Hebrews 11 is considered by many to be the “faith chapter” of the Bible, for in this faith chapter we have multiple examples of people throughout biblical history who, by faith in the Lord, followed our Lord in obedience and made an impact on this world and on people’s lives for the glory of God. So, I am going to share just a few of these examples and I will talk about them briefly. For we have many people these days, at least here in America, claiming that all they have to do is “believe,” as though belief in Jesus Christ requires no action on their part at all. But true faith = obedience.


Adam and Eve’s first two children were Cain and Abel. Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a cultivator of the ground. In time, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the ground. Abel brought an offering, too, only his was from the firstborn of his flock. And the Lord approved Abel’s offering, but he did not approve Cain’s offering, and so Cain was angry. So the Lord spoke to Cain about his anger, but Cain didn’t listen to God, but in his anger he killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.

[see: 1 John 3:11-12; Genesis 4:1-16]


Now, in chapters 6 thru 9 of Genesis we read the story of Noah who was called of God to build an ark of enormous proportions. For the Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. But Noah was a righteous man who walked with God. So God decided to destroy the earth and the people on the earth, but to save Noah and his family and two of every kind of living creature on the earth. So Noah built the ark as God had directed, and humanity was saved for future generations.


Are you noticing a trend here? By faith these people did what was pleasing to God in his sight and/or they obeyed his specific instructions to them. And their obedience was evidence that true faith in God existed within them. But what if they didn’t obey? Noah and his family would have perished along with all the rest of the people on the earth and Abraham would not have been the father of many generations of the people of God, and Jesus Christ would not have come from the seed of Abraham. And all history would have been altered. So do you see the importance of obedience to the Lord?


And then look at Moses. Although he was a reluctant servant of the Lord, at first, he obeyed the Lord, and by his obedience many people’s lives were saved. But they weren’t all saved, because many of them, of their own accord, refused to obey the Lord and so they were killed in the wilderness due to their disobedience, and they did not enter into God’s eternal rest because of their unbelief (for disobedience = unbelief). But most of those who believed God and obeyed him entered into the Promised Land, and all who believed and obeyed the Lord entered into God’s eternal rest.

[see: 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13]


When we walk by faith, and we obey our Lord, we will be persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Other people will hate us and will do evil against us because of our walks of faith in Jesus Christ. Some of the abuse may be more emotional and/or psychological, while some may be more physical in nature. But if we are truly walking by faith, and not in sin, and if we are obeying our Lord in what he directs us to do, we will be opposed and fought against, even by family members, and even by others professing faith in Jesus Christ, for not everyone has genuine faith in Jesus Christ.

But the important lesson here is to know that faith = obedience. If we do not obey the Lord, we do not have genuine faith in Jesus Christ. For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self and take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we die with him to sin and live to his righteousness, then we will have eternal life in him. For not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who obey God the Father.

[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]

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown
Music by American Melody

“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

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A look at Leviticus 16, Yom Kippur,


This Parashah speaks of the solemn Moed (appointed day) of Yom Kippur. The “Day of Redemption” which is also known as the “Day of Coverings” (Yom HaKipurim). It was the only day of the year when the High Priest could enter into the “Most Holy Place” (Kadosh HaKadoshim) the “Holy of Holies”. This is where the “Aron HaKodesh” (Ark of the Covenant) was kept and where the “Shekinah” (Glory of YHVH) hovered over the “Kaporet” (the covering of the Ark of the Covenant, looking down upon the Mercy Seat.

The Parashah starts out with; “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the Ark, lest he die” Was this perhaps the reason why Nadab and Abihu died? Because they went into the Holy of Holies with their own fire? That is another thought. The high priest had to put on a special tunic, all white, of fine linen. Thus, today it is customary during Yom Kippur to wear all white, symbolic of how YHVH views us through Yeshua our Messiah, but ONLY through Yeshua, can we be viewed as “Holy unto the LORD”

We might ask why the white tunic and not the colorful kingly tunic of gold, blue, and white. One thought is that the Cohen Gadol is coming for the King of the Universe. It would be like a "king before another king." He would need to come before YHVH in a humble way, as a lowly sinner. White is the color of repentance and a desire of inner purity. So, the Cohen comes before Adonai in a humble way. When he leaves, he dresses again in his colorful tunic of gold, blue, and white. He represents Adonai before "Am Israel" as before.

