• 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.

Who are the real prophets?

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets. ~ Amos 3:7

Now some will say that this was only in reference to the Old Covenant, but even in the book of Acts we see prophets, namely Agabus, prophecying about coming events. So my question to you who believe that prophecy is still a thing, or can be anyway.

Who are the prophets we should be listening to now?

There are SO MANY who are fake. So many who have labelled themselves prophets without any actual anointing. But certainly there are some with legitimate callings and proven words.

Fact Check: Higher Corporate Tax Revenue After GOP Tax Reform Debunks Another Democrat Myth

From the House Ways and Means Committee:

From April of 2022 - still relevant

KEY POINTS:

Corporate tax revenue is shattering records under Republican tax reform.


  • Corporate tax revenue is coming in 22 percent higher than last year’s record level, according to the CBO’s most recent monthly budget review.
  • Corporate tax revenue is set to hit a new record of $454 billion. CBO had predicted in June 2017 that corporate tax revenue would only hit $389 billion in 2022.
  • As a share of GDP, corporate tax revenue is on track to reach its highest level since 2015 (1.9 percent of GDP).
Overall tax revenue is also strong, including individual, payroll, and other taxes.

  • Individual income tax receipts reached an all-time high of $2.04 trillion in FY2021. Receipts are already coming in 36 percent higher in FY2022.
  • Total federal tax collections, including payroll and other taxes, are on track to reach $5.04 trillion in FY22, or 21.0 percent of GDP. This would be a new all-time high in both cases.

Nuclear weapons in the end times?

I'm sure this has been spoken of before, so don't be too mean to me if so.

I'm reading through Revelation and in Chapter 18 it speaks of Babylon the great being completely destroyed in one hour, consumed by fire. The devastation so dramatic that the Lord even tells His people to come out of her so they do not catch His judgement with the lawless.

I think (a lot!) and something came to mind, that what are the chances this is referring to perhaps a nuclear weapon?

In the previous chapter, Babylon the Great is described as an immoral woman who is hated passionately by the beast and ten horns. And cities are so massive now that it almost seems impossible for an entire city to be destroyed, especially a large and powerful one, in one hour.

Now granted, one hour might not mean a literal hour, but rather a short space of time. I'll acknowledge that, but it seems to be such a sudden event by the mourning that happens over it, and the "smoke and fire" that are reminders of her past immoralities.

Co-Worker/Friend is a Medium

Hi All. I hope I'm in the right place for this. I became friends with a co-worker who started working with me a few months ago. We would walk at the park and chit-chat, had dinner a couple of times. We were building a friendship until she confided in me that she is a Medium. I have since pulled away from the friendship and stopped hanging out with her but how do I handle working with her? It really bothers me and I don't want to be around her at all knowing that she consults and talks to the dead. Anyone ever face anything like this? What did you do?

Sen. J.D. Vance authors bill to ban any return of federal mask mandates

The senator said Democrats have signaled they’re not interested in bringing back mask rules, so “we’re going to hold them to their word.”

“We tried mask mandates once in this country. They failed to control the spread of respiratory viruses, violated basic bodily freedom and set our fellow citizens against one another,” Mr. Vance, a Republican, said. “This legislation will ensure that no federal bureaucracy, no commercial airline and no public school can impose the misguided policies of the past.”

Let the rebuilding of the walls commence!

Throughout the history of mankind, we see a pattern emerge. A pattern that outwardly can seem very harsh and sometimes even cruel.

Man sins, and persists in his sin. The Lord is gracious and patient with them. Showing them love in the hopes that His kindness will lead them back to Him in repentance. But should His advances go unheeded, He then turns to discipline to get man's attention.

This is a call for perseverance and patience among the saints. God disciplines those whom He loves. When God sent a prophet with a message of doom for Israel, He always followed with a promise of restoration and renewal. Though He was punishing them, He would restore them. Job was a man who did no wrong, who trust fully in the Lord, and seemingly was being punished for some crime as his friends alluded too. Yet God restored him, for Job waited patiently for the salvation of his God.

