The following translator understands the following passage quite well, even to the point that it is the Body of Meshiah which is to judge regarding what is mentioned in the text, meaning that the word order, (which is not all that important in Greek, but more critical in English translations), is not properly rendered in most if not all English translations. The phrase, "the Body of Meshiah" is more properly placed at the beginning of verse sixteen. This is why so many translators find the need to either add to this statement or change the meaning of soma from body to substance: for it does not read properly in English without adding to it or redefining words so as to make sense of it, and the reason why is because it does not belong where it is generally placed in English translations, (the end of verse seventeen).

Colossians 2:13-22 TS2009 W/Footnotes
13 And you, being dead in your trespassesc and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, Footnote: cEph 2:1.
14 having blotted out that which was written by hand against us – by the dogmasd – which stood against us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the stake. Footnote: dDogmas - also see Col 2:20 and Eph 2:15.
15 Having stripped the principalities and the authorities, He made a public display of them, having prevailed over them in it.
16 Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths –
17 which are a shadow of what is to come – but the Body of the Messiah.e Footnote: eThe Body of Messiah is to give ruling on all matters, not the outsiders! See also Mat 18:15-20.
18 Let no one deprive you of the prize, one who takes delight in false humility and worship of messengers, taking his stand on what he has not seen, puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the Body – nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments – grows with the growth of Elohim.
20 If, then, you died with Messiah from the elementary mattersf of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to dogmas:d Footnotes: dDogmas - also see Col 2:14 and Eph 2:15. fSee Col 2:8 and Gal 4:3 and Gal 4:9.
21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” –
22 which are all to perish with use – according to the commands and teachings of men?g Isa 29:13. Footnote: gSee also Mat 15:8-9, Mar 7:6-7.

The translator footnote for verse seventeen rightly says that it is the Body of Meshiah that is to rule on all matters, not outsiders: but it appears that the translator misses one thing, that is, the meaning of "the Body of Meshiah" in this context, and almost no doubt the Body of Meshiah in this context concerns the Tanak Body of the Meshiah because he is the Word. The Tanak Body of Meshiah was raised up in Matthew 27:51-53, and entered into the holy city, which means Yerushalem of above, not Yerushalem of below, (see Hebrews 12:22-24).

Thus it is the Torah, Prophets, and Writings, the Tanak Body of Meshiah, which is to be our judge in the matters mentioned in that portion of the text above where this is mentioned. If therefore we correct the word order, as it appears to be meant in the Greek text, it should read and be rendered in the following manner.

Colossians 2:13-22
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14 having blotted out the handwriting in dogmas that were against us, which were contrary to us: and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the stake:
15 having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no one but the body of Meshiah therefore judge you in food, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new month or the Shabbat:
17 which are a shadow of the things to come.
18 Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increases with the increase of Elohim.
20 If you died with Meshiah from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to dogmas,
21 Handle not, Taste not, Touch not,
22 (all of which things are to perish with the using), after the commandments and doctrines of men?

Nowhere in the scripture is the Torah ever called dogmas, and Paul explains at the end of the portion above that he speaks of the commandments and teachings or doctrines of men: that is surely not speaking of the Torah. However dogma does appear in the Septuagint, and is always used for edicts, decrees, dogmas, and proclamations from kings and rulers. In the sense of the Colossians passage herein above it is no doubt the rulers of the people, the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, and their handwritten dogmas and decrees which were against the people, and contrary to us all: for their interpretations of the Torah were based on a natural minded, outward, and physical understanding of the Torah, which we know from Romans 7:14 is spiritual, just as Elohim Himself is Spirit, (John 4:24), so His Word is Spirit, and likewise the Testimony of the Meshiah is Spirit, (John 6:63).

The handwritten dogmas and decrees of the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, which were binding upon the whole nation, and which were contrary and against the people, are the same "letter" which Paul says kills.

The letter which kills is not the Torah. The letter which kills concerns the handwritten dogmas of the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, which Paul speaks about in Colossians 2:14. Meshiah indeed triumphed over them and their carnal minded rulings, dogmas, and decrees, all over the place in the Gospel accounts for all to see: making a show of them and their hypocrisy openly before all the people, which is one of the main reasons why the rulers of the people had him killed.

Since I'm not a very good writer I'll copy and paste a portion of the talking points of this article. This article describes the effect of the ever-increasing sovereign debt and no money doesn't grow on trees. Everyhousold knows that.

