Morning Prayers

Second Sunday After Epiphany propers & commentary

Second Sunday After The Epiphany propers & commentary (Gueranger)

Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine's Instruction on the Second Sunday After The Epiphany

Daily Gospel

Scripture & Tradition: Second Sunday After Epiphany

In Illo Tempore: 2nd Sunday after Epiphany

WDTPRS: 2nd Sunday after Epiphany – liturgical unicorn

The Orations of the Second Sunday after Epiphany

The first miracle of Jesus: meditation on the second Sunday after the Epiphany

Saint Peter’s Chair at Rome

Saints of the Day

Sermons for Everyday Living - The Wedding Feast of Cana 1/18/26

LUKE 6:27-30 (CJB), Nevertheless, to you who are listening, what I say is this: “Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. “If someone hits you on one cheek, offer the other too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. “If someone asks you for something, give it to him; if someone takes what belongs to you, don’t demand it back.

This scripture is so simple, yet it’s so far from mans heart. How many times have I read this and overlooked it as any other loving-kindness teaching, and failed to realize the importance behind it? Did Jesus ever teach anything that was not detrimental to our salvation? Everything Messiah taught is something so valuable it can cost us our eternal life! What was I really doing then, if I was reading this, but not grasping it? Notice the first line, “to you who are listening”. Ah, okay, so I wasn’t really listening to what He is saying. This is how important this teaching is, that Jesus tells us to listen in the very beginning! Now that I’ve listened what do I do? Well, He tells me what to do; so, I must take action and follow this. There is a Hebrew word for, to hear and obey, and it is called Shema(Sh’mah). This teaching uses the Shema principle by first telling us to listen and then giving us things to do. The saying goes, “To hear God is to obey God and to obey God is to hear God”.

Matthew 5:43-48 (CJB), “You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Love your neighbor — and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that! And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that! Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

What is an enemy? I like to categorize enemies to be anywhere from the range of do not like to absolutely despise. The worst case scenario you want your enemy to be utterly destroyed. An enemy could be someone who has done you wrong, or someone you want to enact revenge on. There is a broad definition on what an enemy is. It is hard to love someone you do not like. We need to remember that they’re also a human being who has sined as we have, and they are not the enemy. The Scripture says that we war not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual beings in high places. Our enemies are no different than us. They can be accepted into the Kingdom of God as we can. The real enemy is the one waging war in an invisible realm that we cannot see. Christ points out that even tax collectors love those who love them. Why the tax collectors? In today’s times we see tax collectors as just someone doing their job. During that day, tax collectors that were Jewish, and working for the Romans, were seen as traitors among their people. Essentially, Christ was stating that all people are the same, and the tax collector is not lower than the Pharisee or Torah scholar. This would have highly angered the governing sanhedrin of the time! Thought, “What?! How am I the same as a tax collector!?” They could either humble themselves or remain in pride.

Matthew 25:31-46 (TLV), “Now when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger and invite You in? Or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “And answering, the King will say to them, ‘Amen, I tell you, whatever you did to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Go away from Me, you cursed ones, into the everlasting fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in; naked and you did not clothe Me; sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they too will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not care for You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Amen, I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ These shall go off to everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.”

Therefore, we need to live our lives in love. We need to learn to love God and neighbor, then we may live in our purpose as a representation of Christ on earth.

I go by Pastor Bill. I'm a late bloomer/believer in life. Almost 72 years old and hoping to discover what I want to be when I grow up
Walked in darkness for 68 years with intermittent light. Finally paid attention to Who was in that light. I'm a non-denominational minister who has one goal - touch just one heart with the love of Jesus, if accomplished, than His will was done.

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Please pray and ask God if my son Jakeb can please have a good night where he talks to friends and is happy. He is having a rough time tonight. Please ask Jesus to hug him and make him well and happy. I ask in Jesus name. Thank you and God bless you.

