Basically, I deleted those posts because I feared I was paying homage to the lineage of Cain by playing musical instruments.

How badly did I screw up by playing musical instruments?

The Bible is the woman. She foretold the coming of Our Lord.
The Crown is the phophet (Word)
The Sun is the Beginning (Alpha)
The Moon Is the the End (Omega)

Zechariah
Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever?
But did not my Words and my Decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?

Tennessee Woman Denied Abortion for Ectopic Pregnancy Was Left Infertile. Tennessee Woman Denied Abortion for Ectopic Pregnancy Was Left Infertile

A Tennessee woman who was denied an emergency abortion for her life-threatening ectopic pregnancy ultimately became infertile and was forced to have an emergency hysterectomy to save her life, ABC reported on Wednesday. The woman, Mayron Hollis, gave birth prematurely through a cesarean delivery, but for the last several months now, her infant has been in and out of the hospital as Hollis’ staggering medical bills continue to pile up.

Last summer, Hollis and her husband learned she was pregnant shortly after she’d just given birth to their first child in February 2022. The pregnancy concerned doctors, as she’d had a cesarean delivery and become pregnant again in a short amount of time, increasing the risk of a cesarean scar pregnancy—a type of ectopic pregnancy in which the embryo implants in the cesarean scar from a previous C-section.

Click to expand...

In Idaho of all places, a student was banned from participating in graduation for making the statement there are only two genders.

Which there are. It's a scientific fact.

Yet because he said so he was banned.
So kids being suspended for shirts stating biological facts and kids being banned from participating in graduation for stating biological facts. This is INSANE.

The gender ideology has gone too far. It's gone into the realm of punishing anyone who doesn't follow this ridiculous ideology.

There is no such thing as more than two genders. Why anyone would trust a pedophile abuser who made it up is beyond me.
And now we continue to punish young people for speaking truth. He also lost a job opportunity over it. It's reminiscent of what Lia Thomas' teammates were told, which was they would lose job opportunities if they spoke out against Thomas being in their locker room.

i've noticed a lot of Christians who are so caught up in rules that they forget to be loving to their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

I've noticed that people are willing to be loving to new believers or sinners, but when it comes to regular believers it is very strict and rules based when it comes to advice etc.

Why is it that the love first shown to other disciples when new quickly fades away as time goes on? When do we go from being forgiving like Jesus to following rules like Pharisees as time goes on? Why can't we maintain that love that The Holy Spirit i believe promotes to others.

You know the kind of love a mother would promote to a child when they mess up, why is that somehow gone.

Are we left to fend for ourselves as believers and pick up the scraps? i understand based on how i've been treated by other Christians why one would leave Christianity, and if I wasn't a disciple of Jesus and friend as well I too would have left, but that thinking is flawed to leave due to the problems of followers rather than the Person being followed Jesus.

Not that I’m leaving the RCC but my mom started out Baptist and wants to check this little country Church out. It’s the closest church to where I live out in the woods. I feel it’s the right thing to do. What do you think?

Do you guys believe in Free Will? Do you believe that we have free will but it is just that we all are so corrupt that we don't choose right? Because of this then it is up to God to have mercy on those he has mercy?

Also do you believe God causes/moves people to sin? What would you make of the below verse? i am just asking. Not too sure whose right on this.

james 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death

What would you make of this verse as well that states they are actively resisting the Holy Spirit:

Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Hello to all,
I'm Haria, and I'm a citizen of the World. I don't have a fixed country to live, but I hope I can find a home in here

Non-Biblical Sources used to or quoted in the Bible

Hebrews 11:37
New Catholic Bible
37 They were stoned,[a] or sawed in two, or put to death by the sword. They went about in skins of sheep or goats—destitute, persecuted, and tormented.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned: e.g., Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, who was put to death for stating the truth (see 2 Chr 24:20-22; Lk 11:51). Sawed in two: an ancient Jewish tradition said that Isaiah was killed in this way by order of King Manasseh.


"Doctor, heal yourself" was a proverb in use with the Jews and which is sometimes expressed thus, (Kvpn yoa lyz), "go heal thyself," and sometimes in this form, (Ktrgx yoa ayoa), "physician, heal thy lameness."

". . . for in Him [God] we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children'" (Acts 17:28).