"Imperiling the Safety Net. America’s high debt jeopardizes the safety net and the most vulnerable in our society. If our government does not have the resources and stability of a sustainable budget, those essential programs and the individuals who need them most are put in jeopardy. (Our entitlements?)
Reduced Public Investment. As the federal debt mounts, the government will spend more of its budget on interest costs, increasingly crowding out public investments
Reduced Private Investment. Federal borrowing competes for funds in the nation’s capital markets, thereby raising interest rates and crowding out new investments in business equipment and structures. Entrepreneurs face a higher cost of capital, potentially stifling innovation and slowing the advancement of breakthroughs that could improve our lives
Fewer Economic Opportunities for Americans. Growing debt also directly affects the economic opportunities available to every American. If high levels of debt crowd out private investments in capital goods, workers would have less to use in their jobs, which would translate to lower productivity and, therefore, lower wages.
Greater Risk of a Fiscal Crisis. If investors lose confidence in the nation’s fiscal position, interest rates on federal borrowing could rise as higher yields would be demanded to purchase such securities. A rapid increase in Treasury rates could also lead to higher rates of inflation, which would reduce the value of outstanding government securities and result in losses by holders of those securities — including mutual funds, pension funds, insurance companies, and banks — which could further destabilize the U.S. economy and erode confidence in U.S. currency on an international scale.
(this is happening now with credit rating and countries offloading treasuries)
Challenges to National Security. former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, put it: “The most significant threat to our national security is our debt.” As the national debt grows, we are more beholden to creditors around the globe and have fewer resources to invest in strength at home."

In our culture democratic elections and popularly chosen governments are marked as a sign of secure and prosperous societies while dictatorships, communist regimes, oligarchies, and numerous undemocratic forms of government are regarded as inferior as well as corrupting. Such governments are seen as somewhat evil. Yet the biblical pinnacle of Government is a kingdom in which God is king. So, is our culture godly and biblical or is it ungodly and man-made?

Please stand with the Chinese believers.
请与中国的信徒一同站立



Please share this with all your friends and churches and social media platforms.

请把这个信息与你所有的朋友以及教会、社交媒体平台分享。







PLEASE LISTEN TO THE SERMONS AT THE BOTTOM, CLICK ON LINK OR COPY/PASTE INTO BROWSER




JIANGSU PROVINCE

Coastal province , west of Shanghai
上海西部沿海省份
Population 90 million
人口9000万
Christians number between 8-10%
基督徒人数8-10%
This is the province, I live in.
这是我居住的省份。
Please pray as although there is great progress for the gospel, there are also severe challenges. We cannot meet in person so all meetings must be virtual Please pray that creative ways to get round these restrictions are found.
请祷告，虽然福音事工有很大的进步，但也有严峻的挑战。我们不能私下见面，所以所有的会议必须是虚拟的，请祈祷有创造性的方式来绕过这些限制以免被发现。
Please pray that whatever the persecution, the gospel goes forward on a daily basis and that God would call many Chinese people into his kingdom.
请祷告，我们无论遭受什么样的逼迫，但福音事工每天都往前推进，因神会呼召许多中国人进入祂的国度。
Please pray for the major cities of this province especially Nanjing (my home), Wuxi, Suzhou and Yancheng. Please pray that the church would be revived in these places.
请为这个省的主要城市祷告，特别是南京（我的家乡），无锡，宿州和盐城。请为这些地方的教会复兴祷告。
Please pray that the church would become mature and purified during this severe period of persecution.
请为教会在这严峻的逼迫时期能成熟和洁净祷告。
Jiangsu is relatively prosperous, the danger for Christians to be drawn into the world is obvious. Please pray that the church would be salt and light to their communities.
江苏相对繁荣，基督徒被拉入世俗世界的危险是显而易见的。请为教会成为他们社区的做光与做盐祷告。
Continue to pray for deep and powerful revival to touch every area of this province.
恒切祷告，求大能的复兴触及本省的每一个地区。
Please pray that every housing complex, would have it's own bible study.
请为每一个住宅小区，都有自己的圣经学习祷告。

Please pray for me and my girlfriend. I have not been a good boyfriend to her, but Christ has guided me to work on myself in His image. as for now, we are on a break from one another, and i ask for prayers that we both can be reunited in Christ. Thank you for your prayers.