Micah 7:7-11 (BSB)
But as for me, I will look to the LORD;

I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will arise;
though I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be my light.

Because I have sinned against Him,
I must endure the rage of the LORD,
until He argues my case
and executes justice for me.
He will bring me into the light;
I will see His righteousness.
Then my enemy will see
and will be covered with shame—
she who said to me,
“Where is the LORD your God?”
My eyes will see her;
at that time she will be trampled
like mud in the streets.
The day for rebuilding your walls will come—

the day for extending your boundary.

Maybe you've been going through a storm or you've been in a drought or famine, wondering where your God is. And not just a storm or famine of material needs or the like, but a lack of hearing God's voice and word as you once did.

The LORD is calling out to you, and to all of us!

Malachi 3:7 (BSB)
Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Isaiah 1:16-19 (BSB)
Wash and cleanse yourselves.
Remove your evil deeds from My sight.
Stop doing evil!
Learn to do right;
seek justice and correct the oppressor.
Defend the fatherless
and plead the case of the widow.”
“Come now, let us reason together,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;
though they are as red as crimson,
they will become like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best of the land.


Seek Me and LIVE! He says!

Let the day for rebuilding the walls commence! Let what has been shattered, be restored! Let what has been broken, become mended. Return to God your Father! Return to Jesus Christ our Savior and through the power of the Holy Spirit allow Him to wash over you and restore you in His presence!

He is the vine... apart from Him we can do nothing! Though He has shattered and torn down, it was to teach our utter dependence upon Him and when we return, He will restore! And He will not just restore the walls that have been torn down, but he will expand them as well!

1 Peter 5:10-11 (BSB)
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you. To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
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The prudent keep silent in such times

Amos 5:12-13 (BSB)
For I know that your transgressions are many
and your sins are numerous.
You oppress the righteous by taking bribes;
you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.
Therefore, the prudent keep silent in such times,
for the days are evil.

Is God really saying that when times are evil, those who are prudent will keep their mouths shut? Why? Is that to preserve their own life and not risk premature death or persecution? This seems interesting to me
  • Informative
Reactions: Fireinfolding

The media is finally waking up!


After perennially and uncritically repeating President Biden’s false claims about cutting the federal budget deficit, The Washington Post admitted Sunday that Biden will double the deficit this year to $2 trillion.​
The paper’s elite editors and reporters are mystified that “U.S. deficit explodes even as economy grows.”​
But did the Beltway get suckered on a Biden boom that exists largely due to sham statistics?​
Cynics now claim that the Commerce Department no longer refers to its Bureau of Economic Analysis but instead to Biden’s Economic Alterations.​
Americans have seen years of bait-and-switch statistics — glorious job-growth numbers followed by downward revisions long after the victory lap.​
IMHO - this is the type of woke we need and have been waiting for.

USSOCOM contracts out AI that targets "disinformation"

I feel like everyday I grow more and more convinced of "dead internet" theory...
In a country where we supposedly have freedom of speech, who decides what is, and isnt?

"The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has contracted New York-based Accrete AI to deploy software that detects “real time” disinformation threats on social media."

My Name Is FaithT

My name is FaithT not LadySparkle. A few months ago something went wrong on the forum and wouldn’t let me in so I changed my name to LadySparkle. I was being helped by Tampasteve and told I can’t change my name on here. Long story short, we got it straightened out and I used a new password And the name FaithT.
Now I can’t log on again and when I used my new password it says it’s not valid and that my name is LadySparkle.How do I log in under FaithT?

Narcan approved for over the counter sale. What happened to don't do drugs?

Narcan which is used for opioid overdoses can now be bought over the counter.



What is this? To me this pretty much says "when you do drugs and overdose just use this and you can save a dopeheads life so they can live to do more drugs later". This is essentially approving drug use and diminishes their negative effects. It makes opiod abuse a little more acceptable.

