Shalom, dear brothers and sisters,
May the Lord bless you abundantly (Luke 6:38, Job 42:10) and bless Israel in Jesus' name. Amen!
I ask for prayers for our precious sister Barbara, a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus:
She is currently experiencing financial difficulties (debt, lack of work) and is often lonely.
She is currently in the process of quitting smoking and needs much strength and wisdom in this regard as well. (John 8:36)
God's Word says:
"My love, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers" (3 John 2).
And the Lord Jesus rejoices when she is truly well again (Psalm 35:27).
Thank you for your prayers!!!
Sole Deo Gloria
PS: And I pray that the Lord will send out harvesters into His harvest (Matthew 9:38).

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'A woman is a person who is much smarter than a man, I’ve always found'​

President Donald Trump drew laughs from the press when one reporter asked him to define what a woman is. Trump was speaking at a news conference after Alina Habba, a longtime member of his team, was sworn-in as the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey.


The reporter who asked the question first said that Trump had done "so much for women" before listing women who have powerful roles in the Trump administration, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Attorney General Pam Bondi. He then asked, "Since Democrats seemed to struggle answering this question, I want to ask you, what is a woman and why is it important that we understand the difference between men and women?"

The room quickly erupted in laughter as Trump said that the question was "easy" to answer.

"A woman is somebody, they can have a baby under certain circumstances. She has equality. A woman is a person who is much smarter than a man, I’ve always found. A woman is a person that doesn't give a man even a chance of success," Trump said.

Continued below.

Prof John Lennox said:

The law of gravitation plays a very important role in the contemporary debate because it's Newton's reason for believing in God and Hawking's reason for not believing in God, the very same law of gravity. Steven Hawking says that because there is a law of gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing, and therefore God is totally unnecessary; and yet, Isaac Newton who discovered the law of gravity when he discovered it, he didn't say what Hawking said. … When Newton discovered gravity, he said: Wow, what a fascinating God that did it that way.

Click to expand...

Emphasis added. Actually, Newton and Hawking did not have the very same law of gravity. That's an oversimplification, conflating the gravitational constant with its effect.

In 1687, Isaac Newton formulated his Law of Universal Gravitation in his seminal work, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica:


Newton postulated G as a constant whose exact value was discovered decades later. The unit for G is not acceleration; little g = 9.8 m/s² is the gravitational acceleration on the planet Earth. G and g are quite different. He understood the concept of gravity as it was related to the attractive force between two masses.

In 1915, Albert Einstein formulated his General Theory of Relativity field equation:


Einstein redefined gravity not as a force but as the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy. His field equations describe how massive objects like stars and planets bend spacetime, and objects follow curved paths within this distorted geometry. He saw gravity as a relation to space-time curvature geometrically. The gravity of a black hole was so strong that at the event horizon, nothing could escape from a black hole, not even light. That's not quite true.

In 1984, Stephen Hawking bridged general relativity (gravity) and quantum mechanics:


Near the event horizon, black holes can slowly lose mass by emitting Hawking radiation. In his book The Grand Design (2010), he suggests that gravity is a fundamental force that allows the universe to create itself from nothing. In his view, the gravitational field has negative energy, which can counterbalance the positive energy of matter, allowing the total energy of the universe to be zero. According to quantum mechanics, particles and energy can spontaneously appear and disappear in a vacuum due to quantum fluctuations. Hawking extended this idea to the entire universe, suggesting that the universe itself could arise from a quantum fluctuation. This begs for the search for a theory of quantum gravity.

In all three formulas, G is the universal gravitational constant. G, at the time of Newton, was the same as it is today. We don't know what gravity is exactly, but we can measure its effect. However, Hawking's understanding of the effect of gravity in the context of his equation differed significantly from Newton's three centuries earlier. Newton understood gravity at the level of apples, planets, and stars. Hawking tried to figure out gravity at and inside a black hole at the quantum level. They did not see the very same law of gravity.

Dr Lennox also said:

Newton discovered the law of gravitation

Click to expand...

More precisely, Newton formulated an equation to calculate the attractive force between two objects using the universal gravitational constant, G. At best, he discovered a law concerning gravitation.

Today, people like Stephen Hawking say you've got to either believe in God or be a scientist.

Click to expand...

