• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

Louisiana House backs moving public money to private schools

Proponents have framed ESA as the hallmark of parental choice. Critics fear having state money follow students to private education will further deplete public schools already in need. Some rural lawmakers noted their districts don’t have any private options to offer public school students.

In addition to private school tuition, the ESA money could be used for school uniforms, tutoring, textbooks and computers.

When fully implemented, the ESAs would provide $7,500 per year for each student from families with household incomes that don’t exceed 250% of federal poverty guidelines and at least $5,100 for all other enrollees, including those from wealthy households. The amount of the ESA increases to $15,000 for students with special needs.

I'm all for school choice with a voucher for each child.

Christians Making Videogames

I want some advice for this topic. Basically, I'm unsure whether or not Christians should make videogames like we do movies. But with that to say, If you do, then you still have basic access to all the other games with immorality in the sense of sexual promiscuity, violence, language, and others among these.

Do you think Christians should make/develop Christian videogames?

And with that to say, if Christians should then should it be blatantly Christian or just videogames with Christian values?

Christian videogames would need to have the quality mainstream ones have but morals and story-lines we can trust.

Hit the wall

I’m almost 50. It hurts hearing men say that women hit the wall (which means get ugly) around 35-40. It also hurts to hear that men don’t want to date us because we can no longer have babies. It’s like I’m useless now. No one will ever want me.

I used to hear from others that I was pretty a lot and now if I tell someone my feelings hurt because I was called ugly no one says anything to refute that.
  • Friendly
Reactions: DragonFox91

Grassley and Senate Republicans Demand Schumer Hold Mayorkas Impeachment Trial

From the linked letter:
"Since 1797, twenty-one individuals have been impeached by the House of
Representatives. Trials were held in every single instance, except once when an impeached
judge resigned from office before trial commenced. Absent Secretary Mayorkas’ immediate
resignation, this impeachment should remain faithful to Senatorial precedent."

I fully agree that the American people deserve to hear the evidence against Mayorkas.
  • Agree
Reactions: Vambram

Given A Hard Time While Doing Sign Evangelism

Medina, Ohio was having fireworks last Saturday to celebrate the Eclipse, so I decided to go to the square and do some sign evangelism and pass out tracts. Well, this guy called me out when he saw the sign. The conversation only lasted about 4 minutes but it felt like 20. Here's how it went... Please share your thoughts!

What happened?

So I have OCD, growing up I had the typical "If you dont do that 4 more times X will happen" kind. But over the years it has morphed its way through many different styles.
However something weird happened today. I looked over at my second screen and saw somebody in my contacts and had a instant thought "if you dont do X before they message you Y will happen". I decided to follow through for some reason and attempted to do X, but literally 10 seconds later I get a message from them. OUT OF NOWHERE. There was no way I could have known they were messaging me or anything, just out of NOWHERE. What even happened? Was this demons trying to mess with me knowing they were messaging me? Coincidence? Like what was this???

18 years ago, NH policeman reprimanded for inappropriate relationship with teen girl, loses job after threat to rape chief's wife, then kill him

The details have been sealed until recently. Where do you suppose that guy is now?

Naturally he's a state representative and Trump campaign county chair.

Documents: Rep. Jon Stone Threatened Mass Shooting and Rape After Investigation

Republican Rep. Jon Stone’s New Hampshire law enforcement career ended when he threatened to kill fellow police officers in a shooting spree, and murder his chief after raping the chief’s wife and children, all while he was already under scrutiny for his inappropriate relationship with a teen girl, according to the internal investigation reports finally released this week.

While the two reportedly talked about sex together, there was no proof they had a physical relationship, according to Chase’s report.

...the investigation into his inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old Stevens High School girl, started when she was 15, brought out a violent and deranged side of Stone that had other officers scared, according to the investigation

After Stone was terminated from the department, he appealed through the police union mediation process and came to an agreement with the department and city. In exchange for leaving his position and giving up his certification to be a police officer in New Hampshire, the department would purge his personnel file of the internal affairs reports. The department complied with the agreement, but kept copies of the reports separately in its internal affairs records.

Stone currently sits on the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. After leaving police work, Stone got a job as a prison guard in Vermont, and he started a business selling guns in Claremont.

Police Report: Trump County Chair Threatened To Rape Boss's Wife, Then Kill Him

Jonathan Stone, a former New Hampshire police officer, has been a part of Trump’s campaign since 2016, when he gave Trump an inscribed AR-15 assault rifle.

