My humble and perhaps ignorant opinion is that the only way to appease the fearful wrath of the Holy One of Israel is by meditating on the gospel and putting it into practice.

If Jesus is asking this to you today, what would be your answer?:
“What do you want Me to do for you?” (Luke 18:41)

I experienced a vision last night while I was in bed. Originally, I thought to get out of bed and write it down right then and there, but I decided if it was truly from God, I would remember the details the next day.

The vision I had was beautiful. Allow me to give the vision with no falsehoods or embellishments.

In my vision I saw the United States from space. I saw what looked like the Holy Spirit filling the US and spreading. The key to this was that there was a true uniting of Christians. Rather than Christians becoming more divided over doctrine, they were becoming united under one banner of faith. It was beautiful. There was no "time frame" for this vision, meaning I have no idea when this is supposed to occur.

Many thoughts went through my head as I saw this. I thought of what the cause for this uniting in faith was based on. The answer to this was that it was a work of the Spirit of God primarily, but also due to persecution against Christians, in a sense forcing them to convene. Other thoughts went through my head, such as what does this mean for Catholic vs Protestant believers? What does this mean for Catholic vs Eastern Orthodox believers? Will this movement stay in the US, or will it spread to other parts of the world? It was a very hopeful vision.

A final thought about the vision is that it lines up with this passage,

Ephesians 4:11-13 "And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness."

The key to this is the word "until." What this means is that there will not be unity until "we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son," which clearly has not happened yet. Therefore, at some point, what I saw in my vision will come true, and all Christians will be united in one faith. This is a work of God, not something humans can orchestrate.

I pray this is an encouragement to those who, like me, strive towards unity at this present time.

I think we’ve tried this a few times before without much luck in this forum. I have noticed successful chat threads in other forums. Anyone willing to give it a shot here?

I think people get labeled by the topics they discuss here. TLM, NO, Trump, Biden, liberal, conservative, etc. I think just a regular chat threads might alleviate that to some degree. Anyone willing to give it a try?

Artificial intelligence raises profound theological questions, particularly concerning human identity, moral agency, and the nature of creation.

1. The Image of God – Many religious traditions, especially Christianity, emphasise that humans are created in the image of God. AI challenges this concept by introducing non-human intelligence that can mimic human reasoning and creativity.
2. Moral Agency – AI may lack consciousness and moral responsibility, yet it can make decisions that impact human lives. Some theologians argue that AI should not be considered morally accountable, as it does not possess free will or a soul.
3. Truth and Knowledge – AI-generated content raises concerns about epistemology—the study of knowledge. The opacity of AI algorithms makes it difficult to discern truth, which is particularly significant in theological discourse.
4. AI in Religious Practice – Some religious communities are exploring AI-powered tools for liturgical purposes, such as AI-generated sermons or robotic ministers. This raises questions about whether AI can truly participate in religious rituals.
5. The Future of Humanity – Some speculate that AI could lead to a technological singularity, where machines surpass human intelligence. This prompts theological reflection on the role of humanity in creation and whether AI could ever possess spiritual significance.

God tests us every day, do not feel that you are the only ones who are exposed from the rooftops for all your thoughts, emotions, desires, intentions and acts expressed in the hidden... we are all in the same boat... Christ said "and this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the light, because everyone who loves the darkness hates the light, lest their works should be rebuked" unfortunately all the works we did in the darkness will be rebuked before the light, no one is saved from the rebuke of their works of darkness before the light

Do you know what his voice sounds like? Do you know how he feels about you? Do you KNOW him? I am starting to think many, many “Christians “ do not know the Lord. I think lots of pastors do not know him. Who actually knows him?

Hi everyone, I would greatly appreciate your prayers- I have a severe mental illness and brain disease called schizoprenia and I am currently struggling with that, I am deathly ill. I am throwing up every day, nearly screaming in pain every day. I am on some powerful medication for it that helps me alot but I get get extremely ill when I take it but I nearly scream in pain without it, I need a miracle, a sovereign act of God so that this stops. Please pray for a miracle healing of schizophrenia! Thanks you!