There are several running themes throughout the New Testament writings, and one of the predominant ones is the persecution of the saints of the Lord. It keeps recurring over and over because we need to be reminded that if we follow Jesus Christ with our lives that this is to be expected, so that when it does happen that it does not overtake us, and so that we do not lose heart. And perhaps in a sort of backward way, this serves as an encouragement to us when we are being persecuted, knowing that we are not alone in this.

And another reason we need to be reminded of this is because it appears that the majority of those who are preaching “the gospel” these days are overlooking this fact, and so many of them are presenting only the positive aspects of the Christian faith, and so they are not really preparing the people for this reality. Or if you are being persecuted, then they will try to put you on a guilt trip that it must be your fault, kind of like what Job’s friends did to him in accusing him of sin because of the trial he was going through.

And then there are those who, when you are being persecuted, immediately counsel you to leave and to go someplace else, “because God wants you to be happy.” But Jesus, over and over, kept telling us that we would be persecuted. Yes, there are times when he says to leave, but there are times when he says to remain and to see the salvation of the Lord. If all we do is keep running from persecution in order to be happy, then we will not be able to fulfill the great commission of the Lord in taking his gospel to the people.

And then if you do remain in situations where you are facing persecution, like Jesus did, and the NT apostles did, and the prophets before them did, then they want you to just keep it to yourself, as though that is just your problem. But Paul all the time told the people of his sufferings and of his persecutions, and he asked for them to share in the fellowship of his sufferings, and of Christ’s sufferings, and to pray for him and to encourage him and all other Christians who were suffering persecution.

So, basically if you are staying somewhere where you are being persecuted, but even if God is using this in your life for good in your own life and in the lives of others to whom you are ministering, it appears that most people do not want to hear about it so that they can pray for you, for they assume that is your problem. And I understand that there are people out there who just like to complain and to gossip about other people, but the Scriptures do teach that we are to bear one another’s burdens and to pray for each other.

And the reason that I am bringing all of this up is that the persecuted are often being persecuted by those who are supposed to be supporting them and encouraging them and praying for them. And so they are being abandoned and forsaken and cast off by the people who are to be praying for them. And so they end up not only being persecuted by those who are supposed to love and encourage them, but then they are abandoned, too, especially by those who think they should just live for their own happiness.

But Jesus didn’t call us to live for our own happiness. He didn’t call us to run away from suffering so that we can be happy. He called us to suffer for the sake of his name and for the sake of his gospel, and for the sake of righteousness, and that we are not to be ashamed to suffer for Christ. He called us to lay down our lives and to be willing to suffer and to die to see others be set free from their bondage of sin and to now walk in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord.

But this doesn’t mean that if we are suffering for the sake of Christ and for his gospel that we are to keep silent about it and that we are not to ask for prayer. We need prayer! And the solution is not always to abandon ship, especially just so that we can be happy. For the Lord sometimes puts us in such situations to make us into the people he wants us to be so that he can use us in the ways he wants to use us, and running away would be abandoning his calling on our lives. But we still need prayer.

For when we make that decision to follow Jesus with our lives, we are choosing to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. But this is the choice that all of us who call upon the name of the Lord are making for ourselves if our faith in Christ is genuine God-persuaded faith in Christ. For this is a decision to take up our cross daily to follow Christ in obedience and to be willing to be hated and persecuted in order to share with others the gospel of our salvation so that they can come to know him, too.

And yes, sometimes our fiercest opponents and enemies may be the people of our own families, even in our own households. But what did Jesus say? He said that whoever loves father or mother more than him is not worthy of him. For if we choose the acceptance and approval of our family members over the will of God for our lives, we are not worthy of Christ. We are not fit for the kingdom of heaven because we loved our lives more than we loved Christ. We have to be willing to be hated by people in order to love God.

And if we are not willing to die daily to sin and to follow our Lord in obedience to his commands, and if we are not willing to suffer for the sake of his name and for the sake of his gospel and for the sake of righteousness, for our own comfort and enjoyment and happiness, then we are not worthy (suitable, fitting, deserving) of our Lord and his salvation and eternal life. For we are called to suffer for the sake of his name, not to abandon all suffering for our own comfort and enjoyment.

