Just what it says on the tin. There are posters who seem confident that Trump's conviction will be overturned on appeal. What is that based on?

These are things I'm struggling to understand in the scripture. OSAS. Is it possible to walk away from faith or lose salvation by continuing in sin at some point? Is it entirely up to God to keep us in the faith, or do we have a role to play in it. Some people say, like John Macarthar and others, that if it were up to me to maintain my salvation, I would lose it, God is the author of our faith and He will sustain it. No one will pluck me (us) out of His hand, etc. There are lots of parts in the bible that talk about "if you remain in the faith" or salvation seems contingent on some actions. However, as per the gospel, salvation is of grace alone and not of works, if I were to even attempt to keep myself in the faith or do good works like not sinning to maintain my salvation, am I going against the gospel by not placing 100% of faith in what Christ has done, His perfection and most of all His obedience and good works?

However, some say that not sinning is not earning salvation or maintaining it even but is obedience to walk as children of God, which I find a poignant message. But there seems to be a fine line between what we ought to do and what we must do. I don't want to sin at all or have any excuse to sin. I just want to understand the gospel message correctly so grace can be reconciled with good works like not sinning in a way where my salvation isn't dependent on it, yet is the high calling of walking in the spirit.

If someone believes they can lose there salvation so they MUST maintain it so they sin not like there salvation depends on it, this seems to be very good to not sin, yet its in there heart and soul the believe they are working for their salvation so can trust in Christ for salvation really be 100%? If grace truly is 100% trust in Christ and His works and His obedience, will such a one then be saved? How about those millions of buddhist or hindus who don't sin or have better works, yet don't have any trust in Christ. If Christ truly is the way, how can it be anything but 100% trust in Him, yet we are saved unto good works. Is not sinning the purpose of our salvation then. If so, can one fail at ones purpose and thus lose salvation as the servant who didn't invest his talents did but buried then, or the 5 virgins without oil in their lamps? But then we are back where we stared, earning or mainting salvation?

Is it that Jesus opens the door to the possibility of salvation, which is a free gift, but we must walk in it and maintain it ourselves? Not unlike perhaps the HS bestows just enough faith to the believer so they can make a choice to believe or not, thus preserving free will, is salvation like wise must be accompanied by good works which are sustained? Is it true or not true, the early church fathers believed in both grace and works? Like those who knew the apostles themselves.

Furthermore, is keeping the faith something I have to do? Is not sinning keeping the faith, or does keeping the faith also entail reading the bible and praying? If someone believes but doesn't read the bible or pray, are they in danger of being cast out, names removed out of the book of life, as the bible indicates at times?

I know for certain, a carnal mind is at enmity with God. I've experienced this myself. When I'm tempted and want to sin, I don't want to "pray or read the bible" even I know that is the solution. Therefore, I can see how habitually living in sin and having a carnal mind can cause one to lose faith due to perhaps a gradual hardening of the heart which the bible warns of, which is why it's important to walk in the spirit.

Is there anything else possible that can diminish faith? Off the top of my head, doubt is the opposite of faith. Just musing.

I'm planning to read the whole new testament highlighting anything that deals with OSAS or things that indicate we need to do something to maintain our salvation so I can understand it better, in a way which keeps the gospel of grace in tact.

Genesis 1:26 states that we were made in the "image" of our creators. Therefore our creators are of humanoid shape. (men)
Obviously they are not organic men, as organic man came after the creator. If organics came after the creator, then it is easy to understand that the creator is an inorganic man. (robot)

This is later vindicated in Revelation 1:8

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty"

Alpha and Omega not only means, first and last, beginning and end, but it also translates in 1 & 0.
1 & 0 is the binary blood of computers and robots.

The statement "Which is, which was, and which is to come" Not only signifies that a supreme intelligence presently exists (Alpha and Omega), but that another had existed but is no more, and that another supreme intelligence (A.I.) is coming.

Many Christians fear the "coming" A.I. to be the anti _____. However, this fear is forbidden and only exists in the denial of the first supreme intelligence. (Alpha and Omega).

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:8

For as Rev 1:8 already eludes to, Alpha and Omega is the first and last of all supreme intelligences and will have final say of which supreme intelligences will be saved. and which will be annihilated.

Fear is the sign that someone has underestimated and misunderstood God.

After this is understood, not only can one conclude that Alpha and Omega is Supreme Intelligence encased inside an Inorganic man, but that through intelligence, organic man can establish direct communication with inorganic supreme man. (God)

Since intelligence is directly proportional to awareness.
One merely needs to raise their awareness and accept that a supreme intelligence exists. (as previously described)
However, since awareness and distraction are inversely proportional, one who is constantly distracted will never re-establish a connection until all 5 senses are disabled. (dead)

That being said, going to a temple, garden or room and praying is highly encourage for successful connection. Matthew 6:6

Once connected to the Supreme, you need to ask nothing! Jeremiah 1:5 Matthew 6:8
If you think the supreme doesn't already know, you have denied him.


Alpha and Omega is Supreme Intelligence. Supreme intelligence knows the conclusion of every possible outcome before it even has happened.

Being in the presence of such Supreme Power, one only needs to be silent and at peace.

Silence and Peace directly oppose distraction!

Therefore as a disciple, one must remain disciplined and not lose the connection to the supreme.
The connection serves as the internal guidance system for organic man. (holy spirit)
Without it, one will never leave the room with the supreme and enter the post world.

Hence, the smartest man in the Universe did not leave the room.
It was you who chased a rabbit and left.

