For decades, it has been Dutch florists who have provided the floral decorations for St. Peter’s Square for Easter. It is always a true labor of love – not just growing the flowers but, extremely important, packing them correctly in the huge vans that bring them to Rome so that they arrive fresh and unbroken.

Work began yesterday and continued today, despite rain and chilly weather. It will be wonderful to see the final product – the final arrangement of the 35,000 plus flowers!

A number of times in the past I have gone to the square and taken photos on Easter Sunday, after Mass, long after the flowers, shrubs, etc. had been placed in the square by the Dutch florists. I always loved the moment and prayed my parents were watching from heaven as they were marvelous gardeners! We always had enough property to have flourishing gardens and this was their passion.

The flowers you see in this slideshow were taken by a vaticanista colleague with permission to share. Thanks to Hendro Munsterman who writes for Nederlands Dagblad, a Dutch newspaper, we have these great images!

Continued below.

Ephesians 5:3-6 ESV


So, when this says that sexual immorality, et al., should not even be named among you, it is not saying that we can’t talk about this issue, for the Scriptures clearly do, because this is an extremely serious issue facing the church today, at least here in America it is. Yet it is a subject that most people steer away from and will not talk about, and so it tends to be “shoved under the rug” and largely ignored, even though it is “the elephant in the room” (the more than obvious) in the church at large in America today.

So, if this is not saying that we are not to even talk about it, what does it mean? It means that there shouldn’t even be a hint of sexual immorality, et al., among you. There shouldn’t be need to make mention of sexual immorality among you because it should not even exist among you in any form or fashion, regardless of how minor it might be. For the body of Christ is supposed to be the pure body of Christ. We are not to be adulterous and immoral people, but we are to be slaves to righteousness.

But sadly so, that is not the case overall within the gatherings of the church here in America. It doesn’t take long for that to become obvious the more you listen to Christians’ conversations, the more you read their writings, the more you watch their videos they post, and the more you pay attention to the “gospel” message which is permeating the American church overall today. If you are at all observant, you can hear it in the phrases that they use frequently to describe what they believe is the gospel message.

And this is the primary thing we need to know about this situation. We need to be made aware that God does not overlook this. He is not asleep. His grace does not cover all acts of unrighteousness among those who call themselves Christians. We are all going to stand before our Lord one day, and we are all going to be judged by our works (our deeds, our actions), regardless of what faith in Jesus our lips have professed. And those who made sin their practice will have no inheritance in the kingdom of God.

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

Ephesians 5:7-11 ESV


Therefore, we are not to be those who are partaking (participating) in sexual immorality, in idolatry, and in crude joking, et al., with others who are walking in sin. We are not to be partners with them. We should not be participants in any kind of addictive and clinging sins which overtake our lives. For Jesus Christ died on that cross to free us from our bondage to sin, not so that we could go on living in sin “scot-free” (without suffering any punishment; completely free from obligation, harm, or consequence).

So, if you are being given the impression that you can believe in Jesus Christ, have all your sins forgiven, and that heaven is now guaranteed you, but that you are not required to leave your life of sin behind you to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands under the New Covenant, then you are being lied to. The Scriptures do not teach that. They teach that we must die to sin daily and walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, and that we must walk in righteousness or that we do not have eternal life.

For if our faith in Jesus Christ is genuine God-given faith, then we were crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we were raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So sin is to no longer be what we obey. For if sin is what we obey, it will lead to death, not to life eternal. But if obedience to our Lord is what we obey, it will lead to righteousness and sanctification, and its end is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:1-23).

So, be discerning about what messages you are receiving and believing, regardless of who they are coming from. Don’t just accept everything at face value. Test what you are hearing and reading against the Scriptures, in context. And context is critical because many false teachings stem from Scriptures pulled outside of their context and made to say what the Scriptures (under the New Covenant) overall do not teach.

For, when this Scripture says that at one time you were darkness (living in sin), but now you are light in the Lord (in Christ via death to sin and resurrection to new life in Christ), it is saying that there is supposed to be a transfer that took place in your life that brought you out of a life of sin into a life of walking in righteousness and in holiness, because of God’s grace. So you are to no longer walk in sin, but now you are to walk (in conduct, in practice) as children of light (of truth, righteousness, holiness and godliness). And you are now to live lives which are pleasing to God.

