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Returning to forum

I've been on this forum before many years ago, still like to try understand what different Christians believe and why, whilst continuing to run the race.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7 (ESV)

The word of God and the Law

God's word is irrevocable and eternal. The Law of Moses contained a testimony to the eternal word of God and His judgment upon all men, that they all are sinful and all must die. Until this is fulfilled the world will not be restored. This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 5.

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Every "stroke of a pen," or "small letter," indicates what the Law *means,* and does not infer that the Law will remain in effect *as a covenant* after the Cross. It just means that what the Law anticipated, namely the death of Christ and the death of all men, along with the failure of the covenant of Law, must take place before the present world ends. God's word of judgment against Adam can never fail. It must all come to pass.

Judge denies Michael Cohen bid to end supervised release and suggests he committed perjury

Engoron wrote in his decision last month finding Trump liable for fraudulently inflating the value of his assets that he found Cohen’s testimony credible about Trump indirectly ordering him to reverse engineer financial statements. The judge did not directly address questions about Cohen’s tax evasion plea, but noted: “This factfinder does not believe that pleading guilty to perjury means that you can never tell the truth. Michael Cohen told the truth.”

Engoron needs to be held accountable.

If you think that Judas Iscariot will be resurrected to eternal life and wish to wager on it,

I am taking wagers here. This OP is NOT about whether Judas Iscariot will be resurrected to eternal life or not. I'm assuming you think he will be. This post focuses on wagering on what you believe.

Let proposition P1 = Judas Iscariot will be resurrected to eternal life.
P2 = Judas Iscariot will be resurrected to eternal damnation.

Between 0 and 10, how much weight do you put on each of the above propositions? The stronger your belief in a proposition, the higher the weight. Your weighting scheme will determine the betting odds.

This is not a lotto/gambling bet. This is a wager to mathematically and scientifically measure the strength of your belief. Put money where your mouth is. If you are interested in mathematically finding out the strength of your belief, then tell me those two weights. See Subjective (Bayesian) Probability.
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While Remaining Steadfast Under Trial

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4 ESV)
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 ESV)

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are not promised a life of ease and comfort. In fact, we are promised the opposite of that. We are promised that we will suffer and be hated and persecuted and betrayed and denied and that we’ll be unwanted, cast aside, forsaken and forgotten. And we are promised that friends and family and “church people” will turn against us and want nothing to do with us because we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, and because we are obeying the Lord, and because we are speaking the truth.

Now this is not teaching that our lives will be absolutely miserable and that we will go around moaning and groaning all the time. Just the opposite! We are taught that we will have joy, and that we will express joy, despite our circumstances, and despite how others treat us. We will have joy in our salvation from our slavery to sin, and from being in fellowship with Jesus Christ, and from being in fellowship with other believers who are also in genuine fellowship with Jesus Christ (this is not always the case).

For we can be going through all sorts of trials and tribulations and heartaches and persecutions and still have the joy of the Lord. For our joy should be in Jesus despite our circumstances. For we can accept what we cannot change, and what we cannot control, believing that God is allowing these things to take place in our lives for a reason. Yet, we are not to accept (tolerate, pacify) sin in our own lives or in the lives of others who profess faith in Jesus, but we cannot control what others do, but only what we do.

In the last devotion, the Lord had me write on the subject of difficult circumstances and not understanding why things happen to us the way that we do, and not understanding why God does what he does, the way that he does, and why he allows what he allows in our lives. And this one was also about misunderstanding how God works because of misimpressions that we were given of him and how he works, perhaps from childhood, and how those misconceptions can color how we see and respond to God today.

So, it is helpful to us if we are students of the Scriptures who study them in context, who read them in context so that we can see “the big picture.” For there we get a correct biblical understanding of the divine character and will of God and of why he does what he does, and of why he allows what he allows, and with regard to what purpose those things serve in our lives in making us into the people of God who he wants us to be. For he allows us to go through tough times to make us into the people he wants us to be.

So, we can have joy, even through our tears, when we can grasp that, and when we can accept that God allows evil people to do evil to us to make us strong and determined to follow him with our lives and to not give up at the first sign of opposition. It is kind of like “on the job training,” or like an athlete training for a major competition. It can be painful getting ourselves ready for that competition, and it involves sacrifice and determination and perseverance, and that is why hardships are necessary in our lives.

