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Governor Sanders removes regulatory hurdle, enabling a freer market for child labor in Arkansas

Arkansas governor signs bill rolling back child labor protections

Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill into law this week that rolls back a number of child labor protections across the state, including a measure that had required employers to obtain work certificates for children under the age of 16.

Previously, minors under the age of 16 needed to verify their age and get the written consent of a parent or guardian before a work certificate could be issued by the state’s Division of Labor. But H.B. 1410, known as the Youth Hiring Act of 2023, which passed the Arkansas state legislature earlier this month, no longer requires youth under the age of 16 to have that work certificate as a condition of their employment.

Why should parents stand in the way of the free market? Arkansan kids yearn to work in Tyson chicken separating factories!
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Unpardonable Sin & OCD

I am a firm believer, a child of God, and deep down inside I know that God has me and loves me. With OCD though, I keep circling back to worries of the unpardonable sin; I analyze it again to try to find the answer, and there is no universally accepted answer so it’s impossible just to find one answer. In recent years I hadn’t doubted my salvation, but then during an OCD therapy session last year, I said something I did not mean (as a therapeutic exercise), and then I found out about the unpardonable sin a couple weeks later (interestingly I had read those bible verses before, and it never registered with me that Jesus was speaking of an unpardonable sin). I initially worried that what I had said may had been the unpardonable sin but now, looking back, I understand that it was not.

I have since read many articles and listened to numerous sermons on what the unpardonable sin is. The fear was overwhelming, and I found myself having terrible (unwanted) thoughts in my head (that I will not type out); I did not believe any of these thoughts, and the more I tried not to think them, the more they kept coming back. I then had fears that I committed the unpardonable sin in my head, but knew that was nonsense. I remember praying in late November last year, telling God that I knew I had not committed this sin (it was not the first time I had prayed this, but I had peace after that prayer this time). The next day, I was hanging around my fiancé’s apartment while she was out, and I heard myself saying, “The Holy Spirit”, out loud. I then went into panic mode, because I was unsure as to why I had said “The Holy Spirit” out loud and was worried as to what I might have said prior to that; essentially, I was worried that I might have caught myself saying one of my terrible thoughts out loud. It scared the daylights out of me, but quite quickly I concluded I must had been thinking and speaking “Praise The Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit”, because I’d remembered thinking and (I believe) saying that out loud earlier that morning.

The worry essentially comes back every now and again of “what if” I actually did say one of my terrible thoughts out loud. I love God, the faith He has given me is all that matters to me. I sometimes worry though that I have messed everything up.

Does this all make sense? Any input here?
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Biden’s actions lead us to believe that the best women for a job is a man.


The White House issued an award to Alba Rueda, a biological man, on International Women’s Day during the 2023 International Women of Courage Awards.

WHO HAS THE MARK OF BEAST ?

PARAPTOMA means = a fall, falling aside from truth and equity. Ezekiel 9:4. And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. This aligns with revelation chapter 7, those who have seal of God. There not going to worship antichrist near future. Those with seal of God know the rapture theory is lies and false doctrine. 9:5. And to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have pity. 9:2. And behold , six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lies toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; These people are being marked with the beast. Meaning, they have mark of beast. Revelation is 13, the whole world will worship antichrist. This is bible prophecy. Written over 2,000 years ago. Those with mark of beast are headed for spirtual destruction. Why would these 6 angels with slaughter weapon, mark those for spirtual destruction ?? Second thessalonians chapter 2:12. And they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Could this be the answer ??.

R. C. Sproul and Amillennialism

R C sproul’s theology was reformed Amillennialsim. His eschatology was partial preterism.

His understanding of “this generation” is that it refers to Jesus’ contemporary generation, and is in line with partial preterism and the destruction of Jerusalem as being about the “coming of Christ in judgement upon Israel”


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His understanding of the end of the age or last days is that it refers to end of the Jewish “age”.

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1.) I’m just curious if there are there any current amillenials, who converted from dispensationalism, that agree with R C Sproul on “this generation” and “end of the age”? (My personal experience is that those raised Amil have an easier time accepting partial preterism, while those who were raised dispensational and converted to Amil later in life, have a difficult time accepting partial preterism)

2.) I find it interesting that RC sprouls arguments against non religious bible critics for “this generation” and “end of the age” are the same arguments partial preterists use agains dispensational futurists and hyperfuturists. Any thoughts?

I confidently predict the new leaked internal emails will prove Fox News Hosts hated Trump for denying Biden's win.