, 'For we are also his offspring'--the first half of the fifth line, word for word, of an astronomical poem of Aratus

1 Corinthians 15:33, where we read,

"Do not be deceived," 'Bad company corrupts good morals,'” [or] 'Bad company ruins good manners' [alternate reading]

This quotation came from the Athenian writer Menander in his play Thais. Menander lived from 343-291 B.C. and was famous for his comedies.

"For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision [party], who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families [in Crete] teaching things they should not each for the sake of sordid gain. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith."

Also from Paul in the book of Acts comes the following:

"And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks'” (26:14).

The phrase “kick against the pricks” “comes from Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.), Agamemnon, line 1624--or lines 2341 & 2342 at (see Stewart Custer, Witness to Christ, BJU Press, p.164). We do not readily think of the risen Christ quoting a Greek playwright (in Hebrew, no less!), but since Paul's educational background likely included the study of the "Greek classics," Jesus used Paul's familiarity with the work of Aeschylus to reveal to Paul the futility of resisting His grace.

"The pricks" were the jabs the farmer gave the ox that was plowing a field whenever the animal would "rebel" by refusing to do its job. The farmer would take a goad, a sharpened implement of some sort, and jab/prick the ox to get its attention! The animal would soon get the point (pun intended) and not take as many rest breaks thereafter.

Jude (vss.14,15) quoted I Enoch 1:9

‘Bad company corrupts good character.’

Here the NIV footnote says, "From the Greek poet Menander"

Pagan authors quoted or alluded to:[21][22]

Menander, Thais 218 (1 Corinthians 15:33)
Epimenides, de Oraculis, (Titus 1–12:13, where Paul introduces Epimenides as "a prophet of the Cretans," see Epimenides paradox)
Aratus, Phaenomena 5, (Acts 17:28, where Paul refers to the words of "some of your own poets")
Non-canonical books quoted or alluded to:[21]

Book of Enoch (Jude 1:4, 1:6, 1:13, 1:14–15, 2 Peter 2:4; 3:13,[23][24] and John 7:38 [25]).
Apocryphon of Jannes and Jambres, according to Origen (2 Timothy 3:8 "... as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses")
Epistle to the Laodiceans (Colossians 4:16 "read the epistle from Laodicea")
Life of Adam and Eve (2 Corinthians 11:14 "Satan as an angel of light", 12:2 "Third Heaven")[26]
A lost section of the Assumption of Moses (2 Timothy 3:8, Jude 9 "Michael.. body of Moses")
Ascension of Isaiah (Hebrews 11:37 "they were sawn in two")
Paul's letter to the Corinthians before 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 5:9 "I wrote to you in my letter...")
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians before Ephesians (Ephesians 3:3 “As I wrote afore in few words...”)
An unknown messianic prophecy possibly from a non-canonical source, quoted in Matthew 2:23 that states "...he will be called a Nazorian." ("ὅτι Ναζωραῖος κληθήσεται"). "Nazorian" is typically rendered as "Nazarene" ("from Nazareth"), as in Acts 24:5, where Christians are referred to as "the sect of the Nazorians/Nazarenes" ("τῶν Ναζωραίων αἱρέσεως"). This is speculated[by whom?] to be a vague allusion to a quote about Samson in Judges 13:5 that uses a similar-sounding word: "the child shall be a Nazirite" (ναζιρ)
An unknown version of Genesis (possibly a targum, midrash or other commentary), quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:45, as a reference to Christ's being "the Last Adam who became a life-giving spirit" (οὕτως καὶ γέγραπται· Ἐγένετο ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος Ἀδὰμ εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν· ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδὰμ εἰς πνεῦμα ζῳοποιοῦν.). It has been speculated[by whom?] that Paul is simply paraphrasing Genesis 2:7, but there is no clear indication that this is not a complete quote.
An unknown text quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:9, suggested by Origen to be a lost apocryphal book:[27] "But as it is written, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him." This may also be an allusion to the similar Isaiah 64:4, "For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.'".[28]
An unknown messianic prophecy, possibly from a non-canonical source, quoted in Luke 24:46, speculated to be a vague allusion to Hosea 6:2:[29] "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day."
An unknown messianic prophecy, possibly from a non-canonical source, quoted in Mark 9:12, speculated[by whom?] to be a vague allusion to Isaiah 53: "and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought."

Assumption of Moses Jude 1:9

Assumption of Moses when he mentions Michael and Satan disputing over the body of Moses (Jude 1:9).