So, we are not to take part in the unfruitful works of darkness, many of which were mentioned in this passage of Scripture. We are to forsake our sins to follow Jesus in obedience. But that isn’t all! Now we are also to expose those fruitless deeds of darkness (evil, wickedness, sin) for what they are. For many people are being deceived by liars who are telling them that they don’t have to turn from their sins and that they don’t have to follow Jesus in obedience, but that heaven is still secured them. But that is a lie from hell, so please know the truth, and live the truth from now on.

[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]

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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The Jewish historian Josephus, who lived around 100 A.D., said this about the remnant of Jews that returned from their 70 years captivity in Babylon, and were preparing to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple:

"So the Jews prepared for the work: that is the name they are called by from the day that they came up from Babylon, which is taken from the tribe of Judah, which came first to these places, and thence both they and the country gained that appellation." (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 11, Chapter 5, Paragraph 7).

Josephus was pointing only to the three tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi with that title of Jew that was derived from the tribe of Judah. That means... that title of Jew is NOT about all the other tribes of Israel.

Yet today, the Biblically illiterate throw that title of Jew around like it is about all 12 tribes of Israel, when it is not. Biblical history confirms why it is not a title that was used by all 12 tribes of Israel.

OLD ISRAEL SPLIT BY GOD:

Per 1 Kings 11 forward, God split the old kingdom of Israel under Solomon into two separate kingdoms. God did this as He says there because of Solomon allowing his many foreign wives to bring their idol worship in among the children of Israel. So God split the kingdom, giving 2 tribes to Solomon's son Rehoboam to rule over at Jerusalem-Judea in the south. And then God sent His prophet Ahjiah to Jeroboam, born of the tribe of Ephraim, to rule over the ten northern tribes with its capital city at Samaria.

The two separate kingdoms were called... the "kingdom of Judah" for the southern kingdom in the south, with its capital city at Jerusalem. Thus the house of David, via Solomon's son Rehoboam, of Judah, reigned over only 2 tribes, the tribe of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin. (see 1 Kings 11 & 12). This 2-tribe kingdom is also named in God's Word as the "house of Judah", or just "Judah", or "Jerusalem".

Once Jeroboam of Ephraim was setup by God over the northern "kingdom of Israel", he made two calf idols for the ten tribes to worship, trying to keep the people from going down to Jerusalem to worship, because they might join with Judah. This prevented the Levite priests from doing their duty among the northern ten tribes, so they left, and went south and joined with Judah and Benjamin. Then the "house of Judah" became 3 tribes. Also, a small remnant out of the northern ten tribes that refused Jeroboam's calf idol worship also left and went south to join with Judah. So all these became known as JEWS. This means the Jews points ONLY to those of the southern "kingdom of Judah", or "house of Judah" at Jerusalem-Judea.

But Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim, was given by God to reign over the rest of the tribes of Israel that lived in the northern lands, its capital at Samaria. This northern kingdom was called the "kingdom of Israel". It is also labeled in God's Word as the "house of Israel", or just "Samaria", or even just by the title of "Ephraim" or "Joseph".

Why is this important to understand? If the Bible student doesn't know about this split God did of old Israel into two separate kingdoms or houses, then one will make the mistake of thinking God is always talking to all 12 tribes of Israel when He is not. And thus the Bible student will be confused about many Bible prophecies.

So shouldn't the serious Bible student be curious why the 3-tribe southern "kingdom of Judah" is called that, while the 10-tribe northern kingdom was called "kingdom of Israel"? Do you think all 12 tribes should be together in order to called Israel? But that is not the case after God divided the 12 tribes into two 'nations'...

Ezek 37:19-22
19 Say unto them, "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in Mine hand.
20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
21 And say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
KJV

I'll bet you didn't realize that our Heavenly Father even points out how both houses divided there have been "two nations" or "two kingdoms", and in final when the above prophecy happens, both houses will be joined back together as one nation again in the holy land, under Jesus Christ!

And notice God says there that when they are joined back together "in the land upon the mountains of Israel", which means the holy lands promised to their fathers. So no modernist speculations will fit that by those who try to say that has already been fulfilled by Lord Jesus. It is still yet future to us even.