I've never heard Hawking say that false dichotomy. More precisely, he wrote:

Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.

Click to expand...

He argued that science could explain the universe’s origins without requiring a divine cause, a position called scientific naturalism.

It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going.

Click to expand...

He didn't claim that scientists could not believe in God—only that science didn't require God as an explanation. He never stated that belief in God and being a scientist were mutually exclusive. Lennox overinterpreted Hawking's statement concerning science to scientists.

There are other scientists who push for the extreme position. Dr H Allen Orr wrote]:

I agree of course that no sensible scientist can tolerate such exceptionalism with respect to the laws of nature. But the solution seems obvious and, at least since Augustine in the fifth century AD, uncontroversial: we must often abandon literalism.

Click to expand...

By "exceptionalism", he referred to "miracles", i.e., if you are a scientist who believes in supernatural miracles, you are not a sensible scientist.

Did Newton and Hawking have the very same law of gravity as claimed by Lennox?

No. In his statements, he failed to distinguish between the universal gravitational constant and the effect of gravity; further, like Orr, he failed to distinguish between science and scientists.

Can anyone please share their testimonies of struggling with blasphemous thoughts against the Holy Spirit and how they overcame them to find assurance of salvation? Please share personal testimonies only, as I have already heard many explanations and am not looking for more.

I am looking into the differences between Catholic and Protestant teachings.

There are obviously things in Protestant teachings, and a lot of lacking church history that make no sense to me, but there are teachings of the modern Catholic Church that are leaving me scratching my head and really struggling to understand.

I am going through The Catechism In A Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz, and I am grasping most of what he is talking about, but this one area of teaching keeps sticking on me and is a stumbling block.

And the teaching on the Eucharist and trans substantiation is it. As presented it is not making sense to me.

More to the point, it is a bit confusing, and if I am confused by it I am sure lots of other folks are too.

I am certain we have all at some point in our lives, tasted our own blood due to biting the inside of your cheek, or having dental work done or whatever. It is not an unfamiliar flavor...

Am I understanding the official church teaching that the bread and wine being at the time of the eucharist being the actual literal body and blood of Christ, or is there something I am missing on this?

For Protestants, the elements of the communion, the bread and wine are symbolic of the actual body and blood of Jesus.

When he broke the bread and held it up saying this is my body broken for you, he didn't tear off a piece of his own body and pass it around the table... so symbolism makes sense here.

But I think we can all agree that miracles that are outside of human science and knowledge do happen.

I have heard it explained that it is the essence of the actual body and blood... how does "essence" differ from "symbol"?

I have had a priest tell me that there really isn't a difference between the ideas, but I am not sure he was right, or maybe trying to make the idea simpler to digest for me.

If anyone can help me clear this up. It would surely help a lot. Thank you.

What does it mean to fear the Lord? It means to give him awe, respect, honor, value, reverence, esteem, worship, and obedience. Our lives are surrendered to him to doing his will, to walking in his ways and in his truth and righteousness. We are committed to him and to his service, to being who he wants us to be, to going where he sends us, and to doing what he has called us to do and to say. We are no longer walking (in conduct, in practice) in sin, but now we are obeying him, in practice, in his power.

And what should all of us be persuading (encouraging, motivating) others to do and to believe and to put into practice? We should be sharing the truth of the gospel of Christ with them in the hope that they will turn from their sins and now follow Jesus Christ in walks of obedience to his commands. For Jesus died on that cross to put our sins to death with him so that we will die with him to sin and now walk with him in surrender to his will, in walks of obedience to his commands, in holy living, by the grace and power of God.

And faith in Jesus Christ is not just giving him lip service. We cannot just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now be assured heaven as our eternal destiny, as many would have you believe. We must die with him to sin and now walk in obedience to his commands, for this is what faith looks like which is of God, and which is not of our own doing. For faith is divine persuasion of God as to his righteousness and holiness, of our sinfulness, and of our need to die to sin and now obey his commands, in practice.

But many people are going to tell you that is “works salvation,” but that is not true. “Works salvation” is when we, of our own flesh, try to be good enough to earn or to deserve our own salvation. Not possible! But what is described in the paragraphs above is the salvation which God alone provides, and for which he gives us the faith to believe, and which he then empowers us to live by his grace in our daily walks of faith. This is us, in his power, living out the faith in Jesus which we claim to possess, by his grace.

