Context, Context, Context!!!

Context is everything for correct biblical understanding. When we freely interpret the Scriptures out of their appropriate context, we are in danger of possible misinterpretation of what the passage is actually teaching. So, what is the context of the book of 1 Peter so far? It is that of faith in Jesus Christ and of what that faith looks like. It begins by letting us know that our obedience to Jesus Christ is a necessary part of the package. And it lets us know that our salvation is of God and God is the one to define it for us.

And it lets us know that suffering persecution for the sake of the name of Jesus and for the sake of his gospel message, and enduring various trials and tribulations are also a necessary part of the whole package in that these persecutions and trials are used of God in our lives to test the genuineness of our faith, and to teach us perseverance, and to teach us to rely on God and not on ourselves, and to humble us, and to give us hearts of compassion and tenderness towards others who are suffering like we are.

See also: [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 then we are taught that, as obedient children (the children of God) that we are not to be conformed any longer to the passions of the flesh, in our former ignorance. But we are called to be holy in all our conduct, and to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. So we are to be those who have put away all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander, sexual immorality, idolatry, lying, and cheating and the like. They should be gone!

And now, in this context, we are taught that we must be subject to the authorities that are over us, as a people. But this is in the context of us deciding not to do what is evil and us practicing what is good. And it says, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” And we are to “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” So the context is of submission to what is good, not to what is evil. Get this?

So, this is not a blanket order to us that we must be subject to everyone on this earth who raises himself up as some type of authority figure – whether he is a preacher, teacher of the word, pastor, elder, schoolteacher, parent, and/or government official, etc. For many people in positions of authority these days, inside and outside of the gatherings of what are called “churches,” are not instructing us in what is good and is of God, but they are leading us to do what is evil and is against God. We don’t submit to that!!

And we have biblical examples of that. I mean, one of the biggest reasons that the religious rulers of Jesus’ time hated him and wanted him dead is because he did not submit to them when what they were requiring of him required that he disobeyed God. And Peter and John did likewise when they told the authorities, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Amen! And Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are our Old Testament examples of the same. Read them!

So, submission to authorities should never be done at the cost of disobeying our Lord and his commands, and it should never involve us sinning against God in order to submit to human authority. And it should never involve blind worship of a particular government or government leader or their military as part of showing them honor. But this is what many people in America have been taught to do from birth on up, and so many are giving their undying devotion and worship (vows of allegiance) to a human government.

But we can honor those in authority without worshiping them, and without giving them our blind loyalties and devotion, without question. For the submission that God requires has to do with submitting to what is right in his eyes and to what is good and not evil, and even Jesus and Paul and the other apostles questioned the actions of those in authority (read Matthew 23) and they did not yield to them when it came to choosing them over obedience to God. So obey God above all else, and all else will follow suit.

[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]

Courageous!

An Original Work / December 24, 2013
Based off Various Scriptures

The Word of God throughout taught.
Some people heard but did doubt.
Still others had faith in Christ.
By grace He purified them.

They turned from sin
And they obeyed Christ.
He opened up their blinded eyesight;
Turned them from darkness
To the true Light;
Forgave their sin by His might.

He strengthened them in their faith.
He said, “Remain my faithful.”
He called them to obedience.
By faith, they were so grateful.

By faith, they were to follow Jesus;
To daily sit and listen to Him;
To have such faith
That mountains could move;
To love those whom He gave them.

Be on your guard; courageous.
Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.
Take up the shield of your faith;
Protect against all evil.

Do not move from
The hope that you have.
Your faith in Jesus let it endure.
Hold to the truth;
Your conscience be clear.
Endure with perseverance.

I guess I'm getting sensitive about it...

For instance, I've noticed a new trend at the grocery store.

Even though I walk up to the counter carrying my two bags myself, and unload (and sometimes re-load them), invariably I'll get asked if I need help carrying them out, or if I need a cart. My impulse is to declare, "what do I look like, an invalid?" Instead I just smile and say, "I got it." Though I admit they are getting heavier these days.

Another thing is when I pay for meds at the pharmacy. The directions on the card reader are pretty darn clear, but the clerk unfailingly feels the need to guide me through each step: "now enter your date of birth, now click 'ok', ect". I want to interrupt and say, "what do I look like, a complete moron?" But instead I just grin and bear it. Maybe it's because I'm squinting to read the dang thing causing them to offer assistance, I dunno.

I figure if I ever actually speak up I'll be betraying good Christian conduct, after all they are just being kind. But still! Sigh...

