Infant baptism is the practice of baptizing infants or young children. There are several biblical and theological arguments that can be made in favor of infant baptism.

First, the Bible teaches that baptism is a sacrament that washes away sin and grants the gift of the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament, it is clear that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4, Acts 2:38) and grants the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, John 3:5). Since infants are born with original sin, they are in need of forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit, just as adults are.

Second, the Bible teaches that baptism is the means by which one enters the covenant community of believers. In the Old Testament, infants were included in the covenant community through circumcision, which was the sign of the covenant (Genesis 17:9-14). In the New Testament, baptism has replaced circumcision as the sign of the covenant (Colossians 2:11-12). Therefore, it makes sense that infants would be included in the covenant community through baptism.

Third, the Bible teaches that the whole household can be baptized (Acts 16:15, 33; 1 Corinthians 1:16). This implies that the infants in the household were included in the baptism.

Fourth, the early Church practice of baptizing infants is attested in the writings of the early Church fathers, such as Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Augustine of Hippo.

In conclusion, infant baptism is biblically and theologically sound, as it is in line with the biblical teaching on the nature of baptism and its relationship to the forgiveness of sins and entrance into the covenant community of believers, and it was also the practice of early Church.

I would have to agree with Collin Rugg on the 210 members of congress who voted to deny medical care to victims of abortion who survive. How utterly depraved has the U.S. become that nearly half of the people in charge of our government are in favor of watching a living, breathing human baby, made in God's own image, lay on a cold steel table, suffer, and die. It's even celebrated afterwards! Many are proud that this is what we have come too! Help me make sense of it, if there is any sense to be made! Is this what we call "progress" in modern America?

This is just a simple question. But somebody knocked on my door in the middle of the night. I did not answer. I just called the police. They are doing a sweep to make sure everything is okay.

The thing is I never get knocks on my door in the middle of the night. So, I got scared. Did I do the right thing?

"You won't become saints by hounding after evil. Ignore evil.
Look towards Christ and He will save you,

Elder Porphyrios


from Wounded by Love - page 135

Revelation 8:1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half hour.

We are clearly told that the ‘about a half hour’, is in heaven. Time in heaven is not and cannot be the same as earthly time, heaven doesn’t rotate or orbit the sun. God is eternal, His ways are not our ways. Anyway, the Bible informs us twice that one day in heaven is like [as] 1000 years on earth. Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 Genesis speaks of ‘6 days’ of creation, it seems more logical that they were actually 1000 year periods, or allegorically pointing to God’s 7000 year Plan for the earth.

We have a date for the completion of the 6000 year era of mankind’s rule, obtained from the careful addition of the Biblically given time periods and the completion of Jesus’ ministry, in 29/30 AD. Luke 3:1 2
The three tranches of 2000 years; Adam to Abraham, Abraham to Jesus, The first Advent to the glorious Return. Then the 1000 year Millennium. Gods 7000 year Plan for Mankind on the physical earth.

It had been assumed that the ‘half hour’ starts soon after the Sixth Seal and finishes at the commencement of the Trumpet and Bowl punishments of the Great Tribulation. That is: 3½ years before the Return. But the Sixth Seal commences the Wrath of God and the Lamb, Rev. 6:17, then we see it isn’t until the completion of the Great Tribulation, that the Wrath of God is finished. Revelation 15:1
All that is Prophesied between Revelation 6:12 to Revelation 19:10 must take longer than that.


The calculation of 1000 divided by 48 gives us a heavenly half-hour of about 20 earth years. But that is only the centre of a range of years possible because it is "about" a half-hour.
Calculating the range of years is based upon statistical rules: Since the text tells us a half-hour, we examine the next divisible time period which is a quarter-hour. We simply find the distance between 30 minutes and 15 minutes (above and below) and find the half-way points. This gives us +/-5 centred on 20 years. Therefore the range is from 15 years to 25 years. If the actual year is outside of this range, then the Revelation account would have read "about a quarter of an hour” or “about three-quarters of an hour." But, Revelation says "about a half-hour." Thus we know it can't be outside the range of 15 to 25 years (including anything in between) otherwise "about an half-hour" would be wrong .

Therefore if, as seems likely, if the Sixth Seal – the great and terrible Day of the Lord, happens very soon – then the Seventh Seal follows immediately afterwards. So that will be the period of ‘silence in heaven’ but of tumult and huge changes on earth!

A lot must happen during that time – the regeneration of the Land, many prophesies about that – the Lord will send rain. Then the gathering, and settling of His people, again many prophecies – houses rebuilt, land productive... The selection of the 144,000, The Gog Magog attack and 7 years clean up. The treaty with the Anti-Christ, the AoD in the new Temple and 3½ years of the Great Tribulation. Then the glorious Return.