So don’t be ashamed or afraid to suffer for the sake of Christ and for his gospel. And don’t believe the lies which tell you that you should live for your own comfort and enjoyment, even if it means abandoning the call of God on your lives. For we are called of God to deny self, to take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and to follow our Lord in obedience wherever he leads us. But if we hold on to our own lives for our own comfort and enjoyment, we will lose our lives for eternity, no matter what we profess.

[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; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Matthew 7:21-23]

Why Are You Afraid?

An Original Work / December 5, 2013
Based off Various Scriptures

Do not be afraid.
Your Lord is always by your side.
Serve the Lord in righteousness
Before Him all your days.

Those who hate the light
Will not come to the Lord.
They fear their deeds
Might be noticed.
So, they hate the light,
And they embrace the night.

Do not be afraid,
Although your enemy attacks.
Dare to share your testimony
Of God’s saving grace.

Do not fear their threats,
But honor Christ, your Lord.
Be prepared to give an answer
For the hope you have,
With gentleness; respect.

Why are you afraid?
For all that’s hidden will be shown.
What I tell you, speak in daylight.
Let the truth be known.

Do not be afraid
Of those who’ll take your life.
Fear the Lord with understanding.
Trust Him with your life,
And give not up to strife.

Do not be afraid.
Take courage, it is I, your Lord.
Bow before Me; now adore Me.
Oh, why do you doubt?

Listen to the Lord.
Get up and bear His name!
Run and tell the world He loves them.
Jesus came to save.
Give Him your all today.

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I do have a Yahoo! page that is set up to monitor a portfolio watch list in which I was notified of the following investor advice...


There are possibilities of financial collapse in my lifetime. I believe the Anti-Christ will use this opportunity to set up his kingdom. Even after Wednesday’s announcement, SEC chair Gary Gensler said in a statement that despite the approval of the ETF listing, "we did not approve or endorse bitcoin." I personally have no intentions of investing in bitcoin and spend time worried over what I have invested in the form of the US dollar.

What is the role of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Is He given to us as a teacher and a guide?

Can we reasonably learn to hear His voice of counsel?

Is He only active when we read the bible?

Does He want to guide us on the best path as we walk in the way?

Why did Jesus come to earth to accomplish and there many answers .

And in Matt 10:34 is just another reason why he came to earth .

In Matt 10:34 is another reason what Christ came and will accomplish and that will happen .

#1 Think //NOMIZ0 is an AORIST TENSE , ACTIVE VOICE , and in the Subjunctive Mood , and in the PLURAL

#2 NOT // is a DISJUNCATIVE PARTICLE NEGATIVE

#3 I AM COME //ERCH0MAI , in the AORIST TENSE , ACTIVE VOICE , INDICATIVE MOOD , means better believe it , in the SINGULAR .

#4 TO SEND // BALLO , in the ACTIVE VOICE , means Christ will be using man to carry it out .

# 5 PEACE // EIRENE is in the ACCUSATIVE CASE , in the SINGULAR

#6 ON EARTH // GE , is also in the ACCUSATIVE CASE and in the SINGULAR

# 7 I CAME // ERCHOMA , is in the Greek AORIST TENSE , ACTIVE VOICE , in the INDICAIVE MOOD in the SIINGULAR

#8 NOT // MU is Greek a DISJUNCATIVE NEGATIVE , and it means NOT ever to bring peace until earth is His Foot stool !!

# 9 PEACE // AIRENE is in the ACCUSATIVE CASE , in the SINGULAR .

#10 A SWORD // MACHAIRA , also in the ACCUATIVE CASE , in the SINGULAR


Luke 12:: 49 - 56 is what will be happening when that SWORD will be used .

dan p

The state of Ohio has taken the first step to overturn the Republican governor’s veto of a bill that protects children from permanently harmful transgender procedures and assures privacy and fairness for female athletes. Conservatives praised the action, while Democratic opponents accused its supermajority of promoting “a political, hateful agenda” due to “money given by radical Christian groups.” One Democrat screamed, “You are literally killing our children!”

On Wednesday afternoon, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted 65-27 to override Governor Mike DeWine’s veto of Substitute H.B. 68, more than the 60 votes required. The measure combines the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act — which shields children from transgender puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone injections, and surgeries — with the Save Women’s Sports Act, which prohibits men from competing in girls’ sports or sharing their locker rooms. It also prevents courts from denying or limiting custody to a parent who refuses to “affirm” their child’s transgender identity and safeguards state taxpayers from funding minors’ transgender procedures through Medicaid.