Have you see a more badly made propaganda masked as moral principle? I have seen many bad propaganda media. Trust me I have seen ones from China, Russia and all the usual suspects. They all present their view points as truths. Like how China insist that the 9 dash line is part of ancient territorial borders or the Ukraine are just lost Russians. They all have their moments of cringe because they tried to present their views as truths thinking we can't just search the internet for the correct answers or do the basic logical thinking to see if things add up. Today I got to know about the UK's version of propaganda, and by standards of propaganda I give a failing grade. Not an ounce or even a tinkle of intelligence was put into it. It is like hanging a sign saying "I'm not a spy" while walking into another nation's military facility. So bad I have to give the FSB and the CCP credit for at least trying to make believable propagandas.

The UK's one is like one of those HR mandatory courses you have to sit through annually with obvious answers. Jack is asking for you to backdate the invoice to be able to make claims from his company. You as the representative of the company's sales must do

A) As Jack requested because the continued business relationship benefits both companies.
B) Tell Jack no but give his next deal a special rate to cover his previous claim amount.
C) Refuse Jack's request and report this to the company's management.

Yeah no one with a functioning brain will choose A & B so that HR needs to call you in for an interview. In real life you might do the first 2 but at least most are smart enough to know it might be wrong but compromise is a way to retain a good partner. And sometimes you need that favor returned when you're given an impossible target to meet. That's how even big multinational corporations work.

So imagine this scenario but presented with national talking points like immigration and national identify. The questions are framed to obviously that you know what the correct answer is but that's not the answer for actual life. No wonder there is this caricature of a right wing activist Amelia is getting so much love from the internet. The people see the corporate garbage and choose the "antagonist" as their right answer. Mission failed successfully.

Funny thing is one of the radical talking point is: research the talking point you heard from Amelia. The fundamental Socratic principle of learning to get more details is seen as dangerous and extreme. You can't learn about the issue from your own perspective that's dangerous so you can only rely on experts like teachers and other like minded people. The literal echo chamber. The anger turned to laughter as I played through the so called "game". I can't believe the level of incompetence displayed by actual governmental agency. And they are getting paid tax payer money and they can't even produce a good propaganda. You know you're in trouble when I praise the Chinese CCP and Russian FSB for their works.

I played to just fail, I want to see if UK dares list my IP into their Prevent program. You can try too. Have a good laugh for yourself.

Note from the article that some non-citizen costs do get billed to Medicaid.

A Devotional of Praise, Honor, Glory, and Worship

Opening Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask You to quiet our hearts and steady our thoughts. I pray you will lift our eyes from the weight of the day and draw us into Your presence. Let every word we speak, every breath we take, and every reflection of our hearts bring praise, honor, glory, and worship to Your name. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen

Message

The Bible describes the Glory of God as showing Himself to us through His character, power, beauty and His holiness. In this, God is saying to us "This is who I am." God's glory sometimes will show up as light, radiance, majesty, holiness, a sense of awe that fills a room or a heart, or an overwhelming sense of His presence surrounding, filling our hearts and minds. This is all God revealing His nature to us. God's glory is the weight of who He is - His goodness, mercy, justice, love, faithfulness and power. His glory is the sense that God is real, powerful, present and greater than anything else. You may have felt His glory before, in worship, healing, through prayer, through reading the Bible or through devotionals you may read.

In Chapter 33 of the Book of Exodus, Moses asked God to show him His glory, God responded to Moses by showing him His goodness, mercy and compassion. The one thing He did not show Moses was His face, for He said “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” God’s glory is not what you can see, but, rather, it is what He does and who He is. God’s glory is in the restoration of who you are. It’s in the healing you’re walking through, the strength you didn’t know you had, the peace that settles on you after a storm, the readiness to love again and the courage to move forward. That is God’s glory touching your life.

Exodus 33:15-23 (NKJV): “17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

21 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

As believers, we honor God by beholding that glory in our daily lives. We do this by putting on the fruit of the Spirit and clothing ourselves in His characteristics, His mercy, compassion, faithfulness, holiness, and steadfast love. When we choose patience over frustration, kindness over harshness, forgiveness over resentment, and peace over anxiety, we are displaying His nature to the world. This is worship lived out in real time. By allowing the Holy Spirit to shape our attitudes, our responses, and our choices, we become living reflections of God’s goodness, carrying His glory into every place our feet touch.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self‑control. Against such things there is no law.”