And, yes, if we are teaching the truth of the gospel of our salvation, as Jesus taught it, and as his New Testament apostles taught it, in the correct context, we may be charged with being crazy, out of our minds, legalistic, judgmental, and prejudicial, by those who oppose us and who oppose the gospel message that Jesus and his apostles taught, in their fulness. And our opponents may try to convince others not to listen to us while they feed their minds with lies and with half-truth, diluted, and altered gospels.

But regardless of what others think of us or say about us, or how they might treat us, we must stay the course. We must continue to speak the truth of the Scriptures, in their fulness, and not teach these altered half-truth gospels which allow the sinners to remain trapped in their sins, and which make no requirements of them that they must obey God and his commandments. For Christ’s love compels us to tell people the truth. For if sin is their practice, and not obedience, they will not inherit eternal life.

For God’s purpose in sending Jesus Christ to die on that cross for our sins was not to give us a free ride to heaven based on a false gospel message. Jesus died so that we would die with him to sin. And he was resurrected from the dead, in victory over sin, so that we can now live in victory over sin and walk in obedience to his commands. For he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again. So, die to sin, and now live for Jesus, to do his will!

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

How Long Till the Morning

Scripture: I Thessalonians 4:17
By C. E. Couchman

Consider the mornings of this mortal land,
Each a new beginning from the Maker’s hand.
While the storms may gather ‘gainst the evening sky,
The day breaks cloudless in the morning.

Rise up to the battle, for the skies dawn clear.
Let us gather courage while the foe draws near.
Though the night falls weary, saints of God, march on!
And He’ll raise our banner in the morning.

When the trumpet sounds to signal Heaven’s day,
Resurrection Morning when the dead shall wake,
What a glorious gath’ring when the Lord descends
And we rise to meet him in the morning.

How long, my Lord? Till we see the morning?
How long, O, my Lord, till we see your face?
O my Lord, guide us through our troubles
Till we rise above them in the morning.

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Live Not for Ourselves, But for Jesus
An Original Work / March 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

The Sabbath is more than just a day of rest; it is the sign of God's covenant and His seal of authority over His people. The Bible repeatedly states that the Sabbath is a distinguishing mark between those who acknowledge God as Creator and those who do not. This sign of loyalty is central in the final conflict between true worship and false worship as described in Revelation.

The Sabbath as the Sign of the Covenant​

God established the Sabbath as a sign between Him and His people, a perpetual reminder that He is the one who sanctifies them.

• Exodus 31:13 (NKJV) – “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.’”
• Exodus 31:16-17 (NKJV) – “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”
• Ezekiel 20:12 (NKJV) – “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.”
• Ezekiel 20:20 (NKJV) – “Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.”

The Seal of God in the Fourth Commandment​

A seal represents ownership and authority. In ancient times, a seal contained three elements:

1. The name of the authority – The Lord
2. The title of the authority – Creator
3. The territory under His authority – Heaven and Earth

This is clearly seen in the Sabbath commandment:

• Exodus 20:11 (NKJV) – “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

The Sabbath command contains all the elements of a biblical seal, marking God’s authority over all creation.

The Sabbath, the Seal of God, and End-Time Prophecy​

The book of Revelation speaks of the seal of God placed on His faithful servants before the final events of earth’s history:

• Revelation 7:2-3 (NKJV) – “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’”

This seal represents those who remain obedient to God’s law, including the Sabbath, which is the sign of His authority.

The Mark of the Beast vs. the Seal of God​

In contrast, Revelation warns about the mark of the beast, which is given to those who reject God’s authority and accept human traditions instead:

• Revelation 13:16-17 (NKJV) – “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
• Revelation 14:9-12 (NKJV) – “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God... Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’”

The issue in the last days is about worship. The seal of God is given to those who obey His commandments, including the Sabbath, while the mark of the beast is given to those who reject God's law and follow false worship.

Symbolism of the Forehead and Hand in Scripture​

The Forehead Represents Thoughts, Beliefs, and Allegiance​

• Deuteronomy 6:6-8 (NKJV) – “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children… You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”
• Ezekiel 9:4 (NKJV) – “And the Lord said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.’”