Hi,

So for those who dont know Corrie Ten Boom. Her family helped the jews escaped the Nazi Germans by hiding the jews in their home.
This was illegal, they got caught and sent to the concentration camps. Some of her family died there.
No disrespect to the Ten Boom family, but I was curious, did God himself tell them in a voice like how God told Moses to go to Pharoah ?
Or were they kinda fed up with the injustic of the Nazi killing the jews, so they decided to do something about it.

If it was me, I would do nothing until God told me in a voice like for example God speaking to Moses or Abraham.

Thing is we cannot solve all the problems in the world, I don't think God expect us to do so also.

Br,

Russia says it is pushing Ukrainian forces back, will create two new armies​

MOSCOW, March 20 (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday its soldiers were pushing Ukrainian forces back and that Moscow would bolster its military by adding two new armies and 30 new formations by the end of this year.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, swiftly pulled back some of its forces in the east and south after over-extending but has been slowly advancing after a Ukrainian counteroffensive last year failed to make significant gains.

Russia controls a little under one fifth of Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to push further forward after Moscow took the small eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka last month.
"Groups of Russian troops continue to squeeze the enemy out of their positions," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told senior generals. "The United States and its satellites are extremely concerned about the success of the Russian Armed Forces."

"The combined grouping of troops will continue to build on the successes achieved and increase the live fire impact on enemy targets."
Russia, which has recruited hundreds of thousands of contract soldiers, will create two new armies and 30 formations including 14 divisions and 16 brigades, Shoigu said.
Western spy chiefs say the war could be at a turning point as Kyiv needs more arms from its Western allies to avoid more battlefield setbacks. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday Ukraine's survival was in danger.
Russia has since the 2022 invasion taken 65,000 square km (25,000 square miles) of Ukrainian territory, according to Harvard Kennedy School's Russia Matters project.

SHOIGU SAYS SECURITY TIGHTENED​

Ukraine is debating a new mobilisation law as it faces a shortage of battle-ready troops, and support from Washington has been held up by political wrangling ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.
Before Russia's March 15-17 presidential election, Ukraine stepped up attacks by shelling Russian border regions, attacking refineries and using proxies to try to pierce the border.

Shoigu said security had been tightened at Russian government and other facilities, and air defences strengthened.
Russia shot down 419 Ukrainian drones and 67 rockets during the election and inflicted heavy losses on the Ukrainian proxies, he said. Reuters was unable to verify the figures.
Putin has said Russia will punish Ukraine for the attacks and that he might carve a buffer zone from more Ukrainian territory as defence against attacks by Western-supplied artillery.

"The primary task is to guarantee security. There are different methods here, they aren't easy but we will do this," Putin told a Kremlin meeting on Wednesday.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-it-is-pushing-ukrainian-forces-back-will-create-two-new-armies-2024-03-20/

Luke Andrew Bartels, 20, of Lexington, was charged in Latimer County District Court with felony counts of manufacturing child [youknowwhat], peeping tom with photographic/electronic equipment, violation of Oklahoma statute via computer and lewd molestation, according to filed recounts in June 2023 by the District 16 District Attorney's Office.

Looks like he got 5 years for peeping, and 20 years for the other charges, but "with all but the first five-years suspended".

While Eva Burch spoke on the Senate floor about her planned abortion, almost all of her GOP colleagues found something else to do​

An emotional Sen. Eva Burch described, in a speech Monday on the Senate floor, the hoops she has had to jump through to secure an abortion, after finding out her pregnancy is not viable. Despite knowing for weeks that her pregnancy is likely to result in a miscarriage, the Democrat from Mesa has not yet received the care she needs.

“I don’t think people should have to justify their abortions,” she said, her voice shaking. “But I’m choosing to talk about why I made this decision because I want us to have meaningful conversations about the reality of how the work that we do in this body impacts people in the real world.”

Burch was forced to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound, hear a list of mandated recommendations from her provider — including advice to avail herself of foster care or adoption alternatives, despite the fact that her fetus has no chance of survival — and wait 24 hours before receiving an abortion. All of those requirements are mandated by state laws approved by GOP lawmakers.

A sole Republican, Prescott Sen. Ken Bennett, remained on the floor while Burch spoke. When she was done, he walked over to her, expressed his sympathy for her situation and gave her a hug.

Please pray for me and help me if you can thanks.

Indiana said the parents, self-described devout Christians, lost custody not because of their views on transgender issues but because of the medical necessity of the teen’s severe eating disorder.​

The court, without comment, rejected an appeal from the teen’s parents, who had warned that cases similar to theirs are likely to reoccur “due to developing conflicts between parents and their children concerning gender identity.”