If life is too soft, if it is too easy for us, if it does not challenge us and oppose us and work against us so that we learn resistance and so that we gain strength and determination, then we will never make it when the going gets rougher, which it is, and which it will continue to get rougher as the days progress. We won’t have the stamina and the perseverance to stand the hard tests if we are not put to the test and forced to stand or else to fail. So suffering and persecutions are for our good.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

And what is the end result if we respond appropriately to our trials and if we do not let them defeat us, but we let them strengthen us and improve us in character? Well, if we are talking here about the genuine believer and follower of Jesus Christ, who is in the process of sanctification, and of being made holy, and of denying self and dying daily to sin, and of walking in obedience to our Lord, in practice, the end result is salvation from sin and eternal life with God, which God promised to those who love him.

And who are those who “agape” love him, i.e. who are those loving him? We are those who prefer what God prefers, and what he prefers is all that is holy, righteous, upright, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to him and to his commands. So if we are those who are loving him, we are those who are preferring to live through Christ, embracing God’s will, choosing his choices, and obeying them through his power and strength. And we are those loving other humans with this same kind of agape love.

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

Believe Him

An Original Work / July 15, 2013

My heart cries: Lord, won’t You hear me
Seeking You for the answers
To my heartache and questions
I have concerning my life?
Speak, Lord, to me right now.

“Oh, dear one, why don’t you trust Me
With your life’s circumstances?
Give your all on the altar
In submission of your will
To My purpose for you.

“Surrender your life completely
To your Lord and your Savior.
He has all things planned for you
For His glory and honor.
He’ll work all things for good.

“Believe Him. He will fulfill all
Of His promises to you
For your life and your future.
Trust Him. Rest in His love.
He’ll give you peace from above.”

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Does Fear Negate Faith?

Hey everyone!
I recently had a tonsillectomy on my birthday that was absolutely terrifying. I had been sick since Christmas Eve 2023 with Strep Throat and numerous antibiotics. I am doing better now and almost completely healed!
I bring this up as I feel my faith has been tested to the ultimate strain. A few days after my surgery, I developed a heart arrhythmia and my wife took me to the hospital. I was so afraid in the hospital that I was shivering, crying, and talking to my wife about not wanting to die. Now I do suffer from extremely bad anxiety (especially health stuff) - but this was FEAR. I had never felt a more intense and emotional fear in my life. I am still battling it as I have worn a Holter monitor and am waiting to see a cardiologist - I feel as if I'm waiting for something bad to happen.
This fear I have...does this mean I have no faith? Am I not saved? I realized that almost all of my fears and worries seem to circle around the idea of DEATH. Ironically as it sounds, I am Deathly afraid to Die. As Christians we are taught that death is a part of life, and commanded to "Not Be Afraid". But I am terrified....
Is this wrong as a believer? Where is the line drawn between anxiety/worry and faith?

I apologize if this post is a little confusing. In short, does having fear - on a day to day basis - mean that I have no Faith?
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Former SBC Discovers Greater Spiritual Discipline through the Holy Rosary

Hey guys, (M29)

as you probably have read in the title, I'm a former Southern Baptist that started questioning and drifting and found himself, of all places, thinking he was running from God, when in reality God was running to him.

Let me fill you guys in, when I was almost a senior in high school, I was sexually assaulted at a youth retreat. This caused me to spiral spiritually into things like eastern meditation and interest in the occult.

In my late twenties (about 27-present) I have had an interest in the catholic church, not for its physically beautiful buildings but for its spiritually fulfilling disciplines such as Lectio Divina, the Daily Examen, and the Rosary. Specifically through praying the Rosary daily I feel that the Lord Jesus is teaching me what it means to experience him daily. As many times as we reflect upon who Jesus is as God and man through his Mother, Mary, I feel like my perspective is shifting in a positive direction away from gritting my teeth internally and just following after my own thoughts about what the Bible says to really reflecting upon the traditions that have existed for the past 2,000 years.

Faith is not belief alone. I am learning that I desperately need discipline in the form of repetition in prayer, genuine reflection on what the Scriptures teach (not just reading, asking what commentaries say, and trying to apply certain aspects of a passage that may or may not be applicable to me in this modern setting, and yes, I am aware that all Scripture is useful. What did Paul actually mean by that?)

The rosary has become a way for me to express my dependence on God the Trinity.

"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and forevermore shall be,
World without end,
Amen."


Do I think that there's a chance that I've been a Christian this whole time and that this is just a deeper step into the Lord's will? Yes.