The bill earned four more votes on the override than it did when the House passed it on December 14.

Overwhelming Republican support came as no surprise to the bill’s sponsor. “Our momentum is very good,” said State Rep. Gary Click (R-88) on “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” Tuesday. “My colleagues were clamoring to come back and vote on this. They’re very upset,” with some flying home from as far as Florida to protect children.

Transgender activists in the House gallery briefly screamed in protest and defeat after Wednesday’s results were announced. But Christian pro-family advocates praised the outcome.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) thanked the state house for opposing the “politicized and harmful practice of pushing minors towards irreversible drugs and surgeries in favor of compassionate mental health care that gives them time to grow into comfort with their bodies and true identities,” in the words of ADF Senior Counsel Matt Sharp. “No one has the right to harm children, and, thankfully, states have the power — and duty — to protect them.”

I'm starting a new virtual Church for all the lost, hidden, unaware, and failing Christians. And yes, I am included right alongside everybody else. Since God has prompted me in everything that has led me in this direction it's only fitting, I think, to start out with a big bang.

Recently, I had an interesting experience where I asked an Artificial Intelligence Bot some questions about my writing process that dealt with God's word, and its responses were eye-opening. I was amazed and think you will be too.

I am also introducing a new reformed Church to the world to see how God's plan unfolds. Please come and visit! Click on the links in the post "Two Sides And Two Faces Of The Argument."

Or if you prefer, use these two links: Page1 and Page 2

I just found this site after I did an online search for "free online b8ble study forums". I started a Chronological Bible study on 1/1/24, and just 3 days ago started a topic-based Bible study I found on Intentional By Grace.

I'm 60, separated, and living with my cousins who have been a true blessing to me after my Mom passed in October of 2022. The way they live their life and are totally accepting of me and my problems have spurred me on to live a more Christ-centered life. I won't go into details but they have helped my physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. I truly don't know where I would be without them and the rest of my family.

I hope to more who are either living a Christ-centered life or are trying to do so.

Cindi

There's really no other passage in the Bible that is used to teach that "Women must dress modestly"

But most people don't know some very interesting and important facts about the words used in the Greek for this passage... so here's some things that might surprise you!

POST #1​

Here's the text in KJV:

Here's the text in NASB:

Here it is in Greek:

Notice anything interesting?

• Both KJV and NASB use a form of the word "Modest," but they literally translate different Greek words!

So... lots of smart people did these translations... why don't they agree on which word really means modest?

Which one of those words κοσμίῳ (kosmio) or αἰδοῦς (aidous) means "modest"? Which one speaks to how much of a woman's skin can be exposed? Do either of them carry that meaning?

What does this discrepancy between these two translations mean? I'm not sure, but surely it's worth thinking about!

I'm curious to see what everyone thinks. As atheism is on the rise, I decided to research more about what they believe. I came across many articles with conflicting points against Jesus and where we came from and things. I was wondering what other Christians think about this. I do not mean to offend anyone, I am just curious about another Christian's point of view on this.
(Article for reference: Let’s Get One Thing Clear: Atheists Do Not Believe Something Came From Nothing!)

The Supreme Court said Friday it would consider whether local laws prohibiting homeless people from sleeping on public property is cruel and unusual punishment barred by the Constitution.

The Oregon city of Grants Pass asked the high court to review a lower court’s decision to block it from enforcing its public camping ordinance, writing that the decision “cemented a conflict” with California courts that have upheld similar ordinances.

Grant Pass’s request for the Supreme Court to take up the case was backed by officials in San Francisco and Phoenix, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and 20 Republican state attorneys general.


Some interesting things to consider in this case.

On one hand, I can see the argument for it being somewhat "cruel & unusual", to fine a person who's broke, homeless, and has nowhere else to go.

On the other hand, without some sort of precedent for local autonomy, it allows for some localities (or the state government) to indirectly pawn off the bad end results of their own policies onto other localities, and those other localities having no recourse to deal with the problem or keep the problem out of their own neighborhoods that they didn't create.

In the case of Grants Pass, it sounds like it could be a combination of factors (some of which were out of their control, some of which was their own fault), so the latter doesn't completely apply.