Another thought is that wearing gold would remind the priest of the rebellion with the golden calf idol. Wearing that before YHVH would not be so kosher.

The High Priest had to sacrifice a bull and a ram for the sin and burnt offering. The bull could signify the “strength” of G-d, representing also Aaron and his family. and the ram, the reminder of the ram sacrificed instead of Isaac on “Mt. Moriah”. The ram symbolizes YESHUA who took our place on the cross of “Mt. Calvary”

Two goats were also present; one served as a “scapegoat” and the other the “sacrificial goat”. We see Yeshua symbolized in both goats. One was sacrificed as a sin offering, symbolizing Yeshua as our “sacrifice of sin” because we are sinners. The other goat carried symbolically our sins and was sent off into the desert, (Azazel) as “Yeshua took our sins away from us”, and as far as the East is from the West, so our sins will be separated from us.

The prayer that Aaron recited while placing his hands upon the goats was the following:

"Oh YHVH (he then pronounced the most Holy name) They (Israel) have committed iniquity, transgression, and sin. Your house, the house of Israel. Oh YHVH, cover, I implore you, their iniquities, transgressions, and sins that they have committed with evil before you, your people, the House of Israel. As it is written in the Torah of Moshe, your servant saying: "Because on this day, atonement will be made for you, and YOU WILL BE CLEANSED of all your sins before YHVH"

When Aaron came to the part "You will be cleansed" he said it with a loud voice with all enthusiasm, and the people praised God while prostrating on the ground.

Aaron then took a censor of hot coals from the brazen altar, and he took incense and put the incense on the hot coals, then, with the smoking incense, he went into the Holy of Holies and put blood on the Mercy Seat. We see our Messiah Yeshua in all of this. To have fellowship with our creator, we need to start at the cross, where our sins were judged. This is the brazen altar. The incense symbolizes our prayers that go up before our Heavenly Father, through our prayers, we have fellowship with HIM. The blood that is sprinkled on the mercy seat symbolizes the blood of Messiah, which was shed for all of our sins. Under the mercy seat are the commandments that were given on Sinai. These were broken by our rebellion, and the blood of Messiah “covers” the sins of us all, BUT, more than that, they have been REMOVED, once and forever.

While the Yom Kippur sacrifices had to be offered up year after year, Our Messiah's one-time sacrifice was sufficient for all time, and forever.
Our sins are not only covered, they were atoned for and wiped away. "Atonement" means "At One Mind" we are at "one mind" with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach)

Ben Avraham

Matthew 7:1-5 NASB


We hear a lot of people today talking about how we are not to judge one another, but often now it is in response to us sharing the truth of the gospel that we are being told that. But the Scriptures do not ban all judging, just certain types of judging, while in other places they encourage us to make certain judgments and to act upon them. So, when is judging others acceptable, and when isn’t it? And in what ways are we to judge and/or to not judge?

Some people will quote the above passage of Scripture but only partially, but if we get into the whole context here we see that this passage is not banning all judging, but just the wrong kind of judging. And in this case the judging was hypocritical judging, because the person was pointing out a speck in his brother’s eye while he had a log in his own, figuratively speaking. Basically, he was pointing out a minor flaw in the life of his brother while he had a glaring and very serious flaw in his own, like deliberate sinful practices.

So, the counsel here was not to cease from making any judgment at all, but that he was to first take that glaring sin out of his own life so that he could see clearly to take a minor offense out of the life of his brother. So, what he was doing was wrong, and it was hypocritical, but that doesn’t make all judging bad, but it doesn’t make all judging good, either. So, let’s look at some other biblical examples of right and wrong judging.

In John 7:24 we read that we are not to judge others by appearances. And going along with that we read in 2 Corinthians 10:12 that we are not to judge others by ourselves, by comparing them to and measuring them by ourselves. Now we can judge certain behaviors by the Scriptures, and we can certainly call out certain behaviors according to the Scriptures as what they are and teach what the Scriptures teach regarding those behaviors. But we are not to think everyone else should be just like us, in our own selves.