A provision of Indiana law that is similar to statutes in nearly every state allows government intervention in “a variety of situations in which even well-intentioned parent find themselves unable to prevent serious harm,” the state told the court.

"We always protect parental rights and religious liberty. Neither we nor the Indiana courts believe that the State can remove a child because of a parent's religious beliefs, views about gender identity, or anything of the sort," Rokita said in a statement, adding that the record shows the state's actions were motivated by the teen's "extreme eating disorder."

see also: closed thread #1 and closed thread #2. So behave.

Is it still true that we humans started out as fish and transformed into humans(over time).
How did this scenario play out, a fish swam onto the shore, got food stayed there and died, or retreated back into the water? Did it wait for the correct mutations that allowed for it to stay on land longer and walk around and find a home there?

Hi everyone, I'm Matt. Introductions aren't my thing as I'm sorta shy, but here goes nothing.

I'm a 42-year-old New Yorker (not NYC), happily married for almost 11 years to a wonderful woman who is truly a blessing from God. We may not have kids, but our spoiled mutt, Sargeant, keeps us busy.

I was raised by a Catholic mom and I spent summers/weekends with my Baptist dad and stepmother. My stepmother showed me incredible love and forgiveness despite a difficult situation. I miss my parents and stepmom dearly.

Life hasn't been so easy, with many injuries and PTSD that have tested me, but my faith in God has always kept me going.

Anyhow, I have a bit of a Bible obsession, and I'm afraid to count how many I have haha. I enjoy comparing translations, which can be done digitally, but I prefer old fashioned books I can hold. I'm currently enjoying the CSB, but the KJV (my first Bible) and ESV (great for study) are a couple of my favorites.

This might be getting long-winded so I'll stop here.

Take care and God bless you.

The question is about Christian forums in general. It can also be answered specifically about this site.

I've been looking and thinking about it. I yet have not confirmed a good thing that it brings.

If you have, please tell me.

During Bible Study tonight my group was talking about the OT and the 900 year lifespans came up. The general consensus was that people didn’t really live that long. Do Catholics have to believe these lifespans as being literal?

Bobulinski said the president was “an active, aware enabler” of his family’s business pursuits, a claim Joe, James, and Hunter Biden have all repeatedly and adamantly denied.

What happened to Hunter's desire to testify in public?

Trump-backed candidate Bernie Moreno wins Ohio Senate primary​

Moreno, a Cleveland-area businessman, beat out two traditional Republicans on Tuesday, with a considerable margin over state Sen. Matt Dolan — who was endorsed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) — and Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), the Associated Press projected.

Democratic groups have spent money on ads on Moreno in recent weeks, because some strategists view him as an easier opponent for Brown — who faced no challengers in the primary — to defeat in a general election.

In the days leading up to the costly, contentious Senate race, political jabs among LaRose, Dolan and Moreno became increasingly personal.

In one ad, Moreno’s super PAC accused LaRose of being too sympathetic to gay and transgender causes, superimposing a rainbow flag behind him and surfacing a supportive message that LaRose previously shared with an LGBTQ+ rights group.

Meanwhile, in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, state Rep. Derek Merrin was projected to win the Republican primary. He would face off against vulnerable Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D), the longest-serving woman in Congress.

Trump endorsed Merrin hours before polling places opened in the Toledo-area congressional district, the latest development in a roller coaster of a primary in which 2022 Republican nominee J.R. Majewski considered stepping aside, insisted he would stay in and then dropped out earlier this month amid backlash over disparaging comments he made about people with mental disabilities.

John 19:

26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Click to expand...

What was finished?

His work on the earthly life was finished. Everything that the Father commanded to do was done. This mission was accomplished. He was to die next.

Luke 23:

46 Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Click to expand...

“Oakland residents are sick and tired of our intolerable public safety crisis that overwhelmingly impacts minority communities,” Cynthia Adams, president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP, and Bishop Bob Jackson, senior pastor at Acts Full Gospel Church, wrote in a joint statement.
“Murders, shootings, violent armed robberies, home invasions, car break-ins, sideshows, and highway shootouts have become a pervasive fixture of life in Oakland,” they continued. “We call on all elected leaders to unite and declare a state of emergency and bring together massive resources to address our public safety crisis.”
The problem is that those who advocated woke policies always blame the resulting problems on others rather than admit their far left policies have failed.
The people have to consider, at least consider, not automatically voting for progressive Democrats.