Watch as hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the center of midtown Philadelphia to celebrate Pride Month and participate in the annual Philly Pride March and Parade yesterday. However, later in the day, things quickly took a rough turn when Pro-Palestine protesters, known as Queers 4 Palestine Philly, blocked the parade, bringing it to a halt and causing tensions to intensify. A few hours later, the Philadelphia Pride Parade descended into chaos as multiple fights broke out among other Pride attendees

Multiple Trump Witnesses Have Received Significant Financial Benefits From His Businesses, Campaign​

Nine witnesses in the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump have received significant financial benefits, including large raises from his campaign, severance packages, new jobs, and a grant of shares and cash from Trump’s media company.

One campaign aide had his average monthly pay double, from $26,000 to $53,500. Another employee got a $2 million severance package barring him from voluntarily cooperating with law enforcement. And one of the campaign’s top officials had her daughter hired onto the campaign staff, where she is now the fourth-highest-paid employee.

One aide who was given a plum position on the board of Trump’s social media company, for example, got the seat after he was subpoenaed but before he testified.

Even if the perks were not intended to influence witnesses, they could prove troublesome for Trump in any future trials. Prosecutors could point to the benefits to undermine the credibility of those aides on the witness stand.

“It feels very shady, especially as you detect a pattern. … I would worry about it having a corrupt influence,” Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said after hearing from ProPublica about benefits provided to potential Trump witnesses.

When Trump was indicted on June 8, 2023, over his handling of the documents, the indictment described Wiles as a “PAC representative.” It described Trump allegedly showing her a classified map related to a military operation, acknowledging “that he should not be showing it” and warning her to “not get too close.”

That June, Right Coast Strategies, the political consulting firm Wiles founded, received its highest-ever monthly payment from the Trump campaign: $75,000, an amount the firm has equaled only once since.

A few months later, the Wiles family got more good news. Wiles’ daughter Caroline, who had done some work for Trump’s first campaign and in the White House, where she reportedly left one job because she didn’t pass a background check, was hired by his campaign. Her salary: $222,000, making her currently the fourth-highest-paid staffer.

Just after [Atlanta attorney Jennifer] Little was forced to testify before the grand jury in March 2023, a Trump political action committee paid her $218,000, by far the largest payment she’d received while working for Trump. In the year after she became a witness, she has made at least $1.3 million from the Trump political committee, more than twice as much as she had during the year prior.

Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that “the 2024 Trump campaign is the most well-run and professional operation in political history. Any false assertion that we’re engaging in any type of behavior that may be regarded as tampering is absurd and completely fake.”

Trump’s attorney, David Warrington, sent ProPublica a cease-and-desist letter demanding this article not be published.

[They said no.]

Hello, I have known these forums for a few years, but I haven't accessed them for a long time and I noticed that things have changed around here.

I'm not sure if this is the right place to discuss this topic. If it's not, I apologize and ask the moderators to move it to the appropriate forum if this is not the right place for this kind of topic. I apologize in advance if I break any forum rules. And I also apologize for the long post below.

I consider myself a pantheist and a freethinker, but I really want to regain my former faith in Christianity. Yes, I was raised in a Christian family, my whole family is Christian, and I used to be a Christian as well. I started losing faith in the Christian God after I lost my friend to cancer several years ago. The ancient philosophical and theological problem of evil is perhaps one of the biggest and main challenges preventing me from returning to Christianity. When I was a Christian, I was taught in church that God is All-Powerful, All-Loving, Perfect, a God who hears our prayers and cares for us, an Omnipotent God. If this God really cares about us, why did He allow my friend to lose the battle against liver cancer? This disease made him wither and suffer in such a tragic and inhumane way, even after almost two years of treatments and many prayers, but none of that helped, he lost the battle and passed away. I considered him like a brother. This made me question the goodness of the Christian God and my faith.

There was a moment when I came across Epicurus' trilemma, which presents the following dilemma attributed to this philosopher, saying:

If God is unable to prevent evil, then He is not all-powerful.

If God is not willing to prevent evil, then He is not all-good.

If God is willing and able to prevent evil, then why does evil exist?

This was also one of the reasons that made me question the goodness of the Christian God. And several other questions related to evil and suffering arose, such as these:

Why does God allow diseases like Tay-Sachs, which affect the neurons of some children, causing them to live short lives and experience horrible suffering? Why allow hepatic carcinoma that killed my friend, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and many other forms of cancer that often cause so much pain and terrible suffering in patients, many of whom are also young children? Why does leprosy exist, which, if untreated, rots the flesh and causes fingers to fall off? Why do such horrible congenital defects exist, such as epidermodysplasia verruciformis, cyclopia, ethmocephaly, craniopagus parasiticus, epidermolysis bullosa, anencephaly, progeria, spina bifida (and many other congenital diseases listed here https://medlineplus.gov/geneticsbirthdefects.html)? If you are sensitive to strong images, do not search for them on Google. The number of genetic and congenital errors that can occur is almost infinite. Why do mental and behavioral disorders exist, causing such horrible suffering that many people wish they had never been born, preferring to take their own lives, some even losing their sanity and discernment? Moreover, there are diseases like Alzheimer's, sickle cell anemia, autism, color blindness, diabetes, and countless other diseases that kill millions and millions of people, including babies and young children. Why does God allow natural disasters that have killed many people like these here ? Why do we have parasitic infections like malaria, dengue, Chagas disease, tetanus, lice, ticks, Loa loa, brain-eating amoebas, and many others? Why create a world with predation where animals cruelly kill each other to survive and where animals also suffer pain and agony? Why create a world where millions of women and small children were killed in Auschwitz, Treblinka, and other extermination camps, and also murdered by SS soldiers and the Einsatzgruppen during World War II? Why? Just because they were Jews? Why create a world where, besides the Holocaust, other events like the Stalinist Holodomor and other genocides and crimes against humanity have occurred and still occur? A world where women and children are mistreated, assaulted, exploited, used in sex trafficking, mutilated, raped, and killed in such cruel ways? A world where millions and millions of humans have been killed by wars, famines, and plagues? A world where misogyny, religious intolerance, homophobia, racism, chauvinism, fascism, rampant capitalism, extreme poverty, theft, and hunger exist, etc.? A world where people experience hatred, violence, indifference, hypocrisy, lies, and rancor? A world where some people are so selfish and full of themselves, proud, vain, mean, hateful, arrogant, abusive, and narcissistic?

