Acts 13:48: "...and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed."

It is the suggestion of some that "appointed" here should be understood as an appointing of oneself, because the verb can be taken as either a middle or a passive.

The verb (τεταγμένοι), however, is a perfect participle within a periphrastic construction. The significance of the perfect periphrastic is that it gives a pluperfect force to the verb, suggesting that the appointing is an action that was completed in the past with regard to the Gentiles' exposure to the gospel. Thus, the act of appointing and the subsequent act of believing are distinct actions separated by a period of time. The appointing precedes the Gentiles' hearing and acceptance of the gospel.

If interpreted as middle voice, then, the notion of "appointing oneself" to eternal life implies a self-designation to a future state of belief, distinct from the act of belief itself. This appointing of oneself, in other words, would not involve a conscious decision to embrace Christ in faith.

What does that mean? For those who take the view that this verb should be interpreted as a middle, what does it mean to say that one, as an unbeliever, appoints oneself to a future state of belief, without in that very act of appointment embracing Christ in faith?

The severe improbability of such an interpretation is why translators render this verb as a passive, and the verse does therefore go quite a ways in supporting a doctrine of unconditional election.

Mayorkas on Sunday acknowledged that the nation’s southern border constitutes a “crisis,” but he also called on Congress to pass legislation “to fix what everyone agrees is a broken immigration system."
The Biden administration lied to us when they claimed the border was safe, closed, and secure. Now that they are caught in the big lie because of the busing and the major media being forced to cover the disaster, they claim no responsibility.

It is becoming clear why all nations might come against Israel. That is a sign Jesus gave of the endtime. Jerusalem surrounded by armies. What is not yet clear is why God would destroy Russia's forces (and co) to stop them. Watching the Tucker Carlson/Putin interview I found it hard to read Putin's true nature. On the surface he has several seemingly Christian oriented policies. Pro family, protect Russia from lgbtq agenda etc. Yet when Tucker asked him about being a Christian and how that aligns with his war etc I found the answer questionable. So, the point here is that IF the leader of Russia was totally lying and insincere and using a facade of Christianity for whatever reasons (like gaining trust of Russian people) I could see reasons for God doing what Eze prophesies. (wiping them out when they try invading Israel)

So if that were the case, we have a motive for invading Israel (the slaughter of civilians in Palestine) and a reason for God to wipe them out (if Putin or a successor were completely lying and not right with God)

Thoughts?

An Article I Read Today

I read an article on the internet today that I believe is fitting to this passage of Scripture, so I am going to share with you a quote from it, and I will include a link to the article at the end of this devotion. Here is the quote:


So, what is this “He Gets Us” movement? Here I am going to quote what they say about themselves from their own website, and again, I will include a link to this article at the end of this devotional. Here is what they say:


So, the common desire of these “Jesus fans and followers” is to “rediscover and share the compelling story of Jesus’ life in A NEW WAY.”

Our Value to God

So, does Jesus value all people? Yes! Jesus, when criticized for healing a man on the Sabbath said to his accusers: “Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12 ESV). And he said about his followers that they were of more value than sparrows and the birds of the air (Matthew 6:26; Matthew 10:31). So, for what reason are we valued? Well, we were created in the image of God by God, by Jesus Christ, and we are fearfully and wonderfully made by God, and he has a plan and a purpose for our lives (Psalms 139:13-16)

And Jesus valued us enough to die for us on a cross in order to deliver us out of our slavery to sin so that we might now live for him in walks of obedience to his commands and in holy living (Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Titus 2:11-14). And he didn’t do this for us because of our goodness, for our own righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6 KJV). For “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV). So his love for us is not based on our goodness (in the flesh) but on His.

And This is the Judgment

Okay, so I am going to tie this all together, as the Lord leads. This group, the “He Gets Us” group, has as its goal to rediscover and share the compelling story of Jesus’ life in a new way. What new way? Well, it is first of all to dispel and to do away with “the old way,” which is the way of the cross of Christ and of the teachings of Jesus and of his NT apostles. For they want to present Jesus in a new way, which is the way of the flesh, and as someone who did not come to judge or to divide.

