Please pray the following for me, my family, and for all of you.

1. Please send us plenty of workers for the harvest that Jesus talked about, that is, his angels to eliminate those among us who deceive and causes sin and knock us down and let what Jesus seek to gather be gathered.

"The harvesters are angels.”
Matthew 13:39 NIV

“He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Luke 10:2 NIV

“I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ””
Matthew 13:30 NIV


2. Help all of us keep the commandments according to the will of Jesus Christ and let God’s promised kingdom come.


3. Pray for Jesus Christ to reveal to each of us the work of Father God and for that will to be done perfectly and holy.


4. Let all of us worship Father God in the Spirit and in truth but let us worship not according to a person’s will but solely by the will intended by Jesus.

I have been going to a big Southern Baptist church on Sunday mornings with a large following as it is close by. I then go the hour drive to a Pentecostal Church of God by night. Both seem to have great senior pastors so I don't mind.

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I come from a rough background, with a rough childhood and lots of traumas. I dealt with anxiety for a large portion of my life. Until I met my husband, became a Christian, left atheism. I felt healed in so many areas and was very secure in faith and in my marriage. Now my husband has come to believe having multiple wives (polygyny) is biblically permissible and he has said several things that make me scared of him trying to take a 2nd wife in the future. He's been looking at a site called biblical families, where believers are in polygamous relationships and the various revelations they have on marriage. He told me today he looks at other women with lust, and that all men do and it's natural, even when married - polygamy being the natural thing for a man. I feel so heartbroken. I lost control today and hit him twice and I feel so ashamed and like my world is spiraling out of control. I've never imagined hitting him or about divorcing him, but these thoughts are creeping in my mind now. I just don't understand why I alone am not good enough for him. That's just how this feels.

I want to be a good wife, have always tried my best to be one and to live biblically. But he makes it seem as if I don't want to be in a polygamous marriage, that I'm not subjected to him enough - that I'm not a biblical wife. He uses a lot of scripture, so I see why he's come to the conclusions he has, which hurts me even more and is making me question my faith.

I'm also 3 months postpartum, after being pregnant for practically 2 years in a row. My son is 14 months, my daughter 3 months. I'm just scared right now and feel so far from God. Please pray for me.

We haven't been to church in 2 years, so I feel I have no one to talk to or confide in - no Christian community to help me.

Why Aaron was not punished?

Exodus 32: 2 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.
4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”
5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.”
6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
35 So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.

I watched and listened to this video of Glenn Beck talking about one of his visits to Vatican back in 2011. The video was inspired by the recent events with the death of Pope Benedict. Glenn who I think might be Mormon spoke of life incredible life changing events with his 2 visits to the Vatican. But in 2011 while visiting the Vatican , he was in a massive room that was full of cardinals and his host who Glenn described as one of these people who just exudes the spirit spoke and said “Do you know why they are all here?” ”It’s because it is a battle of good and evil”

He also spoke of a Cardinal that arrived with an entourage of political types like the mayor and other Powerful types. Glenn said that he felt a coldness in the air and that his host said “you should meet him”. With the intent that he wanted Glenn to see for himself that the evil in the Vatican is real.



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So some members of my church are experiencing conflict/tension/friction with a couple leaders.
Apparently one of the leaders had done something that was upsetting to a member (nothing criminal,
but more so along the lines of permitting and not permitting). They are harboring it in their hearts
and it is clearly eating away at them making them more negative and more distant from the group.

As a result, they are praying and deciding if they should stay or leave this church.
I tried to encourage them by saying if they haven't talk to this leader directly about the thing that he
did that hurt you, please speak to him and bring it up to him for an opportunity that will either:
a) lead to reconciliation and forgiveness --> leads to healing and rebuilding and then family
or
b) lead to more feuding and lack of openness/understanding --> easy decision to leave the church

Instead, they prefer not to bring it up in person to this leader (but they were willing and open enough
to share it with our small group). I told them, if they don't bring this up to the leader and try to address
this and settle the matter, you'll just be harboring the pain inside and it will continue to get worse and
make you more bitter and resentful. I don't see how by simply ignoring and pretending they are moving
on from it that they can continue to grow in this church. They already stepped down from serving and
stepped out of every church function.