For instance, there were a few Church-based orgs in that area that offered to step up and assist with their homeless population (which is estimated to be ~600-800 at any given time, in a city of under 40k people...that's a big number...to put it in perspective, Cleveland Ohio has around 1300 homeless in a city of 385k)

However, some people didn't like the stipulations they have in place (which were admittedly rigid and heavily religion-based.) and even started petitions targeting them, however, with regards to private charity, beggars can't be choosers as the saying goes, and if the city & state government aren't addressing the problem, and church-based organizations are willing to house ~200 (the church groups got together and purchased a few building that, combined, could sleep 200 people) of their 600 homeless, it's their prerogative if they want to have rules like "no alcohol or drug use, no sex out of wedlock, and no homosexual activity"
--obviously those aren't the kinds of stipulations I'd put on charity if it was my money, but it's their money, and if the city's not doing anything about it, unless someone else is willing to put their money where their mouth is, they can't really throw stones.

The Texas National Guard has seized control of a public park located near the southern border between the United States and Mexico, marking a new step in the state’s ongoing fight with the Biden administration over border policies.

According to Bill Melugin, a Fox News reporter, the Texas Military Department confirmed that the National Guard took control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, this week and began restricting federal officials from accessing the park. The Texas Military Department claimed federal immigration authorities “perpetuate illegal crossings” at the southern border.
Melguin reported that Texas set up fences and razor wire at Shelby Park to “block the area off from the public and federal government.” The Texas National Guard’s move comes as the Biden administration has engaged in efforts to remove the state’s barbed wire in the area that was put up to reduce illegal border crossings.


Before responding to this thread, I ask that you all please read the entirety of the rest of this article. Thank you.

This website, fivethirtyeight.com uses an amalgamation of at least 8 different polling companies while also charting the results of these combined polls from January 23, 2021 through January 12, 2024.