Ephesians 5:1 (NKJV): “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”

Ephesians 4:20-24 (NKJV): “20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV): “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

When we put on the fruit of the Spirit, we honor God by allowing His nature to shape our daily lives. The qualities of the fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self‑control. As we grow and yield to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to work within us, each of these qualities grows within us. By walking in these qualities every day, we glorify God. Every time we choose patience over irritation, kindness over harshness, or peace over anxiety, we reflect the heart of God. The fruit of the Spirit becomes a living testimony that His presence is active in us, transforming our attitudes, our responses, and the way we treat others.

Galatians 5:16 (NKJV): “I say then: walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

Philippians 4:5 (NKJV): “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”

Colossians 3:14 (NKJV): “Above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”

Colossians 3:15 (NKJV): “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

We also honor God by intentionally putting on His characteristics which are mercy, compassion, faithfulness, holiness, and steadfast love. Scripture reveals who God is; by imitating His characteristics, we bring glory to His name. When we forgive as He forgives, show mercy as He shows mercy, or walk in integrity because He is holy, we align our lives with His character. By walking in the nature of God, we become reflections of His goodness in a world that desperately needs to see Him.

Luke 6:36 (NKJV): “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”

Leviticus 11:44 (NKJV): ”For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Psalm 145:8 (NKJV): “The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.”

Psalm 119:90 (NKJV): “Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides.”

To honor God is to recognize His hand in the everyday details of our lives. It is the quiet acknowledgement that He is present in the steps we take, the strength that returns slowly, and the clarity that comes at just the right time.

Honoring God means trusting His wisdom above our own. It means letting Him guide our thoughts, decisions, and heart. When we honor Him, we choose to walk in humility and integrity, believing His timing is purposeful even when we cannot see the full picture.

Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV): “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Proverbs 3:6 (NKJV): “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

When we lift our voices in praise to God, we are honoring Him by acknowledging that He is worthy, beautiful, faithful and good. When we praise Him with thanksgiving in our hearts and our awe toward Him, we align ourselves with the truth of who He is. Giving praise to God is our way of honoring Him by saying how great He is, how wonderful He is, how powerful he is and how gracious, kind and loving He is. In praising Him, we are saying, “Lord, we see Your hand in our lives. We see Your mercy, strength and patience with us. We see Your glory.”

Psalm 29:2 (NKJV): “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

Psalm 100:4 (NKJV): “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name.”

Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV): “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

May our lives become a continual offering of praise, honor, glory, and worship, as we live each day with hearts turned toward Him. May we honor God by shining His light into a world longing for hope. May our lives testify that He is good, He is faithful, and He is worthy of all we are. As we honor Him with our lives, may His glory be seen in us, drawing others to the One who restores, renews, and loves without end.

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV): “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV): “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Philippians 2:15 (NKJV): “…that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

Questions to Ponder

1. Where in my life today can I intentionally lift my eyes in praise rather than focus on the weight I feel?

1. What is one practical way I can honor God in my choices, my attitude, or my responses throughout the day?

1. How can I create space for worship — not just in song, but in stillness, gratitude, and awareness of God’s presence?

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Closing Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, as we go about our busy lives, let praise remain in our hearts for You. Remind us of who you are and to put on the Fruit of the Spirit and Your characteristics so we can go about our days honoring You in all that we do. Keep us anchored in who You are faithful, holy, and unchanging. Let Your peace rest upon us, Your strength uphold us, and Your love surround us. May our lives reflect Your goodness in every step we take. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

To the Holy Spirit: Thank You for guiding every word, guarding every step, and glorifying Jesus. All glory, honor, praise, and worship belong to God Almighty, who alone is worthy.

Scripture Acknowledgement: All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version® (NKJV). Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Special thanks to Bible Gateway for providing accessible, searchable Scripture resources that support devotional writing and spiritual study.