Get copies of

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament Hardcover – November 1, 2007
by D. A. Carson (Editor), G. K. Beale (Editor)

if you want to read the overwhelling evidence get a copy of Hellenistic Commentary to the New Testament

by M. Eugene Boring

The Book of Jehu: The Son of Hanani Paperback – August 3, 2015
by Ti Burtzloff (Author)

google the book of jehu pdf



‘Bad company corrupts good character.’

Here the NIV footnote says, "From the Greek poet Menander"

Pagan authors quoted or alluded to:[21][22]

Menander, Thais 218 (1 Corinthians 15:33)



The earliest written copies of The Book of Enoch come from the Dead Sea Scrolls - and date from 200BCE- 300 BCE.

other sources of information




I Enoch is a compilation of several separate works, most of which are apocalyptic. Its oldest portion is the “Apocalypse of Weeks,” written shortly before the Maccabean uprising of 167 BC against the Seleucids.

Jet fighters chase small plane in Washington D.C. area before it crashes



I love our military!

" Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, " - Benjamin Franklin


If I may tell you a quick little story about a 16 year-old church-going Christian youth who came crying home from her Bible-Belt Texas school several years ago. She was crying terribly because all her classmates told her the Bible was all myths. Her evangelical mom reached out to me for help. After briefly speaking to her(and later to many other evangelical church-going teenagers from different churches) I realized no one in her church was simply showing her how we can be sure that the Bible is true both historically and supernaturally. I spent just 15 minutes to prove to her and her Mom that the Bible is "really true" and they were super grateful. I felt humbled and happy at once. Their family will stay in Christ forever- which unfortunately is not the same case for a growing majority of evangelical church-going US youth. I will show you how I completely persuaded them that the Bible is true and how they could teach this to other Christian youth and combine this with 2 other important ideas to reach your amazing goal of bring your teens closer to Jesus in order to serve him deeply. But first I am going to show you my experience with the church-going evangelical youth isn't unique.
The American evangelist/apologist Josh Mcdowell came to a nearby town and told us that 8 out of 10 church-going evangelical youth are leaving the Christian faith. Then I I heard evangelist Kirk Cameron in July/2022 on his TBN Youtube podcast with apologist Ms. Natasha Crain, say between 60-90 percent of church-going youth are giving up on Jesus. Youth, I think means anyone under 29.


These statistics come Dr. Paul Elliot, the Barna Research Group, Bible Literacy Center, and Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion(from about 2011):

• 37% of adults in Evangelical churches do not believe the Bible is totally accurate
• 45% of Evangelicals do not believe Jesus Christ was sinless
• 52% of Evangelicals do not believe Satan is real
• 57% of Evangelicals do not believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life
• 57% of Evangelicals believe that good works play a part in gaining eternal life
• Less than 10% of adults in Evangelical churches cite the Bible as the primary basis of their worldview and behavior.
• 19% of those who are living with a partner outside of marriage are members of Evangelical churches.
• Over 50% of adults in Evangelical churches think other religions are valid.
• Nearly 75% of Evangelical young people leave the church when they reach adulthood. Their main stated reason is that they no longer believe the Bible is true, and the church has done little or nothing to answer their doubts.
• The fastest growing "religious group" in America is the "no religion" category. Today it represents 16% of the adult population - a 300% increase since the 1980s. The major growth of the "no religion" segment is among young adults ages 18 to 29 - the ones who are leaving churches in droves.
• Despite the mega-church movement, overall Evangelical church attendance is down nearly 15% since the 1990s. Fewer than 17% of Evangelical churches are growing today, and only 2.2% are growing through conversions.

- In my own experience and the evidence shown by the above trusted evangelical scholars and evangelists, I am certain that we have to -and can - prove the Bible is true and yet also explain that some faith will be and must be always be required.

A pastor emphasized to me that too few Christians are truly following the first and great commandment. That pastor really opened my eyes and changed my life!
Matthew 22:37-NKJV
" Jesus said to him: you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul and with all your mind.

Romans 10:17-NKJV
"So then faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God."

Mark 4: 16-17-ESV-
"And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

John 14:11-NKJV-
Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.


It is not rocket science I like to say. It is simply, as an evangelical pastor I spoke with on this topic said, following Jesus's first commandment to love God with all our strength, heart, soul and mind. And applying Romans 10:17 in a modern, yet biblical manner.