I mean speaking of the Saudi Arabia trip and all.

Now that President Trump is back in office, his family is profiting from his brand: At least $2 billion has flowed to Trump companies in just the last month. -NYT

Crypto​

• $TRUMP is the family’s cryptocurrency, owned by the president and run by Donald Trump Jr. It has no inherent value beside what people will pay for it; the family describes it as a collectible — like a baseball card. But every time someone purchases a coin (currently worth about $13), the family gets a share. Recently, the president offered rewards. The top 220 buyers are invited to dinner with him next week at his Virginia golf club. The top 25 buyers also get a White House tour. The winners of the contest spent at least $174 million to buy $TRUMP coins.

Real estate​

• Qatar chipped in to help finance a Trump-branded beachside golf and luxury villa project in the country worth $5.5 billion. (We don’t know how much it contributed.) The family will earn millions in licensing and management fees.
• A real estate firm in Saudi Arabia (with close ties to the country’s government) invested $1 billion in the Trump International Hotel and Tower project in Dubai. The same company is planning to build other new Trump hotels, golf courses and luxury towers in Saudi Arabia and Oman. These, too, are branding deals that will pay the Trumps millions of dollars for their name.
• During the Balkan wars, NATO bombed Yugoslavia’s Defense Ministry in Belgrade. Now Serbia’s president is leasing the land to Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who will erect a Trump hotel on the site. Kushner’s private equity company — funded mostly by Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds — will help cover the $1 billion project.

Other deals​

• Plane: Qatar is planning to give a $400 million Boeing 747 aircraft to the president so he can use it as a temporary Air Force One. His presidential library will own the plane after his presidency, Trump says.
• Members’ club: Donald Trump Jr. and other investors say they will open the Executive Branch, a private social club, in Georgetown this summer. Its members will include lobbyists, tech industry bigwigs and a sprinkling of White House officials, such as David Sacks, who is Trump’s crypto czar. The cost to join: $500,000.
• Golf: LIV Golf, the new Saudi-backed golf league, hosted a professional tournament at Trump National Doral in Florida last month. The president arrived on a military helicopter to kick it off. The league is run by the head of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. It paid the Trump family an undisclosed fee to host the LIV tournament. The event also drove thousands of fans to the hotel resort, selling out its rooms and restaurants.
• Hotels: During Trump’s first term, dignitaries stayed at Trump properties and Republicans put on events there. These payments collectively were in the tens of millions of dollars. Payments like these have resumed. Groups like the Republican National Committee have put on events at the Doral resort and the Mar-a-Lago club, for instance.

Can't help but notice it's the same countries. Seems to me if Trump et al worked as hard hammering out the tariffs deals he blew up as he does for personal gain, maybe after what now? 35 days into the 90, they would have at least one deal.

Now close your eyes and imagine if instead of Don Jr, this was Hunter Biden with Joe as president and ask how many threads you would see here. Threads that the same people posted when AOC flew first class and was loaned a dress for a gala.

Liturgical worship--sacramentalism or genuine?
I don't think anybody would deny that repetitious statements of love and worship for God is a bad thing. If for no other reason, repetition fixes an idea in our minds--something we need to do in our worship of God.

But can repetition lead to an excess? Can form displace substance in our liturgical worship? Of course it can!

If we, for example, wish to show our love for our wife by opening a door for her, repeating this exercise isn't any less "loving" or "real" if we do it for the thousandth time! But if in our heart we lose love for our wife, and simply open the door for her out of a formality, out of fear of social pressure, then obviously repetition does not reinforce love at all.

In our worship, our love for God should have an element of spontaneity, if our love is genuine. We don't have to be told how to perform, or cued as to when to be polite or friendly. Out of love and respect for our God we always defer to Him, humble ourselves before Him, and ask His help on all matters in order to please Him.

Obviously, in our public worship, we have to have order in order to show our love for God together with other worshipers. For this we need help from a liturgy or some kind of form that puts us all on the same page. And it helps us to steer clear of errors, reinforcing in our minds what is proper in our worship and beliefs.