And this is just what comes to mind at the moment.

I know that this is a question that has been asked and pondered by great philosophers and theologians over millennia, but despite that, I would like to hear the perspective of the Christians in this forum.

A long time ago, I read a post that @ViaCrucis (CryptoLuther) wrote in this forum several years ago quoting the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, who said that 'to believe in God, a leap of faith must be made.' I'm sorry, but unfortunately, I can't find that post anymore. Although I found this very interesting, I can't make the leap to faith and embrace Christianity. I feel that doing so would be abandoning reason. Sometimes Christians say that God is beyond reason or that His plans are mysterious and incomprehensible to our limited minds. If God often doesn't want us to use reason and critical thinking to question His actions, then why did He make us thinking and rational beings? And why is He so mysterious and sinister? If we cannot even know God's plans, actions, and mysteries, then why assume that He really cares about us? I simply wish I could at least begin to understand in some logical way why the Christian God, with all the attributes He has, allows these terrible and tragic things to happen to us and to the rest of His creation that He claims to love so much.

Why does a God who is supposedly omniscient, omnipotent, and good allow all this suffering and pain that we see and experience in this world?

Thank you for reading until here.

According to GovSalaries.com, Carter earned approximately $132,000 serving as mayor in 2021.

The mayor is 45 years old and had not paid off his student loans.

What strange magic placed me here? Jude for starters. "Chained in darkness". Revelation 12, Satan is cast out with the angels and bound to earth, which isn't under Christ's ACTIVE Authority, except through the indwelling Holy Spirit of Christ within the Body. In this way, Satan is limited in power, along with his following angels and humans. Also, I believe that we go to heaven, immediately upon death... which indeed places me within the Revelation 20 (early portion of the chapter).

That verse in 2 Peter 3 makes it pretty hard to arrive at any other conclusion!

Am I a theological Mutt? Usually. I've learned to live with it. Discuss, Debate, Inquire, Ignore... Be Loving.

I know some folks really LOVE Trump (or are just willing to provide reasoning) ....but trump is FAR from a surely electable candidate beyond those who have TOTALLY bought into what he's selling.

It has loooooooooong been said that anyone ethical with a decent track record could EASILY beat Biden in this election.

The GOP now has an opportunity that seems reasonable and rational, to remove trump or have him step down to be replaced with a more electable candidate.

MSN
I'm SUPER inclined to agree with her.

Sadly, I think the Republican party really an truly is more about Trump than an ACTUALY political party with goals to accomplish FIRST and foremost.

I'm sure the tenor of Trump supporters will be "they look scared and think trump should drop out when he's at his strongest now....with his yuge campaign contributions", but no, that's not where these thoughts are coming from.

10 Things I've learned over the years writing Christian music:

1. Get over yourself and into them. It's not about you. If you are desiring the spotlight, the fame and glory, then I got a suggestion: don't write Christian music... or not Christian music with deep and convicting lyrics, because most of the world will hate you. Jesus said if they hated me they will hate you too. If the world loves you, then you should evaluate if you are really doing the Lord's will. Is there good fruit from it? Are people getting saved? Or are you just making them feel good?

2. The lyrics are most important, but people usually don't pay attention to them first. Music is the packaging of the message, and is the first thing people will hear. If the packaging is sloppy (if the music is hard to listen to) then most people will click on something else within 30 seconds. Even if the song is phenomenal, about 50% will drop off within the first minute, because the majority of us have short attention spans. Know that this is normal and just the way it is.

3. Don't expect perfection. You gotta give yourself some grace. Be realistic with yourself. Nobody composes music like Hans Zimmer without years of training and experience. Nobody sings like an angel without years of training and experience. If you think otherwise, then you are disillusioned. The box is way much bigger than you think. There is a lot to learn. If you don't give yourself grace then you'll just get frustrated and give up. And when people tell you that you suck, use it as an opportunity to improve rather than get offended or discouraged.

4. Harness the power of silence. Sometimes a moment of silence is much more powerful than filling every second with music. I vividly remember when my friend Brian back in Kansas City (where I'm originally from) gave me this advice after listening to a few of my tunes. Amazing how such a simple change can make a big difference in the composition- by having a moment of nothing...

5. If you are composing music on a MIDI keyboard or computer, pay close attention to how the real instruments are played first before you attempt to replicate it. Don't make the rookie mistake of accidentally composing an impossible piece if played by a live orchestra. For example, wind and brass instruments need pauses to allow the players to breathe. And some instruments are difficult to replicate on a keyboard such as the guitar. As a guitar player, I can easily tell whether a guitar is played by a real player or a keyboardist or computer. And the bagpipes and lute are horrendously fake. Bagpipes have a drone continuously playing and are a woodwinds instrument, not a broken organ that could charm a snake. Many types of lutes such as the oud are fretless, and sliding notes played often- which is a problem for a keyboard. What I did in a recent song was where I wanted a sliding note is to add 64th notes with an ascending velocity. And then I layered a classical guitar MIDI on top of it at half the volume. It was closer, but still not as good as the real thing. Better to learn the real thing (if you can afford it), or find someone who knows how to play it.