Below are the simple, proven yet effective faith-building tools.

In Luke 19:40 Jesus said: "I tell you that if these(disciples) keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

1) Show the youth the proven, absolutely undisputed 2700 year-old stone pictorial of the battle of Isaiah 36:1-2.
(Be careful of false archaeology like that of SDA's Ron Wyatt. Always fact check. Wyatt's lies were taught to youth in the Southern Baptist church I attended: i.e. the Egyptian army of the Exodus' chariot wheels were found at the bottom of the Red Sea-which is a false, disproven claim.)
The Siege of Lachish - Window into the Bible -they allow their phots to be used for free if you mention the site. They also have better quality photos if you ask. I'm not sure how much longer they can keep their incredible website up.

2)Show the famous and undisputed Taylor Prism, which was found at the proven ruins of Nineveh in Iraq. The Taylor Prism proves Matthew 1:10 and Isaiah 36-37.

-And the actual Wall of Jerusalem, which the people sat on to hear the ultimatum of the enemy general of Assyria. Assyria was by far the mightiest nation on earth in the time of Christ's ancestor King Hezekiah.

Hezekiah and the Siege of Jerusalem - Window into the Bible

Applying John 14:11, I wrote a brief article partly based on the work of the renowned evangelical scholar, Professor Alan Millard.
The Isaiah 37:36 event is clearly a miraculous work of the pre-incarnate Jesus, God the Son.

Isaiah 37 Miracle Proven by Stone Artifacts in London Says Renowned Professor Alan Millard. Texas high schooler cries because she's told Bible is Myth | Christian Forums
Please print out my article in the above link because we can never tell when a website or forum will no longer exist.

3) There are true images of 3 New Testament characters on nearly 2000 year-old coins which are undisputedly proven authentic.
They are:
A) Salome, who was Herodias's daughter who danced for her step-father Herod Antipas in Mark 6.
Then she asked for the head of John the Baptist and he was killed by her step-father.(Salome is not named but rather referred to as the daughter of Herodias.)







The above image is Salome when she is much older than when she danced for Herod Antipas.(I do not own the copyright for the above coin so it cannot reproduced in commercial items. Please read upon on " Fair use Copyright.")

B) King Agrippa ll
He is the one who asks Paul in Act 26:28 (ESV) if he expects to convert him in such a short time.
Here is a proven image of him from a trustworthy biblical archeology site run by a pastor!(The coin's owner must be asked to use the image for any purpose other than a link.)

Agrippa II: An Archaeological Biography – Bible Archaeology Report

C) Agrippa l
He is the ruler who kills the Apostle James and jails Peter in Acts 12.(I do not have the copyright to this coin image so the image of Agrippa I may only be possibly used in a very limited way. Please read upon on" Fair Use Copyright."



4) Many of the greatest scientists in history were confessing Protestant Christians. In fact , 2 of Albert Einstein's(Einstein was not a Christian) greatest heroes were confessing Evangelical physicists Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell.

Incredibly, Einstein said that James Clerk Maxwell initiated the modern era of physics! The largest photo in his study was of Maxwell. And Einstein gave him full credit for enabling him to discover the Theory of Special Relativity because Maxwell was the first to prove that light was a combination of electric and magnetic fields. Maxwell is thus most famously known as the founder of Electromagnetic Theory, on which all our modern world's technology is based on.(Please see the book "The Man Who Changed Everything.")
Maxwell also co-invented the color photograph. Here is a link from the top tech university MIT about his great faith.
James Clerk Maxwell and the Christian Proposition (mit.edu)

Thank you so much everyone for your children's/ youth ministry. You will be greatly glorifying Jesus Christ and our heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit. There is no more a rewarding ministry than young people's ministry. Christ Jesus has put you exactly where he needs.
We are called to bring Christian youth closer to Jesus and to serve him. You are edifying your kids/teens and young adults at a time when they most need Christ-centered, biblical guidance. I had a relative who was an outspoken Baptist pastor. He came to my home and told me that pastors need the help of the rest of the Body of Christ in this post-modern age of ours. The church-going Christian youth/children are where my greatest concern and cause are, due to a couple of influential pastors and most importantly the Lord Jesus.

Please feel free to ask me any questions at any time. Your youth ministry is of greatest import to Jesus. Thank you. May God Bless you all!
Please, after prayer, consider sharing this post with other Christians. There are eternal rewards in heaven in addition to salvation.