Suppose I told you that, at a certain well-known, purportedly conservative seminary, there is a professor who has been on staff for over a decade, who has openly stated that “the Gospel is about racial reconciliation”? Would you believe me?

Suppose I further said that the leader of said seminary is considered one of the most prominent conservative Evangelicals, and that he has asked specifically for people to judge him by those he platforms? And neither of these people has been publicly corrected, or fired, and are still training pastors?

Is the frustration mounting yet?

Now you can understand the frustration that is building within a generation of young Christians, particularly young men. They know the Gospel is not about racial reconciliation, or about social projects, and they are sick of being told that it is. They are sick of being told that being a celibate “homosexual Christian” is ok. They are sick of being told that they just have to live with how things are; that nothing can be done to restore biblical Christianity. And that makes them very vulnerable.

Continued below.

I was exploring some ideas through ChatGPT on ethical naturalism, cosmic purpose and teleology, and eco-theology (especially Teilhard de Chardin's meditation on the Sacred Heart of Jesus), and came across Paul's meditation in Romans 8, and the idea of the groaning of creation, that the Earth could be seen, biblically, as a living organism. And it lead me to synthesize some ideas, with the help of ChatGPT, into a meditation on eco-theology and the divine vocation of humanity present in Genesis, through Romans 8, in light of ethical naturalism and the evolution of human consciousness.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:18–23)

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Introduction: The Groaning of Creation​

In our fast-paced, often disconnected world, we may not always recognize the depth of the relationship between humanity and the Earth. But the Bible paints a picture that goes beyond our everyday experiences — a picture in which creation itself is waiting, longing, and even groaning for something far greater. As Paul writes in Romans 8, the whole of creation is in expectation — it is groaning as in the pains of childbirth.


We tend to think of creation as something passive — simply existing for us to use. But what if creation itself has a deep, spiritual life? What if it is waiting for us to awaken to our true calling as God’s children? Let’s reflect on the meaning of this passage and ask ourselves: What is creation waiting for? What is our role in this great story? And how can we respond to the Earth’s cry?

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1. Creation’s Groaning: Waiting for the Children of God​

Romans 8:19 tells us that creation is eagerly awaiting the revealing of the children of God. This is a powerful image. It speaks to the fact that creation is not just a backdrop to human life — it is actively participating in the divine drama. It is longing for us to step into our role as the children of God, to recognize our vocation as stewards and healers of the Earth.


Creation was not made to simply serve our purposes. The Earth and all its creatures were made by God and are deeply connected to us. The creation groans, as if saying, “When will humanity recognize the sacredness of life? When will we remember that we are not just separate from the world, but a part of it?”


How often do we view the natural world as something to be exploited for our own benefit? How often do we fail to see the sacredness in each tree, each animal, and each river? The Earth is not ours to control, but ours to care for.

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2. The Hope of Creation: Liberation in the Glory of the Children of God​

In verse 21, Paul shares that creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. This tells us that the hope of creation is tied to our own redemption. As we are transformed, so too will creation be transformed.


This is an important point. It’s easy to think of creation as just another thing to be fixed, but creation's redemption is intricately linked to our own. The glory of the children of God — when we live out our true calling, awakened to our divine nature — brings about a freedom that ripples through all of creation.


As God’s children, we are not only waiting for our own full redemption. We are called to bring healing and restoration to the Earth. Our spiritual awakening directly impacts the world around us. When we live in alignment with God’s purposes, creation is set free from its bondage.

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3. Our Groaning: Awaiting Full Redemption​

But, as Paul acknowledges, we too groan inwardly, waiting for the full redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). We know that there is more to our existence than what we experience today. We long for the revelation of God’s glory within us, and we long for the restoration of the world around us.


This longing is not merely a personal desire. It is a cosmic longing — a longing for the wholeness of all things, for the healing of the Earth, and for the fulfillment of God’s promise. Creation’s groaning and our groaning are connected — both are part of the same divine narrative.


As we await the return of Christ, we do so with a deep sense of hope and expectation, knowing that as we experience our transformation, the Earth will experience its own.