The forehead represents the mind and beliefs. Those who receive the mark of the beast on their forehead have consciously accepted false worship and rejected God's truth.

The Hand Represents Actions and Behavior​

• Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NKJV) – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might...”
• Psalms 119:48 (NKJV) – “My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes.”

The hand represents actions. Those who receive the mark on their hand may not necessarily believe in the false system but go along with it for convenience, pressure, or economic survival.

Here, the forehead symbolizes keeping God's law in one's thoughts and heart, while the hand represents carrying out those laws through action.

God’s Law vs. Man’s Law​

• God’s seal in the forehead = Those who accept God’s truth in their minds and live by it.
• The mark of the beast in the forehead = Those who accept the false system of worship in their beliefs.
• God’s law on the hand = Those who obey God’s commandments through their actions.
• The mark of the beast on the hand = Those who comply with false worship for convenience, even if they don’t believe it in their hearts.

The Sabbath and the Final Call to Worship the Creator​

Revelation 14 contains the message of the first angel, which calls people back to true worship:

• Revelation 14:7 (NKJV) – “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

This language directly reflects the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:11) and emphasizes that in the end times, God calls His people back to keeping the Sabbath as a sign of true worship.

​

The Sabbath in the New Earth​

The Sabbath is not just for the past or present—it will be observed even in the new creation:

• Isaiah 66:22-23 (NKJV) – “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, “so shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.”

The Sabbath is the sign of the covenant, the seal of God’s authority, and the final test of loyalty in the end times. Revelation shows that the world will be divided into two groups—those who worship the Creator and keep His commandments, and those who accept the mark of the beast and follow human traditions. The Sabbath is central in this great controversy, and those who remain faithful to God will receive His seal, inheriting eternal life in the new earth.

When Gavery inquired whether the commission would investigate potential voter fraud, he received a brisk response: “Meeting adjourned.”

Americans must be vigilant.

This thread is to document the steps USA is falling through in it's journey towards Fascism

But first, what is Fascism?
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.

• Rumeysa Ozturk - on a valid F-1 student visa taken by police and shipped away, not charged with anything, but now missing for writing a opinion piece in local school newspaper.
• Yunseo Chung - a legal permanent resident who has lived in the U.S. since she was 7, participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Immigration agents visited residences looking for her.
• Mahmoud Khalil - a lawful permanent resident taken by ICE.
• 238 Venezuelans deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador - A whole heap of people have been deported without any due process under accusations of the Trump regime that they were dangerous gang members.
• Everyone is Welcome here - Teacher being forced to take down here "Everyone is welcome here" posters in classroom
• Trump signs order declaring only president and AG can interpret US law for executive branch
• Donald Trump Calls Student Protests 'illegal,' Threatens to Imprison Those Who Participate
• Calling National Emergencies to give the President more power
• Republican Congress refusing to vote on whether the National Emergencies are (still) valid.
• Overuse of Executive Orders. in 60 days so far Trump has issued 107 EOs, in four years, Biden issued 162
• Trump signs Executive Orders instructing DOJ to go after people who criticised him
• FBI arrests judge Hannah Dugan, accuses her of obstruction

Are blessings really supposed to be sold like this? Is this the correct price point? Incidentally, her husband co-wrote Don't Stop Believing, but maybe that's not especially relevant at this particular juncture.

A sister has the thought (or theory) that to be right with God, one must first be right with oneself.
In other words, if one is not right with oneself, one cannot be right with anything or enjoy anything...

What do you think about this? Could I be right, or is it rather an unbiblical position?
Thank you very much to all who participated.

I apologize if I posted this question in the wrong category.

This text was translated from Spanish using Google Translate. There may be inconsistencies.

Had to share my '40 Acts' Lent devotional today.

We are introduced to a Welsh brother in Christ Rob who lives in Bristol, he has long term health issues which prevent him from going out too often but despite this he still volunteers!

Rob helps with all of the simple administrative work in Bible translations, from doing this, his carer walked in on him working and saw a translation Rob was copying- it was a tribal language his carer spoke!

Rob got to hear his carer recite the Bible in an African tribal language, he had done administrative work for so long but now he got to finally hear how one of the languages sounds!

What an inspiration Rob is to serving! I'd also request prayers for Rob, it is unclear whether his health prevents him from going to church and if it does, I pray he has a Christian family that are there for him or for him to find one!