But Jesus made judgments about people and about sin and hell and heaven and faith all throughout his teachings. I mean just look at Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; and John 3:19-21. And he did come to divide family members, one from another (Luke 12:51-53). And then they said that Jesus’ teachings were a warm embrace, not a cold shoulder. So they obviously did not read these passages of Scripture and Matthew 23:1-39 where Jesus strongly rebuked the Pharisees and the scribes for their religious hypocrisy.

And they didn’t read John 6:35-58 where many followers of Jesus deserted him, for they found his teachings to be “too hard to accept” because he was, basically, inviting them to die with him to sin that they might have new life in him free from their bondage to sin in true worship and in true loyalty of devotion to him as their Lord. And they obviously did not read all of Jesus’ teachings or they would not have concluded that Jesus valued people in such a way as to ignore their sinful lifestyles and to accept them just the way they are without pro-this or anti-that beliefs influencing his decisions.

And we are not to be those who “rediscover” Jesus according to human thinking and reasoning, and who “explore Jesus’ story” on our “own terms” and at our own pace, i.e. according to our own fleshly appetites and preferences and not according to what the Scriptures teach. And this leads me back to that article that I read which points some of that out. For they want a Jesus who is light on sin and judgment and heavy on grace and love, but not the grace of God which frees us from slavery to sin and not agape love which prefers what is holy, righteous, morally pure, honest and faithful.

For they do indeed want a tailor-fit God who adopts the same quasi-standards of morality that mankind does who does not require death to sin and living to righteousness and walks of obedience to him and to his commands. They want a God who will receive them and their professions of faith in him without question and without limits and without any restrictions or commands or conditions to be met in order to receive his forgiveness of sins and eternal life with him. But that is not the God of the Scriptures!

For what do we read in John 3:19-21? There is a judgment of God here which is that Jesus and his truth and righteousness and his gospel message have come into the world. But those who are worldly, even many who profess the name of Jesus, are rejecting that light (Jesus, truth, gospel message, righteousness) because they prefer the darkness to the light, because they want to continue living in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, and against other humans, but some of them while still professing Jesus as their Savior and heaven as their eternal destiny.

But that isn’t the gospel that Jesus and his NT apostles taught. We can’t have Jesus and his salvation and eternal life with God and our sins and our selfishness and our own versions of Jesus, too. For if sin is what we practice, this says that it means that we hate the light (Jesus, et al) and so we don’t really come into the light, even if our lips profess that we have. Those who come into the light, thus, are those who walk according to the light, i.e. according to the Spirit in walks of holiness and righteousness and in obedience to our Lord and to his commands (see all noted Scriptures above).

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

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Link to article quoted above:

He Gets Us

I like to first start off by saying sorry for my spelling and all these errors to my story, I’m here to try my very best on explaining myself.

I’ve met this lovely woman to whom I’m engaged with, and theirs some things that I’ve said and done, where I’m reflecting on from my past that I regret making.I’d like to share as to where our relationship is at, our relationship is a long distant relationship where I’m from the United States, and she from Mexico.I’ve been A Christian for maybe a year or so.She herself is making changes little by little for her to become a Christian for me, and not just for me, but for God most importantly.


Before we were a couple. i’ve been introduced to her to which we’ve set up a date. And when getting to know someone you’ll take that person out on dates and so forth in order to get to know that person more, that’s how we’ve done it as friends.Time went by and as for me, I’ve started losing interest in her, it was like I really didn’t have feelings for her and seeing it now, at that time looking back at it.It was mostly because what I was looking for in a woman, was a woman just off her looks, and to me at that time I didn’t really see her as a attractive person. I was looking at her asking myself if she is going to be my future girlfriend and future wife.Im sure I was debating on that, I don’t remember because it’s been a while, but I’ve made the decision where I’ve ghosted her/left her on read to her messages without giving explanation as to why I’ve stopped talking to her. Told myself I’ve made a decision. I gotta stick with that decision I’ve made. it was something that I did that I’m sure I was conscience of and where I thought out on this decision.