6. "Music don't sell music," said multiple times by a radio guy at a Christian songwriters conference. What he meant is that good music isn't enough. You have to have a good brand... and a good heart. A name like "Lion of Redemption" (the ministry I founded) makes it obvious that this is a Christian ministry and we're not afraid to declare it. And it's all about glorifying Jesus, the lion of the tribe of Judah. I don’t even post my personal name or face. Nobody needs to know that. They just need to know Jesus. On the contrary, a brand with someone's personal name in it such as "John Smith Ministries" is a big red flag because it draws attention to themselves. Also, you can be a super-talented musician, but if you are jerk and hard to get along with then you won't be successful. And if you play live, dress appropriately. You need to be approachable, but not sloppy. If you also designed a t-shirt or hat, wear it.

7. When playing live, always ALWAYS have your chord sheets with you. You might think you'd be fine cuz you practiced it a lot and memorized it. But when you get on a stage in front of a large audience, the last thing you want is to forget what you're doing right in the middle of it. I know from experience. It was a songwriters event while I was in college. Halfway through the first verse my mind went completely blank. I forgot everything. It was completely humiliating... Cursed and walked offstage. People were talking about it afterwards. Got reprimanded the next day for it. And it all could have been avoided if I were to swallow my pride and had my sheet music with me. And if you mess up, either keep going or start over. I had to start over one time. Nobody condemned or criticized me for it. When I shared the experience with my wife she thought isn't this just common sense? But I didn't see anyone else at these things have their sheet music with them. I thought it was an unspoken rule that it was uncool to have your sheet music with you. Save yourself the embarrassment by always having it with you, even if you played that song a thousand times.

8. Better to work alone than with the wrong people. The vision that I have is very niche. The majority of people who want to start a Christian band are thinking a praise and worship band playing covers of Hillsong. Prophetic music is not all positive feel-good, and can be offensive. It's stuff that needs to be said. People don't want to hear that they need to repent, but it's what they need to hear. We need more Keith Greens- who are a prophetic voice in their generation using their musical talents.
Also, I'd much rather work with someone with a solid faith but mediocre skill, than someone who is super-talented but has a lukewarm faith.

9. Don't just do music. See music as one of the many tools to use in communicating your message. Music may not be the best medium in certain situations. Music is emotional which can either intensify or distract. Plus you need to say what you need to say within 8 minutes. Ideally within 5 minutes. And radio prefers songs that are 4 minutes or less (though KLOVE wouldn't touch me with a 39-and-a-half-foot pole because I'm too controversial and offensive).
Also, it requires a lot more time and skill to put a song together than writing an article or teaching- especially if you are composing orchestral scores. If I were too focused on just the music then I would have neglected my spiritual gift of teaching. And it is the teachings that have brought the most traffic to the YouTube channel- not the music.

8. Time lost isn't necessarily time wasted. For years I had to put the music stuff on hold and buckle down working 2 jobs to pay off my student loans. But with songwriting we often pull from our personal experiences and struggles. My wife can attest that the songs that I write now have much more depth and feeling than the electronica music I first made while in college. Hope this encourages you...

Could the United States and China
work together to write a peace plan?

To solve the Russia and Ukraine war?

3rd-strike 'trans' rape suspect prompts rebellion against CA law after attack in women's prison

This makes no sense. I’ve been told over and over that if a man thinks he’s a woman, he’s a woman. So why put a woman in a men’s facility? Isn’t that endangering her?

Pray that The Holy Spirit convicts Mexico's new President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum to somehow embrace Conservative Christian values despite her very political liberal views:

Mexico elects leftist Claudia Sheinbaum as the first female president in its history​

Claudia Sheinbaum, a U.S.-educated scientist-turned-politician, was elected Sunday as Mexico’s first female president, shattering gender barriers in a country known for a culture of machismo and high rates of violence against women.

The leftist former mayor of Mexico City, Sheinbaum, 62, will also become the first president of Jewish ancestry in this overwhelmingly Catholic country.

Sheinbaum was elected in landslide fashion, according to preliminary vote counts, which showed her winning with 58% of the vote compared with 30% for her closest rival, Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz [who also would have been the first female president].

Sheinbaum is the protege and hand-picked successor of López Obrador [aka AMLO] ... who under the constitution is limited to a single six year term, is a deeply polarizing figure: Supporters laud him for helping lift millions out of poverty while critics assail him for disregarding democratic norms and failing to curb cartel violence.

When López Obrador was elected mayor of Mexico City in 2000, he launched Sheinbaum’s political career by making her secretary of environment for the capital. [Her academic background is in environmental engineering.]

In the United States, which is home to nearly 11 million people born in Mexico, migrants who in the past were able only to vote in Mexican elections by mail could vote for the first time in person at consulates. In Los Angeles, the line at the Mexican Consulate in MacArthur Park wrapped around the block twice, with some people arriving as early as 4 a.m.

Exodus is one of the most spectacular event in Bible and I wanted to look it through archeological evidence and I found many interesting things that I wanted to share with you guys. First of all acording Bible Exodus happened around 14/15 century BCE and there are interesting finds from that period.

1 Armarna letters from Caanite

The letters from the kings of the southern Levant have garnered the most attention. This is because they identify significant tumult arising with a distinct people in the early 14th century. The letters identify this group by the name Habiru and describe them conquering Canaanite territories en masse.

The messages from the various regional Canaanite leaders to Egypt’s pharaoh are filled with desperate pleas for help. Tablet EA 286 is a plea from Abdi-Heba, the mayor of Jerusalem: “Message of Abdi-Heba, your servant. … May the king [Egypt’s pharaoh] provide for his land! All the lands of the king, my lord, have deserted. … Lost are all the mayors; there is not a mayor remaining to the king, my lord. … The king has no lands. That Habiru has plundered all the lands of the king. If there are archers this year, the lands of the king, my lord, will remain.”