When I was a kid we had slogans like don't do drugs, DARE officers came to our schools and talked about drugs, comic books had little ads about not doing drugs, cartoons would sometimes have little messages about not doing drugs and so on. What happened to all of that?

We should be discouraging drug use, not normalizing it.
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The Philadelphia Church

SCRIPTURE: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth - (Revelation 3.8-10).

LESSON: It is worth noting that the synagogue of Satan is first a synagogue, but not of God, but of Satan. Except for sin, Satan has no originality. There are wisdom, solutions, messages, predictions, and so on that exist today that are not of God, but a perversion from Satan, which tragically, even the church has embraced (owing to the body of Christ's prevalent lack of discernment). As a result, the wicked wind of doctrine has washed away many in the body. As for the Philadelphia church - those of us who refuse to succumb to corruption, the Lord has promised to shower us with glory. This will manifest itself in various aspects of our lives - at home, work, spirituality, wisdom, problem-solving, and more. His blessings will be so apparent that others will come to us, humbled, seeking guidance on the ways of the Lord. This will be especially true during the time of testing that is set to challenge us all. Those who embrace and follow the wisdom from above are the only ones who can successfully navigate through this testing period. This wisdom is characterized by purity, peacefulness, gentleness, and a willingness to yield to others. It is also abundant in mercy and produces good deeds. This wisdom is impartial and always sincere." - Timothy 3.17.

PRAYER: Grace to obey you to the end, we pray, Lord.

Making Disciples of Christ

Matthew 28:16-20 ESV

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

I personally believe that this mandate the Lord Jesus gave to his 11 disciples at that time is a mandate for all who believe in Jesus Christ and who are his disciples, his followers, who are following the Lord with their lives in obedience to him and to his commands. For we are taught in the Scriptures that we who believe in Jesus Christ are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.

And we are taught that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and that we are to let our light shine before others. And Jesus said that whoever believes in him will also do the works that he did, and Jesus’ primary ministry was in sharing the truth of the gospel, in addition to his ministry of healing and miracles. And when we believe in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, we are to be our Lord’s witnesses to the ends of the earth. There is no reason to think these don’t apply to us.

And there is no reason to think that what Jesus told Paul should not also apply to us who are also ministers of the gospel of Christ. For what Jesus instructed Paul to do and to say represents the message of the gospel that we are all to share. So we, too, are to open the eyes of the spiritually blind through the preaching of the gospel so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]

Thus, as our Lord’s present day disciples, we should be those who are going forth with the preaching and teaching and sharing of the message of the gospel of Christ, and who are making disciples of Christ of the people of this world. Now, we can’t make people become disciples of Christ, but we can certainly teach them how to become followers of Christ, which it appears not many are doing these days. So many people are cutting the gospel short by telling people to just “believe” in Jesus and now they are “good to go.”

The problem with that is that they are selling the gospel message short, and so many people are not coming to genuine faith in Jesus Christ. They are also mostly not teaching the people what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ, i.e. what that faith should look like. And so we have many professers of faith in Jesus Christ who are not living the life that God has called all his followers to live, for many of them are believing that they don’t have to because they are being told that they don’t have to do anything.

But the gospel of Christ is not a “do nothing” gospel. For we are to be teaching the people to observe (to keep, to obey) all that Jesus has commanded all his followers to obey. And he said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For he said, in essence, that if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self that we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Christ we die to our old lives of living in sin and we now live for God and his righteousness, then we have eternal life (Luke 9:23-26).

And then we read in Ephesians 2:8-10 that we are saved by God’s grace through God-given faith in Jesus Christ. And this is not of our own doing. So, we can’t decide what that faith should look like. The word of God is what defines what that faith should look like. And Jesus defined it in Luke 9:23-26, and in Acts 26:18 when he called Paul to the ministry of the gospel. For God-given and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ submits to Christ as Lord, and it results in the sinner leaving his life of sin behind him to follow our Lord in obedience in holy living in the power of God for the glory of God.