And then we read in John 7:51 that we are not to judge a person without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does. For we could be completely wrong about the individual, and this would also go along with judging by appearances and judging others by ourselves. And I have had that done to me on more than one occasion, so I know what that feels like. People make their own judgments and then they serve as judge and jury and come to their own conclusions without even a discussion with you.

But when and how are we to make judgments about other people? Well, they should be done biblically and not hypocritically and not without knowledge and proof of wrongdoing. And we should not judge by appearances or by our own selves. But we should judge righteously, and according to the Scriptures, and in love, and with the goal to help others to come out of their sins and to live holy and godly lives so that they will have true salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

And some examples of this kind of judging begin with 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, which is a situation where a man in a particular church gathering was living in sexual immorality, which was considered a situation of incest. And the church was scolded because they did nothing about it, and so they were counseled strongly that they needed to exercise church discipline with this man in order to bring him to his senses. So the body of Christ here was being told they must judge this man to save his soul and to save the rest of the people from his ungodly influence.

Then, in Galatians 6:1-5 we are instructed that if anyone among us is caught in a transgression that we who are spiritual, who are walking with the Lord in obedience to his commands in holy living, should restore this person back to a right relationship with the Lord. And then in James 5:19-20 we are encouraged to bring a wandering Christian back to a right relationship with the Lord, for in so doing we will save his soul from death and his sins will be forgiven. And in Jude 1:22-23 we are encouraged to have mercy on some and save others, snatching them out of the fire.

So, not all judging is wrong. What is wrong is hypocritical judging, false judging, judging others by ourselves or by appearances or without even hearing what they have to say in the matter, or judging which results in us hating, biting, slandering, gossiping about, and otherwise destroying other people’s reputations or us rejecting them based on faulty information. But right judging must be done in love, it must be biblical, and it must have a good purpose and intent, which is to see people come out of bondage to sin to now walk in holiness and in obedience to the Lord, and to be at peace.

[Gal 6:1-5; Jas 5:19-20; 1 Co 5:1-13; Matt 7:1-5; Jn 7:24,51; Jn 8:15-16; Rom 2:3; 2 Co 10:12; Jude 1:22-23]

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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Pls kindly educate me about a miniters who is called by God and a part time miniter that is chosen by his church general overseer to pastor a branch of his church,I have heard churches encouraging brothers and sister in the Lord to attend Bible school and and appoint them as pastors of there church branch and also witness churches that do not allow such except you are call by God to be a minister,is there any danger in appointing someone to preside over a church without the calling of God

Peace in Christ.

Whosoever shall believe INTO Him (into Jesus) should not perish (die from off this earth) but have everlasting life (in the here-and-now). God sent His Son into this world so that this world THROUGH Him might be saved. The world and its lusts are perishing under the wrath of God now as we speak but His life shall save our mortal bodies from this condemnation.

John 3:16-17
(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in (INTO) him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

We are to believe INTO Him….as an endpoint of our faith and hope that is to be reached.

We are to inherit His eternal life in this present mortal body now in this life and not after we “die and go to Heaven” as preached by all who have no understanding of the gospel/good news of our mortal salvation.

This is the redemption of our mortal body that is to be hoped for and to be patiently waited for. It is the endpoint to be reached. We believe INTO Him as it is His manifested eternal life that is to be had now and that manifest life is not our own. We are given His Spirit...but that is only the "earnest" until the redemption of our mortal bodies. We are to live after the Spirit unto the redemption of the body.

Rom 8:23-24 KJV
(23) And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
(24) For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Believing is active. It is keeping the “daily” sacrifice of our Lord Jesus always in this mortal body so that His life (the endpoint) might be made manifest (shine outwardly) in our mortal flesh.

2Co 4:10-11 KJV
(10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
(11) For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

If we become “feeble” in well doing, then the enemy has power to deceive us and lead us astray from the way that leads to His life. The false prophets lead multitudes down the broad way to their mortal destruction without reaching that endpoint that was promised: the redemption of our mortal body.