It seems to me then, why do they need to keep praying about it. They are already choosing to put a foot
outside the door and it seems that the best thing for them would be to leave this church but I don't want
them to go because I care about them and they are core leaders. The leader who wronged them may not
really even know what he did. That's why I told them they should at least tell him what they told us and
try to mend the relationship.

Never perfectly. Never fully. But when we take the commandments of God and apply them to our lives, we know that we are in the family of God.



Those who do not keep the commandments of God are liars and the truth are not in them. Amen, John.

Do you as a married man, look at other women lustfully?

I've noticed something disturbing in my time in church life over the decades.
Not everyone displays this but only a select few, but when they do, it's almost as if though
they are all identical (as if coming from the same spirit).

It is the spirit of condescending or patronizing or sarcasm.

I'm sure some of you know exactly what I am talking about it. It's easy to pick out because
when it happens to you, your Spirit is shook by the audacity that these people have to actually
have words like that come out of their mouths in a loving-setting.

Where does this spirit come from? Is it the evil spirits doing this? Even though I've heard it from
the mouths of all kinds of different people, if I didn't know what they looked like and only heard
the words, I'd say they were all coming from the same person! That's how oddly identical it is.

For example, I speak genuinely and sincerely and ask a question to one of these "types" of people
and they would respond by saying something like, "What kind of question is that?!" and give you that
belittling or condescending look. Wow. Brother in Christ! Why would they speak that way even if
in joking manner. They are making themselves look good at the expense of trying to embarrass or
ridicule/mock others. It gives them a sense or air of superiority and the other a sense of inferiority or stupidity
like we were dumb to ask such a simple question like, "Where did you learn your English because it's so good?"

Where does this spirit of condescending and patronizing and sarcasm come from? Why are some people speaking
and using this form of language even within the church, within loving members who are sharing and opening up
or trying to open up to each other in vulnerable situations? How do we point this out without offending or hurting
the person that is being condescending/patronizing/sarcastic? It's like a rotting spirit that poisons us deep within
because it circulates and people speak this way which is damaging rather than uplifting and encouraging.

Well Republicans are going to start with some of their investigations pretty quick I'm sure.

If you were a Democrat strategist, what advice would you be giving to those who testify? Or, would you encourage folks NOT to testify?

Quick Reminder:
Kevin McCarty ignored a congressional subpoena
William Barr ignored a congressional subpoena
Jim Jordan ignored a congressional subpoena
Scott Perry ignored a congressional Subpoena
Wilbur Ross ignored a congressional Subpoena
Steve Bannon ignored a congressional Subpoena
Mark Meadows ignored a congressional Subpoena
Donny Trump ignored a congressional Subpoena
Donald Trump consistently attempted to have his staff ignore congressional Subpoenas
I don't think that's an exhaustive list of the previous 6 years.

Now, given all of that, I fail to see how Fauci, Hunter, or Garland have any obligation to testify. I mean, if you want to start the ball rolling down the hill, everyone gets to chase it...not just you.

Thoughts?

Hundreds of accusations against Chicago teachers have arisen including grooming, sexual assault and rape.

I wonder what it was in the Chicago area where teachers felt it was okay to engage in this behavior. While I have had a lot of respect for teachers in the past, this kind of stuff along with all the woke stuff has eroded my confidence in the education system.

Jesus says the Sabbath was made for man not man for the sabbath.

The main issue I'm bringing up is I have always had a hard time knowing what is and is not ok to do on the Sabbath to the extent I almost do nothing at all.

I want to play games like I used to but always feel guilty. Specifically animal crossing where i like to fish and just have fun but I always think it's wrong. I don't want to sin but I don't want to live a life where I do nothing at all. What do you guys think?