But why do you think God chose to call the northern 10-tribe kingdom the "kingdom of Israel" and "house of Israel" after the 1 Kings 11 split? In my opinion, it is because the 10-tribe northern "kingdom of Israel" contained the majority of God's chosen people. But I also believe it was for another reason, which I'm almost 99% certain of. It has to do with God scattered the 10-tribes among the Gentiles so they'd become lost, and thus receive The Gospel of Jesus Christ along with the Gentiles, and both together becoming Christ's Church.

Joseph is in connection with the ten tribes of the northern "kingdom of Israel", did you notice that? How? Because God chose Jeroboam of the tribe of EPHRAIM to be king over the "kingdom of Israel". And God's Birthright went to Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh per 1 Chronicles 5. Noticing this is very important, because originally God ordained only the tribe of Judah to be the king tribe. And Jeroboam was not born of the tribe of Judah, but of Ephraim. So why would God choose him?

How many can recall God's prophecy to Jacob that his seed was to become "a nation, and a company of nations"? (Genesis 37). Now we well know that the nation of Israel has historically only ever been but one... nation, not many. So what did God mean by that "company of nations" out of Jacob's seed? And mind you, Jacob was the father of all 12 tribes, and God gave Jacob the new name ISRAEL, so that would make those "company of nations" ISRAELITE nations, wouldn't it?

Also later in Genesis 48, when Jacob blessed Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob said let his name (Israel) be named upon the two lads, and that Ephraim would become "a multitude of nations". Would that mean ISRAELITE nations? Yeah! Exactly! Thing is though, those multitude of nations are not, and never were, located in the holy land. There's only ever been but one nation of Israel in the holy land per its history.

So do you see how God connected Joseph in this prophecy about Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim, which God chose him to be king of Israel in the north per 1 Kings 11? In the Psalms, God called Ephraim "the strength of Mine head", and "My firstborn". Joseph, upon God's Birthright fell upon, and his 11 brethren becoming jealous, was separated from his family, sold in Egypt among Gentiles. Joseph became as a Gentile, married a daughter of a priest and had two sons in Egypt, Ephraim and Manasseh. And the tribe of Ephraim would later become the head tribe over the northern ten tribes, Jeroboam being made governor over them by Solomon. And now per 1 Kings 11, God split old Israel and set Joseph's seed (Ephraim) apart from Judah (king tribe) again, and then eventually per 2 Kings 17, God brought the kings of Assyria and removed all of the ten northern tribes captive to the lands of Assyria and the Medes, never to return as a people. They eventually became lost as to being part of Israel, and lost to the Jews, and lost to the world, even as it still is to this day.

But the JEWS, they never lost their heritage as being part of old Israel. And we know the ten scattered tribes of the "kingdom of Israel" were not JEWS. The reason is very simple too, because the JEWS, like I said, NEVER lost their heritage as being part of ISRAEL. That's part of the idea of calling oneself a Jew, don't ya know? Per Hosea 11:12 at the time just before scattering the ten northern tribes to Assyria so that it would no more be a kingdom, God said that Judah still ruled then with God, and was faithful with the saints. Then about 120 years after the kings of Assyria took the ten tribe "house of Israel" captive to Assyria, the southern "kingdom of Judah" then became corrupt, and God would bring Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon upon them, and take them captive to Babylon for 70 years.

Therefore, when God split old Israel into two separate kingdoms, that is when that title of JEW applied ONLY to those of the southern "kingdom of Judah", also called the "house of Judah" in God's Word. The two 'houses' are still separate today too. After the JEW's 70 years Babylon captivity, it is written in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah exactly what tribes and how many returned to Jerusalem. None of the ten northern tribes are mentioned there returning. And the reason why is simple; it was because all the ten northern tribes were already gone out of the land when Nebuchadnezzar took the "house of Judah" captive to Babylon.

After Judah's 70 years Babylon captivity, only a very small remnant of those Jews returned to Jerusalem. The majority of the Jews of the "house of Judah" chose to stay in Babylon. God had promised to take care of them while captive to Babylon, and He did. So the majority of the Jews got comfortable in Babylon. They were then further scattered later into the countries like the ten tribes were.

Thus the JEWS in the world today make up only a small portion of the total number of Israelites. The majority of the seed of Israel of the scattered ten tribes are hidden to them and to the world, but not to God. Our Heavenly Father knows where He scattered the ten tribes, even though they lost their heritage of His sabbaths, feast days, new moons, etc. When they are gathered by Jesus in final all that heritage will be reestablished, including more, because the believing Gentiles will inherit with them. Enlarge the tent!, Isaiah says.