Throughout the time when I stop talking to her, I've made these prayers where I prayed against her, to God. where I was throwing these vows, promises, oaths and I don’t remember whether I’ve said covenant too, asking God to never have her as my future girlfriend and future wife continuously and sincerely, through out my time where I’ve stopped talking to her.Through out that time I was asking where is said the same things but where asking God to promise me and so forth where I was praying against her.I had this hate towards her, Ive despised her when I did happen to see her at Mexico.Its certain that I’ve spoke bad about her and her looks behind her back.I didn’t want anything to do with her, just like I’ve mentioned, where I’ve made this decision, now I gotta stick with it.I do happen remember I think where I was saying yes to Christ and asking God to find me another future girlfriend and future wife.It went on like that for a while until I’ve gotten the opportunity to speak with her and come to her, asking her to forgive me for everything I’ve done and how I’ve left her without giving an explanation, I gave her some reasons as to why I stopped talking to her. For example, my dad wasn’t in favor of me speaking with a woman from Mexico. I also gave her an excuse of how I make decisions without thinking. I shared a little bit about my past and how I am. and she forgive me anyways and not long after we ended up dating. and when dating it came to me in my conscience were in my conscience I did not share her the main reason as to why I stopped talking to her and so I decided to make a phone call which was very hard for me share with her as to why I stop talking to her. but I said it I shared with her the main reason as to why stop talking to her and that was because of her appearance, and and how I was looking for a woman who has good looks.And she forgave me anyways on those details that I did not share with her when I first asked her to forgive me then afterwards, she asked me whether I wanted to continue on with this relationship and the things I said through that phone call, it didn’t bother her. I said yes I do wanna continue on this relationship, and how long after that we got engaged.Not to mention when we stopped talking to each other I was explaining myself to God being reasonable as to why I’ve also stopped talking to her, but it was mostly just off the looks, and as for the other details are because we had this language barrier in which now we are able to understand and speak more to each other.And the other reason is because it was long distant relationship but now we look at the suffering as a little bit, we don’t see each other for maybe like for one weekend every 2 weeks.

but after hearing all this, my question to my concern is “am I bound to fulfill those vows, promises, and oats I regret making at that time when I stop talking to her or can, God forgive me for everything, I said, and done to her when I stopped talking to her at that time?”

I have a change of heart, and I truly love her and this is definitely a concern of mine because of what I did, and what I’m reflecting on right now ,and those decisions I’ve made in the past, I truly regret.

The reason why I ask whether I’m bound or not because of the Bible now the Bible is the truth and it doesn’t contradict itself and with what I’m gonna be sharing is some Bible scriptures that speak on promises and vows and how you should fulfill them and not delay on them.


Can God forgive me or am I bound to fulfill those promises, vows, oaths and covenants that I’m
very regretful of?


‭‭Numbers‬ ‭30‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

”A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.“
‭‭

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭33‬-‭37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

”“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.“


‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭23‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

”“When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin. However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow. But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God.“


‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

”Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few. Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool. When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.“


‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬


”But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.“

Yours in the Lord,

jm

Encountering difficulties again.
Urgently need prayer:
1) For a new job that provides well for me & my son. Preferably no commute and M-F.
2) For resolving old debts & bad credit score, so I can get apartment for son & I.
3) For God's wisdom, peace, & guidance in where son & I should move.
In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you & God Bless you.

Romans 10:3 (NASB20)
For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is this ‘subjecting oneself to the righteousness of God’…?

God has stated that ‘He has shut up all in disobedience that He might have mercy to all’ ….

So this subjecting oneself would have to be separate from all that had been shut up in the disobedience, it would have to be something totally new and separate unto itself… This new thing is the righteousness of faith, which is a simple taking God at His word and believing that He will form a new life in one if one so desires…. For this is a real new life growing in one which purpose is to overcome and overrule all that had been shut up in the disobedience…..

This new thing which is birthed from the desire towards it, this desire, is to grab unto something other than itself, something outside of itself, something that only faith can grab unto…. Something that is in God’s ability alone, something that He has promised to work in one if one is but willing…. But God asks one thing, because it is absolutely necessary, that one would keep one’s hands out of the cookie jar so to speak that He might work His work in the growing of this new life…. Because the workings of self, is one looking to one’s own natural life, one’s own natural abilities, it is this working that nullifies, stops, prevents the promised new life from growing in one and overcoming all that needs to be overcome….