---

4. How Can We Respond to Creation’s Cry?​

In this passage, we are invited to answer the cry of creation. We are called to awake to our true identity as the children of God and to live as co-creators with God, bringing healing and restoration to the Earth. But how do we respond to this call?


Here are a few reflections to guide us:

• Reverence for Creation: Creation is sacred. Each tree, each animal, each river is a reflection of God’s goodness. Do we treat the Earth with reverence? Are we mindful of our actions and the impact they have on the environment?
• Stewardship: We are called to be stewards, not conquerors. What does it look like to steward the Earth? How can we care for creation in a way that honors God’s original intent?
• Living as Image-Bearers of God: Our calling is not only to recognize the sacredness of creation, but to reflect God’s love, care, and goodness in the world. When we live out our divine calling, creation is transformed.
• Spiritual Awakening: Just as creation is groaning, we too are groaning for the fulfillment of God’s purposes. What steps can we take to awaken spiritually, to grow deeper in our relationship with God, and to live more fully in alignment with His will?

---

5. A New Vision: The Healing of All Things​

Romans 8 invites us to imagine a new world — a world where the children of God are fully revealed, a world where creation is liberated, and a world where all things are made new. Creation’s hope is tied to our redemption. Our awakening to God’s call is what the Earth longs for.


This vision may seem far off, but every step we take in this direction — every moment we align ourselves with God’s purpose — brings us closer to that reality. We can be part of the healing of the Earth. We can partner with God in bringing life, restoration, and wholeness to all of creation.

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Conclusion: Answering the Earth’s Cry​

As we meditate on this passage, let’s remember that the Earth is crying out — longing for redemption. We are called to answer that cry. By awakening to our spiritual calling, by living as stewards of creation, and by seeing the sacredness in all life, we can bring healing to the world around us.


The creation groans, but it groans with hope. It groans for us to step into our true identity as the children of God. Let’s awaken to that call today, and let our lives be a testimony to the healing and restoration of all things in Christ.

---

Closing Prayer:


Lord, help us to see creation with Your eyes.
Open our hearts to the sacredness of all life.
May we live as stewards of Your creation,
reflecting Your love and care for the Earth.
We long for the day when all things are made new,
and we ask for Your guidance as we work towards that vision.
Amen.

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Pardoned by President Donald Trump, many Jan. 6 rioters are working to capitalize on the attention through podcasts, speaking tours and self-branded merchandise.

A man convicted of beating police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack now sells $50 “J6 Hostages” T-shirts and is launching a 22-stop nationwide “Freedom Tour.”

Another, who calls himself a “J6 Former Felon” on X, is soliciting donations for a personal “Freedom Fund” to support a cross-country RV tour with his wife. They want to spread their message about what he describes as “corrupted” legal, law enforcement and prison systems.

Key sentences from the abstract (emphasis mine):
The results showed that men's hostile sexism and benevolent sexism predicted their increased infidelity. In addition, the indirect association between ambivalent sexism (both hostile sexism and benevolent sexism) and infidelity was through the importance placed on power in one's intimate relationship in general.

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Here’s a short video I made about the beauty of God’s creation — specifically the ocean.

The sea is His, for it was He who made it; (Psalm 95:5)

(btw - the ocean scenery looks better if you watch it on Youtube, on a bigger screen)

Septuagint Error.

The currently available copies (In English) of the Septuagint (LXX) has some very bad copyist errors between Gen.5:3 and Gen. 11:12. where the life spans of pre-flood people are given. If you calculate the time spans shown (very easy to do) you will see that they show Methuselah did not die until 14 years after the Flood. That of course is wrong and ridiculous, as it is contrary to a large amount of other Scripture. Both the Hebrew and Christian Bibles correctly show that Methuselah died the year of the Flood (just before). This copyist error spread over 5 chapters of Genesis does little to convince that the remainder of the current copy of the LXX is reliable. It also shows that the longevity of pre Flood peoples in the LXX is an error.

As a footnote to this I will add the following.