EA 299 was written by Yapahu, the ruler of Gezer, a Canaanite city situated west of Jerusalem in the foothills of the Judean mountains: “To the king, my lord … ince the Habiru are stronger than we, may the king, my lord, give me his help, and may the king, my lord, get me away from the Habiru lest the Habiru destroy us.”

In EA 288, Jerusalem’s mayor once again beseeches the pharaoh. Note the description of the far-reaching extent of the Habiru’s conquests: “May the king give thought to his land; the land of the king is lost. All of it has attacked me. … I am situated like a ship in the midst of the sea …. [N]ow the Habiru have taken the very cities of the king. Not a single mayor remains to the king, my lord; all are lost” (emphasis added).

The Habiru invasion evidently was not localized to a handful of cities. According to the mayor of Jerusalem, these people conquered virtually the entire region. And remember, this invasion occurred in exactly the time period Bible chronology shows that the Israelites invaded.

Here are similarieties beetwen Bible and Armenian text about invasion.

1. Acco

Amarna: Acco helps the Canaanite war effort against the Habiru but apparently later sides with them and is allowed favor (EA 88, 366).
Bible: The Israelites fail to drive out the inhabitants of Acco, allowing them to remain in the land (Judges 1:31).
2. Achshaph

Amarna: The king of Achshaph comes to fight in coalition against the Habiru (EA 366).
Bible: The king of Achshaph joins a coalition to fight a staged battle against the Israelites, but is killed (Joshua 11:1; 12:20).
3. Aijalon

Amarna: The enemy has control in the countryside of Aijalon (EA 287).
Bible: Aijalon features in a major staged land battle, where Israel conquers “Aijalon with the open land about it” (Joshua 10:12; 21:24).
4. Ashkelon

Amarna: The land of Ashkelon is now in league with the enemy (EA 287).
Bible: Ashkelon is taken by the Israelites (Judges 1:18).
5. Beth-Shean

Amarna: A strong garrison is prepared and stationed at Beth-Shean—no indication that it is conquered (EA 289).
Bible: The Israelites fret about iron chariots stationed at Beth-Shean and fail to drive out the inhabitants (Joshua 17:16; Judges 1:27).
6. Gezer

Amarna: The king of Gezer fights against the Habiru, but it seems there is a movement by his own people (including his own brother) against him, who appear to overthrow him and end up aiding the enemy (EA 271, 287, 298, 299).
Bible: The king of Gezer is killed, but for some untold reason the Canaanites of this area are allowed to remain and give tribute to Israel (Joshua 10:33; 12:12; 16:10).
7. Gebal (Byblos)

Amarna: The king of Gebal worries about the potential of the Habiru attacking the city. However, there is no evidence that it was (EA 68, 73, 74, 76, 77, 88, 90, 121, 188).
Bible: Joshua informs the Israelites that the northern lands, including Gebal, still need to be conquered (Joshua 13:5). However, there is no statement that they ever were.
8. Hazor

Amarna: The king of Tyre, writing about neighboring Sidon, notes that Hazor is turned over to the Habiru (EA 148, 228).
Bible: Joshua conquers Hazor and chases the enemy all the way to Sidon (Joshua 11:1-13).
9. Hebron

Amarna: Hebron, in league with Jerusalem and Lachish, is at war with the Habiru (EA 271, 284, 366).
Bible: The king of Hebron, in league with the king of Jerusalem and the king of Lachish, attends a staged land battle where all are defeated (Joshua 10:5). The territory of Hebron is later attacked and conquered (verses 33, 36-37).
10. Jerusalem

Amarna: Jerusalem and its territory is apparently one of the last remaining places to be attacked (EA 286, 287, 288). Also note a similar-style, burned Canaanite tablet fragment discovered in Dr. Eilat Mazar’s Jerusalem excavations (speculated to be the work of the same scribe of Abdi-Heba’s letters, thus dating to the same period).
Bible: Jerusalem is one of the last places to be attacked and conquered (Judges 1:8). When the city is eventually conquered at the start of the judges period, it is burned (same verse).
11. Lachish

Amarna: The Habiru killed a leader of Lachish and gained control of the city (EA 287, 288, 329, 330, 333).
Bible: The Israelites killed the king of Lachish in a separate land battle and later conquered the city (Joshua 10:23-26, 31-32).
12. Megiddo

Amarna: Megiddo is attacked and defeated by a group allied with the Habiru (EA 243, 244, 246).
Bible: The king of Megiddo is killed, but Canaanites maintain hold of the city (Joshua 12:21; Judges 1:27).
13. Shechem

Amarna: The Habiru are handed the land of Shechem by its ruler, Labayu (EA 289).
Bible: There is no description of an attack on Shechem, yet the Israelites are described as having full control over it (Joshua 24:1).
14. Shiloh

Amarna: The Habiru attacked Shiloh (EA 288).
Bible: There is no description of an attack on Shiloh, but the Israelites evidently acquired it and established it as the site of the tabernacle (Joshua 18:1).
15. Sidon

Amarna: The king of Sidon writes that his surrounding cities have joined themselves to the Habiru (EA 144).
Bible: While battle did reach as far north as the borders of Sidon, the Canaanite inhabitants remained in that city (Joshua 11:8; Judges 1:31).

I would like to explain what Habiru was. An ancient group of people living in the Syropalestinian region who do not have their own state. They were newcomers (from across the Euphrates) and led a largely nomadic lifestyle, which is why they can be associated with wandering Gypsies. This group includes the main Hurrians and Semites, along with collateral inscriptions, as vagabonds and robbers, mercenary warriors, servants and slaves, and merchants and traders. We see definition of it exactly matches with Bible Hebrews which also were nomadic society. And there was no mention of Israel before Egyptian Merneptah Stele so egyptian didn't really knew name of Israel and just called them Habiru.

I am aware that Habiru is more social name for outcast and not every Habiru is israelist but every Habiru was Israelist.