For this desire of faith is submitting to God’s righteousness, because by the giving up of oneself to this desire, self is shut up in Christ’s death on the cross…. So as this faith continues its work, and by the longing desire towards it, one grabs unto the promised new life that only God Himself can bring to life in one… For this new life is totally new and separate from the life that has been known up to the point of giving oneself over to the faith that brings the righteous life that comes down from above to become the new life that has been promised to the believing one….

The faith that says; ‘I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me’ is subjecting oneself to the righteousness of God…. For this faith that brings this righteous new life that comes from God by faith, is that faith that is accounted for righteousness….

For God has shut up all in the prison of self, that those that would, would be made free by their simply looking to Him in faith…

Many blessings as the freedom that the righteous life produces in one is known, felt and grown…. Because of His great love for the world He has brought forth something totally new, brought to life by the faith of the believer believing……


A believing believer, Not me

In the US, while ACROD consists almost entirely of Carpatho-Rusyns, as the name implies, I would not be surprised if the OCA had more members in total, and my understanding is that a great many Rusyns are also members of the ROCOR and even the MP parishes in Western Pennsylvania.

Likewise, in Europe, where would one most likely find members of this group? I have heard there are a great many in the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia and the Polish Orthodox Church, but my understanding is that both churches also have Czech, Slovak and Polish members, respectively. Also that one would find some in the Belarussian Orthodox Church and among the Orthodox Christians in the Ukraine.

I would be really interested in a demographic breakdown of this information.

I was recently very interested, on a related note, to learn about the histoircal representation of the Tosk and Gheg ethnic groups in Albanian Orthodoxy. The majority of the Orthodox are from the Tosk ethnic group, since most of the Bhegs were converted to Roman Catholicism, but before the nightmarish atheist regime of Enver Hoxha, a Tosk of Islamic descent, began, there were some substantial minority populations of Orthodox Christians among the Ghegs, for example, in the city of Durrës. And of course, thanks to the efforts of Archbishop Fan Noli, there is a substantial Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the OCA, which I would assume has members of both Tosk and Gheg ethnicity.

His super bowl message:

We should all pray for the Palestinians in Gaza.

Genocide in Numbers – This is What Israel Has Done to Gaza

128 days of the war. Publised 11 February 2024

2,438 massacres.
35,176 martyred and missing.
28,176 martyrs whose bodies have reached the hospitals.
12,300 child martyrs.
8,400 women martyrs.
340 medical worker martyrs.
46 civil defense martyrs.
124 journalist martyrs.
7,000 missing; 70% of them are children and women.
67,784 wounded.
11,000 wounded in need of travel for life-saving and critical treatment.
10,000 cancer patients at risk of death.
700,000 Gazans infected with infectious diseases as a result of displacement.
8,000 cases of viral hepatitis infection due to displacement.
60,000 pregnant women are at risk due to lack of access to health care.
350,000 chronic patients are at risk due to lack of administration of medications.
99 arrests of health workers.
10 arrests of journalists whose names are known.
2 million displaced in the Gaza Strip.
142 government headquarters destroyed by the occupation.
100 schools and universities completely destroyed by the occupation.
295 schools and universities partially destroyed by the occupation.
184 mosques completely destroyed by the occupation.
266 mosques partially destroyed by the occupation.
3 churches targeted and destroyed by the occupation.
70,000 residential units completely destroyed by the occupation.
290,000 residential units partially destroyed by the occupation.
66,000 tons of explosives dropped by the occupation on Gaza.
30 hospitals taken out of service by the occupation.
53 health centers taken out of service by the occupation.
150 health centers partially destroyed by the occupation.
123 ambulances completely destroyed by the occupation.
200 archaeological and heritage sites destroyed by the occupation.