Everyone needs their faith strengthened. Remember Mark 16:14 states incredibly the apostles did not believe others' testimony that Jesus had risen and Jesus rebuked them. Jesus loves us, his beloved Church, so much he has given enough amazing faith-buliding evidence that all can remain believing in the most glorious Truth- Jesus Christ for life!

Your brother in Christ,

Ron

I am reading Luke 16:23-24 over and over. It doesn’t even phase me. I have no desire for the word at all.

Hi my name is Eddie and I married in the Catholic church. My siblings are all Christians and what I would appreciate is a Christian opinion on the Catholic church so I could somewhat understand my siblings opinions or thoughts because sooner or later we will discuss our differences and the last thing I want is for us to distance ourselves or avoid these discussions all together. This is not a debate please or any wrong or right answers as I am only in search of opinions. Thanks and have a blessed day.

Blessed Feast of Pentecost to everyone

We had a busy Liturgy this morning with lots of people present. Our members from Switzerland , who have been on a week's holiday in Scotland were with us in person today They return to Switzerland tomorrow so it was really good to see them

English media is gushing over the news of the first “de-extinction event” that saw a yellow wildflower unique to northeast England brought back to life.

Extinct since 1991, the York groundsel managed to carry on thanks to a handful of seed that was shed from three potted specimens on a windowsill at the University of York.

Stored at the Millennium Seed Bank in the Kew Gardens, botanists at Natural England organized a resurrection for the York groundsel after they received word the seeds were reaching the end of their lifespan.

Continued below.

I was having a discussion on another forum and was quite surprised that some were saying we will come back to the earth. I have never seen that in God`s word.

Where do you think the Body of Christ`s inheritance will be in eternity?

It has been years since I started a discussion in Singles. I was hesitant to share this post, but I was thinking this could be helpful or edifying for someone. I know the title sounds so simplistic and painfully obvious, but I believe that one of the keys to unlocking contentment is to meditate on the goodness of God and his blessings in our own life. I think it is easy to focus on the trials or sufferings in life. We definitely have to pick up our cross and suffer at times for our faith. But that is only one aspect of Christianity. There are so many blessings that we do experience.

I thought it would be an interesting discussion to share our own personal experiences of the moments or times in our own lives that we were very conscious of the goodness of God. Sometimes it can be the most simple thing that really gets our attention and shows us how blessed we are. I have several experiences I can share later. I would love to hear from others. I think meditating regularly on this and encouraging each other to focus on this can be life changing. I know the moments I have had have really helped to change my outlook on certain struggles or difficulties.

I really like the verse in Psalm 103. "Bless the Lord, and forget not all his benefits."

Video Talk

2 Corinthians 9:1,6-12 ESV


Paul felt it unnecessary for him to write to them about the ministry to the saints, for he knew of their readiness to minister God’s love and grace to their fellow Christians. Yet, he did go on and speak some on this subject. And I believe the subject had more to do with financial contributions to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in need. But I believe the subject lends itself to a broader category which includes all needs, whether they are financial, physical, spiritual and/or emotional. But this requires much wisdom and discernment of the Spirit of God.

For one, not everyone who says they are in need are really in true need of what they are asking for. Many are con artists who know how to work the system and who know how to manipulate other people into giving to them, and some of them are addicts and users and abusers who are not godly people and who are not telling the truth about their situations. And some of them are in need because they are spending their money unwisely and/or on what is unnecessary and/or on what is sinful. And so what they may really need is some good counsel and some biblical discipline.

So, should we be generous people? Absolutely! But we need to be wise in our generosity, too, and we should pray and ask the Lord to guide us with regard to giving to the needs of others. Especially since this is talking about giving to the needs of the saints, it is talking about giving to God’s holy people who are walking in obedience to the Lord, and who are living godly and holy lives, and who are not living in deliberate and habitual sin against God and against their fellow humans.

And this isn’t all about just giving financially to other Christian’s true needs, either. This is about ministering to them in many ways, which I believe I already mentioned. And this could be about giving them food and clothing instead of money, or it could be about giving them a hug (use wisdom here) or a kind or thoughtful word of encouragement. It could be we minister to our fellow Christians in song or in writing or in sharing with them a testimony or a Scripture or some godly counsel and wisdom. But we should be engaged in ministering to one another’s legitimate needs, as led by God.

[Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25]

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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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