It all fits and I see the Hand of God in it.

The latest rage within Catholic catechesis is a Protestant program called ALPHA. Several Catholic leaders, including Fr. Mike Schmitz, have promulgated the program within the church. The program should never be used within a Catholic context because it is a Protestant program that presents a watered-down version of the Gospel and the faith.

When our priest first introduced the program a few years ago to adults as a “study” and an evangelical method to invite those who were not Catholic to the church, I had no reservations. I trusted the program would be solid theology. I was wrong. The problem continued when the priest and Director of P.R.E. (Parish Religious Education) at our church (for which I was the teacher of the 7th grade first year confirmation class) instructed us to use the program as the curriculum for the class. It is a poor catechesis program which further causes youth and weak Catholics to leave the church.

The program has created a “Catholic” version of the series. The “Catholic” version is not Catholic at all. It is, in fact, the same series with an incomplete and false presentation of the faith. For example, the program only recognizes two Sacraments. It mentioned baptism and the Eucharist. The theology presented by the program teaches an inaccurate view of both sacraments. It teaches Baptism from the Protestant version. It ignores the forgiveness of original sin through baptism. It teaches the Eucharist as a representation of a historical event and not as the Real Presence, further causing more disbelief in the Real Presence within Catholics. Holy Communion is presented as something unaffiliated with church membership and is given to anyone who attends the retreat held halfway through the course.

Continued below.

One of my favorite covers ever: Beck with Seal covering Dylan's Like a rolling stone

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Things are changing a lot in this country.

I have a question. I think i know the answer but feel i need to ask. I became a Christian late in life. I am 62. When i was younger i thought about religion and would read a bit but fell out For many years i didn't think much about it and even though I was married with children I acted selfishly at times. The one thing that occurred from an early age were these feelings out of nowhere was a feeling i should go to church, read the bible etc. It's funny when i look back the one thing i was certain of was these feelings that i have ( or had) that came out of nowhere(so i thought) with nothing in particular setting it off. So one July 4th 2021 i attended a service. Something happened. I felt like I was were i was supposed to be. I attend weekly, and on the few times i didnt i watched the sermon online. I have attended classes. I believe in Christ. I count myself ( i can say that now with certainty) a Christian.

The issue? i still have a couple of sins i commit. I know it's wrong, occurs less often, but still occurs. Part of me says I am a work in progress. That years and years of habits etc are difficult to stop. That's the question, Why? When i do, there is guilt and then i feel like the last couple of years perhaps mean nothing, that i'm fooling myself. Then i go back to the bible and think i am on the right track and tell myself not to get discouraged. Has anyone struggled like this once they turn to,Christ. is this step forward, step backward normal? I do truly believe, that i know. But are the ups and downs ( much more ups) normal. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks...

Hello there everyone. I was saved at age nine, and was a firm believer in Christ at that point. However as of recent I have felt an impassable barrier between myself and Christianity.

I had never actually read the Bible until about two months ago when I was given one by my grandfather, and have been reading a chapter a day through it at night every few days (Starting at Matthew, and now am almost done with Luke). When I read it, though, I don't feel like I am receiving some kind of divine wisdom, moreso an intruiging piece of ancient literature like the Epic of Gilgamesh, or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I just dont feel like the events which I am reading about truly transpired (Such as that portion of Matthew where the dead saints rose from the dead and preached to the people). Whenever I pray there's always an extremely loud nagging voice in my head saying yes but none of this is really true, and I don't know if that is Satan or myself truly not believing in the Lord. When concepts like Hell, Angels, or the resurrection are discussed I feel a mental disconnect.

I really want to be Christian. If there is truly a Hell which consists of weeping and gnashing of teeth then the last thing I want to do is get trapped in it. I am trying to incorporate the teachings of Jesus into my life, which I guess means it must hold some merit. I would really appreciate some guidance on what to do from this point, as I feel truly lost in my religious beliefs.

I am examining if I have been tempted by greed.

I have been doing research on the homeless issue, there is a side that debates that by helping the homeless we enable them to not work, and there are already services for them that they are not choosing to help themselves.

That if we pay taxes we are already helping the homeless if we know it or not. And that if we focus on careers we end up paying more taxes therefore helping others too.

Did I get something wrong?

One of the most influential guitarists ever. RIP, Jeff.

Since November, after the discovery of documents with classified markings in his former office, Biden aides have been searching for any additional classified materials that might be in other locations he used, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details about the ongoing inquiry.