May these words echo grace, healing, and truth wherever they are read.
https://medium.com/the-dove/living-a-life-that-honours-him-840ef8b287cf

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has fallen five percentage points to 36%, the lowest of his second term, while disapproval has risen to 60%. The latest decline follows three months of stability, with 40% to 41% of Americans expressing approval of his handling of the presidency. His prior second-term low point in approval was a statistically similar 37% in July, and his all-time low was 34% in 2021, at the end of his first term after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Trump's Approval Rating Drops to 36%, New Second-Term Low

President Donald Trump's job approval rating has slipped to a new second-term low point and is approaching his all-time low of 34%.

news.gallup.com

I hope to see a lot of such individuals fired around the country. Violence is not the way.

I don't know about you all, but I'm tired of my Android phone doing updates. I have Graphene OS, so the problem is that when I connect to my home wifi, it automatically downloads the big Android updates. It doesn't give me a choice on whether I want to do the updates now or later. It's frustrating. I want to play on my phone when I connect to wifi, not wait 20, 30, or 40 minutes for my phone to download, install, verify, then restart.

Pastor Sun Cong was one of a number of members of Beijing’s Zion Church taken away by security officers in a dramatic, authoritarian clamp down.

The incident left the wife and young mother distraught—and caused the pastor’s elderly mother to suffer a heart failure.

Wanyu said: ‘As a wife, I witnessed my 72-year-old mother-in-law faint and relapse into heart failure when she saw her son violently taken away. She was rushed to hospital, while I stood helplessly watching my husband being taken away.

‘My little one, still so young, kept crying and asking, “Where’s Daddy?” I held him tightly, with tears streaming down my face, and told him gently, “Daddy has gone to work for God.” Since then, he has been clinging to me constantly.’

The dramatic and traumatic arrest of Pastor Sun was part of a coordinated crackdown by the Chinese authorities that had begun the previous day, when another pastor was apprehended by police at Shenzhen airport.

The police then conducted raids to arrest a number of Zion Church members. Pastor Sun was one of those apprehended, by the Yinhai Branch of the Beihai City Public Security Bureau. ‘He did not resist, yet his hands were forcefully twisted behind his back and he was shoved to the ground. This is not only oppression against a defenceless man, but also an assault on his faith,’ his wife added.

The homes of those arrested were searched, and electronic devices were confiscated. It is not yet clear what those who have been detained in the coordinated raid will be charged with. Wanyu’s request to be able to visit her husband has been denied.

The Zion Church has long been a target for the authorities in China. It was shut down in 2018, but various branches have continued to meet. Last month’s renewed crackdown hit the headlines and prompted fears of increased pressure on China’s underground churches.

Reflecting on the current uncertain and intimidating situation, Wanyu said, ‘Though the pressure is immense, and I feel fear and weakness, I believe in the strength that comes from the One in whom we trust. Even in tears, I will praise Him. My husband, my family—we are surrounded by God’s boundless grace. He is good, merciful and faithful to those who stand firm in their faith.’

In many places in our world today Christians face ongoing threat and oppression for their faith in Jesus Christ and for their gospel witness.

Please share all the verses.

Trump threatens 25% tariff on European allies until Denmark sells Greenland to US​

Donald Trump threatened a 25% tariff on a slew of European countries including Denmark, Germany, France and the UK – until the US is allowed to purchase Greenland, in an extraordinary escalation of the president’s bid to claim the autonomous Danish territory.

In a lengthy post on Saturday on Truth Social, Trump said he would impose a 10% tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland beginning 1 February, “on any and all goods sent to the United States of America”.

He said the tariff will increase to 25% on 1 June. “This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” Trump said.

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America must have her Lebensraum!

Tongues: There purpose & why it's not the normative pattern today.

They were public verification, prophesied in advance & given at major New‑Covenant expansion moments.

Deut 14:2 God chooses Israel & for over 1400 yrs the Nation lives under Mosaic law. The book of Acts maps the transition from the old‑covenant Levitical priesthood (retired at Jesus' resurrection) to the priestly order of Melchizedek. A transition from law to grace. The law demanded works to receive blessings, grace freely supplies blessings based on faith in Jesus' finished, sacrificial, sin‑atoning work

In Acts 1:4 Jesus gives a promise & in Acts 1:8 He maps out a global evangelistic mission: beginning at Jerusalem (Temple Mount, Pentecost), then Judea, then Samaria & finally to the uttermost parts of the earth

TONGUES:
Tongues fulfilled two prophetic streams: Joel‑SIGNS > Spirit outpouring. Isaiah‑SIGNS > judgment sign to Israel & Covenant‑transition signs > verifying each new group entering the New Covenant.