test

I need prayers please. to give some context, I am a married stay-at-home-mom of two precious little boys (ages 1 and 3 years). I am also working on my Master's program online and homeschool my 3 year old (my double-major bachelors is in Education and Child Development, so I like teaching). My husband works from home and we also have a dog. I am feeling so overwhelmed, stressed out, frustrated, and anxious most of the day. I feel like im turning into a grumpy negative person and I feel hopeless sometimes, although I do know that eventually life will get easier. jsut when things start to chill out, somethign happens that adds a new spin and more responsibilities when i felt like i literally could not take any more stress. my dog had some issues with infections and skin and the vet says i have to two give her two different pills, i have to spray her auxilary areas with some spray two times daily which comes with its own stressors..., plus give her a bath twice a week... so, JUST the dog adds a bunch of stress. all her stuff is about half way done. i got like another two weeks of all of it. so, there is hope with that. the other thing is just the normal basic stressors that come with taking care of a 18-month-old who is very needy, and a 3 year old who is very talkative, constantly needing an answer to all his questions about everything. I love my kids they really are the best, its just their developmental ages that are hard it themselves and along with how im feeling, its a lot more stressful than it would be if i werent going thru everything else. so, everything else is: my marriage... we love eachother, no infidelity, no violence, we love eachother a lot, but its very up and down. we both have a lot of trauma from our pasts that affect our relationship with eachother. I have a disorganized attachment from childhood where my emotion needs were not met and if i just sense that he doesnt like it me it makes me super needy and beg him to "just love me" but even when he tells me he loves me i think he doesnt... its a mess and im aware of it. it is just this push and pull thing that happens with disorganized attachemnt. our marriage problems are more like personal problems that dont go well together. we started marriage counseling about a month ago and its going great, so there is also light at the end of that tunnel, too. the stress of the kids puts a strain on both of us, so as they get older, life will get a little easier there too. the other stressor, my masters program. i wake up at 5 am every day to do my work and im supposed to get a break when my husband gets out of work at 4:30, but he rarely gets out at that time. i dont blame him, his job just keep him held there sometimes (he works in IT security). i used to get really mad at him and blame him for getting out late, but we found out he has ADHD and now he takes adderoll which helps a lot with him getting out sooner, but sometimes he just has to stay longer doing things. I dont blame hiim anymore for geting out late, i mean, at least on the surface i dont out-right blame him for getting out late. anyway, the problem is that when he gets out late, everything gets delayed and before i know it, the day is done and i never got a break. I do my son's homeschooling (which is about 45 mins-1 hr) right when my husband gets out of work because i cant do it while my 1 year old is awake or else there is constant interruption and we cant focus. so, after homeschooling, i make dinner at 5:30, kids eat at 6 and i can have my break from 6-7 and then my husband gets a break from 7-8pm, and then we do the kids' bath routine together and finally by 9-9:30ish the kids are both asleep. For my break, i really try to balance out my life like include exercise, and hobbies liek playing guitar, singing, (i write christian songs), or journaling, reading the bible.. i try not to hyperfocus on only my schoolwork or else it becomes an idol and im very mindful of that. so, you can see that when my husband gets out at 5:30 or 6pm, for example, the homeschooling is delayed, dinner is delayed, and both our breaks get cut into and we dont get breaks. our breaks are really important to us because that is our time to just be away from all the screaming and neediness of the kids and home responsibilities like cleaning, organizing, and to just like renew our minds, mediate, pray, deep breatheing, anything to just lower the stress and anxiety. so, i have been super stressed lately because idk whats going on with my husband's work, but hes been getting out late almost everyday and so i havent had a break or time for myself in like a week. i do have their nap time, which gives me about two hours of which i use to either do school work, study the bible, or do lesson planning for my son's homeschooling. SO, as. you can see, everythign is just jam packed. I am always working, cooking, cleaning, laundry, organizing... and there are so many annoying things like stepping on toys and hurting my feet, picking up spills, my baby throwing his food off the highschair, my kids playing too rough getting hurt and crying, not being able to go to the bathroom without hearing BOTH my kids screaming "MAMAAAA MAMAAAA MAMAAA..." sometimes its humerous, but when im feelings as stressed out as I am, even something like this little thing really makes me want to just break down and cry because I just need space and time alone and in quiet so bad. I also have pretty much no friends, except my one best friend but she lives in another state, i havent seen her in years and we talk about once a week thru text. all my other friendships are just mere aquantainses, people from church or neighbors and everything is so surface like "how are you?? ohhhh great!! have a GREAT day! " like everything just seems like I have to pretend everything is perfect all the time. its like when the cashier says "hi, how are you?" they are not literally asking for your feelings, they expect a "I'm well thank you how about yourself?" with a big smile. that is how all my acquaintances relationships are. I tried making friends, but I have a hard time because I get social anxiety and worry too much about what the person is thinking of me. this is just another part of my anxiety disorder i guess. i considered taking medication for the anxiety, but I am scared of taking medications. i deal with health anxiety, as known as hypochondria. its been under control cuz i got counseling for it which helped a lot but it still surfaces here and there and when i think of taking meds, it just scares me that i would have a bad allergic reaction to it or something. i know its irrational, but my mind just gets scared and I cant help it. anyways, i don't really want to take meds. i want to learn to cope. i honestly think that if i had time for regular exercise (which is a BIG need for me, because I love exercising like running, walking, jogging outside), time for journaling, meditating, a genuine friendship (where I can feel heard and understood and also be there for the other person and it can be a reciprocal meaningful and REAL), and time for hobbies, I think that I would be better able to handle the stressors of my life that are normal and manageable like the kids and home responsibilities. The problem is that i cant find the TIME for these things and its really affecting me. i have no answer right now and i've been praying a lot and beggin God to help me and He has been and is very good to me because i know things can be so much worse and one day i will be with him in heaven and all this pain will go away. but right now, im just hurting.. i feel irritable, angry, bitter, depressed, anxious, scared, and all these terrible feelings and no time to deal with them while the stress of the day piles on and piles on from morning to night and day after day. If you made it this far in reading this, may God BLESS you and i never say that without meaning it with all my heart. if you read all of this, I appreciate it more than you can imagine. being heard and understood goes so far with me and just feeling like im not alone in all this helps me a lot. knowing that others are in the same boat also helps, so if you can relate in any way, PLEASE share. Thank you so much, and please pray for my mental wellbeing and emotions and that my faith in the Lord can grow and I can be more like Jesus. Thank you all my brothers and sisters. Hope to hear from you! yes, you! (sorry for all the typos)

-Chi Chi

Trying to cut out the sweets from your diet? Experts say there's only really one effective way to go. Here's how it works ...

We all know it by now—sugar just isn’t good for our bodies. (Added sugar, that is; natural sugars like the ones that occur in fruits and vegetables are perfectly healthy.) And yet … plenty of Americans are dependent on excess amounts of sugar, consuming it every day, often compulsively.