When I previously brought up that more Biden documents should be looked for I was told it was not necessary. Joe kept TOP SECRET documents at an unsecured location for years. The whole facility should have been locked down and a complete search by federal government authorities made, now you can bet foreign entities are looking for more documents. Biden associates who are looking for documents are potential collaborators, it only takes one person to grab a critical document that might get someone killed.
Staff certainly should not be part of the actual search, they should be interrogated and asked where documents will be so people with the proper security clearances and authority can professionally search.
Let me put this in perspective. There is a huge difference between the National Archives delivering documents to a former president and a vice president who has no such declassification authority taking TOP SECRET documents to his private offices. A lot of the Biden family business dealings with the Chinese government have been suppressed from the public by the Justice Department and FBI, but it is clear the Biden family is heavily involved with the Chinese. When did Joe take the documents? What was the purpose? Joe is no academic or particularly interested in intelligence matters, why would he have have TOP SECRET documents dealing with Iran or the Ukraine if not to provide that information to others?

For the first time in 15 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday released new guidelines for treating childhood obesity, emphasizing a need for early and intensive treatment.

The guidance comes as childhood obesity rates have continued to rise over the past decade and a half, increasing from 17% to 20%, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the 1980s, obesity rates have tripled in children and quadrupled in adolescents.

The new guidelines emphasize that obesity is a complex and chronic condition without a simple fix. Intensive behavioral and lifestyle changes should be the first-line approach, but the AAP also includes recommendations for anti-obesity medications and surgery for the first time. These novel recommendations are in response to a windfall of research and drug approvals in the past few years.

For children ages 12 and up, one of the major changes in the recommendations is the inclusion of anti-obesity drugs and weight-loss surgery alongside lifestyle changes.



To me this feels a bit like jumping the gun. While there are things that are bad enough that they need pharmaceutical and surgical interventions to either treat the condition, or prevent imminent bad outcomes... Being overweight at age 12 or 13 doesn't feel like one of them.

I feel this way for a couple reasons:

1) a lot of bodily changes happen during puberty...especially in males, in the form of getting one of mother nature's best fat burners in the form of the 30-fold increase of testosterone they're about to get in the next 3 years (and that will last 5-10 years before tapering off)

2) chronic issues and serious outcomes related to weight are far from being "imminent" at that age... There's plenty of time to change eating and exercise behaviors at that age before it's done any real serious damage that can't be reversed. A 15 year old is statistically unlikely to be dealing with the same consequences of a 30+ BMI at that age compared to their 40 year old counterpart.

3) weight loss surgeries don't exactly have a stellar track record if the person isn't being supported in other ways. Per the NEJM "Many people do indeed find success with gastric bypass in the short term, but a majority of participants unfortunately regain much of the weight they lost. In fact, one study indicated that 59% of people regained 20% or more of the weight they originally lost after surgery." And my hunch would be, if a 13 year old has gotten to a 30+ BMI by that age, the proper encouragement and discipline isn't there to provide that support structure at home (where they'll be living for at least the subsequent 5 years)



Obesity rates climbing that high among youths is definitely a problem. But I think the solution is a little more of the public getting behind the Michelle Obama "get up and get moving" and the Jamie Oliver "let's find ways to make healthier food appealing to kids", and little less of the "let's give them diet pills and surgically re-route their digestive tract"

This poll is to understand the faith choices and church involvement of the single forum members here.

Aides to President Joe Biden have discovered at least one additional batch of classified documents in a location separate from the Washington office he used after leaving the Obama administration, according to a person familiar with the matter.


How many sensitive documents did he leave in how many different locations?

A testimony- I used to have Seasonal Affective Disorder, depression in the winter months. It was pretty severe and I was severely impaired, right around maybe November depression just came over me and I was like that until maybe April the next year (I live in Pennsylvania, we have bad winters). I gave my life to Christ in 2003, that year around November I felt it come over me like usual, however then it stopped, started going the other way, and then left completely! It has never come back! I love winter now!

I have done independent research into signs of our Lord in the Cosmos... and I assure you, it is full of Him!

There are no competitors to our God. If you want to believe in cosmic signs, they will be very clear and easy to interpret. They are based, if you are receptive to the good meanings.

This is the result of several years self-study and education... I stole fundamentals of astronomy, numbers, calendars, scriptures, etc. to realize this vision. Of course the Bible is not only represented... the Stars confirm that the King James Version is indeed the inspired Word.

Many have hated on me, for reading the numbers and stars. So I must make a distinction, this is not for purposes of reading fortunes and communing with spirits, ever. It is seeing clearly the ripples of our Creator in the Universe... in a fantastic revelation that is impossible to ignore.

It is often said that "no news is good news": because most news stories are bad (or believed to be bad from a Christian perspective). Many people assume they will hear or read something bad when they turn on the TV to watch news shows. Why? Because it usually is.

But what if the news story is about the power of God's love and prayers on display? What if a story that started as terrible news became international news about people worldwide showing their support through faith, hope, and charity?

