You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

The name of the Lord is YHWH in Latin letters and יְהֹוָה in Hebrew. It is commonly pronounced as Yahweh or Jehovah. While using these names is not wrong, it is not deemed necessary. This is because the initial translators of the Old Testament chose "the Lord" to represent YHWH, a practice largely maintained in English translations as "the LORD". Misusing God's name would involve using it disrespectfully or as if it had no value. Catholics, among others, consider the name of God—whether as the Lord, Jehovah, or Yahweh—to be sacred, deserving the utmost respect and never to be treated as insignificant.

A triumphal procession is a celebration of great victories. In this context these are spiritual victories over our enemy Satan, and over the flesh, and over sin, and over anything opposed to God and to his righteousness and holiness. And these victories are ours through genuine God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Because of what Jesus did for us on that cross we can now die with him to sin and be raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness (1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:1-23).

But these victories are not of the flesh, but of God. So it is God who leads us in Christ in these victories as we cooperate with him in his work of grace in our lives. For we have to follow him and his leading. We have to go where he sends us, and to do what he commands, and to say what he gives us to say, if we are going to have these victories. And we must be those who are spreading the Good News of the gospel of our salvation to the world around us, but we must make certain that we are spreading the truth, not the lies.

So, what is the truth of the gospel that we are to be spreading? Jesus said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God. But we must stay the course until the very end, the Bible teaches us.

[Lu 9:23-26; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Now, when we are spreading the knowledge of Christ and of his gospel to the world around us, including to all who profess faith in Jesus Christ, we are the aroma (fragrance) of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. And please note that this says, “being saved,” for our salvation is not a one-time deal and now we are good to go regardless of how we live. Our salvation is progressive, and it is dependent upon us walking in obedience to our Lord in holy living and us no longer making sin our practice, from now to eternity (see above Scriptures).

And in this context, “aroma” is being used more metaphorically to mean the knowledge or character or distinctive marks of who Christ is and of what he taught and of why he came to the earth. We as his followers are to be his representatives in sharing who Jesus is, but not in words only, but in our actions, by our example. Now this is not a claim to perfection, as Jesus was perfect, but our lives should reflect who Christ is and what he has called us to be and to do. It should be apparent that we have been with Jesus.

Now to those who are genuinely “being saved,” i.e. who are walking in obedience to the Lord in holy living, and who are no longer walking in sin, by God’s grace, what we share with them, if what we are sharing is the truth of the Scriptures, should be an encouragement to them. And to encourage is not just all the “feel good stuff” that people like to hear, but it is sharing with them the truth that can save their souls from hell, and which teaches them how they should live as followers of Christ.

But to those who are perishing in their sins – which includes those who are making professions of faith in Jesus Christ but who are still living in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord (see Scriptures above) – they will not find encouragement in our words unless they are ready to receive them and to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands. For they don’t want to be confronted with their sins and called to repentance, to the forsaking of their sins, and to walks of obedience and surrender to Christ as Lord.

But all this is dependent on us being those who speak the truth of God’s word in love to the people, who are teaching the word in its appropriate context, and who are not altering and diluting the truth to make it more palatable to human flesh, as so many people are doing these days. For we need to be people who are honest, sincere, and obedient to our Lord to do what he has commissioned us to do as his servants and messengers. And so we must be careful to teach the Scriptures in context so that we don’t end up teaching a false gospel taken from Scriptures taught out of context.

You are Loving and Forgiving

An Original Work / February 19, 2012
Based off Psalm 86

You are loving and forgiving,
Jesus, Savior, King of kings.
You provided our redemption.
By Your blood You set us free.
You are gracious; full of mercy.
No deeds can compare with Yours.
Great are You; there is none like You.
Glory be to Your name.

Teach me Your way, and I’ll walk in it.
O Lord, I will walk in Your truth.
May I not have a heart divided,
That Your name I give honor to.
I will praise You, O Lord, my Savior,
For great is Your love toward me.
You have delivered me from my sins.
Your grace has pardoned me.