A federal worker accidentally includes a journalist on a detailed message in advance of a government operation.

It’s what happened to a longtime Department of Homeland Security employee who told colleagues she inadvertently sent unclassified details of an upcoming Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation to a journalist in late January, according to former ICE chief of staff Jason Houser, one former DHS official and one current DHS official. (The two officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they do not want to endanger their current or future career opportunities.)

But unlike Waltz and Hegseth, who both remain in their jobs, the career DHS employee was put on administrative leave and told late last week that the agency intends to revoke her security clearance, the officials said.

She was asked to take a polygraph test and surrender her personal cellphone, which she declined. She was then notified that the agency intends to revoke her security clearance, the officials said, which could keep her from working in the homeland security space again.

The ICE operation took place without incident, the officials said.

No harm, no foul! That's the Trump standard, isn't it?

Sara Carter became the latest Fox News star to join the Trump administration as she's been named the nation's 'drug czar.'

The Trump Cabinet has been well populated with fixtures from the conservative-leaning network placed across multiple departments.

Carter, who has been a contributor on Fox News Channel since 2017, will head up the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

She has one [sic] multiple journalism awards for reporting on the brutality of Mexican drug cartels.

She would also become the 22nd Fox News personality to join the Trump administration, according to The Wrap.

I have written quite a bit about the Epistemological model that Christians should have.
(Yes, the Bible DOES lay down a lot of constraints, on the epistemological beliefs
that Christian MAY HAVE, and MAY NOT HAVE.)

This is from the standpoint of how the Bible presents "reality". It is not particularly from
an academic viewpoint. My interest is more in how the Bible's presentation of "reality"
governs core Christian doctrines, and the Christian worldview.

To use copyrighted text, a Christian's view of "reality" is important because...

----- -----
"Key Question:
Why have Logic for Christians? Isn’t the valid process of reasoning the same, for everyone?

As it turns out, formal logic is not only concerned with the process of thinking about our shared reality. It has to be concerned with what our shared reality is. This is the topic of so many of the early Christian apologists (including the Apostle Paul).

(Note that the modern phrase, critical thinking, is seen as a larger subject than the modern concept of logic. Critical thinking is concerned with what modern logic would consider the Assumptions section of a proof, and is concerned with demonstrating the truth of what is in that Assumptions section. [Critical Thinking, 12]. What critical thinking tries to add back into the logical process, I am adding through the use of a Christian worldview.)

Our shared reality is important, because every proof in formal logic starts with a section of Assumptions, which includes axioms, basic definitions, and rules assumed to be true. These are the basic “inputs” to a logical proof. And these assumptions must match what we know about our shared reality. Else, the resulting proof will be a proof about some other reality, and not the reality that we all live in.

The biblical definition of lying, is misrepresenting our shared reality in some way. “You shall not bear false witness” is based on a fixed, and common shared reality." [Christian Logic, xiii]
----- -----

I am approaching this discussion of Conspiracy Theories,
from the standpoint of a Christian concept of "our shared reality",
and Epistemology.


SOURCES:

When I quote from [Christian Logic, ...] I am quoting from
Christian Logic, Stephen Wuest, 2024, Christian Faith Publishing.

A mosque behind a proposed Muslim community development in rural Texas is now under investigation by state authorities for allegedly operating a funeral home without a license.

The East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), located about 20 miles north of Dallas, is the mosque behind the ambitious EPIC City and EPIC Ranches project that aims to establish a self-sustaining neighborhood approximately 40 miles northeast of Dallas, featuring over 1,000 homes, a mosque, Islamic schools, clinics, stores, parks, and a nursing home on a 402-acre site spanning Collin and Hunt Counties.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that the Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC), which oversees all funeral operations in the state, sent a cease-and-desist letter ordering the EPIC compound to immediately stop all illegal funeral service operations. While details were scant, the letter addressed to EPICfrom TFSC Executive Director Scott Bingaman accused the Islamic center of "operating as a funeral home without an establishment license" in violation of state law.

Continued below.