They….the false prophets dressed in sheep’s clothing…come forth to deceive and lead multitudes of people to their mortal destruction. They lead many away from the commandment to do unto others as you would have them to do you. They lead many away from fulfilling the law and the prophets.

Mat 7:12-15 KJV
(12) Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
(13) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
(14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
(15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

These false prophets have crept in “unawares” to destroy those who truly do not believe in the good news.

Remember how the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

He is still doing the same to those who do not believe via the false prophets. Faith is DOING His commandments...always.

Jud 1:4-5 KJV
(4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
(5) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

Even though the Lord saves us out of “Egypt”….having just escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are afterward destroyed if we believe not through the influence and activities of the false prophets who speak great swelling words of emptiness….

2Pe 2:18-21 KJV
(18) For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
(19) While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
(20) For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
(21) For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

These men are the spiritual “Amalekites”….the “people who lick”….that is, they come forth to deceive us with their smooth tongues into leading us away from the holy commandment delivered unto us to keep. They speak great swelling words with their tongues to deceive and cut us off from entering the Way that leads to His eternal life..

They “lie in wait” for us in the Way of righteousness….just as we are escaping “Egypt”….the pollutions of the world.

1Sa 15:2 KJV
(2) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

They meet us by the "Way" of righteousness. They seek to lead us astray from the Way that leads to His manifest eternal life. The “Amalekites” use their tongues to deceive the “feeble” from the Way. We must not become “faint and weary” in well doing or they have the power to deceive us and mortally destroy us.

Deu 25:17-18 KJV
(17) Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;
(18) How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

Let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap LIFE EVERLASTING if we FAINT NOT. If we become “faint and weary” in well doing, then the “Amalekites”…the false prophets…come forth to deceive and lead astray from the fulfilling of the law and the prophets. They come forth to “steal, kill and destroy” us.

Gal 6:8-9 KJV
(8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
(9) And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

They are those “natural brute beasts” (such as a lion, leopard, bear) that are MADE to TAKE AND DESTROY us. They are not made to be taken and destroyed but instead are made TO CAPTURE and DESTROY those they deceive. This is their “job” : to capture and destroy those who have become faint in well doing.

2Pe 2:12
(12) But these, as natural brute beasts, made to take and destroy, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

The mystery of iniquity is already at work in the "churches" of men. The presence of the false prophet there is in accordance with the working of Satan to deceive those that perish because they do not receive the love of the Truth so that they might be saved. Loving the Truth is DOING it. They are "feeble" in well doing and follow after the false prophet who has the power to destroy those that are being deceived.

2Th 2:9-12 KJV
(9) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
(10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
(11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
(12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Jude calls them “dreamers” who defile our flesh. They capture and destroy our mortal flesh. Our mortal bodies are defiled by sitting together with them.

Jud 1:8
(8) Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

They are natural brute beasts….such as a “bear” that Daniel saw in a “dream”. It was said to it to “arise and devour much flesh”….our mortal flesh. It raised up itself on one side….they love to be first among us. Their job is to destroy our mortal flesh. They defile our flesh.

Dan 7:5 KJV
(5) And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

The 3 ribs are 3 men that Jude speaks of …that the “bear” follows after: Cain, Balaam and Korah.

Jud 1:11 KJV
(11) Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

A wicked ruler (“preacher”) is as a “ranging” (to seek greedily) bear over the poor people (their spiritually poor congregations that are not being fed the Word of Truth by them).

Pro 28:15-16 KJV
(15) As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
(16) The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

Both Paul and Ezekiel testify to seeing into the Heavenly and even being engulfed in the light of life in Paul's testimony. Does this mean we can still have valid Christian experiences like this today? Saul the Pharisee to Paul the Christian kind of experiences/revelations? One in twenty in the US and other well doctored countries have an NDE account with a sighting, usually light and love and Biblical things. Can this be called Christian and examined well?

Hi all,

An idea- if you are looking for work you may want to consider getting into the truck-driving industry! This is a sweet deal in alot of ways! The starting salary for a driver is around $144,000/year and it does not require a college degree, all you have to do is drive! You can be your own boss, see the country, pull over for breakfast, lunch, and dinner whenever you feel like it, and you can do anything you want as long as you deliver your payload on-time! There is a huge shortage of drivers in the country right now so this means if you apply they will probably take you, they will give you a shot. Driving is boring and monotonous but for that kind of money it is worth it!