Archbishop Usher in A.D. 1650 arrived at the date for Adam’s creation as being, BC 4004 & the Flood as being, BC 2348 .
My figures as arrived at using the N.K.J.V. for Adams creation (Not the World) are BC 4162 & the Flood as BC 2530 and the Exodus as BC 1532.
MY figures as arrived at using the LXX (NETS) are ; Adams creation, BC 5508 and the Flood BC 3298.

An evangelist was reportedly stabbed to death shortly after he led several people to faith in Christ at an open-air event in eastern Uganda last month.

It is understood that David Washume was killed as he made his way home after three days of preaching in the Nalondo, Buwalasi and Nabumali areas, according to local sources. He was 38 years old.

Please pray for all those affected by Washume’s brutal death; that they will know God’s comfort and also freedom from fear.

One of those who attended the outdoor event said that Washume incorporated Koranic verses and biblical references in his preaching, emphasising the divinity of Christ and the humanity of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. Washume spoke in the town of Nabumali on the third day of the campaign.

The attendee said that ‘many people responded, including several Muslims who accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour’.

Washume was returning home with another evangelist friend on the night of April 3 when they were attacked at about 10pm.

The friend told Morning Star News (MSN): ‘As we were nearing our village, we met three masked men dressed in Muslim attire, with knives, [who were] speaking Arabic. They stopped us and told us to surrender our bags.’

Inside Washume’s bag they found Bibles and a Koran.

‘One shouted in our local language, “They are the ones, they are the ones…Kill, kill them!” I realised that we were in the midst of militant Muslims. I wrestled with one of them who was holding me tightly, but I managed to escape. My friend who was held by two men could not.’

Moses Kutosi, of Nabumali Town Council, said he received a phone call at 6am the next day informing him of a dead body in a pool of blood near a Bible college chapel in Nabumali. ‘Immediately I went to the scene of the incident and found [Washume’s] body,’ he told MSN.

UPDATE

Ardent evangelist and former drug addict Chen Wensheng, who has been detained by the Chinese authorities on numerous occasions, was released from his most recent imprisonment last month.

Despite having lost a significant amount of weight, he was reportedly in good spirits and was ‘full of joy’ following his release. Chen later announced that, during this latest imprisonment, he had been able to pray with 300 fellow inmates and baptise three of them.

(Sources: ChinaAid; Morning Star News)

You who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of your lives, do you give thought to what this really means for you? What this is saying is that God is the one who formed us and our inward parts in the wombs of our mothers. We were not an accident. We were not a mistake. And we were not just a body part of our mother, as some would have you to believe, but we were human beings from the moment of conception intricately designed by God for a purpose, fearfully and wonderfully made by God.

What this also means for us is that God chose us to be the son or the daughter of that mother and father. He put us in the family that he had planned for us, knowing full well what our lives were going to be like, whether good or bad or both. Now God is not the author of evil, but he allows evil to exist or we wouldn’t be here, for we are all born with sin natures in the image of Adam, the first man to sin against God. And so not everyone had kind and loving mothers and/or fathers, but some did.

And all the days that were ordained (appointed, meant) for us were written in God’s book when as yet there was not one of them. So, this not only includes who our parents were and what our childhoods looked like, but this describes our entire lives from start to finish. So, for me, that is 75 years’ worth of experiences, both good and bad. But God did not intend that I should sin, when I did, but he allowed me to be put in situations where I was drawn to sin, and where I gave into sin, and that was a learning time for me.

But all that we have gone through in this life that has been on the bad side, whether self-inflicted or inflicted upon us by others without our consent, has helped to shape us and to make us who we are, which can be good or bad depending upon how we have dealt with our life experiences, and whether we have chosen to be consumed by them or if we have learned from them and grown to maturity in Christ through life’s difficulties by overcoming all that is evil so that we can now serve God with our lives in holy living.

All of our life experiences are opportunities for us develop stronger relationships with our Lord, to grow closer in our walks of faith in the Lord Jesus, to mature spiritually, and to become the people of God who God intended for us to be, doing what he meant for us to do even before he formed us in our mother’s wombs. I, for one, had many difficult and challenging and painful life experiences, but God has used every one of them to make me into the person he planned for me to be, doing his will.