*Permission to post in full*

As a speaker with Catholic Answers, I fly a lot. Part of what I love about flying is meeting those sitting next to me.

On a recent flight I had an opportunity to share my faith with a woman who seemed to believe in everything except the law of non-contradiction: fairies, God, heaven, reincarnation, Catholicism, the law of attraction.

One thing she didn’t believe in was hell.

In fact, after learning what I do for a living, one of the first things Mary said to me was that, though she believed in God, she did not believe in hell.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because I don’t think that a God who is all-good and all-loving would want to send someone there.”

“It’s certainly not his will that souls be sent to hell.” I said, “We know from Scripture that God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth [1 Tim. 2:4]. and that he does not want any to perish but all to reach repentance [2 Pet. 3:9].

“As a Catholic, however, you believe he already has sent someone, and indeed a multitude of beings, there.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Catholics believe that demons are fallen angels. God has at least sent them to hell, yes?”

“I’m not sure I believe that,” Mary said. “But at any rate, I’m talking about us, people on this earth.”

“Do you think that all will be saved?”

“I do.”

“Do you think that anyone will be saved against his will?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, suppose a person rejects God and does not wish to be with him. Would an all-loving God coerce that person into being saved or would he respect the person’s free choice?”

“Well, I suppose in that case God would respect his freedom.”

“So you can’t rule out the possibility of hell in light of an all-loving God then, right?”

Once Mary had conceded that the doctrine of hell was not logically inconsistent with an all-loving God, I quoted C. S. Lewis from The Great Divorce:

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in hell chose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened. ”

Interested in learning more? Read my colleague Jim Blackburn’s article, Hell? Yes! Part 1 Hell? Yes! (Part I) and Part 2. Hell? Yes! (Part II)

Last summer on an evening walk, I got sprayed by a skunk. It was an embarrassing, smelly situation where my wife had to help me with the deodorizing bath late into the night (and then dealing with the odor in the house. Phew!). I had more than one person mention the lingering odor the next day. Has anyone else here been sprayed by a skunk?

South Carolina's six-week abortion ban struck down by state Supreme Court | CNN Politics

(CNN) - The South Carolina state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the state’s six-week ban on abortion violates the state’s constitution. The 2021 law had banned abortions once what it called a “fetal heartbeat” is detected, which can be as early as four weeks, and more commonly, six weeks into pregnancy, with exceptions for fetal anomalies, risk to the life of the mother, or in some cases of rape or incest. In a 3-2 ruling, the court concluded that the law ran afoul of the state constitution’s privacy protections, with Justice Kaye Hearn writing in the lead opinion that the “state constitutional right to privacy extends to a woman’s decision to have an abortion.”

While the state can impose some limits on those rights, Hearn wrote, “any such limitation must be reasonable and it must be meaningful in that the time frames imposed must afford a woman sufficient time to determine she is pregnant and to take reasonable steps to terminate that pregnancy.”

Not surprisingly, some Republicans are suddenly unhappy with letting the states decide.

South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster blasted the ruling on Thursday, writing in a statement that the court “has found a right in our Constitution which was never intended by the people of South Carolina. With this opinion, the court has clearly exceeded its authority. The people have spoken through their elected representatives multiple times on this issue. I look forward to working with the General Assembly to correct this error,” the governor said.

Maybe Republicans should just put abortion rights on the ballot in all 50 states and see what the voters decide.

A coup appears to be in progress.

Hello all,

How was the Eucharist received in the East during the early Church?

It is my understanding, in the WEST, it was received on the hand, and the chalice was directly drank from.

When did the liturgical spoon become common?

Thanks in advance

In Matthew 19:3-9, the Pharisees ask Jesus if it’s lawful for a man to divorce his wife. Jesus refers them to Genesis 2:24 which says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Jesus further says that as they have become one flesh, then what God has joined together, “let not man separate.”