No one knows this, but people think it`s hormones and stuff how much testosterone you have, you know tobacco increases it, and weightlifting, and so on, but the truth is it`s mental. if you smoke a cigar and feel like a man, and lift weights, and tough people are around you, you have instantly much more of it. It`s mental, mostly. That`s why drugs lowers it, like weed, because you know it`s a drug and feel less of a man. Nothing can kill you also if you are normal, then you have normal immune and listen to your body. if you`re immoral, do something wrong everyday, then your body will be weaken. A man said also, if you do one good deed everyday for others, you`ll never need medicine. So, if you pray too much, it`ll actually lower your testosterone

There's a church in my area that I attended for a couple of years early in my faith. I left not over sin issues or arguments, but needing to make things right and needing accountability. I know several people who attend there still, and just recently, the founding pastor at the church, the lead pastor, came up and said that God was calling him to leave and go plant a church on the other side of the US. The church has always been intentional about church planting by bringing in prospective pastors and sending them out to plant. And it seems like common sense that you wouldn't have the lead founding pastor of the church be the one who is sent out. But that's exactly what happened. He made the announcement at their annual meeting. That God had given him a command to leave and plant elsewhere, and this would be happening very soon it seems.

Now I know there are several views on how God speaks to us. I'm more in the camp that it's solely through his word, but this church generally thinks he speaks to us through circumstances and other people as well. They made a video explaining why they were doing it, and he said "I have to choose between staying and obeying God."

For context, this church is just under 7 years old, and there's about 150 in attendance. I personally think that him leaving is unwise for a multiple reasons. First, the church is still young. Yes it's got great growth, but 7 years is not much time in the context of a church. Secondly, I would argue attendance to be unstable. And what I mean by that is, I was having a chat with one of their pastors recently. Just catching up, and he told me that the average length of time that people are there is about 3 to 6 months. If you ask me, that doesn't sound good. He thought it was a great thing because there's so many new believers to meet and all that. And thirdly, they're in a situation where they are trying to get a new building/space to meet. I'll spare you the details on that one.

It seems to me like this is a very unwise thing to do and could spell disaster for a church in the state that it's in. I'm told they'll be hiring a new guy from outside the church. In the video, he likened himself to Paul, and how he went from place to place planting churches, but I would argue that Paul was a missionary, not a pastor, and he would set up churches with the mindset of him leaving from the get go, not starting a church and then announcing his departure when he's all settled in.

I think this is unwise but I'm curious on people's thoughts on this.

I assume many of you saw that "He Gets Us" Super Bowl commercial

or maybe some of you have experience with the organization

seem like it was very controversial--I am curious to hear your thoughts on it

The administration has been playing up its crusade against the climate crisis to endear the president to activists who have complained about the White House’s support for some fossil fuel projects — adding to Democrats’ burdens in an election year marked by grumbling over the economy, fights over border policy and the president’s low approval ratings.

But that talking point alone isn’t going to be what drives people to the polls, said Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Democrats instead need to focus on what the climate gains in the Inflation Reduction Act would mean for people’s pocketbooks.
“It’s all about how you message it with voters. In Latino communities, if you talk about climate change, it’s kind of abstract for them,” she told POLITICO’s E&E News, echoing points she made at a press conference with Hispanic Caucus members earlier in the day.

“If you say, ‘Oh, we’re going to save billions of dollars on energy’ — when you tell somebody that, that doesn’t mean anything to them until you talk to them and how it is going to impact them,” Barragán continued. “[If you say], ‘you’re going to get a new refrigerator and save money by using less energy,’ that is sometimes how it happens.”
Ultimately, she added, “people are not feeling some of the benefits of what we’ve passed because they are not yet gone into effect.”

Credit cards are an Achilles’ heel for many people.
Collectively, Americans now owe $1.13 trillion on their cards, and the average balance per consumer is up to $6,360, both historic highs.
Not only are more cardholders carrying debt from month to month but more are increasingly falling behind on payments, recent reports show.

The foreign aid package would provide $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
If passed, the bill would fund Ukraine until 2025, even though Trump has said he would end the conflict and its funding within 24 hours of taking office
Should Trump become president after this bill passes and end the funding, he could be at odds with the law and therefore impeached again

Former First Lady Hillary Clinton said she believes President Biden’s age is a “legitimate” campaign issue even as the commander-in-chief is under fire over a damning special counsel’s report accusing him of being senile.
“I talked to people in the White House all the time, and you know, they know it’s an issue, but as I like to say, ‘look, it’s a legitimate issue,’” Clinton told MSNBC’s Alex Wagner earlier this week. “It’s a legitimate issue for [ex-President Donald] Trump who’s only three years younger, right? So it’s an issue.”
The former Democrat presidential nominee and secretary of state also said during Wednesday’s interview that it might be hard for Biden and Trump to connect with younger voters, the president should highlight his background as an “experienced” leader.
“I think Biden also should lean into the fact that he’s experienced and that experience is not just in the political arena,” she said. “It’s like, the stuff of, you know, human experience, character, wisdom.
“I think he should be willing to really pull that out … and I think he should kid more about it.”