But so many people read Ephesians 2:8-9 separate from verse 10 and separate from the whole of the teaching in the book of Ephesians, and so they build a false doctrine of salvation around those two verses. But verse 10 says this: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” And we read this in Titus 2:14: “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

As well, the grace of God is not a free license to keep living in deliberate and habitual sin without guilt, without conscience, without compassion, and without remorse, but many are falsely teaching that it is. But we read in Titus 2:11-13 this: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce” (to say “NO” to) “ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” So, please take this all to heart.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Seek the Lord

An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55


“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”

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Human ancestors nearly went extinct 900,000 years ago

Interesting article. We had a precarious start that almost didn't happen.

As I read the article I couldn't but help but image and wonder the future demise of Homo sapiens as a species. Especially with what we have done to the Earth.


Human ancestors nearly went extinct 900,000 years ago

5 minutes for china

Dear friend
亲爱的朋友
Can you spend five minutes a day to pray for China?
你可以每天花5分钟为中国祷告吗?
Here are requests for every day of the week for China, I am a foreign Christian living in China and so I am on the ball so to speak in regard to the needs of the Chinese church.
以下是每日为中国所做的祷告请求,我是在中国生活的外国基督徒,因此我讲述中国教会的需求实属情理之中。
Please share this prayer focus with your church/social media groups.
请分享这份祷告在你的教会/社交群体上。
You can even set up a church/social media group to pray for China.
你也可以建立一个教会/社交群体为中国祷告。
Please print out these requests and post on Church notice boards/church websites.
请打印这些请求,并张贴在教会告示板/教会网站。
Please post them on Facebook/Twitter ( daily), your social media profile is meant to be an avenue to help and bless your fellow brethren, USE IT!
请(每天)张贴在脸书/推特上,你的社交群体简介就是助人的途径,请为你的同工弟兄姊妹祝福,请使用它!


2 Thessalonians 3
帖撒罗尼迦后书第3章
Finally, brothers,[a] pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honoured,[b] as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.[c] 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
1弟兄们,我还有话说:请你们为我们祷告,好叫主的道理快快行开,得着荣耀,正如在你们中间一样;2也叫我们脱离无理之恶人的手,因为人不都是有信心。3但主是信实的,要坚固你们,保护你们脱离那恶者。4我们靠主深信,你们现在是遵行我们所吩咐的,后来也必要遵行。5愿主引导你们的心,叫你们爱神,并学基督的忍耐。

Sunday
周日
Please pray that the Chinese church, would be filled with purity, power and boldness as it meets today. Please pray for the pastors as they preach, for boldness and empowerment. Please pray for the protection of all services.
请祷告中国教会,就像今天一样充满洁净,权柄和胆魄。请在牧师传道之时为他拥有胆魄、允准而祷告。请祷告所有侍奉都得到保护。

Monday
周一
Please pray as the church is 80-90% women. Men need to be challenged and activated into leadership. Please pray that each church would have a group of godly men, who fear nothing but God, and who are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the gospel.
请为教会80%-90%的女士祷告。男士需要经历挑战并活跃在领导岗位。请祷告每个教会都将有一群神的仆人们,他们除了神无所惧怕,也准备好为福音奉献自己。

Tuesday
周二
Plese pray for the next generation, most of the church is made up of middle-aged people. Please pray that there would be an influx of young people and children into the church. The next generation is only interested in the latest fashion and cell phone. Please pray for the children of China, who are under severe pressure to achieve a good score at school.
请为下一代祷告,绝大多数教会是由中年人组成,请祷告教会有年轻人和孩子们进入,下一代仅对最新的时尚和手机有兴趣。请祷告中国的孩子们,他们在学校为了获得好分数面临严重的压力。