When God gave His Command in Genesis 2:24, this was before the Hebrews, led by Moses, embarked on their 40-year journey to the Promised Land. In answer to Genesis 2:24, effectively, the Pharisees asked Jesus in Verse 7 of Matthew 19, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” They were referring to Deuteronomy 24:1, which, in the face of do’s and don’ts in Old Testament Law, implies that it is OK for a man to send his wife away if he gives her a certificate of divorce. Jesus answers in Verse 8, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.” Commentators have written that Jesus had the Hebrews’ wilderness journey in mind, inferring that because of man’s tendency for his heart to harden, which could disrupt the Hebrews’ journey to the Promised Land, it was necessary to allow a man to divorce his wife if he saw fit, and to give his wife a certificate to avoid any misunderstanding that may lead to violence or disruption amongst the rest of the Hebrews that may ensue from their separation.

On the basis of being allowed to acquire an understanding of the Scriptures by using reason as provided for in Isaiah 1:18, it seems that Jesus may have seen the issuance of a certificate as necessary in this extraordinary event of the Hebrews’ journey to the Promised Land, but a) having then arrived at the Promised Land, and b), “from the beginning” as Jesus says, the Law of Genesis 2:24 was in effect, so, on the basis of Genesis 2:24 alone a man cannot divorce his wife.

On the other hand, there is no similar Law that applies to a woman; so, taking into account other parts of the Scriptures, it seems a woman can divorce a man provided certain conditions are met, which, again apply to men. In Matthew 5:32 Jesus says “...whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Well, adultery is a sin. So, a woman can leave a man, but under God, she cannot marry another man. To a certain extent, this is in contrast to Deuteronomy 24, which implies it is not sinful for a man to marry a divorced woman...in fact, under Deuteronomy 24 a divorced woman can be passed around to any man, so long as that man is not her original husband.

Deuteronomy 24, not even taking other commentators into account, seems to apply just to the Hebrews in their journey to the Promised Land, since Verse 4 says “...And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.” Seems that to Jesus, after they settle in the Promised Land they revert back to Genesis 2:24 which faults the man for divorcing a woman, and Jesus adds the touch that whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Seems that in Jesus saying in Verse 6 of Matthew 19, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate,” he may be inferring that any marriage between a man and wife is an act of God, which a man cannot undo. On the other hand, a woman can undo it without punishment, so long as she doesn’t marry another man, putting the other man at risk for committing a sin.

Visions, Dreams, Parables, Parabolic Examples and Language, Nothing New under the Sun, etc, etc, etc...

Visions, Dreams, Parables, Parabolic and Metaphorical Examples and Language, Symbolisms, or Things that represent other Things, but are actually the same Things, etc, etc, etc...

Whatever you want to call these things, as they are all pretty much the same things, etc, a woman "this", or a man "that", or "this or that situation or circumstance" with "this or that person or certain (group of) people", etc, or "this or that person, place (or places), or things", etc, under "this or that situation or circumstance", etc, is "all pretty much the same thing", etc, and is "timeless or ageless in this or these creation(s)", or in "creations like these" always, which will always exist always, though they may start all over again, etc...

Anyway, when this kind of Language is used, or these kinds of things are talked about in this way, especially in the Bible or in Scripture, or with God, etc, they are talking about things that are "eternal" here basically...

And that these things always repeat, and have been alwaysbeing repeated for quite a while now, etc, so that none of them are "new" ever, etc, as there is basically not ever anything new here, under the/this creation/sun, etc...

Visions and dreams express this also, and it is only because we don't have all of the "keys" as to how all of this is, that we don't understand them, and are quite confused by them, most of the time, etc...

Are any of you following what I am trying to be saying here so far...?

Got any comments maybe...?

There were certain people, certain humans in the Bible, who were said to have great insight into this or these things, etc, people like Daniel, and Joseph, from the OT, were said to have specifically, etc, and I'm sure there were others who probably did as well, etc... They had a lot of these "keys", etc...