A recent NBC News poll found that 76% of respondents said they’re concerned Biden, 81, is not mentally fit for a second term.

A blistering report from special counsel Robert Hur released Thursday assessed Biden as too senile to be prosecuted over his wrongful retention of classified documents.
It also said the commander-in-chief “did not remember when he was vice president” and “did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died” over two days of interviews in October.
Biden, however, lashed out at the description of his mental acuity at a rapidly arranged press conference later Thursday, insisting, “My memory is fine!” and “I know what the hell I’m doing!”
But he did mistakenly refer to the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as the president of Mexico while speaking to reporters during the gathering.

Does it mean to live in sin or unbelief ?

So, I'm just going to start from the beginning. I live in a 1bed townhome it was just me and 2 small kids but my mom couldn't keep her place and got evicted and now my mom,dad,2 brothers and my moms dogs are here.

We only have one mode of transportation which is my car. That car has to get my kids off to daycare and therapy(son had autism),my brother to school and my mom to and from work. I asked my brother if he could help pick my mom up but he refuses. So it's all on me.

Now after a while I not only found one job but 2 but because of everyone's conflicting schedules I don't think I'll be able to take it bc of my mom brother and kids. I'm trying I just don't know what to do..

My orientation is tommorow, I'm trying to help my family out bc they need the help. I truly don't believe you get blessed turning your back on your family. Then I have a court date Friday for possible eviction. Im so worried and frustrated I feel I might lose my place and not have a job..

I just don't know what to do. I want to scream.

NATO "cannot be an alliance a la carte," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said after former US president Donald Trump downplayed his commitment to NATO's security umbrella in Europe if he becomes president again.

'Reckless': Trump's threat to NATO allies sparks fierce backlash in Europe​

Exodus 20:

16 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

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Leviticus 19:

11b You must not lie or deceive one another. 12You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. 13a You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him.

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Revelation 21:

8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

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On the other hand, there were excusable occasions in the Bible.

Midwives lied to Pharaoh in Exodus 1:

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”

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Rahab lied in Joshua 2:

3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.

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Samson lied to Delilah in Judges 16:

6So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
7Samson told her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become as weak as any other man.”

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Is it always wrong to tell a lie or untruth?

No, it partly depends on your motivation and intent, but let the Paraclete guide you in your conscience. As a rule of thumb, we should tell the truth.

Hello I'm new to the forum hope you are all doing well I'm ordained online Methodist but theology wise I'm non-denom open minded if anyone wants motivation and hope I'm good to chat I like the setup on this site looking forward to meeting some of you I have a YouTube starting to produce sermons weekly if you like them please recommend topics of discussion for future sermon always open to ideas I try my best to keep active spiritual volunteering in community so my week is busy I read over messages here on the forum on weekends so replays could take a bit of time God bless all of you

Zion is now a term used for Jesus Christ and for his church. Those who believe in Jesus Christ with genuine God-persuaded faith are God’s holy temple in whom he dwells by his Spirit. We are God’s holy people, his holy nation, and there is no other. Only through faith in Jesus Christ can we be God’s holy people, the sheep of his pasture. We are the Israel of God. But that faith must show itself genuine via self-denial, dying daily with Christ to sin, and walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands in holy living.

[Hebrews 12:18-24; Revelation 14:1-5; Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Romans 9:22-33; Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 9:4-8; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 John 2:22; John 8:18-19,38-47; Jude 1:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23]

And when we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, we are going to have enemies. We are going to have opposition. Satan may even be against us even before we believe in Jesus, even from birth or early childhood. I know that for me this was the case. For I had a father who was the epitome of Satan to me who was an abuser, a bully, who took out his anger and his hatred on anyone he could, and who used his children and his spouse for his own sinful pleasure. For he did not know love.