Our earthly tent is not a physical tent like one would use for camping outdoors, but this is speaking of our human bodies. And the older that we get, as humans, the more that body fails to function as it did when we were much younger. And I am at that age when I am not as strong physically, nor am I as astute (quick minded) mentally as I was when I was much younger. I tire more easily, I can forget something as soon as it enters my mind, I have to proofread these writings multiple times, and I am slowing down.

There is an old saying (I think it is old) which says, “Getting old is not for the faint of heart” (or for sissies, the weak, wimps). But everyone is different. Some of us age in mind and body more quickly than others. So we do not all have the same experience with aging. Some of that may have to do with the level of physical activity that we are involved in, or with the kind of food that we eat or do not eat, or with our physical circumstances or environments. But for the aged among us, at some point our bodies will stop working.

For those of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, that is not the end of the story. Those of us who, by faith in Jesus Christ, have died with Christ to sin, by the Spirit, and who have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, we have a life beyond this earthly life which we are longing for. We have the promise of life with God in heaven for eternity, provided we continue in that faith to the end.

And that is what this passage of Scripture is talking about. And for us who are following the Lord Jesus with our lives, in obedience to his commands, and in obedience to his specific callings upon each of our lives, and who are in that age category of the elderly, I think we probably all do groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling and to escape these earthly bodies and this evil world in which we live. We long for the day when we will no longer suffer, when crying will be no more, and when hate will be gone.

Now there are a lot of people who take this passage of Scripture out of context, and they presume upon God that, just because they made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ at some point in their lives, that they can now claim this promise of God, for themselves, of life eternal with him in heaven, but regardless of how they live. But this pledge from God comes with stipulations (requirements) which we must fulfill, in the power of God, by faith in Jesus Christ, according to the will and purpose of God.

Jesus taught if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if we deny self, die to sin daily, by the Spirit, and walk (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in the power of God, then we have the hope of eternal life with God. But if we claim to be in Christ, but sin and disobedience to God are what we practice, we do not have this promise.

Genuine faith in Jesus Christ will result in us dying with Christ to sin and us walking in obedience to his commands, in practice, although not necessarily in absolute sinless perfection. For our old self was crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. So we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, but if obedience to God is what we obey, its end is eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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We Have a Building from God
An Original Work / March 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

So employers will be allowed to force child employees to work unlimited hours during the school year for less than the minimum wage, as they will class them as interns.

Here is some video of the NPR chief's testimony and commentary by Jesse Watters:

It was amazing, as Jesse pointed out, how this woman denied her own comments on record.

From the dream:

Something huge did happened around March 20 just yesterday. Not on the exact date though.

But I did say the origin on of the event will come from a very far place, in fact, far beyond Earth in outer space. So there could be a delay from its occurrence in space and manifesting on Earth

And the event somewhat will concern me, either in the place of origin or manifestation or maybe both. The earthquake did occur in a global region where I live.

So here's the caveat, whatever has happened or emerged from the place of origin is already "here". "Here" some place in outer space that can affect Earth. It could be nearby or maybe still too far away to be detected. But the point is, it wasn't there before but now it's there. Near or far, it's at a location that can now threaten Earth.

I think some people in "very high places" already knows about this and probably taking major actions already. They're in panic mode and are preparing to mobilize and build. They're just not letting everyone know.

So keep watch folks. Things might get rosy and pleasant in the near term and then disaster. That might be what the 2nd date in my dream (from the link) is about. I haven't shared the 2nd date yet. I already know but I'll only share in the couple or few weeks before it takes place.

Everybody’s favorite gun-toting, vaping, public sex act aficionado, Lauren Boebert, committed a built of a self-own recently when trying to clap back from some ribbing from the left. After colleagues joked about the administration’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, Boebert threatened to keep it going and rename DC to the “District of America.” Apparently not covered in the Congresswoman’s GED coursework was the fact that “Columbia” in this usage is the nickname given to the embodiment of the spirit of America and not something more… foreign?

ETA: I’m not claiming that she meant this as anything other than a joke.

Hi, I am new here. I feel very lonely, I have no real Christian friends that live close to me. I live in a community where I haven't been able to make many friends or Christian friends and I am hoping I can find here the communion I can't find anywhere for the moment. Do any of you have any idea what forum should I start posting on so I can interact with other?

I am married and I am teacher. I've been a real Christian for a year or so, but I've attended church since ever (but not at the moment) and my parents are Christian.