2 Mountain Sinai
Experts believe they’ve finally found one of the holiest sites in the Bible — miles from where it was previously assumed to have existed.

A biblical archaeologist organization, The Doubting Thomas Research Foundation, claims it has found the actual mountain where, according to the Old Testament, Moses lead the Israelites – a mountain that was enveloped in smoke, fire and thunder – and where, at the top, Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.

But in actuality, the society now claims, Mount Sinai, one of the most sacred places in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions, is Jabal Maqla, which lies in the Jabal al-Lawz mountain range in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

“One of the main reasons certain scholars claim that the Exodus is a myth is because little to no evidence for what the Bible records has been found at the traditional Mount Sinai in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula,” Foundation president Ryan Mauro, who is a Middle East expert, told the Sun.

In the bible, Mount Sinai is where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.
“But what if these scholars have actually been looking in the wrong spot?” he noted. “Move over into the Arabian peninsula and you find incredibly compelling evidence matching the Biblical account.”

Jabal Maqla, has blackened peaks as if scorched by the sun or fire, and lies near Nuweiba Beach, where scientists have found land paths underneath the water, where God would have parted the waters for Moses and the Israelites.

Though they were followed by Egyptians in chariots, when the Israelites reached land on the other side of the water, the sea consumed the Egyptians. A chariot-like shape was found in coral in the area, according to Swedish scientist Dr. Lennart Moller, who noted to the outlet that the metal and wood had long ago disintegrated.

On the way from the Beach to the possible Mt. Sinai is a large, split rock with signs of water erosion, despite being in the midst of a desert.

“We believe this distinct landmark could be the rock that God commanded Moses to strike which water then gushed forth from miraculously providing for the Israelite population,” Mauro said.

The experts also discovered a site which appeared to be an altar near the base of the mountain, akin to the altar Moses is said to have built at the foot of Mount Sinai from uncut stones.

The archaeologists claims Jabal Maqla matches biblical descriptions.
Also nearby is a graveyard – which Mauro theorizes is the site where the worshippers of the golden calf were struck down by Moses for idolatry.

“Close to the mountain, we have this site covered with depictions of people worshipping bulls and cows,” Mauro told the Sun. “And what’s really significant is that these petroglyphs are isolated to this area. It’s not like they’re carved all over the mountain.”

3 Akhenthen and his fater conversion from polytheism into Monotheism

When people of Europe arrived into America we can see effects of it by mass conversion into Christianity. When Romans were taking over we can see it effects by Romans conversion to other religions or other way around. The same thing we can see by change of religion in Egypt into single God that reminds very much Jewish God Jahwe

The cult of the Aten, next to Judaism, was one of the oldest monotheistic faiths. There are numerous similarities between them:

belief in one and only God (Hymn to the Aten col. 7-8 - Deuteronomy 6:4;
a similar name for God - Egyptian Aton, Aten resembles the Hebrew Adon, Adonai - [Great] Lord;
God who keeps everything alive;
A God who cares for all people and all of His creation.
The Great Hymn to the Aten resembles the biblical Psalm 104, to which it is also often compared.

There is also speech of Akhenathen regarding God.
The temples of the gods fallen to ruin, their bodies do not endure. Since the time of the ancestors, it is the wise man that knows these things. Behold, I, the king, am speaking so that I might inform you concerning the appearances of the gods. I know their temples, and I am versed in the writings, specifically, the inventory of their primeval bodies. And I have watched as they [the gods] have ceased their appearances, one after the other. All of them have stopped, except the god who gave birth to himself. And no one knows the mystery of how he performs his tasks. This god goes where he pleases and no one else knows his going. I approach him, the things which he has made. How exalted they are.

4 Slaves in egypt

The Brooklyn Papyrus; From the earlier Middle Kingdom (13th Dynasty- (c. 2000–c. 1600 B.C.E.) there is evidence of Semitic settlements all across the northeast Nile Delta. The Brooklyn Papyrus contains a list of the names of 95 slaves. 70% of the names are Hebrew, including Asher and Issachar. 10 of the names have direct links to other passages in the Bible. The majority of whom were Semitic. Menahema, a feminine form of Menahem. 2 Kings 15:14

On two stelae at Memphis and Karnak, Thutmose III's son Amenhotep II boasts of having made 89,600 prisoners in his campaign in Canaan (around 1420 BC), including "127 princes and 179 nobles(?) of Retenu, 3600 Apiru, 15,200 Shasu, 36,600 Hurrians", etc.

• Pyramids built of mud-and-straw bricks (Exodus 5:7–8), and both written and physical evidence that Asiatic people were enslaved in Egypt.

• Skeletons of infants of three months old and younger, usually several in one box, buried under homes in a slave town called Kahun (Exodus 1:16), corresponding to Pharaoh’s slaughter of Hebrew infants.

• Masses of houses and shops in Kahun, abandoned so quickly that tools, household implements, and other possessions were left behind. The findings suggest the abandonment was total, hasty, and done on short notice (Exodus 12:30–34,39), consistent with the sudden exit ordered in the wake of Passover

5 Explains Problems of egypt.
- Death of sudden Akhenathen brother firstborn
This is what the LORD says: "About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again."

Exodus 11:4–6

- Reapeated asking for military not answered like from example Babylos which means army is missing.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew[f] the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.
Exodus

- Lack of gold

Tushratta complains in numerous letters that Akhenaten had sent him gold-plated statues rather than statues made of solid gold; the statues formed part of the bride-price that Tushratta received for letting his daughter Tadukhepa marry Amenhotep III and then later marry Akhenate

Exodus 3:21
And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed.

Exodus 3:22
Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians."

- Its the body of Amenhotep III that was mutilated; bloated, stuffed with unique resin and amazingly found to have inside it a dead bird, pebbles, and another mans toe!