Well, finally such news, in case you are not aware, does exist. The main character is Damar Hamlin, a 24-year old defensive player for the National Football League's Buffalo Bills. This is how it began:

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This is the latest update after one week:

“He’s certainly on what we consider a very normal to even accelerated trajectory from the life-threatening event that he underwent,” (Dr. Timothy) Pritts said, “but he’s making great progress.”

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On Monday night, December 12, senators unanimously passed a measure to remove authority for calling out the National Guard from politicians like Nancy Pelosi and gave it over to the Capitol Police. . .

Pelosi’s office “was heavily involved in planning and decision-making before and during the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and micromanaged the Sergeant at Arms,” according to texts and other communications that came to light after January 6.

Nancy and her staff need to testify under oath.

Psalms 119:92-94 ESV


We all go through stuff. None of us are immune from sickness, injury, heartache, pain, sadness and suffering in general. And if we follow Jesus Christ with our lives, we will also be hated and persecuted, despised and rejected by other humans. And not everyone is going to understand us. Even many professing Christians will not understand why we do what we do and why we choose not to participate in things that we shouldn’t.

And we all have our own personal convictions about some things, and others may not share the same convictions, and so others may not understand some of our decisions. Like for example, I have a bad history with medications and very bad reactions to them, so the Lord led me to stop taking all medications 14 years ago. I don’t even take anything for pain. Some people have a hard time with this, but prayer works. Jesus is still in the healing business. But it doesn’t mean we will never have to suffer.

For God allows us to go through trials and tribulations to test our faith. For suffering produces endurance, provided that we respond to the suffering with faith. And endurance produces character, and character produces hope. So our suffering involves character building. So we are not to be surprised at the fiery trials that come to test us, as though something strange is happening to us, for we are sharing in Christ’s sufferings.

So, we are to count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds, for the testing of our faith produces steadfastness, again provided that we respond to the suffering with faith. And steadfastness must have its full effect, that we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. So, we are to rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, we have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of our faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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

Now, I can speak with confidence when I tell you that if God’s Word was not my delight, I would have never made it through the trials I have gone through in my life. The Lord sustained me and he carried me through them. Though there was a period in my life when I caved to my circumstances, and I didn’t put my trust solely in the Lord and in his word, and it is amazing that I did not perish. But thank the Lord he brought me back.

The Word of the Lord breathes life into us. It teaches us so much about our Lord and about his will and purpose for our lives. We are instructed in the ways that we should go and we are warned regarding where we should not go. And we receive encouragement and hope and healing from God’s Word. And as we take in more of his word into our lives we draw closer to our Lord in sweet fellowship with him.

The Lord is our healer. He is our great physician. He is our comforter in sorrow and our helper in times of weakness. But, again, he takes us through trials, and he does allow us to suffer, because suffering produces good things in our lives, and suffering humbles us, and it teaches us to rely on God and not on ourselves. And when we go through times of suffering we then become more compassionate toward others in their suffering.

Come, Ye Disconsolate

Lyrics by Thomas Moore, 1816
Arr. by Thomas Hastings, 1831
Music by Samuel Webbe, Sr, 1792

Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish,
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot cure.”

Here see the bread of life, see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heav’n can remove.

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This year I am pushing myself to try to find new recipes that I can add to my staples. Especially recipes that aren’t too fussy to make, taste great, and heat up well as leftovers.

Let’s share pictures of our meals we really enjoy here! If somebody else wants to make it, we can share the recipe!

This was my dinner last night: lemon caper pasta. I subbed vegan heavy cream, cashew Parmesan and lentil pasta to make it vegan and add a little extra protein. Couldn’t recommend more! So good and easy!

【Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 】Matthew 16:16~17

Please pray for me(sangeun) and all of my family members(junghee dohan jieun hochul jeolja nosun zzomi jusik) to know the Jesus and Gospel and the truth by Spirit of God and accept the Gospel and Jesus christ and believe in Jesus christ. and worship Father God in the Spirit and in truth not according to a person’s will but solely by the will intended by Jesus. and not to give up on Jesus christ and faith at any situation and repent of all our sins and be free from all our sins and be forgiven all our sins by Jesus and go to heaven surely.

Please pray for me(sangeun) and all of my family members(junghee dohan jieun hochul jeolja nosun zzomi jusik) to believe that the Father is in the Son Jesus and that Jesus is in the Father. And to know the true father God. And Jesus Christ directly reveal the name of God the Father to all of us. And that God fulfil the Bible verses above for all of us. May God make impossible to make possible for all of us.

My place of work may soon be closing and my apartment lease is over soon. Please pray that my work would stay open and I would keep my job and that I could stay in my current apartment since I like it. Thank you.