If I had not gone through the things that I went through in my life, I don’t believe that I would have the strength of character and of determination that I have now been given by God in order to remain steadfast in faith and in service to my Lord in doing what he has called me to do. I believe that my whole life experiences prepared me for this time in my life so that I would be strong in the strength of the Lord and so I would persevere no matter what is thrown at me or how people treat me or respond to me. I needed that!

So, I believe if we could all see our life experiences through that lens, that God is the one who formed us in the wombs of our mothers, that he is the one who gave us the parents that he gave us, and he put us in the families where we ended up, and he is the one who has allowed us to go through the trials and tribulations that we have had to endure in our lives (like Job), and that all the days ordained (intended) for us were written in God’s book ahead of time, it will help us to deal better with painful memories.

For we will see God’s hands upon our lives through it all, with the purpose of the journey to make us into the people of God who God intends for us to be, so that we will be able to serve him in the callings he has upon our lives. For it produces nothing good if we become bitter and/or angry with those who hurt us, or with God for not protecting us like we think he should have. And if we harbor bitterness and/or unforgiveness, that could just lead us down a path of sin and rebellion against God and his will for our lives.

So, accepting the sovereignty of God over our lives is a huge and necessary step to emotional healing. And accepting that God allows both good and evil to come at us, in order for him to mold us into the people of God he intends for us to be, is also a necessary step toward emotional and spiritual healing. And then we need to accept that even the bad stuff God can use in our lives for good if we will trust him and if we will let him mature us and strengthen us, and let him make us into vessels he intends us to be for his service.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-39; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

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Accepting God’s Sovereign Will
An Original Work / May 14, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

President Trump had advocated for Rose’s reinstatement, and earlier this year said he would “be signing a complete PARDON of Pete Rose, who shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING.”

I agree with President Trump on Peter Rose.

Jesus said that our faith, even a small seed of it, will result in an answered prayer. However, what are the blockages to answered prayer?


Jesus said that when we stand praying, we need to forgive others, so God will forgive us. This seems to suggest we need to deal with sin in our lives to get an answer.



Jesus used the same mustard seed illustration of prayer in the scriptures above; but He appended an action that was needed for us to receive healing, or for another to pray for a person’s healing; it was prayer and fasting. This means no matter what level of belief we have, if we have not spent our time in God’s presence, we will not have the degree of faith that brings healing.

If we don’t receive healing through prayer, it does not mean that our faith is not pleasing to God. It is that we, or the one praying for us, have not spent enough time in God’s presence to receive the answer.

We must definitely deal with sin, but also with a lack of prayerfulness, to receive healing. Additionally, we cannot say sickness is a sign of sin, as we see in the story of Job, he became sick after the devil challenged God to test Job. God had said Job was the most righteous man on earth.

Also note that Jesus healed the “Deaf and Dumb Spirit” not because of the person’s faith, but because He had the power to do it. As ministers of Christ, we need to make sure we have no sin, and are prayed up, with times of dedicated prayer and fasting, to increase our faith; otherwise, healing will not occur for many. God does not expect every person to be praying and fasting, but he does expect Ministers to. We have to be careful not to blame others for lack of faith or sin, when it may just be that we have not done our part in prayer and fasting.

A question that gets brought up a lot in the Catholic vs Protestant debates about what the "correct" interpretation is being the question, "Who decides which interpretation is correct?"

This might sound like a very puzzling conundrum for the Protestant whom the Catholics often accuse of the "Only me and my Bible" argument.

The answer is rudimentary, yet hidden in plain sight. What Catholics assume is that a man must have the correct interpretation of the Bible. This is an unverifiable claim, given all the plethora of interpretations of things (such as the millennial kingdom).

I propose that the answer has been staring us in the face all along. Something a child could get right, but the most sophisticated theologians get wrong. The answer is God. God has a perfect interpretation of the Bible. No one else does because God is transcendent above human understanding. As we see God saying of Himself,

Isaiah 55:8-9
"“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways.”
This is the LORD’s declaration.
“For as heaven is higher than earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Why should we assume that any human interpretation is 100% correct? Further, we assume that the Bible is meant solely for humans to understand. We assume the purpose of the Written Word is to communicate to humanity about God. But what if this assumption is incorrect? What if God did not write the Bible only for humans to interpret, but instead as a work for God to do in His sovereignty? This would make sense if we go with the idea that the universe itself was not created for man, but for God. "The heavens declare the glory of God." It is not the universe that was made for man. In the same way, the eternal Word of God is not primarily or solely meant for man to understand God. It may be that it is just another work of God for us to marvel at.