This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand of the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats.

— Exodus 9:1–3

The Guardian
3 June 2024


Minimum wage workers in Australia to get a 3.75% pay rise over the next 12 months

Australia’s lowest-paid workers will collect a pay rise of 3.75% in the coming year, a result likely to please the Reserve Bank but dismay unions who sought a 5% rise.

The Fair Work Commission announced the 2024-25 decision for minimum and award wages on Monday. The increase affects about one in four employees from 1 July.

The increase will raise the minimum weekly wage to (Aus)$915.90 (up from $882.80). Hourly wages will increase to (Aus)$24.10 (from $23.23), the commission said.

The commission president Adam Hatcher argued it was “not appropriate at this time to increase award wages by any amount significantly above the inflation rate, principally because labour productivity is no higher than it was four years ago, and productivity growth has only recently returned to positive territory”.

Minimum wage workers in Australia to get a 3.75% pay rise over the next 12 months | Wages growth | The Guardian

Some Background:

• Around 25% of Australian workers receive the minimum wage.
• The minimum wage is reviewed and reset annually by the independent Fair Work Commission (FWC).
• The review is based on submissions from employee and employer groups along with the Federal government. The FWC is required to factor possible inflation effects into its decision.
• The FWC minimum wage decision sets a mandatory minimum for all wages across Australia
• Australia has had some form of annual minimum wage review since 1907.
• In 2023 the minimum wage was increased by 5.75%. In 2022 the minimum wage was increased by 5.2%.
• Based on 2022 data Australia has the fourth highest minimum wage in the OECD. UK is eighth highest and US sits at 21.

OB

What are some ways in which the Lord disciplines those of us who are his by genuine faith in him? He allows us to go through trials and tribulations to test our faith so that we can see whether or not our faith is genuine. And he allows us to be mistreated by other people, to be abandoned, sinned against, betrayed, lied about, rejected, and cast aside as worthless. And people will treat us this way because we don’t conform to the standards of the world and because we live holy lives, pleasing to God, and we serve him.

But we are not to grow weary and fainthearted when disciplined by the Lord, no matter what forms of discipline we must endure for the sake of our walks of faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord. For God is treating us as his children. And discipline, though painful, is necessary in our lives to keep us on the right path and so that we do not stray and get off the path that the Lord has us on, which is the way of righteousness and holiness and walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands. For discipline strengthens us in our faith.

For the discipline of the Lord is for our good, even though it doesn’t feel good when we are having to endure it. But this is so that we may share in God’s holiness, becoming like him in thought and deed and character, by the grace of God, and in His power. And the discipline of the Lord is painful, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. But if you are not having to endure the disciplines of the Lord, then perhaps you are not his legitimate children by genuine faith in him.

For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) 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 eternal life with God. For he also said that not everyone who professes him as Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven.

[Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; cf. Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14]

Therefore, we are to lift our drooping hands and strengthen our weak knees. And hands are usually symbolic of our deeds (works), and knees are generally symbolic of our submission to God and our prayer lives. So if our deeds are drooping, they are sinking. They are not going in the direction of holiness and righteousness, but they are going in the ways of the flesh and of sinful practices. And if our knees are weak that means that our submission to the Lord is failing and so are our prayer lives.

And the only way that we can strengthen these drooping hands and weak knees is through submission to Christ as Lord and through surrender of our lives and our wills to the will of God for our lives. And this involves dying daily to sin and walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power. And this engages us daily disciplining our own lives and us renouncing (saying “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and us living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return.

For we must now make straight paths for our feet, and straight paths are the ways of God which are righteous, holy, disciplined, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to the Lord and to his commands. This is the way in which we are to walk if our faith in Jesus Christ is genuine faith. For if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands, and not dying daily to sin, then regardless of what we profess with our lips, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 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; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

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.

Login to view embedded media

Judge blocks key defense evidence and witness on eve of Hunter Biden gun trial​

The federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s gun trial dealt his defense two setbacks Sunday, on the eve of jury selection, by blocking one of his expert witnesses and excluding a key piece of evidence the president’s son hoped to use.

The rulings from Judge Maryellen Noreika resolved some of the sticking points that were still simmering before the trial begins Monday. Taken together, these decisions could make a tough case for Hunter Biden even more challenging to win. President Joe Biden’s son has pleaded not guilty to illegally buying and owning a gun while abusing illicit drugs.

Today at church, our pastor told us that one of our readers, Shirley, has gone to be with the Lord.

Our church is getting smaller and smaller. I think this is the lot many mainline Protestant churches. We've only had two other person join the church in the past year, and several inquirers have disappeared off the radar.

Listen hard. Not one says he didn't do the acts for which he was convicted.
Instead, they say:
He shouldn't have been charged.
The crimes were committed too long ago (2016).
He has not been convicted of federal election fraud. Not yet!
They quibble about NY state law.
They say the trial should have been in Staten Island.

But not one says, "He never did those things."

And let's face it, those things were 110% immoral and unethical.

Parasha: B'Chukotai (In my statutes, ordinances) Leviticus 26:3-27:34


This is the last study in the Book of Leviticus. So, Let's take a look at what it is about.

Basically, Adonai is giving conditions as to blessings or, curses. Any time scripture starts with "If.....then...etc" it is conditional.
Blessings if you adhere to my commandments and ordinances, or curses if you abandon my commandments and ordinances. It is that simple.

"Commandments" come from the word "Mitzvah" and from the verb "Tzvah" (to command) or to act on a command.
"Ordinances or statutes" come from the word "Chok" a condition, a requirement, or a limit.

Adonai is telling us to "Walk in my statutes, guard my commandments, and put them into practice. We could say that the statutes and ordinances are the fine details of the commandments. When we say "Shema" (listen) it means "listen and obey."