Tongues were a SIGN, not a condition. Paul states the purpose plainly: "Tongues are for a sign to unbelievers." (1 Cor 14:22). "A sign to onlookers" - Not a sign to the speaker, NOT a sign of salvation & Not a condition for receiving the Spirit.

TONGUES EVENTS:
Acts 2 — Israel only. Purpose: launch of the New Covenant. Audience: Devout Jews from every nation. Result: Peter preaches, 3,000 saved. Meaning: God has begun the last days (Joel 2)

Acts 10 — Gentiles, Purpose: Prove Gentiles were accepted before water baptism, Audience: Jewish believers who doubted Gentile inclusion, Result: Peter commands water baptism after Spirit baptism, Meaning: God makes no distinction (Acts 11:17–18)

Acts 19 — Disciples of John, Purpose: Transition old‑covenant disciples into the gospel. Audience: 12 men who had never heard of the Spirit. Result: They receive the Spirit after hearing the gospel. Meaning: John's baptism is obsolete.

Acts 8 — Samaritans, (no tongues recorded, but Spirit given) Purpose: Unite Jews & Samaritans under apostolic authority. Audience: Apostles must witness it. Meaning: Samaritan are no longer a rival sect.

NOTICE THE PATTERN:
Jews only > Samaritans > Gentiles > John's disciples. Once all groups are included, ""the SIGN is no longer needed"".

Tongues appear only when a new covenant group is added. Not every at every baptism, not with every conversion.

Tongues were never universal in the book of Acts. Thousands were saved in Acts 2, 3k saved, Acts 4:4, 5k men saved, Acts 8:39, Ethiopian eunuch, Acts 9, Paul saved, Acts 11:21, "a great number believed, Acts 16, Lydia & Phil jailer saved, Acts 17, Thessalonians saved, Acts 18, Corinthians saved, Acts 19:18, many saved. NONE OF THESE MENTIONED INCLUE TONGUES.

This is where the "tongues = salvation" doctrine" fails. Paul asks: Do all speak with tongues? (1 Cor 12:30) Paul says: Gifts differ (1 Cor 12:4–6). The Spirit distributes as He wills (1 Cor 12:11). Not all have the same gifts (1 Cor 12:29–30)

WHY TONGUES THEN
OT Prophesy fulfilment. Tongues in Acts were a covenant‑transitional SIGN & Scripture itself explains what kind of SIGN they were.

Paul quotes Isaiah 28:11 (with stammering lips and another tongue) in 1 Cor 14:21 to show that tongues were a judgment sign to unbelieving Israel. God speaking to them through foreign languages because they rejected His word.

This matches Acts 2, where the gathered crowds included:
“Parthians, Medes, Elamites, dwellers in Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, parts of Libya about Cyrene, strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians…” (Acts 2:9–11)

The disciples were speaking foreign human languages, exactly as Isaiah predicted. The people gathered heard them in their own native tongue.

Once the gospel reached Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles & Old‑covenant leftovers, there were no more groups left to validate & no further Isa 28, judgment SIGN was needed. The tongues SIGN had done its job.

WHY TONGUES NOW

Paul teaches that tongues today are optional spiritual gifts of edification

They are NOT a requirement or proof or salvation, NOT tied to receiving the Spirit, NOT tied to water baptism & NOT tied to covenant transitions (those are complete)

Tongues are permissible during a church assembly only when interpreter is present. When tongues & interpretation operate together, the result is equivalent to prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:1–2 (Tongues Prayer Gift)
Paul describes the personal prayer-tongue as a GIFT exercised between the believer & God alone. It is for personal edification, not public communication. The one praying does not understand what he is saying, his spirit prays while the meaning remains hidden. He speaks mysteries in the Spirit & his understanding is unfruitful.