Matthew 5:18
"For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished."

Amos 3:1-8 Listen you Israelites to these words that the Lord addresses to you, all of the twelve tribes that He brought up from Egypt; You alone I have cared for among all the nations of the world, that is why I must punish you for your sins. Do two travel together without agreeing? Or if disaster comes, is it not the work of the Lord? Indeed the Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants, the prophets.
Israelites; the House of Judah and all the House of Israel - still in dispersion and now the Christian peoples.

Amos 3:9-11 Make this proclamation: Assemble on the hills of Samaria, look at the tumult seething amongst the people! Those who don’t know how to do right and who live by oppressing others. Therefore the Lord says: The destroyer will surround your land, your strength will fail and your towns will be despoiled.

Listen to this testimony against the descendants of Jacob. As a shepherd may rescue fragments of a sheep from a lion, so will only a remnant of Israel be rescued. On the Day that I deal with Israel, for their sins, I will also destroy their pagan shrines and their ostentatious buildings. A Jewish remnant; Romans 9:27

Amos 4:12 Israel, this is what I shall do to you, so Israel: Prepare to meet your God.

Amos 5:4-9 These are the Words of the Lord to the people of Israel: Seek the Lord, if you want to live, or He will sweep through Joseph’s descendants like a fire with no one to quench it. He who made the stars, has power over all things, He will make a destruction flash forth against the mighty that wipes out their military power.
An explosion on the suns surface. Isaiah 30:26a, Malachi 4:1

Amos 5:10-15 You that despise the truth, you that extort tribute, though you have fine buildings and beautiful farms, you will not enjoy them. For I know of your crimes and monstrous sins – but at this time, keep silent, because now are evil times. You must hate evil and love good and it may be that the Lord will show favour to the survivors of Joseph. Joseph- the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, now scattered among the Western nations.

Amos 5:16-17 Therefore the Lord says: In the towns and in all the world, there will be mourning and sorrow, for I will pass through your midst.
This refers to the Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath, the next prophesied, worldwide event; the Sixth Seal; Day of the wrath of God and the Lamb.

Amos 5:20 – The Day of the Lord is indeed a Day of deep darkness and terror.

Amos 9:8b-15 Yet, I shall not totally destroy Israel’s posterity. I shall shake Israel among the nations, none will be lost, but the ungodly among My people will die. Those who say disaster cannot come to us, we are strong and safe. The fallen House of David will be restored as it was long ago.

The time is coming when the Land will be prosperous, My people will live in their own Land, eating and drinking the abundant produce. They will never again leave the Land that I, the Lord, have given to them. Amos 9:13-15

Look forward to the great promises of redemption and going to live in all of the holy Land, for My people; now every faithful Christian believer: the true Israelites of God. Reference: REB, NIV, KJV. Some verses abridged.

True Love...

Matthew 10:37-40
"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."

"Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me."

Folks, don't continue in the profound error that I made. No one else can be your god - they weren't designed to be as much and don't deserve that pressure from you.

Find your identity in Christ alone, make Him your First Love. And daily affirm it through prayer and studying His Word. It is only then that you will discover what true Love is, and will be empowered to share it with *all* - family, friend, neighbor, stranger, enemy...

THAT is God's purpose for your life.

God bless us all who do, and shall, believe Him and obey!

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May 13 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled on Tuesday that the United States can use the Alien Enemies Act to fast-track the deportation of accused Venezuelan gang members, in what appears to be the first court ruling that backs the Trump administration’s interpretation of the 1798 law.

Hello everyone.
I haven’t posted here in ages.
I’m very pleased to be back and to say that I’m in remission form stage 4b blood cancer.
God is Good!
Blessings
Let