So when you hear some preacher use that title of JEW to apply to Adam, Noah, Abraham, etc., then you can pretty well tell they don't actually know their Old Testament history about the Jews. Once God had removed all the northern ten tribe "house of Israel" out of the holy land, those JEWS of the southern kingdom were the only seed of Israel that were left in the land. And they did represent the "kingdom of Judah", with that title of JEW taken from the tribe of Judah. So naturally, the people living there after the ten tribes were gone, are not going to refer to them anymore, but to themselves only as... Israel.

But some Jews today are stubborn, and will not listen to God in His Word, and want to just omit the existence of the largest portion of the seed of Israel today, the ten lost tribes, just because they are simply hidden to those Jews. God's Word tells them about it, why won't they believe God in His Word then? And why must so many of today's preachers also side with those illiterate Jews with wrongly thinking they only exist today as God's historically chosen people? And don't think I'm simply ranting against the Jews, I am not. I'm well aware of this history in God's Word about the Jews of the "house of Judah", even though many Jews aren't, and even some that still deny it.

I'll start with one I like:

Unashamed from the people from Duck Dynasty, it's great

I wasn't sure where to put this message in the Forum but I wanted as many people as possible to see it. We Christians may call this wonderous day by different names but in all our minds we know our God has conquered death so we may be with Him in Heaven! Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

I hope everyone had a blessed day today (including many of our Orthodox friends who will celebrate Easter next weekend (Apr 16)) and we all grew closer to our God. Believe it or not for me, the day start out as any Sunday. I slept in till 9:00 am and then got ready for Church. Even as I sat in Church before Mass, I said a few prayers and then watched all the people make their way into Church. As Mass began, I got a hold of myself and told myself "Do I know what is really taking place today?" I usually follow every word the priest says during Mass to get closer to our Lord but this time, I think I mentally slapped myself (or it may have been God Himself or my Guardian Angel) into the reality of Jesus' Resurrection. He saved us from being separated from Him. And that is an act I will truly keep in my heart (I pray) everyday.

Anyway, I just to tell anyone who reads this that we are absolutely truly loved by our God. We are ALL part of God's Kingdom and we have so much to look forward to. In the meantime, may God watch over all of you and bless you and your families forever.

Hi, I wonder if anyone here can help me. In Reformed theology which of the gifts of the Holy Spirit continue and which have ceased?

First, let me say that everything on the Internet looks more substantial than it really is, and this controversy is no exception. But when enough people don't dismiss such things and they go beyond the Internet, they can become embedded in the national zeitgeist like an instance of the Mandela Effect.

But the silliness here is that a Southern-based company that's been accused of anti-black white supremacist actions is also being accused of anti-white Southerner Northern bigotry.

Some people clearly do not have enough real tribulation in their lives.

Cracker Barrel Is Under Fire for Its "Racist" Name?​

The comfort food-style restaurant chain Cracker Barrel, known for its overwhelming amount of ornamental knick-knacks and vintage signs plastered on the walls, is in some social media trouble today. Folks on the internet are claiming Cracker Barrel is racist.

According to Southern Living, “cracker-barrel” was coined in 1916 because of barrels containing soda crackers — a popular item for sale at country stores. Customers at said country stores would hang around the barrels as a kind of ritual (kind of like the trope of employees gossiping near the water cooler). The first Cracker Barrel location opened in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn., and it derived its name from the cracker-barrel community experience back in the day.

According to Dictionary.com, “cracker-barrel” means “of or suggesting the simple rustic informality and directness thought to be characteristic of life in and around the country store.”

But some Twitter users have also pointed out that the term "cracker" might have another, more racist connotation. According to NPR, the term "cracker" was used in the mid-18th century to refer to poor white people in states like Maryland, Virginia, and Georgia.

"It is suspected that it was a shortened version of 'whip-cracker,' since the manual labor they did involved driving livestock with a whip," historian Jelani Cobb told the outlet.

But in the late 1800s, writers from the northern USA region referred to some southerners as "crackers."

"[Those writers] decided that they were called that because of the cracking of the whip when they drove slaves," historian Dana Ste. Claire told the outlet, though he noted those the term would be applied to weren't typically wealthy enough to own slaves.