More internal emails from Fox news have been released,
Unfortunately I cannot find any links that let download exactly what is released yet but I confidently predict that it will be clear that some Fox news hosts despised Trump for denying Biden's win.

The world's first horse riders

Adam and Eve live 6,000. We see this was about the time people began to ride horses. A wild horse is one thing. A domesticated horse is something else. Clearly we find many, many, many beginnings at the time of Adam and Eve in the Bible.


The researchers discovered evidence of horse riding by studying the remains of human skeletons found in burial mounds called kurgans, which were between 4500-5000 years old.

Are there really any parallels between Revelation 20:7-10 and Revelation 19?

The following is based on my observations, thus I'm not saying nor implying that other views are necessarily seeing it this way.


Let's look at Revelation 19 first by starting with these verses.

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.


I would think, if Revelation 19 is involving the 2nd coming like a lot of us tend to believe, verse 11 is meaning when it initially begins. Which means that verse 19 can't even get fulfilled until the 2nd coming has happened first. Regardless what it might look like when that is being fulfilled, that verse has the beast and his armies gathered together to make war with Christ and His army.

One thing we know, or should know if we don't, verse 19 is meaning after the 42 month reign of the beast. We know that because of what Revelation 13:7 records, that the saints are being overcome by the beast during it's 42 month reign. And that verse 19 in Revelation 19 is not involving any saints being overcome by the beast at the time. Therefore, in this age prior to the 2nd coming, meaning during it's 42 month reign, the beast wages war against the saints and overcomes them. Then at the end of this age once the 2nd coming has occurred, the beast and it's armies wage yet another war, this time against Christ and His army. Except this time it is the beast and it's armies that are overcome, and not any of the saints instead.


OP continued in next post.

Greenland temperatures surge up to 50 degrees above normal, setting records

This latest warm spell in Greenland pushed the temperature in its capital, Nuuk, up to 59.4 degrees (15.2 Celsius) on Sunday, the warmest on record for March or April, according to climate expert Maximiliano Herrera. The average March high in Nuuk, which sits on the southwestern coast of the island, is about 23 degrees (minus-5 Celsius).

The warmth is related to a phenomenon that meteorologists call the “Greenland block,” a stagnant zone of high pressure that causes the air to sink and warm beneath it. The block may have developed in response to a sudden warming at high levels of the atmosphere in February. The “sudden stratospheric warming” disrupted the polar vortex, a pool of frigid air that kept Greenland chilly through the core winter months.

With the current Greenland block drifting southwest, the highest temperatures compared with normal are shifting out of Greenland and into Nunavut, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. Record-high temperatures are still occurring from northern Greenland into Quebec.
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Biden Marks Women’s History Month By Giving ‘Women of Courage’ Award to a Man

The administration is focusing on abortion and transgender ideology in a month meant to honor women’s achievements.

While Women’s History Month was intended as a time to honor the achievements of women throughout history, the Biden administration has chosen this March to emphasize that they believe women are dependent on abortion for basic equality. They also seemed to struggle with the definition of what a woman is, choosing to give a “Women of Courage” award to a transgender activist who is a biological male.

In President Biden’s statement proclaiming Women’s History Month, he said that “despite significant progress, women and girls continue to face systemic barriers to full and equal participation in our economy and society. Last year, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, stripping away a constitutional right from the American people and the ability of millions of women to make decisions about their own bodies, putting their health and lives at risk.”

Continued below.

Do Not Fear Suffering

Revelation 2:8-11 ESV

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
“‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”

And this brings to mind this passage of Scripture in Romans 2:28-29:

“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”

And this reminds me of other passages of Scripture related to this where it teaches us that Jesus Christ is the promised seed of Abraham and that not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring. For it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. And who are the children of promise? If we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

[Gal 3:16,26-29; Rom 9:4-8; Gal 4:22-31; Eph 2:14-18; 1 Jn 2:22]

And what does it mean to belong to Christ? It means we have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. We have been set free from our slavery to sin, by God’s grace and via Jesus’ death and resurrection, so that we can now be slaves of God and of his righteousness in walks of obedience to our Lord in living in holiness and in righteousness and no longer in sin.

[Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Eph 4:17-24; Lu 9:23-26; Tit 2:11-14]

So, the point of this is that there are people who are claiming to be God’s people, his chosen ones, but not in truth, and not in righteousness, but in form only, or because they were physically descended from Abraham, or because they went through the motions of “believing” in Jesus Christ but not with God-given faith. So they are not the true children of God because they have not died with Christ to sin and so they were not raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, and so they are still living to please the flesh.