Apparently there are alot of people with mental illness that have jobs in the trucking industry, it is an easy job and low-stress, you also work alone, I have met several people with SZ that are truck drivers.

My pastor is president of the Association of Christian Truckers, they have a truck stop out in Illinois that ministers to truckers, it is very nice. They have bible studies for truckers that stop in as well as worship services and they also have a buffet for the truckers, snacks, and free showers.

I suppose you have a safety net in your faith. You have a level of comfort in attending your places of worship.
That's fine. That's good.

But you have never been put through a very dark test entering the Church and if you ever had that, you would comprehend the graces of many Catholic converts/reverts as no one can put into words.
Not many can accept because it is difficult. Think difficulty level 100 on a game of 90 being the highest.

1. Your friends will back off after attacking the Church and you.
2. You family might also.
3. then evil will tempt you vehemently.
4. You will doubt, ponder, cry, fear...

5. And if as the many who walked away with his head down after Jesus said to sell all he had, and instead stay as like an Apostle, you'll be on fire even in the hardest moments. And through out life you may be tested but with faith and constant prayer, you'll make it.

This is the very difference between Catholicism and other churches.

God bless, we love you.

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Senator Grassley:

"In the end it was the Democrats who introduced Russian disinformation, from a Russian agent, into the investigative record."

Hi everyone, newbie here (kinda) I stumbled upon this forum and it's been good so far. Just moved to NY with no family or friends to start a new job and it's been a bit lonely and I'm having some difficulties acclimating to the way of life here. CF has kinda helped a bit. I'm sure I will be totally adjusted to my job and church and being away from my family soon. Anyways thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings. Peace.

I'm asking for prayers over my job. I feel the manager is trying to push me out of my job even though I am a good worker and do my job well for Jesus. This has happened before, due to my mental health challenges. Please pray that my Doctor fills out the medical questionnaire so that I can remain working at the ARH hospital. God bless.

I prayed yesterday and it hit my soul i realized all the things god has done for me and couldn't stop thanking him i realized how deep and powerful he was it was out of this world

I have a bunch of questions for the biologists among you.

I was chatting with a PhD in Biology today in church who is a big Pharma contractor. We were discussing a friend's illness and what could be done to find a cure. With the mapping of the human genome complete for two decades now I had hoped for more progress in finding genetic cures for diseases like the one my friend has. With the advent of AI and the ability to use AI to speed process impossible amounts of data looking for associative patterns and the relatively speedy creation of a vaccine for covid using the latest RNA techniques, I had hoped that cures for other diseases would be more readily available by now.

He mentioned the following:

Electron Microscopy:
The ability to read things like carbon bonding was not yet possible because we only have a scanning capability down to 3,2 angstroms and needed a precision of 2.7 angstroms to read the data. I googled this and saw the reference to the possibility of sub angstrom level Electron Microscopy and that models now existed to eliminate higher order aberrations from the lens images.


Is such sub angstrom microscopy useable for Big Pharma research into new drugs and cures or is this still a way off?

The AI models were not yet informed enough to be helpful.
Given the blurred vision of for example carbon bonds, no real analysis was possible anyway as the AI was operating with data that was the product of blurred vision

So has AI actually added any value if the models used are still little more than guesswork about what precise vision might actually look like? If you still have to go through an exhaustive and expensive level of physical testing of all the possibilities to see if they actually work in practice and if you cannot really predict if any of them actually work until you do?

Impacts on the Holistic System
If you switched off some ion receptors then that would have only a localized effect, with others it might have a body-wide impact. The mapping of what does what was not yet detailed and informed enough to understand how changes in one part of the system might affect changes in another.
He suggested that the statistical pattern and identification of which parts of the genetic sequence were different in people who had the disease compared to those who did not might already be available. But often the pattern might be 150 up and 150 down and a protein would be required for each transformation. If you implemented a protein to push one switch up or down no one had any idea what impacts that might have on the rest of the organism. Many proteins might be rendered nonfunctional by the changes in another.