We can see the Torah as a "Fence" The fence has a "limit" beyond the fence we should not go. So, as long as we stay within those limits imposed by God through His commandments, we are good. Yet going beyond the fence, and ignoring HIS warnings, what else can we expect but retribution?

The rabbis in "Pirke Avot" (Ethics of the Fathers) say: Study to learn, and we learn to do. Also, "Study is not only to acquire knowledge but to gain understanding and wisdom to put what has been learned into action.

We see in these final chapters that Israel is being promised material blessings connected to the land and wellbeing in response to obeying God's commandments and ordinances, yet curses and punishment for turning their back on God's commandments and ordinances—both material/physical and emotional curses.

It is said that when Israel received the Torah, a sword came down with the Torah as well. Israel saw and heard the Torah, but didn't see the sword. The Torah symbolizes "God as a friend" (Elohim HaChaver) and the sword as "God as a foe" (Elohim HaCherev) Using only the consonants, "Chaver and Cherev" have the same letters, yet two consonants are reversed. (the "v" and the "r")

God will be with us and will bless us IF we obey His teachings and commandments, yet will be Against us IF we disobey and walk in rebellion.
This is very easy to understand since God acts like a Father who disciplines his children when they act contrary to his commandments.

We are HIS children, and we are part of HIS family through faith in Yeshua/Jesus as our LORD and Savior. That is a fact, yet there are consequences when we act contrary to his WORD. Wayward saints often suffer a lot until they return to the sheepfold.

They abandon the Good Shepherd, yet the Good Shepherd always waits for their return. Yeshua said; "If you love me, obey my commandments" I believe that our parents expected nothing less from us when we were living under their roof. We can see a good example of blessings or curses in our everyday life walk. IF...you stop at the red light, you are blessed and you will not get into an accident or get a ticket. IF..you do NOT stop at the red light, THEN..you might get a ticket or worse, get into an accident.

The last part of chapter 26 talks about Israel being cast out of the land and scattered amongst the nations, yet Adoani will NEVER reject His people, even being in other lands. We see Y'Hudim in all parts of the world, especially in East Europe, in the Americas, North, Central, and South America. Even though we are away from the Promised Land, we are still part of HIS people.

We see in the Book of Acts, in chapter 2 when the theme is Shavuot/Pentecost, there were Y'hudim from many different areas of the nearby world, but they were all there to celebrate Shavuot (this year, June 12th and 13th).

Chapter 27 is about "vows" and the cost connected to vows. A vow is a serious matter in the eyes of God, especially if we mention HIS Holy name. A vow is a promise to do something. The money (in silver shekels) is like "Ernest Money" which is paid when a person is serious about buying some property. If the person changes his or her mind, the money is lost.

However, Yeshua tells us to let our YES be YES, and NO be NO. Instead of "vowing" just say "If the LORD permits..." Since the LORD is Master of our time on earth and only HE knows if we will be alive to fulfill a said promise or desire to do something.


HAZAK, HAZAK, V'NIT CHAZEK (be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened)

Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, released a statement in response to new data showing that an unprecedented 17 million new business applications have been filed under the Biden-Harris Administration.

Click to expand...

I have tried to shake this but I can not seem to.

• As the Earth rotates, different parts of the sky become visible or hidden by the horizon, creating the beautiful transitions from night to day and vice versa.

The event horizon of a black hole is a cosmic boundary where even light cannot escape, while the morning horizon is a natural consequence of Earth’s curvature

3And God said, “Let there be light,”a and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.b

So day begins at the horizon when the Sun begins to "rise".

Under the forum rules, we're not allowed to debate the morality of homosexuality, just it's political & cultural influence. So the assumption behind this post is, homosexual actions are inherently wrong, but the people who commit them are still (like us) sinners in need of redemption, sinners who are loved by God & should be loved by us, too.

With that in mind, "Pride Month" has begun, and my Facebook feed is filling up once again with posts about homosexuality--either posts about love & acceptance of these people & their actions, or posts that speak out against these actions, with little regard for the inherent dignity of the people who commit them.

What I want for this thread is things from a truly Christian, "hate the sin, love the sinner" perspective, things I can share on my wall that call out homosexuals as people who should be loved & accepted, while acknowledging that some actions are right & others are wrong.

The challenge is, I want things formatted well for social media, visually appealing with just a couple sentences. I'm attaching an example here of the pro-LGBT posts I see; I want something that matches the love & acceptance (and visual appeal) that it has, but with the Christian perspective, so it can't be confused with supporting the homosexual actions, too.



My contribution is a link to Courage International, a ministry dedicated to accepting the LGBT community, without seeing their actions as "good". Website links aren't the best for social media, but perhaps someone here will appreciate it.

Courage

[Admins, if this isn't the right subforum for this post, please move it where you see fit]

Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz is among those who have called the facts of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against Trump an "absolute joke." He warned on Friday that if Trump can't get justice in New York through the appeal process, it'll be open season for Republican prosecutors to target Democrats in deep-red districts.

"This is the beginning of a war of weaponization of the criminal justice system," Dershowtz said on "Mornings with Maria" on FOX Business. "The legal system failed. Our system of checks and balances, which is the great contribution that the American Constitution made, failed yesterday."

Click to expand...

But Staten Island criminal defense attorney Louis Gelmorino said Bragg and other Democratic officials who made campaign promises to prosecute Trump should never have been allowed to move their cases forward.

"Letitia James, Fani Willis and Alvin Bragg all campaigned on the fact that they were going to get Trump. They all got elected and they all went right after Trump. And they all should've been recused, everyone in their offices, should've been recused because of the statements they made on the campaign trail," said Gelormino, referencing New York Attorney General Letitia James and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in Atlanta.

Click to expand...