Do I also think it's possible I have never known Jesus truly before after this? Yes.

The point is brother and sisters, if you're struggling in your faith don't give up. Don't give up even when your Southern Baptist upbringing tells you to. "Seek the Lord while he may be found..." "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart" "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding" To me that's what goes on too often in church, we don't full trust God and we try to rely on our own philosophy, that's why the church has failed as a unit. John 17:22-23 says that unity was Jesus' vision for his church. We are all one, but we aren't all united in truth. Am I wrong? Until we get that right and learn to submit to truth we can't ever change the world for the Kingdom of God. Tell me what you guys think.

Thank you all.

Patriarchy 2.0

I wanted to discuss patriarchy's resurgence and where Christians fit into the conversation. Should Christians be involved? If you agree, how should we address the subject? What would you say? If you disagree, how would you respond to the topic as a believer?

I'm bringing this to your attention in light of a post I saw earlier. It's an accurate representation of the dominant voices you'll encounter from both ends of the spectrum. Christian or otherwise.

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Law fulfilled by Christ

Matt 5.17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

I get this passage thrown at me a lot by Christians who want to promote the Law of Moses as still applicable. I got it thrown at me by a Jewish guy over 10 years ago who wanted to prove that Jesus did not advocate for NT Christianity, but rather, for the Law of Moses. And I'm getting it now from Sabbath Day advocates who even deny that Sabbath Law is associated with the Law of Moses! So what is this all about?

Jesus spoke these words about the Law of Moses while Israel was still under the Law of Moses. NT Christianity says that the Church is no longer under the Law, but instead under Christ alone. We are not under the Law of Moses. We are not under Sabbath Law. So did Jesus say that the Law of Moses was irrevocable in this passage?

I would say that Jesus was indicating that there were no loopholes for the Law of Moses, that it was irrevocable as long as it was in effect. Once the agreement, or covenant, was broken, it could not be applied as an agreement any longer, obviously. But Jesus was only talking about the Law as a current covenant, and as such was irrevocable under those terms.

So did God's word fail? Did the failure of the Law as a covenant agreement with Israel fail? Well, certainly the agreement failed, but the Law had been both a curse and a hope. It was a curse because it upheld the curse of death imposed since the garden of Eden. No matter how much good Israel did, no matter the fact they were in a covenant relationship with God, they would still die.

At the same time, the word of God in the Law promised something better as a fulfillment, a way to overcome death, and a way to redeem from sin forever. As such, the Law was the hope of final redemption, even though it confirmed the curse of death. As Jesus said, the seed must go into the earth and die before it can bear fruit. Jesus had to die on our behalf so that we could join him in his death in order to be reborn through his resurrection from the dead. Jesus had to suffer death for sinners in order to forgive them and give them a 2nd chance.

So as irrevocable as the Law was, as sure as it confirmed human death, as sure as it confirmed Israel's failure to obtain final redemption, so also it was a guarantee that death would be overcome and that Israel would be saved. Jesus would die for sinners and forgive them for all the sins they committed against God. Then he could grant them his spiritual life again, this time in the form of resurrection and eternal life.

The Law did not fail. It succeeded not through its own form, but in the form of its projection of Christ, who was its object all along. The Law was a seed planted so that through the resurrection of Christ we could grow and bear fruit for eternal life. We no longer live by the Law, but we live by the life of Christ, who died for us that we might live for him.

2024 World Happiness Report


The USA is out of the top 20 for the first time in a long, long time. Why are people in other countries so much happier, generally speaking, than they are in the USA?

I Shall Speak Concerning a Nation...

"At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them." (Jeremiah 18:7-10)

"The Lord saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land." (Jeremiah 45:4)

A nation once doing good, having turned from that good, and now doing evil, shall be brought down. Yahweh the LORD shall repent of the good He said He would benefit them. Here is is not specifying Israel directly, for He says "a nation" - that is "al goi" or "on nation," as also Psalm 9:17, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God" That's "Kol goyim" or all nations.

How America has delayed her repentance, when she has been called over and over to repentance by a remnant of believers who have thundered with the voice of the prophets to repent, and she has not! Instead, America has bonded with pure evil in many forms, that society is saturated with this evil, and it is taken for granted as normal. Heavy rock music that would have been considered shock music 60 years ago is now normal. Pournagraffie that was forbidden from TV even 30 years ago is now considered normal. The occult is everywhere. Sex is everywhere. Shall not the LORD of Hosts visit for this? He will surely visit, and he who thinks not shall be in for a big surprize: yea, a rude awakening!