Hello, Everyone! Hope You Are All Doing Well!

Hi, everyone! I'm new here at Christian Forums and thought I'd say hi. About a week ago, I was searching for a Christian forum site online as I've been going through some deep depression due to family and financial issues, and I thought something like this might help. Then I found you guys!
I'm a Catholic woman in my late twenties (but, really, I think I'm just a big kid at heart!). I'm currently trying to make a living off being an artist, writer, and entrepreneur. I primarily draw/write anime art and stories, but I also dabble in watercolor illustrations of nature and classic, feminine designs. If anyone is interested, i'd like to share some of my creations with you. My interests include Sanrio, anime (but I'm really selective), classic literature, fantasy/fairytales, music, old sitcoms and comedy, and nature (especially flowers and the beach) to name a few. Thanks for having me!

“Once again, the State of Florida has a First Amendment problem” - Judge rules teacher can use preferred pronouns at work despite state law

Transgender Hillsborough County teacher can use preferred pronouns at work, federal judge rules

Chief United States District Judge Mark E. Walker, an Obama appointee, wrote that Wood is “substantially likely” to succeed on her First Amendment claims, and issued a preliminary injunction blocking the state from enforcing the law against her, pending her lawsuit. The injunction applies only to Wood, and not statewide.

"So, the question before this Court is whether the First Amendment permits the State to dictate, without limitation, how public-school teachers refer to themselves when communicating to students. The answer is a thunderous ‘no.'”

Walker’s ruling cites a 2022 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of a public school football coach, Joe Kennedy, who lost his job for praying on the football field.
  • Like
Reactions: PloverWing

OJ Simpson dead at 76 after cancer battle

O.J. Simpson — who became one of the most infamous figures in the US during his murder trial in the ’90s — has died after a cancer battle.

The former NFL star died Wednesday in Las Vegas, his family confirmed. He was 76.


“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” the family wrote on X on Thursday.

“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” the brief statement added.

Continued below.

What is the Philosophy of Art?

When you see or experience an artistic work, what is it that occurs within you that draws your attention? is it visual complexity, or perhaps a hidden meaning or thought, that seems new?

This is a philosophical question, for people who aspire to, or appreciate further learning. Within the Catholic faith, which is what I'm personally familiar with, we tend to accept all facets of life as being within Gods creation, and thus, within Gods 'plan' for humanity. With that in mind, we tend to pursue greater understanding in various, and oftentimes, non-biblical areas.

The Persistence Of Memory by Salvador Dalí 1931
famous-paintings-16-61c974d36462d__700.jpg

Suffering Unjustly for Righteousness' Sake

“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:18-25 ESV)

If you work for an employer, you are, essentially, a servant of that employer. And as a believer in Christ, it is your responsibility to do your very best to do what your employer asks of you and to show proper respect to your employer, even if you disagree with what your employer is asking you to do. The only exceptions here are the same ones that we have examples of in the Scriptures, and that is if your employer asks you to do something sinful, illegal, and/or immoral, and/or if he asks you to deny your faith in Christ.

Now if you live in a country, like the USA, where presently you have a choice of where you can work, then if you don’t like the place where you are working, you are free to choose a different job and a different employer. Not everyone everywhere in the world has those same freedoms. So if you live somewhere where your job and your employer are chosen for you, and you have no choice in the matter, then you must be subject to the boss over you even if you are mistreated, but with the biblical exceptions named here.

And let me add here that the same applies with regard to what church fellowship that you attend. If you are attending a church fellowship that is not operating according to the Scriptures, and not under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and so it is very flesh and worldly and market driven, you do not have to stay there. You do not have to submit to worldly authority which is operating according to marketing schemes. But if you choose to remain, then it is your obligation to submit to that authority, but with the exceptions.

The bottom line in all of this is that we are to represent Jesus Christ in all that we are and do and say. We won’t all do it perfectly all the time, but we must do our best to serve our Lord and to serve our earthly masters (bosses) to the best of our understanding and to the best of our abilities (we can’t all do all the same things at all the same levels), but within the biblical guidelines set down for us by God as to what we should and should not do as followers of Christ, which is why we have biblical exceptions to submission to human authorities, which we are to follow as Jesus did.