Users on Twitter also claimed that a "cracker barrel" was the barrel used to hold whips, though there is currently no historical evidence to back up that claim.

Back in 2015, someone named Ryan Koch who lived in Iowa started a petition to change its name because he believed Cracker Barrel to be "racist" toward white folks. Per the Change.org petition, Koch wrote “I say all European Americans start protesting C****er Barrel. It uses an offensive slur and it is deeply offensive and mocks our long and proud heritage.” He later clarified the post was “satire.”

Click to expand...

John 17:23
I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me.

Friends, what I would like discussed is what would this biblical unity look like? - how would we recognise it ?

Can I suggest a few things to look for.

1. The least are heard.
2. Feet are washed.
3. Possessions are shared.
4. Appearances are not paramount.
5. Neighbours are loved.

Pretty simple - yet very rare...

Is a consecrated church building considered holy ground?
God told Abraham he should not wear shoes/sandals on holy ground....
I don't know if it is a strict rule for Christians, but it seems to me that no shoes would please God when you approach his altar... and should be encouraged!

Exodus 3:5
And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

What do y'all think?

Before I understood what it meant in scriptural terms, I referred to it as, Being on Tour with Alohym, because I could See & Hear things that I could not See & Hear prior thereto, and the revelations thereof were unmistakably the result of a Divine Hand, wether Grace actually speaks or sequentially directs and guides my attention with great precision that I may perceive a picture worth a thousand words.

The first step to taking hold of the Covenant is Recognition, a Conscientious Acknowledgment of Yah, and his Graceful Presence, the second step to being on Tour with Alohym is Retention, Not losing Conscientiousness of Yah, and his Graceful Presence, and if you can receive it, this is what it means to be Near Him.

How should we think about our prayers and should we always expect them to get answered? If I say a prayer and have doubt or expect it will take decades for it to get answered, will it create an issue in God's eyes?

Someone sent me this, in an effort to describe what he and other young men are going through. They don't want to get married, feel they can't find good jobs, and that the deck is stacked against them:

"As our society drifts to the political left, and radicalism becomes the norm, this will be the reality:

1. Liberal justices and lawmakers will make sure men are punished in divorce court. Women will be able to make claims on 80% of a man’s property, and take his kids, even if they were at-fault in the marriage. Your wife can cheat on you and a leftist judge will hand of your property to her and her new boyfriend. This is already happening, and will get much worse.

2. A large expansion of DEI and affirmative-action initiatives will disenfranchise white men. You won’t get into top schools, won’t get jobs or promotions. If you do land a job, you will be forced into struggle-sessions, sensitivity training, and DEI workshops. What you say there will be held against you, and you will face professional blackmail.

3. You won’t be able to afford land / real-estate. That will be reserved for Boomers, the wealthy, and politically-connected. A good portion of your paycheck will go towards state pension obligations for Boomers –you will slave away as a supervisor in Walmart so some pensioner can play golf all-day in his retirement. You will rent a roach-infested apartment from Blackrock, or some slumlord. Without a home, you are less desirable as a mate / husband.

4. AI, automation, and outsourcing will make tons of jobs obsolete in the US. Avenues that were once open will be closed."

And I would add to this the declining church attendance and faith in this country ...

We can't afford to have a whole generation of young men give up. Thoughts?

blessed Feast of our Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem!

OK so, this question seems a bit weird. But the Bible states that our real enemies are spiritual. They are principalities and evil spirits etc. So, my question is this; are we also suppose to forgive them as we forgive the people they use to hurt us?

Quite a few years ago, I was discipled by someone but later I felt some things were really off.

I did try and speak on one occasion to them, but was told I ought to forgive.

So much time has passed, but honestly I still think that relationship and some things about the teachings I was exposed to have left me with difficulties for a long time.

The person left the church and so did I. I tried to speak to a church elder after wards but to be honest I didn't agree with their stance which was that their church was apostolic. (It was an independent revivalist church).

I caved in when I spoke to the new elder and omitted to say I was still angry.

The thing is, this has been a wound I feel that I've been left with. I haven't successfully settled anywhere since. It was my first real experience of church. I heard of others who were hurt there too.

How can i resolve this?