Wednesday
周三
Persecution is real, but we can and do share the gospel. Please pray that God would open up opportunities to share the gospel. People are in great need. Many people have mental problems, the society seems stable, but people are hurting very deeply. Please pray that the church, would be salt and light.
迫害真实发生,但我们能做的就是分享福音。请祷告神将开启分享福音的机会。人民有巨大需求。许多人有精神问题,社会看似平稳,但人们内心被深深伤害,请祷告教会将成为盐和光。

Thursday
周四
China people groups, languages and religions | Joshua Project

140 million are unreached. The size of the task is huge, to walk down a street is to be overwhelmed by this mass of humanity. Please pray that every person in China, would hear the gospel.
一亿四千万人未领受福音。这项任务数字巨大,走在街上都会被大量民众所征服。请祷告中国每个人将听到福音。

Friday
周五
Many millions are trapped in Buddhism (500 Million), Communist Ideology (130 Million) and Atheism (500 Million). These ideologies are deep strongholds for the Chinese people and can only be dismantled by fervent and persevering prayer. Especially pray for the leader of China and the members of the CCP.
几百万人陷入佛教(5亿),共产主义(一亿三千万)和无神论者(5亿)。这些意识形态是中国人信仰的主体,仅能通过热切而持久的祷告来废除。尤其为中国领导者和共产党员祷告。

Saturday
周六
Please pray for Revival of the church in China, it is only the power of the gospel, that can release China from the power of darkness. Consistent and fervent prayer is needed, please pray that the Chinese church would be filled with power and boldness and would by the preaching of the gospel, CHANGE MANY MILLIONS OF HEARTS IN CHINA.
请为中国教会复兴祷告,它是福音的唯一力量,能将中国从黑暗的权力中释放出来。持续和热切的祷告是需要的。请祷告中国教会将会被力量和胆魄充满,也将被福音的传播充满,因而改变中国几百万人的心灵。

Are you willing to join us?
你希望加入我们吗?
If you aren't a member of our prayer team, please email me at keitherichobkirk@hotmail.com
如果你不是我们祷告团队的一员,请发送邮件至keitherichobkirk@hotmail.com
These requests are guidelines, please use the books Operation World and Operation China for more detailed information.
这些请求是一些指南,请使用书籍-世界运作和中国运作,获得详细信息。
For news of persecution in China, please go to
Voice of the Martyrs and Open doors

获取中国关于迫害的新闻,请到,殉道者的声音和开放之门。



SOAK IN SCRIPTURE

Please click on or copy/paste into your browser

CHINESE

神接纳卑微的人
new6.gif


Ying-Ju Chen | 路加福音

Chinese
Lynnwood Orthodox Presbyterian

sermonaudio.com/sermon/827232213201928

餅酒的本質 The Essence of The Bread and The Wine

Rev. Simon Yin


Chinese
圣传归正教会改革宗华语堂

sermonaudio.com/sermon/813231849433558


对上帝认识是人真正的荣耀

Luis Fernando Loaiza


Chinese
圣传归正教会改革宗华语堂

sermonaudio.com/sermon/8162321154854

为什么教会如此重要?

芮牧师


Chinese
真柱浸信教会


sermonaudio.com/sermon/71123121353434



ENGLISH

When everything goes wrong and God does nothing

Gerard Hemmings


Amyand Park Chapel

sermonaudio.com/sermon/4223114436657

Hugh Latimer, Bishop and Martyr.

J. C. Ryle
| Five English Reformers

Dr David C. Mackereth

sermonaudio.com/sermon/81523013462018

Team Players

Robert Gianserra
| Book of Colossians

Grace and Truth Church

sermonaudio.com/sermon/5723184945972


How to Witness to Roman Catholics Biblically

Mike Gendron


Baltimore Bible Church

sermonaudio.com/sermon/11172238306710

Capble of communication through Eletromagentic wave from brain which cause great interference to others