You, O Lord, are full of compassion,
Slow to anger, bounteous in love;
Faithful to fulfill all You promise;
Glory be to Your name above.
Hear, O Lord, and answer Your servant.
You are my God. I trust in You.
Turn to me and grant Your strength to me.
You are my comforter.

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So i was in church today, is a small gathering, if you find one that God is doing things there is a real treasure, it doesn't matter the size building etc.
I am with some 'spiritual sufferings' and the pastor a women a guest this time was talking about 'processes' that christians are going to suffer trials etc.
and i said in my interior 'i am being processed' to the Lord and the pastor immediately looks at me and says 'Don't doubt it' and started talking to me about pro cesses, doubt was tormenting me also and she rebuked the spirit of doubt, i wish i would have paid more attention to everything else she said but i was very nervous after she put her attention on me.

Recently I’ve been having sort of an odd worry. If I make plans with someone and it’s something I really want to do I worry if God will tell me to cancel the plans or event. I worry that if He does tell me not to go I won’t obey Him because I really wanted to go. I’ve never actually felt like God told me this but now I feel like I shouldn’t go because if He did I’m not sure I would obey. I don’t even know if this makes sense but it sucks having these thoughts and anxiety as a Christian. Can anyone else relate?

“It is my promise to everyone here, when I am president, we will continue our fight for working families,” Harris said, pledging to raise the minimum wage and “eliminate tips for service and hospitality workers.”
She's something!

Tim Walz had taught in China for a year and he and his wife led 10 summer student tours.
He loves the Chinese people but is critical of their government policies.
He had a life changing moment when he met the Dalai Lama in 2016 and discussed humility, patience and compassion.
How I wish many of our politicians could have such lunches with spiritual wisdom figures and have transformational moments.

Hi , New Christian in my 50's I consider myself Baptist though I do not have a Church. Also I lean reformed (been reading the puritans) Does anyone else think that those guys are brilliant? Also have been reading Reformed Theology along with the KJV. If at all possible I really need some Christian fellowship with other believers with similar beliefs but I am no Theologian So my conversations may be a bit remedial.

A question of truth, once again

Hello folks. This devotional will be a tough one, so anyone under 16 or anyone who has gone through rough moments may want to skip this one. Survivor resources are located at the bottom of this devotional.

Ecclesiastes 1:

9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

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Wiki:

mainstream scientific approaches reject the explanation of déjà vu as "precognition" or "prophecy".

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Deja vu is not prophecy.

People who travel often or frequently watch films are more likely to experience déjà vu than others.

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To me, deja vu is superstition. Practice hearing from God instead.

What's your favorite title for Mary?

"International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said on Friday he is not aware of a ‘scientifically solid’ way to distinguish a man from a woman"

--"the IOC “would be more than pleased to look into” the situation, it does not have a way to probe the gender claims of either athlete at this time"

Seriously? I never heard of such a problem in decades past. It seems to me one could take a person into a locker room and settle that issue in a minute?

A banker told me that if I use a credit card, I am more likely to get my money back if I am a victim of fraud than if I use a debit card. So I want to get a credit card for online transactions over the Internet since I am concerned about Malware. I recently read an article about malware on Android that has millions of installs and I don’t expect that my Windows computer is fully safe either.

First, which credit card would anyone recommend getting? My credit score has dropped to fair since I completed paying off my student loan a year ago and have had no credit activity since than. So I may have to get a credit card with more limits, like a secured credit card. Should I go with American Express, Capital One, or Chase Bank, or something else?

Secondly, I want a credit card that I can just pay by calling a phone number. My bank told me that their credit card has to be paid online or with the app and that you can’t call a phone number to pay it because of security reasons. However in researching this online, I read that most of the major credit cards have a phone number on the back of the card that you can call and provide your bank account number and pay that way. I don’t want to pay online or with the app because that defeats the purpose of why I am getting a credit card. I am trying not to use my computer or phone to pay because that could potentially expose my bank account number to malware or hackers.