And, according to the Scriptures, if we are walking according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit, and if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, then we are illegitimate children of God. For we are not born of God but we are of the devil because sin is what we practice, and righteousness, godliness, holiness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice. So we don’t know God and so we will not enter into God’s heavenly kingdom, even though we may have been told that heaven is guaranteed us.

[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]

And many (or some) of these who profess to be God’s children, but not in truth, are the persecutors of those of us who are God’s true children. But we are not God’s children by natural birth, but by spiritual birth, and via dying with Christ to sin, but not just once, but daily (consistently), and by walking in obedience to him in living morally pure and upright and godly lives, in his power and strength, and to the glory and praise of God. For this is what it means to have faith, which comes from God, and is not of our own doing.

[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15,21; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:22-25; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; Heb 12:1-2; Jn 6:44; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 Co 15:58; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13]

So, if we are walking in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, and our faith is in him, and so we are living holy lives, and we are not continuing in sinful practices, but we are now his servants in doing his will, then we are going to have opposition. And our opposition may well come from others who claim to be God’s chosen people and/or who may claim to have faith in Jesus Christ, but not in truth. And some of them may be pastors and elders of church congregations or of businesses which are called “church.”

But we are not to fear such opposition or what they might do to us or say about us or what we may be called to suffer for the sake of the name of Jesus and for the sake of righteousness. For when we follow Jesus Christ with our lives we share in the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. And he told us that we would be hated and persecuted and treated just like he was. But we are to be faithful unto death, and we will receive from God the crown of life.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-17; Jn 15:18-21]

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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Patrick Michael Kelly

Many years ago I bought a 2nd hand car and found a cassette in it by the Kelly family. That set me on a journey of discovery of their music especially that of Paddy Kelly (Patrick Michael Kelly). I followed his journey in the Kelly family where they became one of Europes biggest acts even though most people did not know of them in my country. I loved all sorts of music and I had never heard of them nor wouled I have ever thought of buying their music. But the combination of 9 or 10 siblings singing in harmony was so powerful.

Login to view embedded media Paddy is the young guy out front leading the sing along about 3 minutes in.

Then as he got older he got disillusioned by all the fame and he became a monk and went into a monastery for a few years which shocked his fans.
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But he still was making music.

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Then the time had come where he was encouraged to leave the monastery and share his music with others and this is him today.

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Did All Really Sin?

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I think the subject matter in the pasted image is worth discussing.

I have removed the usernames from the post so the actual content can be the focal point.

So the bible says All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.

Is there an exception in this "all" as there is with some universalist texts such as "as in Adam all have died, in Christ all will be made alive?"

Did all really sin?

Freedom, liberty, and mechanism

Some have a theology in which human decisions while appearing to be free are in fact predetermined and predestined in every minute detail. Every atom and sub-atomic particle is said to be disposed according to God's eternal plan, sometimes called God's eternal decree. Thus all human freedom is curtailed by the decree and will proceed only within the absolutely predetermined course of God's plan. And so, you do not actually act as a free moral agent but as a moral agent acting according to the predetermined plan and purposes of God. Your decisions are not freely made but are in fact made according to the plan and only seem to be free because the details of the plan are not known to you and thus you live under the illusion of doing as you please because you please to do it.

Do you think that is how God works in this world of ours?
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The cycle of life; to breed and to feed.

Life is a difficult thing and it is especially difficult when it comes to the matter of reproduction. Among human beings reproduction involves a great many rules, some of the rules are laws, and it is also expensive - involving, as it does, feeding and educating one's offspring. So, is this how life is meant to be? A cycle of birth, growth, mating, feeding, and then death.

I took a picture of two parrots grazing on the top of the hedge in the front garden. It made me think of this matter.
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Revelation Chapter One - The Message, the Church, the Seven Golden Candlesticks, The Seven Churches

REVELATION Chapter One - The Message, the Church, Seven Golden Candlesticks, the Seven Churches

Revelation 1:11, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven church’s which are in Asia; Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”

Christ’s message and command in Revelation 1:11 was sent and signified to John by an angel, Revelation 1:1, while John was in the Spirit on the Lords Day, Revelation 1:10.

I want to break down chapter one of Revelation for a good understanding of who is bringing this message to John, who the seven stars are, who the seven golden candlesticks are and what they represent, and who the seven churches are – then and today.