親愛的在線兄弟姐妹
這是非常緊急的事情,請為我祈禱
不知道是不是我的電磁波太強了。我召喚的任何人似乎都可以加入我的在線實時聊天,他們受了很多苦。
他們就是日復一日地睡不著。這是一種痛苦。我的骯髒和不尊重的形像在我的大腦中同時傳輸到他們的大腦中,這傷害了我的家人、親戚、兄弟的感情。
希望有超過一百人在網上受苦。請不斷地為我祈禱。請讓他們解除一些電磁波干擾,讓他們好好休息一下。。我奉行耶穌的名譽祈禱。阿門
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The Simplest, Yet Hardest Command

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“The Simplest, Yet Hardest Command”
John 15:2 NIV
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

This passage came up the past week as the verse of the day in the Bible app. Each time I come across this passage, I am reminded of two things. First, it’s one of the most simple commands to understand. You don’t need a college or seminary degree to understand what it means. Second, even though it’s a simple command, it must be one of the hardest commands to live out in our lives.

I often find myself wondering why it seems so difficult to love some people. I want to love others with a genuine love of Christ. I want them to see Him in me and through me. However, I’m often finding it hard to love people who are way different than me. Instead of taking the perspective and attitude that I can love on people and learn so much from them in how they are different, I find myself feeling like I want to stick with small talk and go to talk to others I get along with better.

I know I’m not alone in this feeling. As I consider this, I’m remembering 2 different quotes I’ve seen in the past from TobyMac. One is “Love Difficult People. You’re one of them.” The other quote is “When Jesus said love your neighbor, He knew your neighbor would act, look, believe and love differently than you. It’s kind of the whole point.”

Those 2 quotes are so very powerful and they should stick in our minds every day when we encounter others who we won’t feel as comfortable talking to. We are commanded to love others, especially those who are different from us. I tend to often forget God wants me to learn from others that are different from me. I often want to shy away from getting into conversations that make me a bit uncomfortable.

We all need to remember the people Jesus came into contact with on a daily basis. He got his hands dirty talking to people who were way different and He interacted with them to show the love of God. God calls us to live this command out and reach out to people in any ways we can to show His love.

Funny thing is, even if we talk to people who are different from us, that doesn’t mean we have to agree with what they say or what they do. We can respectfully disagree and still show the love of God. However, I am not good at conversations where I disagree with people. I’ve just never been good at those discussions. I need to remember that I can learn from them and they can learn from me. Showing love and respect is the key.

Jesus told us to love others. No one is excluded from that command.

The problem with writing people off as “toxic”

The phenomenon of cutting people out of our lives is growing, especially among young people, and it's not always beneficial.​

Recently my young adult daughter declared that one of her close friends was “toxic” and she was going to end her friendship with her. Now this was a friend she’d known throughout her adolescence. She was a good friend who had developed certain issues, as many youngsters do, but fundamentally she is a decent person.

I must admit I was concerned about her use of the word “toxic.” It just seems that lately this has become a buzzword for people — especially among the younger generations — to describe someone who is less than perfect. Personally, it’s a phenomenon I find a little disturbing as there leaves little room for forgiveness, growth, or an adjustment of our own expectations.

(However, I would point out that there are some people in life who can be mentally and physically damaging to us. In this case I can totally appreciate that they should be avoided at all costs or encouraged to seek professional help.)


What makes someone “toxic”?​


Continued below.

Futurist Only Interesting symbolism for the UN's sustainable development goal summits

Revelation 6

2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
So Nelson Walters is making the argument that the bow in question here is a reference to the rainbow God displayed after Noah's flood, marking the covenant with the Earth, and he does have a point.. this is the stage for the UN's 2023 SDG summit:
un7951473web.jpg


and the UN's symbol contains a laurel wreath crown, like the Stefanos crown referred to in Revelation 6:2
It's an interesting take at least, and seems to have some ground to stand on if Israel were to enter into an agreement to divide land for peace with Saudi Arabia.

The covenant with the many in Daniel 9:27 is "confirmed" possibly at the 2024 summit is the argument being made.

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