Paul even says he "speaks in tongues more than you all" (14:18), showing his heavy private use.

During an assembly gathering, speaking in tongues requires someone with the GIFT of interpretation. Together these spiritual GIFTS turn a private Spirit‑spoken mystery into an intelligible message that edifies the whole church.

Paul also ties gift‑operation to faith:
Rom 12:6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith.

These gifts are available to any believer with the FAITH to access them.

You can find more on spiritual gifts here: Rom 12:3–8, 1 Cor chapters 12,13 & 14, Eph 4:7–16

Renee Good has become a Rorschach test.

Like the rest of the country, I have strong opinions about what happened last week. And like everyone else, I am finding that expressing those opinions does very little beyond confirming existing biases or costing people readers and friends.

We tend to see what we want to see. All of us. We are deeply vulnerable to the temptation to believe we alone have a monopoly on objectivity and clear-headedness. And we are almost always wrong about that.

For many of my feminist friends, Renee Good is a martyr. A victim of femicide. A woman trying to make a difference in her community, who paid the ultimate price when a hot-headed man with a gun decided to punish her for defying him.

For many of my MAGA friends, she is a cautionary tale about the woke mind virus. A woman so poisoned by hysterical ideology that she felt justified in obstructing law enforcement and endangering the lives of the men tasked with removing criminal sex offenders from her community. “She tried to kill a law enforcement officer,” they say. “It is sad, but she brought it on herself.”

I fall somewhere center right on this, not that it ultimately matters. For what it is worth, I do not think Renee Good woke up that day intending to kill a law enforcement officer. I think she made bad choices, tried to flee, and made a catastrophic decision that cost her her life. When someone is in the middle of committing multiple felonies, the likelihood of something going terribly wrong increases dramatically. Wisdom encourages de-escalation and risk mitigation, not escalation.

Continued below.

That's all I have to say about the matter, really, but it's why I don't participate in most discussions.

I grew up in a time where people weren't so engaged in politics.

It's changed because I think we are just being used as pawns by the system, so that we turn on each other, and are distracted from God.

Politics is the new religion.

I despise all the talk of politics everywhere and including on this forum.

I think people need Jesus and hobbies.

Before so many people could read and books become abundant, people learned through art. Thomas Merton credits the art of European cathedrals for his conversion.

One if my favorites is James Tissot.

Sorry I cant seem to imbed the picture. Here we have The Ascension. No body if Christ though. Only light and two angels.

Minneapolis prepares for Saturday march led by right-wing influencer​

At a weekly public safety meeting, residents raised fears that a Saturday march led by conservative influencer Jake Lang could result in Somali residents being harassed on the street.

The march, planned for Jan. 17 at Minneapolis City Hall, is organized by conservative influencer Jake Lang, who has been advertising the march on X. In a post, he called for “crusaders” to “take back” Minnesota from Democrats.

One of Lang’s posts on X takes a more political tone about the March on Saturday, calling for residents to “take back Minnesota” from “corrupt [feminine hygiene product]” Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. The post includes a video of Lang standing alongside ICE officers at the Whipple Federal Building, holding a sign that reads “We love ICE.”

Some speakers emphasized that they worry Lang or others in the march could try to provoke given he’s made Islamophobic gestures in the past. That includes a rally in Texas where he raised up a severed pig head with a copy of the Quran in its mouth.

Lang spent four years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was convicted on 11 charges including assault for attacking Capitol police officers with a baseball bat. He was then pardoned in 2025 by Trump.

The [police] inspector emphasized his hope that the marchers and counterprotesters respect everybody’s First Amendment rights and do not escalate to violence.
“If we can keep this to words, that would be the best-case scenario for us,” Peterson said.

Christian freedoms in Kazakhstan are hugely curtailed by onerous restrictions and close surveillance – often under the pretext of countering the threat of extremist Islam. It has worsened considerably since 2010, as the authorities are seeking to tighten their grip on all aspects of Kazakh life.