So is all this stuff about how AI is accelerating research just baloney? The only reason that covid was done so fast was the level of resources allocated to it.

Some conceptual questions

My understanding is that the blueprint of our genome is held in the DNA. Can this be edited directly by CRISPR? How does that work?

The action-man process here is RNA and that can be used to create proteins that can lead the body to adapt. This was used by the covid vaccines and the side effects measured over billions of people did not seem to be too averse. Were we just lucky in this case of covid or was the level of resources and man-hours of testing devoted to this research the key reason why there were not any major issues or side effects?

Does the AI always look for associative patterns? Surely there are unique and entirely localized sequences also that have no analogy but have an enormous impact? How could these unique factors be mapped that cannot be revealed by analogous patterns and may not be even visible given the electron microscopes used?

I thought this would be inivetable. I thought some employees who left twitter under Musk would start their own, but I didn't think it would be Dorsey himself. I don't think things have gotten any better at twitter from the news Musk has lost 90% of his ad base. Let's see how this unfolds.

Many Christian liberals support increased Gun Control and even an all out gun ban because "If we can save just ONE life, then it's all worth it" - yet these same liberals are perfectly happy to stand by and allow the teaching of evolution to destroy a young person's eternal life by convincing them there's no God and no Judgment Day.

So, in the same way, would it not be equally worth it to ban the teaching of evolution across the board if it will save just ONE person from ending up eternally lost?

I am seeing so many videos on Twitter of black people beating up white people. Why is mainstream media not reporting on these ? If these videos showed white people beating up black people it would be all over the news and there would be riots and arson .

Hello everyone!
I am really struggling with the concepts in Calvinism.
About a month ago, I broke down as I considered the conclusions that Calvinism led me to. I even cried at the kitchen table considering it. I cannot think of any way that this group of ideas does not lead to the conclusion that God is the author of sin, which He is NOT. God does not tempt any man to sin.
But according to Calvinism, all men are not just born spiritually dead, they cannot even recognize any goodness to be found in the Gospel unless God regenerates them first. I am so confused by this- did not Adam and Eve come to know good from evil by partaking of the fruit?
In no way am I insinuating that they are naturally inclined to seek God or can attain the righteousness that God requires. They need God's grace to be reconciled to Him. But I thought that God invites all men, but only some accept the free gift of salvation.

God has made known to men his law (through the Mosaic law to Jews and the natural conscience to Gentiles [through which they become "a law unto themselves"]), and through the incarnation, Jesus Christ- His perfect sinless life and His offer to bear the sins of men and become a ransom for them. So, all men are without excuse. Everyone, therefore, has the ability to repent; God has revealed Himself to everyone. So, if someone does not repent, is it not their fault?

From what I have understood, the fault is on mankind for rejecting God. But according to Calvinism, it is God that actively chooses who will be saved (and, by consequence, who will not). So, was it God who first made Adam and Eve sin in the Garden, then? Calvin himself has said, "God, in a secret and marvellous way, justly wills, the things which men unjustly do." . . . "Although God and the devil will the same thing: they do so in an utterly different manner." The last quotation is just profoundly disgusting to me for reasons I don't think I even have to explain. The former quotation also disgusts me because it contradicts the Bible (I believe so, at least), and puts the blame on God. I do not deny that God uses the sin of people for his glorious purpose! Because God is in control of everything and can even use sinners for the greater good. God is completely sovereign and uses all things for good.

I have agreed with the traditional Southern Baptist view of predestination. I affirm total depravity to the extent the Bible does (men are totally depraved but can still recognize their need for a savior) and eternal security absolutely. With the rest, I hold to a typical "Arminian" view.

I also just feel an extreme aversion to agree with Calvin after taking a look at his life. I've read historical articles about him that weren't even trying to paint him in a bad light (from secular sources!), and I was appalled to hear about his life. I don't know, I don't like taking theology from someone who burns his theological opponents at the stake (AND did it in the name of our Savior. It's not like he wasn't a professing believer at the time. I am simply examining his fruit. I apologize if I put it a bit too harshly, but that seems to be what happened).

I just want to worship God, though. I will always thank Him for what He has done- saving me by grace through Christ's sacrifice on my behalf. I just want to worship Him, however He is like.