God Bless!

Hi, my name is Megan and I am new to the forums. I am currently in a treatment program for a year and am just looking to connect with other Christians. I am glad to be here and look forward to chatting with you guys!

I have a strange relationship with God. I try to be a better person, I try to turn my back on sin and be a good person, but I remember past sins and regrets which basically feels like it throws mud on my efforts, I then give up trying and start to switch back to my old ways. A while ago I used to want to be a bad person, I used to deliberately be horrible to others and I used to not care because i considered myself one of the Devil's, but due to things in personal life I've realised that's not what I want and I try to change, but when I feel like I've failed if I commit a sin again, or if i feel like God has rejected me, I go into a sort of sulk and start thinking I have more in common with Satan and that's why things aren't working out when I try.

Some people are of God and some are of The Devil, how do you know exactly which side you belong to? I can't be all bad as I desire a relationship with God, but sometimes I get sick of trying and start to go the other way thinking that perhaps I'm more accepted by Satan than God.


I'm genuinely confused and I worry that I'm kidding myself when I say I want a relationship with God, as I've not been a very nice person in my life, and because I've always felt like an outcast I've always felt like I have more in common with Satan than God, as he too is technically an outcast for pretty much the same reasons I've always been, namely wanting to do things his own way instead of living upto his expectations.

Genesis 5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years.24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

It is so awesome to hear that someone in the bible was so close to God that He just took him to be with Him in Heaven. I always have aspired to just be close to God like Enoch was. Sometimes when I wonder what I should do as a hobby or some new thing to do, I walk and talk to God. Then I realize maybe just talking to God is my hobby, it is rather who I am. The relationship with Him is what makes me who I am and I shall be thankful for the simple lifestyle I have. I may not play video games or watch much tv, but who cares right? Isn't it rather more of a beautiful thing to be close to God anyways Hope you're all having a great new year, I know I am and I like the number 7 from the bible, and 2023 adds up to 7 2+0+2+3=7

I am slightly anxious when it comes to communicating with men. The reason for this is that I consider myself not beautiful enough and even ugly sometimes, although I have often received attention from men.

However, something happened recently that made me a complete mess. I went to a party where one of the boys repeatedly initiated conversations with me. I noticed how he was often looking at me, one time even staring at me continuously, and even smiling at me. I also talked to him, smiling and trying my best to show that I was interested too.

Then, just when my insecure mind decided that maybe there is a slim chance that he liked me, I was left shocked. Suddenly, he asked me and my girlfriend for advice about some girl he met recently and liked, but she ghosted him.

Since he told us that he realized it wasn't worth it and got over her, I decided to keep communicating with him, hoping that we would at least exchange contacts in the end since we would never see each other again. But that didn't happen and we all left.

So, I welcomed the New Year with a shattered peace of mind, very confused, miserable, and convinced more than ever that apparently I'm not pretty enough or even ugly once he didn't do anything more. I know how he was looking at me, it was definitely not accidental eye contact, he was staring at me repeatedly and consistently. And he began initiating conversations. Am I really that delusional and if there is any chance he really liked me? But if he had, why didn't he want anything more?

So the communion (the eating the bread cookie and drinking the cup of grape juice)
and the benediction (the simple saying of 2 Cor. 13:14) are often given in church services.

In my church, we haven't had it for 6 months. The reason is because our part-time pastor
is not ordained. It appears that only ordained pastors can deliver communion and the benediction.

Of course it is always nice to have communion and/or given a benediction at the end of service,
but why do some people seem to need it like it is a requirement to their spiritual survival or sustenance?

It is always a blessing to have it but I don't feel less blessed if I don't. Communion is a sacrament, not
means for salvation. The benediction is just a nice blessing given but I don't believe it has any more or
less power than if you used any other verse or prayer to bless people.

Can anyone explain where some members got their deep-seeded reliance or dependency on these?
It just surprised me.