Raids, arrests and fines are not uncommon for believers from Protestant groups, such as Baptists and Pentecostals, who are deemed a foreign influence intent on undermining the Kazakh authorities. In 2022, changes to the Religion Law added to the restrictions facing Christians, making it even harder to hold meetings outside state-registered places. Russian Orthodox churches face fewer problems – because they largely don’t engage with the wider Kazakh population, and the authorities don’t want to provoke their Russian counterparts.

The severest persecution is reserved for converts from Muslim backgrounds, who can face house arrest, beatings and expulsion from their community. Influential local leaders (with the support of the authorities) see conversion as an assault on Kazakh identity. Understandably, many converts choose to keep their new faith secret.

Who is most vulnerable to persecution?

Converts face the greatest dangers, particularly those living in rural areas where religious identity is strongest. From a government perspective, those involved in Protestant groups are more of a target, especially if involved in outreach among Kazakhs.

Meet "Yura"

"I realised that I didn't want to hide myself anymore. When I came out of the water after my baptism, I had a feeling of incredible joy and freedom. This is a moment I will never forget."

"YURA" FROM CENTRAL ASIA ON HIS DECISION TO GET BAPTISED.

What has changed this year?

Though Kazakhstan fell by seven places on the World Watch List compared to 2025, the reality of persecution remained largely the same. In one incident, a group of Baptists travelling into the country were stopped, and several hundred Christian books were seized, including Kazakh New Testaments. A religious department ‘expert’ was called to study the books, while the believers were detained. This episode reveals the dangers facing Christians from non-traditional backgrounds and how the country’s tight restrictions extend even to controls on literature.

What does Open Doors do to help Christians in Kazakhstan?

Open Doors strengthens the persecuted church in Central Asia through literature distribution, livelihood support, women and children’s ministry, and prayer support.

How can you pray for Kazakhstan?

• Bibles and Christian literature are heavily restricted in Kazakhstan. Pray that God’s Word will make its way to believers hungry for spiritual food.
• Kazakhstan’s restrictive religious law means churches and church leaders are always under pressure. Ask God to give them refreshment and a newfound sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
• Pray for converts from Islam in Kazakhstan who may have lost family and friends when choosing to follow Jesus.

17 January 2026 – Armenia

Pray for resources for the Armenian Evangelical Churches and ministries that Release has visited who are both reaching out to nominal Christians from Armenia but are actively involved in reaching out to those who are coming from neighbouring countries like Iran. They are keen to continue to reach out but need more support.

16 January 2026 – Armenia

Pray for a change of heart in the Turkish Government. President Erdogan has expressed a desire to link all regions populated by Turkic people together from Turkey through Central Asia to Western China. The small predominately Christian country of Armenia sits in the middle of these predominantly Islamic countries.

15 January 2026 – Armenia

Praise God for Armenia’s Christian heritage. Despite being for much of its history part of empires opposed to Christianity most recently the USSR Armenians are proud of being the first country to officially declare themselves a Christian country. This makes them open to listening to Gospel message.

14 January 2026 – Ukraine

Pray for clarity of vision and boldness in sharing the Gospel, for all Ukraine’s Christians so that many may encounter the hope and love of Christ, both through their words of encouragement and their practical deeds of service and compassion through these times of war and uncertainty.

13 January 2026 – Ukraine

Pray that the Church of Christ and Christian organizations, including those we partner with would continue to be places of healing, encouragement, and transformation for all who come to them or are reached through them. Pray that their light will keep shining in the darkness and that the darkness will not overcome it. (John 1:5).

12 January 2026 – Ukraine

Pray for evangelical Christians in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine who now live under intense surveillance and fear, many of whom have been arrested and tortured. We can’t name them, but God knows them. Pray that he will comfort them and guard them from despair.

11 January 2026 – Ukraine

Pray for all pastors, including Ukrainian military chaplains, who are ministering to those most affected by the ongoing conflict. Pray strength, wisdom and integrity for their ministry, and receptive hearts in those they share the Gospel with, despite all the horrors and challenges they all face.