One 2009 study estimated that the average American consumes about 22 teaspoons of added sugar each day. That’s well over the amount recommended by the American Heart Association, which specifies that women should consume no more than 100 calories or 6 teaspoons of sugar per day (for men, it’s 150 calories or 9 teaspoons). Sure, we know we probably shouldn’t eat that bowl of ice cream after dinner or hit up the vending machine for a pick-me-up between lunch and quitting time, but so many of us are, quite literally, addicted to sugar.

Continued below.

Hi all,

This post is directed at Orthodox believers. I am a newly baptized Eastern Orthodox Christian. I came into the church last Sunday on the feast of the Nativity (old cal). I was most recently RC for 2 years before becoming Orthodox, and Protestant (Reformed & Anglican) before that.

I am looking for recommendations for daily and "in-the-moment" practices for managing anxiety and depression. My spiritual father has given me some resources and I have a book on battling depression with quotes from the fathers. I am endeavoring to pray morning and evening prayers daily as well as pray the Jesus prayer when I have moments that don't require my full attention.

1. The situation that prompted my question was something I've experienced regularly for most of my life. I will be fine and then suddenly not. Nothing is wrong, I just feel what I would describe as melancholy. I will feel some kind of sad, down, etc. It doesn't last, but does stick around for some time. I do my best to get through it (distract myself, pray if I can, quote scripture, say the Jesus prayer, etc).

2. The other aspect I would appreciate advice for would be what I call collected anxiety. I'm somewhat introverted, but have a job where I need to service end users quite often. When I get to the end of the day, I'm pretty drained and need to be very careful when I get home to listen and be patient to my kiddos. I can usually pull it off, but it requires a lot of effort. Advice appreciated.

FYI I am prescribed a low dose SSRI, which does help. It helps the general anxiety.

Thanks for any advice and encouragement you can offer.

Regards,
Mark (Mark Eugenikos)

Daniel 11:36 - 45 talks about the end times king. Yet in verse 40 it says that the "king of the north" comes against him.

And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

So if the king of the north (and the king of the south) come against him, should we really be worried about a one world government with one man ruling over it as many believe? Seems to me that never comes to pass in the end times. Just want to hear how others see that?

If India "torpedoed" into the Asian continent at the rate of 2cm/year, forming the Himalayan Mountains, where out in the ocean was India's starting point, and how did scientists ascertain it?

Please note: I want an exact starting point in the ocean where India began its journey, as I'm using this challenge to point out that science chisels and force-fits their data to get the results they're looking for.

It may take several tries, a computer, and several moments of "back to the drawing board" to force their conclusions to agree with other scientific disciplines (such as astronomy), but with the aid of computers it can be done.

So please tell me:

Where exactly was India's starting point, according to current models?

The accelerated forgiveness drew fire from Republicans, who called it an attempt to win voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. North Carolina Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said it will “dump even more kerosene on an already raging student debt fire.”

Sure enough, Joe has decided he knows what is best for the country (really best for Joe). He and his people will not let the Supreme Court get in their way.

Is it important to God that Christians keep the Law, as this is a question which many false ideas and beliefs have created confusion for many Christians. Now, if the works of the law cannot save a person, is it therefore necessary to keep the law? Paul hits on this in Romans 6..

Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

In other words, does grace give us a license to disobey the law of God? And we see his answer, 'God forbid.' especially if we ' that are dead to sin'. And if we look we find many ways that Christians try to invent their own definitions which allow or condone lawbreaking. The Bible says sin is violating the Ten Commandments, the law which has been described as done away with or abolished or not applying to Christians. Is this true or are the moral precepts just as needed today as they were when God wrote them on the tables of stone. If you think about it, nothing has happened to make them less binding than they were when God gave them. In fact, scripture shows that Jesus came to magnify the law and to open up its spiritual meaning and application, making it more comprehensive than the legalistic Pharisees ever imagined. From Christ's perfect life of obedience, we can see the spiritual essence of keeping the law which many wouldn't recognize, nor made possible apart from Him.

Even though the law points out sin, it has no power to save from sin. There is no justifying, cleansing grace in it. All the works of all the laws would not be sufficient to save a single soul, for the simple reason that we are saved by grace through faith, as a free gift.

Romans 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The law was not made for the purpose of saving or justifying. It was made to show us the 'knowledge of sin' and our need of cleansing and to point us to the great source of cleansing, Jesus Christ. And it also tells us...
James 1:23-25
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.