Hear this word, and do not dismiss it as not relevant, for ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable, and the things of the Prophets are indeed for our admonition and are examples for us, today, and at all times, as the Apostle Paul wrote. Hear Isaiah 1:15-21,
"And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers."

Oh, how, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." (Revelation 18:2) Please don't try to argue that this Babylon is Rome, or Iraq, or the world system, or any other thing, because you know what? This Babylon is whatever fulfills the description given, and can be multiple things, of which the USA certainly does. Doesn't mean it's the ONLY thing, as I believe it does also involve Europe, and Rome, though not really Iraq. That Babylon was not to be rebuilt according to the scriptures.

America has left her first love of the Gospel and of the Truth. Whoever said "America is great because America is good. If America ever stops being good, it will stop being great," is right, whether or not Alexis de Tocqueville said it or wrote it. The opening text confirms it.
The Revivals and awakenings of past centuries involved weeping in contrition, sorrowing and mourning over their sins, and such outward manifestations as the closing of liquor establishments, houses of gambling, and houses of prostitution. Such just doesn't happen today. A "Revival" seems to be a bunch of dancing in a church to contemporary worship music. Where is the fruit?

Revelation 2:5, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."
The candlestick is the church (Rev. 1:20), or rather, a particular church: in this case Ephesus who had left her first love. The Zeale was quenched, and beware when ones Zeale is quenched and the coales of that Zeale wax cold: That such a church become not dead as Sardis (Rev. 3:1) And, beware and be warned, Christ would come upon thee as a thief, and you not know what hour He cometh (Rev. 3:3)

1 Thessalonians 1:7-10, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe"

O that you be of those who believe: that TRULY believe unto righteousness, with thine heart, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness. Don't leave out the righteousness part as many do. Consider these words from Thomas Boston (1676-1732):

"You know not the weight of the wrath of God. It is true none can have a full comprehension of it: “Who knoweth the power of thine anger?” (Psa 90:11). But all the elect of God get such a notion of it as rouses them up to fly from it; “knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2Co 5:11). And if you had tolerable apprehensions of it, it would break off your sleep and slumber, and cause you to put forth your hands to work. Did you [but] consider what “a fearful thing [it is] to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb 10:31), and how when you fall down again into your bed of sloth, you are truly in hazard of it—it would give you such a gliff as would keep you waking.
There are three things you do not observe.

First, you do not observe what speed your ruin is making while you lie at ease; how your “judgment…lingereth not,” and thy “damnation slumbereth not” (2Pe 2:3). The avenger of blood is pursuing you, though you are not fleeing from the wrath to come. You are like a man sleeping in a leaky ship, which is drawing water every moment, and within a little it will be full and sink to the bottom of the sea if he does not awake and help it. Every hour your debt is growing: the cup of wrath is filling, and fills so much the faster as you are secure.

Secondly, you do not observe how near your destruction may be. You are like the old world, who “were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away” (Mat 24:38-39). Your spiritual lethargy and dead sleep hinders you from hearing the sound of the feet of the approaching stroke. You lie open to the most terrible surprise, to sleep the sleep of death, which you may never awake out of till in hell (Luke 12:19-20; 16:23)! And O, how sad is it for men to be past hope ere they begin to fear, to have the house falling ere they get over their bed!

The time of God’s grace is limited; a time wherein He will be found, and when not. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isa 55:6). Death certainly puts a period to it; but it seems to be clear that men may out-live their day of grace: “I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper”
(Luk 14:24)"
From, Danger of Delaying Repentance pgs 14,15 & 22.

Oh, Despise not prophesyings! (1 Thessalonians 5:19) The day is coming, and it will come, when the nation is utterly thrown down as God "turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly" (2 Peter 2:6) I cannot stress enough as the Holy Spirit is moving, and calling, but is also grieved at the condition of this once great nation, how the wrath of God: yea, the fierceness of His mighty wrath is so hanging over this nation presently, and over churches who call evil good and good evil, Woe unto them! (Isaiah 5:20) saying God condones abomination and the accursed things.