I found that on Experian’s website if you provide your phone number and last four of your social, you can view preapproved offers. Is that a good place to sign up? Where else should I sign up?

I also want a card that has no monthly fee, and which one would give me a better interest rate?
The article on malware on Android in the Play store with millions of installs has me concerned, but should I assume that my Windows 11 computer with Windows defender and Malware Bytes Anti-Malware is safer? I am not paying for any virus / malware protection with this setup, as I am just using the free version of Malware Bytes.

Someone also mentioned to me that I can get a lower interest rate if I go with a credit union.

Also because I prefer to donate a certain percentage of my income to charity or the church, I might have online transactions with large amounts of money. I am kind of wondering if I should really do that with a credit card. If I were to become unemployed for some reason, I wouldn’t want a large amount of money to have to pay off if I did not anticipate becoming unemployed. Normally I would plan to pay off the balance each month.

Surfer Gabriel Medina, bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Tahiti, shared this photograph on his Instagram with the biblical quote “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” | Credit: Jerome BrouilletAFP via Getty Images

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have been the scene not only of sporting prowess but also of displays of faith and devotion by athletes from around the world.

Despite Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits any type of religious expression, some athletes have not hidden their faith and have proudly displayed it at key moments of the competition.

Brazil’s top athlete thanks God for the opportunity​

Continued below.

This is a rather bold statement .... can they do this? What do you think about this?

UK police commissioner threatens to extradite and jail US citizens over social media posts: 'We will come after you' | Fox News Video

Influencers offered huge payments for promoting Kamala Harris​

American voters are being told by some of those online influencers that they are all for Kamala Harris for president. But those comments likely should be considered politically paid ads, as there are payments being made for those comments.

Essentially.

This is evident after one TikTok influencer went online to confirm he'd been offered $1,500 to post one comment supporting Harris, and her VP pick, the radically left and possible "Stolen Valor" offender Tim Walz, whose booking image following a drunken driving arrest now is flooding the Web.

Influencer Michael Doherty explained, "Basically what they were asking for … $1,500 for anti-Trump content on TikTok."

There was a list of requirements along with the instructions to "gloat about Harris and her allies."

He explained, "They're basically creating division and paying for division online," he said.

Joe Biden, with Harris as his VP, in fact, boasted of being a "uniter" when he campaigned four years ago. Since then, they have promoted division in America on issues of transgenderism, abortion, spending, taxes, the border, the economy and more.

Doherty said he tracked the offer for cash-for-Kamala praise to a SuperPac with hundreds of millions of dollars to spend.

Disclaimer: this news story is presented as a topic for discussion based on opinion and conjecture.

Aug 10, 2024 Fox News contributor Tulsi Gabbard discusses being reportedly placed on the government’s domestic terror 'Quiet Skies' watch list on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’

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I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

As a Catholic, I am often asked about the adherence to the commandment concerning the use of statues and pictures (icons). The succinct response is that Catholics have never been iconoclasts. The incorporation of sacred images has been an integral part of the faith since the time God presented it to His people. This began with Israel's use of angelic images on the Ark of the Covenant's lid and the Tabernacle's curtains, as well as the serpent mounted on a pole for healing those bitten in the desert. Catholics do not fear holy images; we do not recoil from them as if they were representations of pagan deities. Instead, they are venerated images of saints, angels, and Jesus Christ, our Lord and God.

Trump claimed recently that he was on a wild helicopter ride with a
former mayor of San Francisco, when the helicopter had to make an emergency
landing....

The former mayor denies that he has ever taken a helicopter ride
with Trump.

As with other Trump "stories", when journalists confront him with
the falseness of his story, he blows up in anger.

And THAT journalists continue to call Trump on his lying, Trump
claims is evidence that people are persecuting him.

Trump is one troubled candidate.

We live in a fallen world and in flesh bodies, so, no matter who we are, we are going to go through some type of suffering in our lives. Some people will have great suffering while others will have much less, but we will all suffer in one way or another as long as we live on this earth and in these bodies. And then if we are followers of Jesus Christ who are doing his will and purpose for our lives, and so we are sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of this world, we will also face persecution and rejection, and not just from the ungodly world, but from worldly professers of faith in Jesus Christ, too.