Revelation 1:1, the book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus, which God gave to Jesus Christ to show unto his servants. And Jesus SENT and SIGNIFIED it by his angle unto John.

Revelation 1:2, explains that John is God’s servant who bares record of the word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ, and the things he saw.

There is a hierarchy, and an order of things in the Kingdom of God. The revelation message, that is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, trickled downward: from God to Jesus, from Jesus to the angel, then from the angel to the servant of Jesus Christ on earth, John.

In Revelation 1:4-5, John provides several acknowledgements as to those who the revelation message is for, and who the revelation message is from. First he acknowledges those who the Revelation message is for: the seven churches. Then he acknowledges those who the Revelation message is from: Jesus and the seven spirits before Christ throne. These seven spirits are also the seven stars in Jesus right hand, Revelation 1:16. The seven sprits and seven stars are one in the same and are the angels of the seven churches, Revelation 1:20.

Understanding the hierarchy, and who the message is from and who the message is for will help us to understand, 1) who gave the Revelation message to the angel that brought the message to John, and 2) what is the significance of the seven churches who the message is for.

Who’s bringing the message to John?

There is only one angel that brings Christ’s message to John. Revelation 1:1 says, and he (Christ), sent and signified it (The Revelation of Jesus Christ) by his angel unto his servant John. However, there are seven Spirits who are before Christ’s throne, Revelation 1:4. These seven Spirits are the seven stars in Christ right hand, Revelation 1:16, who are the angles of the seven churches, Revelation 1:20. The seven stars are angles that received the Revelation message from Christ in heaven; and gives Christ’s message regarding the seven churches to the angel who is sent to John.

John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day and heard a great voice, as of a trumpet. He heard this great voice speaking to him, saying I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. He heard this voice instruct him to write what he sees in a book, and send it to the seven Churches in Asia, Revelation 1:10. So the entire book of Revelation is to be sent to the seven churches.

In Revelation 1:13, when John turned to see the voice he saw seven golden candlesticks, which are the seven church’s, Revelation 1:20. He also saw one like unto the Son of Man, Christ. And Christ also had in his right hand seven stars, Rev 1:16, which the stars are the angels of the seven churches.

The angel that brought the message to John acknowledges the seven angels of each of the seven churches in Revelation Chapter 2 and 3. The angle that is sent to John, acknowledges out of respect, the seven angels, that is, the seven stars, who are in Christ right hand. The first church acknowledged is Ephesus. Revelation 2:1, ”Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write…” The angle sent to John first acknowledges the angel of the Church of Ephesus, and then proceeds to tell John to write what the angel in Christ right hand says. What the angle says to John is the message he received from the angel of the Church of Ephesus, who received it from Christ. As the angle that is communicating with John introduces each of the stars (angels) over a particular church, he continues his respect and acknowledgement of each angle just before he tells John to write the message that was relayed to him from the other angels. The acknowledgements are in Revelation 2:1, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:18, Revelation 3:1, Revelation 3:7, and Revelation 3:14.


So, the message to the seven churches is from God to Christ. Then from Christ to the seven angels. Then from the seven angels to the angel sent from heaven to John.


The Seven Churches

The seven churches were formed in the same geographical location of Apostle Pauls’ birth, Asia Minor, now called Turkey, which is the spiritual foundation of the temple of God on earth. The first church that was established by Paul, was Ephesus. The other six churches came later. All seven churches make up the seven golden candlesticks which is where the gospel and the body of Christ was established. The light of the gospel spread from these seven churches and that light continues to spread throughout all the world today and will continue until Christ returns.

Asia Minor, where the seven churches were formed, is where the gospel spread from mightily, Acts. 19. Christ established literal churches to bring the church (believers) under, and he appointed angels over each church. It does not matter how many years or centuries, or generation go by, all those who come to Christ based on the gospel, that is the saints, fall under these churches, which were established over two thousand years ago, and thus are called the Church of Christ.

Although there were problems that Christ addressed throughout the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, it does not change the fact that the seven churches were established by Christ to be the seven golden candlesticks to bring the light of Christ to the world, which is after the same patter as the seven golden candlesticks in the temple mount under Moses, Exodus 25:37-40, which stayed lit continually.

Seven Golden Candlesticks, the temple of God, and the light of the gospel

Each church represents a golden candlestick, and those seven churches, or those seven golden candlesticks are in the midst of the body of Christ, the saints, who are called the Church. Because the saints make up the Church, being of one Spirit, one Lord, one God, they are all of one body, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14. The totality of the saints, which make up the Church, is the temple of God, 1 Corinthians 3:16, and in the midst of the temple are the seven golden candlesticks, the seven churches, whose light of the gospel never goes out.