America shall fall before her enemies because she has taken of the accursed thing: "There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you." (Joshua 7:13) All neatly packaged with a rainbow, mocking God's holy covenant with Noah; for Ham was looking upon his own fathers nakedness, hence Canaan was cursed (Genesis 9:22-25) For there was an unlawful deed done, yet churches are affirming men becoming one flesh with other men, which is abomination and accursed, from Leviticus, to Romans 1, to Corinthians: accursed!

Such things shall bring the fiery judgment of Sodom down upon a nation, and America promotes it and declares her sin as Sodom! Isaiah 3:9, "The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves." Oh, this is a scathing message, because the wrath of the LORD burns hot against sin, and it's only his withholding hand that keeps America from flaming doom and destruction as the cities of old that perished by fire: but IT WILL COME!

Oh, do not look at America's military might, or the edge in technology she hold.

"O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness....
The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD."

It's the Biblical principle of a Sovereign God dealing with the sin of a nation: a nation that knew God once, even as Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon did, or at least the leadership did, and made a decree not to speak against the God of the Hebrews: (Daniel 5:18-28 & 4:34-37) But Belshazzar committed vile sin by drinking out of the temple vessels, partying, getting drunk, and mocking God, just as they do in America today. Singin' Country songs about whiskey and God in the same line as if they're somehow compatible? MENE MENE TEKEL!

"MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." (Daniel 5:26-27) Thus the kingdom fell. and Belshazzar slain that very night (Dan. 5:30) America is weighed in the balances and found wanting. It's only the longsuffering and mercies of God that keep the dreaded wrath from falling at any moment, and that moment may come at any time, and nuclear weapons reach the continental United States in a half hour from launch.

There may be no warning for many, and little warning for some, who then scurry for their lives and cry out, but of fear, and not true salvation. Oh, let salvation come now, and repent and turn to the LORD with all your heart, for if you wait for some day, you know not when: you know not your time, and suddenly it strikes, and it's too late, and you flame into eternity without making any concessions of thy soul: for Christ must be a part of you, and you must be abiding in Him, lest ye be consumed. Amen.
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My view on end-time prophecy symbols and Christian salvation in light of the book of Revelation

I want to share with you what I think the main symbols of Revelation mean, because I haven't really heard anyone preaching it like that. There is nothing harsh ethically or otherwise in it. Please comment on what you think, and whether you think it fits with the rest of the Bible.

Basically, I think that when it says "buy and sell" in chapter 13, it means to teach teachings that are untrue, just as in the Prophets a prophet mentioned buying wine and milk "for free" in the sense of receiving true teachings, the truth here being God -- the only uncreated being in existence, while everything is something created.

And just as for 6 days God created everything, so also all creation can be symbolized by a six, while He Himself -- by a seven -- the eternal Day for rest, the eternal Sabbath. And so, all the "created truth", can be represented by a six.

And in the end times, whoever will receive a false teaching, and believe it, would receive the spirit of faith in something created yet not true. While the true believers would continue to have the Holy Spirit of faith in things that are true (Spirit is the spirit of faith in truth).

And this is where the Revelation mentions image of the beast. Image is something worshipped. And if the image speaks, it means it's a human being, or the words of this human being, which are received by people instead of the words of Christ. These other words can't find justification in the Bible that is.

But not only the teaching of people can be something created -- our goods deeds can be too. They are after all the creations of our hands, even though they come with the help of God. And so they cannot be worshipped either, aka believed in for salvation. I.e. we do them knowing they save because of Matthew 25, yet after we worked them, we don't remember them and don't trust in them as the foolish farmer in his crop. We forget them like the right hand mustn't know what the left hand does, and we just say: we did what we had to, we are unprofitable slaves of God. The danger from these works come because they don't have eyes to see or ears to hear, and so trusting in them for salvation would seem to only make God angry -- provided God is the same God as He was in the Old Testament.

So what are we left with, is to only believe for salvation in the presence of the Holy Spirit in us, which *is* the Blood of Jesus, because the "blood of every creature is its life", yet the Spirit is Eternal Life -- "my Words are Spirit and they are Life". When our heart has the Holy Spirit, the inner, shabby, sin-nature-ridden garments of our heart are made clean. Yet if guilty conscience shipwrecks our faith, the wine of the Spirit flows out through the holes, burnt by these hot coals (a seared conscience just doesn't feel them, yet the effect on our wine sack is the same). And we become naked, and our shame can be seen -- the Wedding Garment gone. Yet, if we have not trusted in our grapes for salvation (meaning the works of Matthew 25) and haven't been lucky to go the Lord with the oil of the Spirit filling to the brim the lamp of heart, these grapes will provide the last washing of the Blood of Jesus at the Great Judgement ("the blood of grapes"). But if we do die in the Lord, we go to heaven right away, as it's written (I'm paraphrasing): they who have the Spirit of faith to the brim, because of the wine sack without holes and works of praise to the Lord, shall not come to the Judgment, but have already passed from death to life.