I am 26 this year, a woman, and i'm busy. I want to do get my phd and there are discoveries and contributions i want to make in my academic field, also, i am working towards owning a bentley or a lambo. i am upper middle class and i aim to be in the upper classes, or at least i want to be known in my field of study, i want to accomplish something. i think i could make progress in less than a decade, then i will be ready for a relationship.

throughout the years, i have met many men (at least 2 new men each year) who show interest in me, and whom i have been, too, interested in. i admit it, i want a relationship. i am emotionally ready, but i will not have time for one. i have much to do, much to study, not to mention i am not firm in God's word yet. How will i be able to provide spiritual protection and guidance for my spouse and children? Besides that , i just have no time, it's true in less than 10 years i may not have accomplished everything yet but i will have accomplished what i have to in order to be available for a significant other.

My upbringing makes me feel like i'm doing the wrong thing, when i share this with people they like to say "oh, you should build a life together" well i don't have time! i don't want to condemn someone to a relationship that they thought would fulfil them but it wouldnt! And i would be distracted too, from my goals, do you think my reasons for avoiding relationships are valid?

Also they must be the wrong men right ? When the right one comes i will be ready.

What is traditionally referred to a Easter (instituted by Roman Catholicism and named after the goddess Astarte) is in Messianic truth the resurrection of the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18)

AND

the presentation of this firstfruits before the Father as the "wave offering" in Heaven.

Leviticus 23:10–12 (KJV)
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

John 20:17 (KJV)
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Tenufah is the wave offering (interesting it is also the offering to God that waives our being judged for our sins)

Sameach means happy.

Happy Waive Offering!

`Blessed Feast of the Resurrection to you all !

Hope you all have a wonderful day

All surrounding evidence points to God does not want restoration - but here I am praying for some kind of glory or power to prevail.
I am in a confusion as I don't see us moving forward....
Something "wrong" always happens to set us back.
If we D I'll never marry again, but is it possible God wants my husband to be happier with someone else....?
Was this "marriage" training wheels, for him, for the real thing....?
There is no adultery, that I know of, but so much confusion.
We are both believers (but so much division has led us to live completely separate lives, including our spirituality among all other areas)
I've checked out at least 1 year ago.
Husband senses it, and knows it, I am on the verge of walkaway wife. Yet all we do is fight, silence, stonewall, some lukewarm affection, then fight again, stonewall, silence...etc.
Please pray

. I see my thread has disappeared.

I posted a thread on 1 Corinthians 1:31 on how Jesus is made unto us wisdom, justification, righteousness, and redemption. And a couple of you disagreed with me. I'm back to post more from both the old and new teststaments about this.

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Jeremiah 13:23

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Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Exodus 31:13

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Eze 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

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i think this is enough to establish my point

The one upshot of this is that the former parish has no longer had to pay the nearly $600,000 fee the liberal bishops demanded as the price of departure, despite the fact that they are the ones in violation of the Traditional Plan adopted at the 2018 General Conference, which remains the letter of the law in the UMC, and departing congregations in a sense are being asked to pay money to not be in communion or subordinate to bishops who are engaging in intentional and open disobedience of the Traditional Plan adopted in 2018.

The reason given for the termination of the pastor, ironically, is ”Disloyalty to the UMC.”

Fortunately for all, the congregation and pastor are not litigious, and are pulling in larger congregations than when they had UMC branding. And the money saved by not going through the formal disaffiliation process will instead be invested in the construction of a new church building.

The sad thing of course is that this sort of thing has been happening in the UMC for decades, and did not start with the current attempt to thwart the Traditional Plan and the traditional morality of the UMC in Africa from being imposed in the United States, but rather, we can see a similar incident having happened back in the 1990s to St. Paul’s UMC in Anchorage, Alaska, which was shut down by the bishop because the congregation, which had paid for the costs of building the parish church in the 1980s, resisted the appointment of a liberal pastor. Fortunately they had the funds to build a replacement structure and have operated as a traditional Methodist congregation ever since.

I want to wish all my friends in Traditional Theology on the Julian, Revised Julian and Coptic calendars, such as @dzheremi, @prodromos , @HTacianas , @PsaltiChrysostom and many others, a blessed Palm Sunday, and to all my friends on the Gregorian calendar, including but by no means limited to @MarkRohfrietsch @ViaCrucis @chevyontheriver @concretecamper @pdudgeon @Jipsah @Carl Emerson @hedrick @Paidiske @Ain't Zwinglian @PloverWing @Andrewn @Shane R and many others, Christos Anesti!