Trump Pardons Convicted Fraudster After Earlier Clemency Grant​

A San Diego businesswoman who was granted clemency by Donald Trump in 2021 and later convicted on new fraud charges received a pardon from the president on Thursday, according to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The pardon involves Adriana Camberos, 55, convicted by jurors in 2024 of making tens of millions of dollars by selling wholesale groceries after lying to manufacturers about where the products would be sold, according to the Justice Department. Camberos was released from Bureau of Prisons custody on Thursday, according to an agency website.

Her brother, Andres, who was convicted with her at trial in 2024, also received a Trump pardon, the White House official said.

Separately, Terren Peizer, who was convicted in 2024 of insider trading and sentenced last year to 42 months in prison, also received a pardon, according to the White House official.

I googled my name today just for fun, and then I came across a link with murders in Norway. I came across a beautiful girl who had been killed, so I showed the obituary to a friend I've been chatting with since the 90`s. He then started asking if anyone else online had said anything, said what I said? He's a guy who has never bought food or received money, always wondered why, he doesn't know what a loaf of bread costs. I think that shows he's locked up somewhere, I had a drug-addict neighbor about a year ago who was in an "accident" with his car where his friend died, and then I saw the same thing on TV recently that that drug-addict there had lost his friend in a car accident by drowning.

So I told him now that we can take a break from chatting for a few years, it's a bit much for me to handle. I also said how stupid the justice-system is to let you guys go free like that, it's not really accidents when it's one drug-addict after another.

Crazy, talked to a murderer for like 20 years. It's on mIRC

What is meant here by “do all things without grumbling or disputing”? Is this intended that we should agree with everyone and that we should never challenge a wrong thought or belief or practice or behavior or doctrine? Well, we are taught in the Scriptures that we are to expose the fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are, and Jesus and his New Testament apostles definitely disputed with false doctrines and with those who taught lies.

So, what does it mean then for us? I believe it has to do with the bad example of the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, most of whom died in the wilderness and did not get to go into the Promised Land, nor did they get to enter into God’s eternal rest, for they disputed with God and with his servant Moses, and they refused to bow to God in obedience to his commands, and they wandered in their sinful addictions, instead.

And then we are to be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. But does this mean that we must never ever do or say anything wrong or we are struck down and rejected by God and cast out of his kingdom? No! For it is possible that we might still sin (1 John 2:1-2), but if we should sin, Jesus is our advocate to the Father, and so we who believe in Jesus are not condemned.

But does this mean that we have full reign to live however we want now that we confessed faith in Jesus Christ? No! For if sin is what we practice (by habit), and not obedience to our Lord and to his commands, the Scriptures teach us that we will not inherit eternal life with God. We must be those who follow our Lord in obedience and in surrender to his will who are living holy lives, in righteousness, in his power, for us to have eternal life with God.

And what does this crooked and twisted generation look like? They are those who make their own rules, who follow after the desires of their flesh, who make sin their practice, and who do not bow to and submit to God as the Lord of their lives. They are those who alter the teachings of the Scriptures, too, to suit their own fleshly desires so that they can continue living in sin while professing faith in Jesus Christ and heaven as their eternal destiny.

They are those who have wandered far from God to go after the desires of the flesh, so they create their own gospel message which does not require of them that they put sin to death and that they obey our Lord’s commands, in practice. They teach a Jesus who does everything for us but who requires nothing of us in return other than we confess him as Lord. But Jesus taught that we must deny self, die to sin daily, and follow him in obedience to his commands for us to have salvation and eternal life with him (Luke 9:23-26).

So, please make certain that you are getting your gospel message from the Scriptures, taught in their true biblical context, and that you are not relying on other humans, no matter who they are, to tell you the truth. For liars and deceivers abound everywhere we look these days. They are in the churches, and they are in the government and in the news media, and they are pastors and elders of church congregations, too, although not all of them, but many.

So, especially since so much wickedness and deception abounds in our day and time, and lies and liars are everywhere we look these days, we need now, more than ever, to be shining the truth of the gospel to the people of the world. And the truth is that by faith in Jesus Christ we must now die to sin and live for God in walks of obedience to his commands, as empowered by God. And we must be surrendered to doing the will of God for our lives.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; 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 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Recording Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

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Among a Crooked Generation
An Original Work / January 17, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love