The new hymn "Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise"

This is one of those knee-buckling hymns when I sang it the first time on Lenten Service last Wednesday.

It was composed by Herbert Brokering (of Earth and all Stars) and text by Carl Schalk. Composed sometime in the 1980’s at Holden Village, WA during a week long summer camp. Strong tune, Strong text. Recording by the American Repertory Singers. Enjoy.

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Thine the amen
Thine the praise
alleluias
angels raise
Thine the
everlasting head
Thine the breaking
of the bread
Thine the glory
Thine the story
Thine the harvest
then the cup
Thine the vineyard
then the cup is
lifted up
lifted up.

Thine the life
eternally
Thine the promise
let there be
Thine the vision
Thine the tree
all the earth
on bended knee
Gone the nailing
gone the railing
gone the pleading
gone the cry
Gone the sighing
gone the dying
what was loss
lifted high.

Thine the truly
Thine the yes
Thine the table
we the guest
Thine the mercy
all from Thee
Thine the glory
yet to be
Then the ringing
and the singing
then the end
of all the war
Thine the living
Thine the loving
evermore
evermore.

Thine the kingdom
Thine the prize
Thine the wonder
full surprise
Thine the banquet
then the praise
then the justice
of Thy ways
Thine the glory
Thine the story
Then the welcome
to the least
Then the wonder
all increasing
at Thy feast
at Thy feast.

Thine the glory
in the night
no more dying
only light
Thine the river
Thine the tree
Then the Lamb
eternally
Then the holy
holy holy
celebration
jubilee
Thine the splendor
Thine the brightness
only Thee
only Thee.
  • Winner
Reactions: The Liturgist

Tennessee Senate passes (25-6) bill banning chemtrails, goes to House

The Tennessee Senate has passed a bill targeting "chemtrails."

SB 2691/HB 2063, sponsored by Rep. Monty Fritts, R-Kingston, and Sen. Steve Southerland, R-Morristown, passed in the Senate on Monday. The bill has yet to advance in the House.

"The intentional injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight is prohibited," the bill reads.

There are six Democrats in the TN Senate. They were the nays.


Text of bill

The Southern border invasion intensifies -

A mob of 300 over run military at Southern Border


Interesting point - there didn't seem to be any woman or children, but all military age men.
  • Agree
Reactions: Vambram

Pig kidney transplant

In a medical first, surgeons at Mass General hospital have transplanted a pig kidney into a 62 year old renal failure patient. The organ is from a genetically altered strain of pigs that is less likely to incite rejection. Pig kidneys are also very similar in size and shape to human kidneys. And they have 2 kidneys, just like us, so the donor won’t suffer any problems.

For years, animal-to-human xenotransplantation has been considered as a possible solution to a lack of human organs. The link has more details on how the genetic editing was accomplished. It will be very interesting to see how this works out.

In a First, Genetically Edited Pig Kidney Is Transplanted Into Human

Pray that Catherine, Princess of Wales, is completely healed of cancer so that she lives a Long life well into her 100s

Pray that Catherine, Princess of Wales, is completely healed of cancer so that she lives a Long life well into her 100s:

Terrorist attack in Moscow at Crocus City Hall: Multiple Fatalities Being Reported

Explosions and gunfire rocked a large venue in Moscow late on Friday after three men dressed in camouflage opened fire on a crowd and a blaze took hold of the building, the RIA Russian state news agency reported, citing its correspondent on the ground.

This story is developing


Major contradiction: John 2 versus Matthew 4

In John 1 Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. In John 2 however, it shows Jesus attending the wedding at Galilie with his followers apparently. where he makes all that wine form water. He also says that His time has not yet come in response to His mother, but apparently he had some disciples with Him already, meaning His ministry was underway. But in Matthew 4 after Jesus was baptized it says He went into the wilderness to be tempted 40 days before commencing His ministry. So which is it? Where did Jesus go after being baptized by John the Baptist?