For Jesus Christ and his NT apostles did not submit to the authorities if those authorities required of them that they disobey God. And they also did not have any problem standing up to human authority if those authorities were in the wrong in how they were treating them, either. So this is definitely not teaching that we shut up and that we compromise our faith and that we submit in everything and to everyone who is in position of authority over us. Jesus had regular words with the Pharisees of his day, as did his apostles.

But if we must confront wrongdoing, we should handle it respectfully, but not to the point of diluting or compromising the truth. For we are to be people of God who speak the truth in love to one another. And we are to be people of biblical and moral conviction and integrity and moral purity and honesty and commitment to Christ and to his word and to following Jesus Christ wherever he leads us, above all else. So, again, in all that we are and do and say we must be those who represent Christ well, as best as we know how.

So, if that is what we are doing, in practice, we are going to be hated, rejected, mistreated, and persecuted for righteousness’ sake. So we are to bear our cross gracefully for the sake of Christ and of his gospel, and not be people who get even with others who mistreat us. For we are instructed in the Scriptures to be those who love our enemies, who do good to those who hate us, who wish well to those who curse us, and who pray for those who abuse us (Luke 6:27-28).

We must be willing to suffer unjustly for the sake of the name of Jesus, and for the sake of the truth of the gospel, and for the sake of righteousness, just as Jesus suffered for us and died on a cross for us so that we might be delivered from our slavery to sin and so that we might now walk humbly before our God in walks of holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord and to his commands under the New Covenant. For when we stand on the truth of God’s word, we risk being hated and forsaken by others.

And the truth that we are to be spreading to others is the truth that Jesus Christ died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God. For if sin is what we obey, and not obedience to God, we will die in our sins. We will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what we profess with our lips. So, please take this to heart.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24]

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken

Hymn lyrics by Henry F. Lyte, 1833
Music attr. to Mozart, 1831/ Arr. Hubert P. Main, 1872


Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition! God and heav’n are still mine own.

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too;
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
In Thy service pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee, “Abba, Father”; I have set my heart on Thee:
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me.

Man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me; heav’n will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me, while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heav’n’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

Login to view embedded media
Caution: This link may contain ads

No Doubt

Not a cloud of guilt, nor any evil power of control remains for the believer in the Lord Jesus! The "old man," at rebirth, has lost both its "condemnation" (Ro 8:1) and "dominion" (Ro 6:14) on the believer. The guilt is gone because Christ has taken its curse; and its power to cause the believer to desire sin is annulled because "God works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phl 2:13), instead of our evil pleasure.

Though the Christian possess the old man, which continues to tempt, the power of the Lord Jesus takes the place of the power to desire sin and do evil. This is where God is most glorified--in that from now on the believer is ever controlled by the indwelling Spirit of God, "against which there is no law (opposition - Gal 5:23); and knowing this is a permanent state gives the greatest encouragement and "exhortation" (Heb 10:25).

God causes believers to "reckon" on His Word so that there will be surety of guidance concerning living according to His "pleasure;" and He will not fail here in those who are His!



Albert Barnes (1798-1870) "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust - That is, the fountain or source of all temptation is in man himself. It is true that external inducements to sin may be placed before him, but they would have no force if there was not something in himself to which they corresponded, and over which they might have power. There must be some “lust;” some desire; some inclination; something which is unsatisfied now, which is made the foundation of the temptation, and which gives it all its power. If there were no capacity for receiving food, or desire for it, objects placed before us appealing to the appetite could never be made a source of temptation; if there were nothing in the soul which could be regarded as the love of acquisition or possession, gold would furnish no temptation; if there were no sensual propensities, we should be in that quarter above the power of temptation.

Please pray-New Stressful Part Time Job

I’ll be conducting an 8 week art workshop for retirees starting this Saturday at a local library. I’m anxious about it but have a great curriculum provided I can facilitate effectively. Please pray I don’t make a fool of myself and that the 10 students benefit.The program is supposed to help them make social contacts and art is supposed to help prevent cognitive decline and decrease cortisol. Thanks in advance!

Religious ritual and maintaining faith.

Sociologists observe what happens with people in all sorts of circumstances; one observation that sociologists make is that communities that suffer from war and the stress associated with it or suffer from natural disasters and the terror associated with them, experience increases in attendance at religious rituals including Christian church services. Sociologists also observe that costly sacrifices associated with adherence to a religion tend to make it more likely that people will stay in the religion. Thus fasting, sacrificial giving, frequent services, and religious activities that demand time and effort play a significant role in keeping attendance high and make adherence long term.