I worship Him because He is love. He is just and merciful. These are things I know from the Bible, and I trust His word.

I am someone who struggles with doubt, though. This really makes me doubt sometimes. What if I am wrong after all, and the Calvinists are more correct about God than I am?

I feel tempted to say that I would not worship the "God of Calvinism", just because I know God is not unjust. But would this condemn me? This is the thing I am most worried about, and the reason why I write this. That's why I am asking you all. I am really struggling here.

What I want to do is just affirm what is in the Bible and not take sides. Not try to figure everything out. But, it is in my personality to desire to figure everything out. Whenever people describe me, that is the first attribute they refer to. People describe me as someone who cannot rest until I know all I can, someone who investigates and needs answers.

I am content with just affirming what the Bible says. But if I say "if God is the God that Calvinism proposes, I do not want Him" is that wrong? Right now, I am willing to accept Him, even that way. I will still find Him merciful. But I just don't want to accept Him reluctantly. I want to accept Him with my full heart. I love God, I really do. He is the author of all good things. He created me and made me in His image. He gave me a purpose in life. Even when I messed up, He had mercy on me. Even in that sorry state, He sets before me good works for me to walk in. He says that I can be His child. Everything about Him is beautiful. But I am struggling here. I know it is just grace through faith that saves me. I know I am saved. But if I knock down and refute how Calvinists portray Him, and I am wrong, will He say to me, "depart from me, I never knew you"? Because I would be cursing Him to His face if I did that. And I love Him, I don't want to do that.

That is my honest question. Please help me. I am really struggling with this.

Something dawned me today.
If someone committed murder and let's say you get a life sentence in prison but you repented truthfully in your heart and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, then I assume God would forgive that person even though they will still live out their natural life behind bars. But when they die, they will go to heaven. (Imagine how the victims' family must feel if they knew even though this person will spend rest of their life behind bars, they will get a great reward when they enter the afterlife in heaven --> the only way for that family to proceed is to truly forgive the murderer otherwise they will always feel injustice was done to them and the person should never get to enter heaven).

But what if that person is responsible for the murder of 1 million people? Obviously that person didn't physically murder each of the million persons with their bare hands, but let's say that person was a leader of a country and ordered the nuclear strike on an enemy state and it resulted in the deaths of 1 million people. Now let's say that leader one day truthfully repents to Jesus and accepts Jesus as LORD and Savior....will God still forgive them? Is there a limit to which how many people you murdered there's a point of no return? If God does forgive that leader and when that leader passes away behind bars or execution, he will go to heaven. Imagine how many people on earth would disagree with God on that decision and they themselves might be Christian too. Imagine all the families and friends of the victims....so everyone would have to find it in their hearts somehow to forgive this person otherwise they will always live in resentment and bitterness towards God for letting him into heaven?

How important is Holy Communion/The Eucharist important to UCC congregations?

Thanks in advanced

Please pray that the Planned Parenthood in Lincoln, Nebraska will shut down, and many babies will be saved.

Thank you

I die daily...

Hey regardless of how far you have walked with Jesus it is appropriate to be reduced to zero often.

This is the answer to self preservation, self will, self effort, selfish desire.

Jesus on the Cross is the example of total surrender.

But folks are afraid of letting go and losing control... Because of this they remain on a self made path and miss the real blessings of God.

It helps to be aware that all humans, saved or not have a dark flesh that wars against God. Only His Goodness not ours brings blessing.

So if you mean business with Him - Pray to be broken as He was.

Then life may change into a more fruitful journey.

The seed that is sown in darkness and death of self yields His fruit.

He was on the, sorry, I've drawn a blank. The late night host on the CBS show. He was wonderful. I really like him but he's never in the public much. He was funny and comfortable. They talked about his coming movie. Dracula, yikes. He's really scary in it and ugly. I like him much better in regular movies. I was disappointed in how short his interview was. His attempt to play a likeness of bella lagosi, sp

I tend to spend most of my time alone. Any recommendations? I've never been able to make or retain friends. IT's really start to take its toll on me.

Why does lust seem to be the most powerful sin?