Seeing things like this is really starting to scare me.
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Disgusting businesses and their despicable practices

Opulence, exclusivity and cost: these qualities give a brand its luxury status and keep it in high demand among consumers.

A number of labels are willing to take extreme measures to maintain these attributes and prevent their products from ending up in the wrong hands.

Hermès, the latest brand facing scrutiny, is currently embroiled in a lawsuit filed by two customers, alleging that the fashion house imposes expensive requirements on clients to qualify for the chance to purchase one of its bags.

Burberry admitted to burning unsold goods, while H&M was intentionally destroying 12 tonnes of unsold clothing each year.

Furthermore, Richemont, the parent company of Cartier and Montblanc, disposed of £400million worth of designer watches to prevent unauthorised resale.

Hermès

Hermès is currently embroiled in a lawsuit filed by two customers who claim that the fashion house enforces costly prerequisites for clients to be eligible to purchase one of its bags.

Hermès is being accused of antitrust and unfair business practices after taking advantage of the 'unique desirability, incredible demand and low supply' of the designer bags.

The lawsuit was filed by the plaintiffs, Tina Cavalleri and Mark Glinoga, in Northern California on Tuesday.

Tina and Mark have alleged that Hermès uses the exclusive bags to boost their sales of other products - claiming that shoppers are told to develop a close relationship with their sales associate and work their way up to procuring the handbag by purchasing other items first.

The duo has accused the design house of having 'a scheme to exploit the market power' of the Birkin, by 'requiring consumers to purchase other, ancillary products from [it] before they will be given an opportunity to purchase.'

The plaintiffs accused Hermès sales associates of having the ability to 'only offer Birkin handbags' to people with the correct purchase history of other products, including shoes, belts, scarves and more.

Tina said in the complaint that she ended up spending tends of thousands of dollars, and when she asked about buying another Birkin in September 2022, the sales associate said that those bags go to 'clients who have been consistent in supporting our business.'

Burberry

Continued below.

Why is fornication a sin ?

Hi,

Is it written clearly in the bible that fornication is a sin, no doubt about this.
But the question is why is it a sin ?
If two fully grown responsible financially stable adults decide to fornicate what could go wrong ?
They say unwanted pregnancy ? Wel take birth control pill and use condom, unwanted pregnancy won't happen.
They say STD, well get tested first before being intimate.
They say if you are intimate and then decide to breakup it will hurt, well it will hurt those two people only, what if the two people are fully aware of this and still decide to do it, no pain no gain they say ? no risk no pain no reward they say ?

Br,

Give Ear to Jesus

When we are born into this world, we are born with sin natures, without God, without hope, and destined to spend eternity in hell. God loved us so much, though, that he sent his only begotten Son into the world that whoever believes in him should not perish but should have everlasting life with God. God is not willing that any of us should perish, but that all of us should come to repentance and to faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. When we repent, we turn from our lifestyles of sin, and we turn to follow Jesus Christ with our lives. We die to sin in order that we might live to righteousness – all in the power of the Spirit living within us.

Many people do not yet know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Some people profess to know him, but they never repented of their sins, and thus they were not born again, crucified with Christ to sin, that they might live to him and to righteousness. Others know him, but they are not walking with him in obedience. They have drifted from their pure devotion to their Lord, and they need to be brought back. Any of these may be living to please self, and may be caught up in wasting their lives away on what will never satisfy the deep longings of their souls. So, the encouragement here is to call on Jesus, to listen to him, to turn from your sins, and to walk in victory over sin, living to him and to his righteousness.

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

Give Ear to Jesus

An Original Work / February 16, 2016
Based off Isaiah 55


Call on your Savior.
Seek the Lord while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way;
Turn to the Lord.
God will have mercy.
He’ll forgive you of your sin.
He will freely pardon you
And give peace within.
Turn from your sin, follow Jesus,
Be cleansed from sin.

Give ear to Jesus.
Come to Him. Your soul will live.
Listen to Him speaking to you:
“Eat what is good.”
If you are thirsty,
Come to Jesus, drink from Him.
Drink His Spirit given to you.
Be born again.
Listen to Him. Do what He says.
Rejoice in Him.

God’s Word, eternal,
Will achieve what He desires.
He is willing none should perish,
Saved by His blood.
Share now the gospel.
Jesus died so we’d go free.
Walk in vict’ry,
Free from your sin, eternally.
Die to sin, and live to Jesus.
In Him believe.

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