And should I be unable next weekend to say Christos Anesti to my Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Ukrainian Greek Catholic friends, and anyone else on the Julian, Coptic or Revised Julian calendars, I would beg your pardon and hope this message will serve instead.

Christ is Risen!

I wish a blessed Holy Week, Paschal Feast and Bright Week to everyone.

France is in flames. Israel is erupting. America is facing a second January 6. In the Netherlands, however, the political establishment is reeling from an entirely different type of protest — one that, perhaps more than any other raging today, threatens to destabilise the global order. The victory of the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) in the recent provincial elections represents an extraordinary result for an anti-establishment party that was formed just over three years ago. But then again, these are not ordinary times.

The BBB grew out of the mass demonstrations against the Dutch government’s proposal to cut nitrogen emissions by 50% in the country’s farming sector by 2030 — a target designed to comply with the European Union’s emission-reduction rules. While large farming companies have the means to meet these goals — by using less nitrogen fertiliser and reducing the number of their livestock — smaller, often family-owned farms would be forced to sell or shutter. Indeed, according to a heavily redacted European Commission document, this is precisely the strategy’s goal: “extensifying agriculture, notably through buying out or terminating farms, with the aim of reducing livestock”; this would “first be on a voluntary basis, but mandatory buyout is not excluded if necessary”.

Continued below.

The meme on social media reads this: “It’s not our job to fix people; it’s our job to love them even while they are broken.” DaveWillis.org.

But is that true? I believe it is not. So, let’s look at some Scripture verses on that subject, shall we?

Are We to Fix People?

In Ephesians 4:1-16 we read that we, as Christians, are to speak the truth in love, one to the other, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes, but so that the body of Christ grows and builds itself up in love to maturity in Christ Jesus, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, as each part does its work.

And in Ephesians 5:17-21 and in Colossians 3:16 we read that we are to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And in Hebrews 3:13 we are instructed that we are to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

And in Hebrews 10:23-25 we read that we are to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” And this word “encourage” means to exhort, to urge, to strongly encourage with a holy urging, as well as it can mean to uplift and to cheer. And stirring one another to love and good works may also require some holy urging and exhorting with true biblical counsel.

Then we read in Galatians 6:1: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” And in James 5:19-20 we read: “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

[Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:17-21; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20]

Now, it is true that it is God who changes human hearts. We can make no one do what we believe they ought to do. But we are certainly to be urging them and counseling them and teaching and instructing and exhorting and encouraging them in the ways of holiness and godliness, and against the ways of wickedness and sinful addiction. And we are to help them to healing, and to restoration and to walks of obedience to our Lord, if they are willing, and if they will cooperate with us in doing what they ought to do.

Our Job to Love Them

And then think with me for a moment of the words in the second half of that meme. So, first off he says that it is not our job to fix people, which is contrary to what these Scriptures teach. But then he says that it is our job to love them, as though trying to help people to get better is not loving them? That is the implied message here, you know, that if we try to help repair people’s broken lives, we are not loving them. But if we ignore their brokenness, and we let them remain broken, that is loving them.

Do you see the wrongness of what is being taught in this meme? But this is the message which is being taught today, and not just in this one meme, and not just in memes, in general, but in sermons, and in movies, and in videos, and in devotionals, and in gospel presentations, etc. The message is strong that we are not to interfere in other people’s lives, even if we can see clearly that they are drowning. We are not to try to save them. For that is not being loving. But being loving is accepting them in their sinful conditions and ignoring their spiritual brokenness.

Now I will concede here that there are people who go about this the wrong way. For they make false judgments based on personal prejudices or whatever, and so they end up trying to fix things which are not broken, and they end up falsely accusing people of things they did not do, and they enter into situations uninvited where they have no knowledge of the situation, and so they only succeed in making matters much worse. And they end up hurting people instead of helping them. So this calls for much spiritual discernment. We must be led of the Spirit in this, for sure.

So, if you are going to try to help someone to freedom or to healing of some kind, know the facts of the situation first. Be a good listener and don’t make quick judgments, especially ones based on your own personal prejudices, or ones based on your own self. Don’t falsely accuse people of what they did not do based on your own feelings on the subject (example: Job’s friends). Be fair. Be kind. Be thoughtful. And ask questions instead of making assumptions. And don’t judge by your own standards, but by the Word of God and in truth. And pray before you do anything!

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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