2 Corinthians 6:16 says, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

God dwelt in the Holy of Holies in the temple under the Old Testament, where the priest would come behind the veil once a year to offer sacrifices for the sins of Israel. At the exact time Christ died on the cross, the temple’s veil was rent, Matthew 27:50-51. The renting of the veil after Christ’s death on the cross indicated that there would be no more temple sacrifices for the sins of the people of Israel, and that God would no longer communicated with the Levite Priests on their behalf because now the testator, Jesus Christ, has died, and upon the death of the testator, there is now brought in a new testament, Hebrews 9:16, says, “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator, 17, “For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”

In order for God to communicate with man there must be a temple. In the old temple under the Old Testament, there were seven golden candlesticks that were lit continually. And because now the physical temple under the Old Testament ended at the death of Christ on the cross, how would God continue to communicate with man on earth? The seven churches are the seven golden candlesticks in the midst of the temple of God, which is now the Church, which brings light to the world. The Church is comprised of all saints, which all are one body, having one Spirit, one Lord, one God, one Father, one faith, and one baptism, Ephesians. 4:4-6.

Although the churches in Asia Minor no longer physically exist, their light is still lit because the gospel message preached from those seven churches, which are the seven golden candlesticks, over 2000 years ago, light the way of the saints, who are the temple of God, and that light, the light of Christ, spreads throughout the world, in the hearts of men and stays lit continually for the gospel to be preached throughout the world converting souls: Matthew 5:14-16, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is on an hill cannot be hid, Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts…,” 2 Corinthians 4:4, “…Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them,” Ephesians 5:8, “…but now are ye light in the Lord,” Ephesians 5:14, …”Awake thou that sleepiest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light...” Colossians 1:12, “Giving thanks to the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,” 2 Peter 2:9, …”But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light…”

The Stoned Ape Theory: the wild idea that psychedelics shaped the evolution of humans

Although people call it a theory, it's really just a hypothesis. But -- a very alluring one.
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How we got to be here is one of humanity’s most enduring questions. And it comes in many layers: first in understanding how the Universe formed, then how life appeared on Earth, and how we, humans, specifically came to be. We have a pretty good handle on where and how humans evolved, but there’s a side quest that has been alluding scientists since the first glimmers of philosophy: the origin of human consciousness.​
Suffice it to say, we still don’t know how exactly we’ve been granted this extraordinary gift. We may never know for sure. But as always, we have some theories. Some have attributed this great leap in cognitive development to the use of tools, while others point to the development of language. And one of the more creative origin hypotheses involves drugs.​
This theory, known as the “Stoned Ape Theory,” suggests that the key to understanding the evolution of human consciousness may lie in the consumption of psychedelics.​
The theory, first proposed by Terence McKenna in the 1990s, suggests that the use of psychedelics played a crucial role in the evolution of early human ancestors. According to McKenna, the consumption of psychedelics, particularly psilocybin mushrooms, allowed our ancestors to develop advanced cognitive abilities, such as language and abstract thinking.​
The theory is based on the idea that early human ancestors, living in African savannas around 2 million years ago, began consuming psilocybin mushrooms that grew on the dung of grazing animals. These mushrooms, which contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin, would have had a profound effect on the brain, leading to increased neural plasticity and the development of new cognitive abilities.​
As wild as it may sound, there are actually some merits to this idea. On the flipside, critics highlight the fact that the Stone Ape Theory is pure speculation.​
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What is the Orthodox view of universalism?

I just read this:

Yet it seems there is no official teaching on Universalism? I understand hopeful universalism but if there are those that say it’s untrue, and Scripture seems to back up the belief it is not true, then what?

How does this work in the Orthodox Church?

@ArmyMatt ?

International women's day

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This popped up on my FB today.

I must admit, technology doesn't strike me as the heart of the problem, and therefore I'm not sure it's going to be the solution... (any more, than, say, inventing a washing machine but still thinking all things laundry are "women's work").

But it's an interesting question. I've been fascinated to learn about apps designed to help manage mental load in various ways. Perhaps in a society where mental load often ends up being gendered in a household, that disproportionately helps women?

But where does that leave the women who are most disempowered; those for whom the basics of clean water and adequate nutrition are still massive needs? Innovation which tackles the worst outcomes of poverty benefits everyone, but the also disproportionately benefits women...

I have no answers! But maybe it's worth thinking about.

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