All of the above is interesting, its applicability to Christianity and Christians may be questioned, and, of course, the faithful will want to argue that the truth of their religion and its teachings is the principal cause for its longevity, persuasiveness, and power to convert. The holy scriptures also back up the argument from truth being that cause for a religion's longevity and the personal sacrifices that the faithful make for the sake of their religion.

So, I am wondering if the argument in Hebrews chapter eleven is an example of the observations made by sociologists about religion.

How serious should we take dreams?

I'm not a big dreamer, I guess we all dream but as far as remembering them I usally don't.

However quite recently I've had more dreams as I wake up from them and they are quite vivid. And I guess you could say I just had my first ever christian dream and it was quite absurd really, won't go into all the details but I was avoiding a situation and as I got to the door to exit which had a few stairs up there was a few guys outside who got interested in what was inside.

I was literally standing in doorway and actually tried to block the vision for them to what I was avoiding and one of them who was about as tall as I peeked over my shoulder and he saw and he was drawn. I stepped aside and in they went but in came also an old lady dressed in quite old clothing and she stopped right infront of me with a big smile on her face. And she had something in her hands around her waist and she lifted it up and I knew it was the bible. She just smiled and looked at me.

When I got out I saw this giant of a man looking in my direction, very intense fellow and I had this strong sense that he had something to do with it. And he broke his attention to me and went into a building infront of me so I chased after. As I got inside he had his body turned in another direction so I walked up to him and grabbed a hold of his right arm and asked him what he was doing towards me. He grabbed a hold of both my arms firm but gently and as I was looking at his face I could just partially see his eyes as they were flaring with white light. He said: "I'm only doing my duty to the heavens".

I actually woke up right after he says heavens, and I had been laying in a way that I had pressed my ear in some weird angle that I could hear my pulse. But as I woke up from him saying heavens, I heard my pulse as heavens.... heavens.... heavens... in tact with my pulse.

I don't know about this dreaming stuff, it's abit weird to me. Are we suppose to take stuff like this seriously?

China and Taiwan are destined for ‘reunification’,

China and Taiwan are destined for ‘reunification’, Xi tells former president


Xi Jinping has met the former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou, in what analysts said was an attempt to promote peaceful unification as the only alternative to military annexation of Taiwan.

Ma, who was leading a student delegation to China, met Xi in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People, a venue typically reserved for foreign leaders meeting with senior Chinese officials. Xi used the meeting to emphasise his belief that Taiwan and China were destined for what he terms “reunification”.

“External interference cannot stop the historical trend of reunion of the country and family,” Xi said, according to Taiwanese media. He said that people on both sides of the Taiwan strait were Chinese, and “there is no rancour that cannot be resolved, no problem that cannot be discussed, and no force that can separate us”.

According to local reports, Ma said that a war between the two sides would be “an unbearable burden for the Chinese nation”.

“The Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will definitely have enough wisdom to handle cross-strait disputes peacefully and avoid conflicts,” Ma said.

Xi claims Taiwan as a province of China and has sworn to annex it, by force if necessary. In the interim he has presided over a wide-scale campaign of political, economic and cognitive warfare, and near-daily military intimidation, in order to persuade Taiwan to accept Chinese rule.

However a growing majority of Taiwan’s people and its government reject the prospect. The Kuomintang (KMT) opposition party, of which Ma remains a senior member, also rejects reunification but advocates for closer ties with China as the way to preserve peace. Ma is one of the party’s most China-friendly figures.

Ukrainian Christian groups face violent crackdown from Russian forces

Putin is purging Evangelical and Ukranian Orthodox Churches in occupied Ukraine.

"Since the occupation, evangelical congregations, Protestant churches, all the non-Russian Orthodox Christian faiths have been deemed undesirable and tens of thousands of believers have been forced to flee. Those who remain gather in secret in private homes for fear of angering the new regime.

The head of that new regime makes himself out to be the defender of the faith, his faith. With the client patriarch of the national church at his side, Vladimir Putin and his supporters make little secret of their plans to put Russian Orthodox Christianity above all other forms of Christianity."

"At least 206 evangelical churches have been expropriated or destroyed, according to the Institute for Religious Freedom, a Ukrainian watchdog group.


Filter

Forum statistics

Threads
5,879,268
Messages
65,431,234
Members
276,432
Latest member
Will Cunningham