Now the persecution we face may be physical for some people, including having our property confiscated, or being arrested, imprisoned, and/or beaten severely, and/or being put to death by our enemies. While others of us, at least for today, mainly are facing verbal and emotional and spiritual persecution in the way of words spoken to us or about us, and in the way of being forsaken, forgotten, cast aside, abandoned, rejected, falsely accused of wrongdoing, and treated as though we are dirt underneath other people’s feet for them to trample on. Or some people may be facing both.

Paul and Timothy, in this context, were being persecuted severely. I don’t know about Timothy, but I know that Paul suffered much persecution after he accepted the Lord’s call upon his life, and mostly it came from the same people who mistreated and put Jesus to death, so mainly the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Christ, their Messiah. He was hounded continually, and falsely accused of wrongdoing, and falsely imprisoned and beaten and left for dead, so he suffered much for his testimony for Jesus Christ and for the spreading of the true message of the gospel of our salvation.

And there are Christians throughout the world today who are suffering in many of the same ways as did Paul and the other apostles. And I am certain that many people today who are following Jesus throughout the world are being afflicted so severely that they are despairing of life, too, and they are feeling that they have received the sentence of death. And many Christians in the world are being put to death because of their testimonies for Jesus Christ and because of their witness for his gospel. In America we have not yet faced that severe of persecution, but it is most certainly coming.

But what did Paul say here? He said that all that they suffered for the sake of the name of Jesus, and for the sake of his gospel message, was to make them rely not on themselves, but on God who raises the dead. Amen! And that is one of the purposes of our suffering, so that we turn to the Lord and we do rely on him and not on ourselves, but also so we grow to maturity in Christ and we humble ourselves and we submit to Christ’s Lordship over our lives, and so we learn obedience, and we develop perseverance in our walks of faith and in obedience to our Lord and to his commandments.

And the deliverance from suffering that our Lord provides is not always physical deliverance from our circumstances, but it is deliverance from the impact of our suffering on our lives which might lead us to turn against the Lord and to reject him and his ways because of what we are suffering. So, it is him carrying us through our difficulties, and him providing us with the strength and endurance that we need to keep going even when we don’t feel up to keep going, and even when we feel like retreating, instead. He will be our strength and our help in the tough times if we will lean on his strength.

And this is one of the reasons why we need to be able to share our burdens with other Christians, and not just bottle them up inside of us, because we need encouragement, and we need people to be praying for us so that we do not fail, and so that we do not give up the fight, and so that we do not let our enemy defeat us in the battle. We need the body of Christ praying for us so that we have wisdom to respond to our circumstances and to our persecutors in the right way, and not the wrong way. And we need others to pray for us to have the right words to say when confronted by our enemies.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:16-25,34-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

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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The second sentence of the paragraph that begins 'With the events that occurred on July 13th, 2024' is ungrammatical. I suggest that you should change it to something like 'all posts that wish death on someone are forbidden, and they will be actioned appropriately by CF staff.'

Tim Tebow and John 3:16


John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but inherit eternal life."

Hey everyone! Martin Barret here.
I thought this might be a good place to share my brand new album with everyone!

My wife and I cowrote everything original here. The project is quite eclectic, "like a box of chocolates" ... Sgt. Pepper's ... you get the idea.

Looking very much forward to your thoughts and comments. And if you have any suggestions with getting this project/album heard by more people, we're all ears. God bless all ye listeners!
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Researchers identified websites that they attributed to the Iranian operation, aimed at voters on the political left and right. One website, Nio Thinker, bills itself as “your go-to destination for insightful, progressive news and analysis that challenges the status quo” and hosts articles that bash former President Donald Trump and hail Vice President Kamala Harris as “our unexpected, awkward savior.”
Expect big time money coming in to stop Trump from getting elected while defeating America without firing a shot.