Where is God when it hurts? Why do I go through pain and suffering when God is my lord and saviour... Why do Christians fall sick?

Look carefully at what eventually happens under Democrat rule.

Enjoy American friends

Many states within the solar eclipse's path of totality have issued warnings in the weeks leading up to the astronomical phenomenon.

On April 8, the moon will be positioned so that the entire disc of the sun will be blocked out in several U.S. states, plunging millions of people into darkness during the early afternoon. The path of totality will start in Mexico and extend across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine before heading out over the North Atlantic.
The spectacle is expected to draw crowds from around the nation as people head to areas in the path of totality to witness the eclipse. Officials across the nation have voiced concerns about stretched public safety resources, an "enormous strain" on local hospitals and congested roadways.

At least four states within the path of totality have urged residents to stock up on groceries before the eclipse. Some officials have already issued disaster declarations ahead of the event, and some schools have decided to close, citing student safety.

2024 - 2025 Official Zadokite Calendar PDF
Zadok Way presents the 2024-2025 Zadokite Priestly Calendar. This calendar is a culmination from the contributions of scholars, theologians, and fellow laborers in Yeshua. Many, past and present, have contributed to the most extensive research of the Qumran Zadokite calendar to date. This is the expression of our combined work by the guidance of the set-apart Spirit. We continue to learn and apply the details of the calendar as we are guided into understanding by the Spirit.

Not new to the faith, and frankly disappointed in this post myself. I’ve had a particularly challenging situation in my career that has really discouraged me over the past few months. I can candidly say I’ve prayed on more than many occasions for my will, and not much for his will over this situation. I fully recognize that, although I must say I am finding myself to have a lot of disappointment right now in God. I realize I’m not right in my frustration, but that’s how I feel. It feels like God had me on the edge of success on so many occasions throughout this…only for me to be let down over and over again. I’m sure he has a reason for it, but this sure hurts. Not necessarily looking for dialogue or guidance on this, just felt I needed to put my feelings on paper, or this forum. Hmm….what a bummer. There is still a small opportunity things go my way. I know god is always good, and with me through it. That alone should make me feel better…but it just isn’t right now. Prayers for that.

Hi,

Maybe some have the same problem as I do.
The reason why I don't share the gospel, is because I don't want to be friends with everyone.
They say keep your circle small, is less exhausting, especially as an introvert that I am.
Thing is we select our friends, we want to spend time with people we can get along with.
Fact is we cannot get along with everyone for example if the social class and culture is different for example.

Br,

Normally, I've been listening to Christian music, with the exception of a few secular oldies songs like Lean On Me that I know are good. Just last night, I had a slip-up. I haven't found any Christian heavy metal bands that sound like Lacuna Coil, Delain, or Within Temptation yet, but some of the songs from those bands I used to listen to popped into my head. Last night, I looked up the lyrics of those songs to see how bad they were and I did not hear any cusses, hear anything sexual, hear anything violence, hear anything about drugs, or hear about any other sins (that I know of) and I didn't hear them glorifying Satan at all. I remember the first verse of Breakdown by Lacuna Coil said something about being numb to whatever pain they were feeling and no longer hurting. Then, the chorus said, "it's not too late to take control I embrace the pain that breaks me down". The other lyrics to the other songs I looked up just talked about their failed relationships and their pain they felt trapped in. Yes, I admit that song and the others I liked were a little dark because they're metal, but I didn't think those lyrics were really that bad, unless maybe I'm missing something or don't understand what those lyrics mean. Anyway, I thought I won't listen to those songs all the time, but maybe it'll be alright, if I listen to them once in a while, since I don't think the lyrics are that bad. Well, Breakdown by Lacuna Coil was the first song I listened to. I only listened to it for a little bit because as soon as I turned it on, I didn't enjoy it like I used to and I just felt really scared. I felt as if I was a kid and my parents told me not to do something and didn't say why, but I wanted to see for myself what would happen, if I did it and as I was doing it, I got scared because I didn't want them to find out, but I knew they would, except I know God knows what I do. I'm confused because I did ask God for forgiveness for listening to that song a little bit just in case and I put my Christian music back on, but I don't know, if my feeling scared was God convicting me and telling me I shouldn't listen to those metal songs because they're bad even though I don't hear anything bad in them or if it's just me being scared of making God angry and putting too much pressure on myself to be perfect? What do you guys think? All thoughts are welcome. I apologize, if I put this in the wrong topic, I know questions should go in the Request for Advice topic, but the issue is I did actually have a testimony and that's why I put it in this topic.