So, I know what it is like to be afflicted from my youth and to have others prevail against me, first my father, then pastors of churches, and then a sexually addicted spouse, and others within the purported family of God. And I can definitely feel this idea of plowers plowing upon my back and making long their furrows. And it seemed for a long time that they kept coming at me, one after another after another. And for a while I gave up and retreated. But praise be to God he brought me back and renewed my spirit.

I have cried so many tears over my lifetime that it is amazing that I have any left. But God had a plan for my life even before he created the world. And he is the one who put me in the womb of my mother and who placed me in that family where he knew I was going to be severely abused. And he is the one who has given me many life experiences over which I had no control, where he allowed others to abuse me and to mistreat me and to be mean and hateful towards me and to reject me and to cast me aside.

But the Lord allowed all of that to take place in my life to make me into the person that I am today so that he could use me in the way in which he has been using me these past 20 years, in particular. I had to go through all that persecution for the Lord to make me strong and determined to stand up against giants, if necessary, in order to speak the truth of the gospel and to call people to repentance and to genuine walks of faith in Jesus Christ, and to warn them against making sin their practice, and of the consequences.

But this isn’t all about me. The Lord had me share some of my testimony here as an illustration of what this passage of Scripture is teaching, because I am not alone in this. Many people throughout the world have been and are still being abused and misused and ill treated by people who hate and who murder and who take advantage of those who are weaker than them. And many faithful followers of Christ are being mistreated by professers of faith in Jesus Christ who are living worldly, not godly lives, according to the flesh.

But you know what? The New Testament teaches us that we are to love our enemies. We are to pray for them and do good to them and bless them, i.e. say to them or about them or do for them what is beneficial for them in the sight of God, i.e. what is for their good, as God deems good (Luke 6:27-36). So, when I read verse 5 here, “May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward,” what I saw was a prayer for the salvation of our enemies, that they will repent of their sins and now follow Jesus with their lives.

So, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, and you have enemies who are persecuting you for righteousness’ sake, and for the sake of the gospel, even within the gatherings of what is called “church,” do not be afraid. Do not be disheartened. And please do not give up hope! Trust God with your life. Believe in his sovereignty over your life. And surrender your all to him. Let him guide you and direct you in how you should respond to your enemies, and then follow the Lord in obedience to his will for your life.

For Jesus never promised us an easy life. He never promised us that if we follow him that life for us will go smoothly and that everyone will like us and that we will be happy-go-lucky (carefree, easy going, nonchalant) all the rest of our days. What he promised us is that we will be hated and mistreated and persecuted and beaten and put in prison and falsely accused of wrongdoing and of being of Satan and called crazy and put to death, like he was, because we follow him and we walk in obedience to his commands.

So, please understand that the life of a follower of Jesus Christ is supposed to be hard and loaded with opposition and persecution, and that even our family members and fellow professers of faith in Jesus Christ may be our worst enemies. But this is supposed to produce in us a seriousness of our walks of faith and a determination to follow our Lord in obedience and in holy living despite what others do to us or say about us. For all this is for the glory of God and for his purposes to make us who he wants us to be.

[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]

Hear My Cry

By G. M. Eldridge

When my soul is worn and weary
And my eyes are filled with grief,
When my hands in desperation
Reach to heaven for relief,

Would I find the words there waiting
If I had the strength to start?
Could a mortal tongue interpret
All the sorrow of a heart?

Spirit, search me in my weakness,
And discern this growing gray.
Intercede in understanding,
Hear the things I cannot say.

Hear my cry, heav’nly Father,
You have known my ev’ry pain.
You have seen all my sorrow,
Hear my cry once again.

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As I watched nations rapidly falling in lockstep with an uncannily unified pandemic narrative, a particular scripture popped into my mind.

“Who is like the beast (antichrist), and who can fight against it?” (Rev 13:4)

I was a pro-vaxxer until 2020 but the coronapsychosis ultimately forced a fundamental rethink. In subsequent years, I have quizzed the unvaccinated on the reasons behind their vaccine hesitancy and the answers were invariably the same. “Something was not right about the whole saga” or “it just didn’t feel right”. Therefore, the red flags I present below are merely a concise articulation of what I “didn’t feel right” during the first six months (Dec 1 2019 to May 1 2020) of the pandemic.