I'm going to try fried spaghetti in butter and parmesan. Hopefully

ISAIAH 49:14-51:3



Israel cries out “The LORD hath forsaken me and forgotten me” but the prophet through the Holy Spirit assures the people, NO, the LORD has NOT forsaken you. There is a big difference between, “abandonment, forgetfulness, and chastisement”. The fact that YHVH has punished his people does not mean that He has abandoned Israel.

When a father chastises his son or daughter, does that mean he no longer loves him or her? Does he cast them out of the house? Or say, “You are no longer my son or daughter?” No, of course not, Scripture tells us that a father who loves his children will discipline them. We can say the same with YHVH and “Am Israel” He loves his people, and so, HE will discipline them. Yes, he cast them out of the land, but in foreign lands, they continued to live and spread the teaching of the ONE GOD (Echad) who is Adonai-Elohim-Yeshuah. We are loved by our heavenly father, even when it hurts.

God takes what seems to be sad and horrible experiences and turns them around to his Glory. Yes, the Children of Israel were "ousted" from their land because of disobedience, yet the surrounding nations were all pagan. Israel had an influence in those lands and the People of Israel were like "shining Stars" that "shone forth God's light" through the Torah.

Some went North to the nations of Europe, and others went East and West, to North Africa and the Middle East. Others went South to the lands in Africa. That's why there are Jews in all nations of the world. Yet today, many Jews are returning to their land which was re-established as a nation in 1948. Yes, it is challenging, and I guess it is not for everyone, but many have made Israel their home.

Let's stay within the parameters of God's WORD. As we obey our earthy fathers and mothers, so should we, and more so, our Heavenly Father, who has given us "Yeshuah" (Salvation) through "Yeshua" (play on words?)

JOHN 7:1-8:59



Some are a bit confused when Yeshua says to his brothers, “You guys go up to Yerushalayim to Sukkot, I will not YET go up. He did NOT LIE, (as some critics try to say). He was planning to go up, but not at that time. Remember that the celebration of Sukkot (Tabernacles) is a 7-day celebration, culminating on the 8th day, “Hoshanah Raba” it is possible that his brothers and his talmidim went during the beginning of the festivities, and Yeshua waited until the end, the 8th day.

It was on the 8th day that the priests brought up water from the pool of Siloam, and Yeshua took this opportunity to say to the people; “If anyone is thirsty, let him keep coming to me and drink, whoever puts his trust in me, as the scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being”

We can remember the time when “B’nei Israel” (the children of Israel) were in the desert, and they got water from a ROCK. The ROCK symbolizes Yeshua, who is the ROCK of ages and the LIVING water. Water flowed from the rock so that the Israelites and the cattle could drink as much as they wanted. That ROCK (Selah) is still there to this day in North West Saudi Arabia, close to Mt. Sinai.

The water that Yeshua talks about is our inner life through a renewed spirit, remember that He also told the woman of Samaria the same thing. It was to her that he revealed himself as the Messiah openly. So, when we read the WORD of God or listen to the WORD on the radio or on TV/YouTube, we are receiving “living water”.

"Listen to" in Hebrew is "Shema" it includes letting what we listen to sink into our minds and hearts (through our eyes and hears) "Shamar" in Hebrew (keep and guard) and then "put into practice" through our good works (mitzvoth)

Shalom.

Luke 9:57-62 ESV


Many people today who are supposedly teaching the gospel of Christ are not teaching that there is a cost to following Jesus Christ with our lives. They presume that the “free gift” of our salvation has no requirements along with it, but that is because they don’t truly understand what that “gift” is. And they don’t have an accurate picture of what God’s grace is, either. And that is largely because not many people who are teaching what they call “the gospel” are actually teaching the gospel that Jesus taught.

Now it is absolutely true that not one of us can do anything in our flesh to earn or to deserve our own salvation. Our own fleshly works are like filthy rags in the sight of God. For we can’t even come to faith in Jesus Christ unless God the Father draws us to Christ, i.e. unless he persuades us as to his righteousness and holiness and of our sinfulness and of our need to die with him to sin and to live to him and to his righteousness. For it is only by God’s grace through God-given faith in Christ that any of us are saved.

For the faith to believe in Jesus Christ does not and cannot come from ourselves. It is not of our own doing lest we should boast that we did something to earn or to deserve our own salvation. And it is not of the will nor of the flesh of man. So we don’t get to choose what that faith looks like. For that faith originates with God, thus it comes from God, and it is persuaded of God, and it is gifted to us by God. So that faith is going to look like God in character, and it will align with God’s will and purpose for us.

[John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrews 12:1-2]

The same with God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation. For it instructs (teaches, trains) us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and fleshly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “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” (see Titus 2:11-14; cf. Ephesians 2:10).

So, what is the “free gift” of our salvation? It is that Jesus Christ died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might now live for him and no longer for ourselves. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so we will now honor God with our lives (with our bodies), and so we will now be slaves of God and of his righteousness in walks of obedience to him and to his commands (New Covenant).

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]

So, you see, there is a cost to following Jesus Christ with our lives. For the “free gift” came only through what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on that cross for our sins, but the gift itself is deliverance out of our lives of slavery (addiction) to sin so that we can now, by the grace of God, and in the power of God, live holy lives pleasing to God. So the gift of God’s grace and of his salvation is deliverance from slavery to sin and it is empowerment to live holy and godly lives in obedience to our Lord, to the glory of God.

So, following Jesus Christ with our lives is not a free ride into heaven while we sit back and do nothing. For Jesus let us know clearly that if we are to follow him that we must deny self, die daily to sin and to self, and follow him in obedience. For if we do not, and if we continue living in sin and for self and not for the Lord, we will not have eternal life with God. But if we deny self and die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, then we have eternal life in him (see Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23).

So, if we say that we want to be a Christian and to have faith in Jesus Christ, that is the same or should be the same as saying that we want to follow him. And there is a definite cost to following Jesus with our lives, for it is not in words or in profession only, but it is with actions and with deeds. But many people give lip service only to the Lord but they do not follow it up with action. And many of them are full of excuses, too, for why they are still living in sin, perhaps even after many years of professing him as Lord.

But Jesus doesn’t accept excuses for why any of us can’t follow him now with our lives and for why we are not following him now, if we are not following him. For “it takes time” or “I will continue to fail” or “I didn’t know” are not valid excuses, especially coming from people who have known for a very long time and who know better and who had had many years to get their hearts right with God but who keep delaying surrendering their lives to Christ, for truly they want their sin more than anything else.

And now we see here where Jesus, again, lets us know not only the cost of following him, but the cost of not following him, especially combined with a pretense of following him or a pretense of a desire to follow him. So, for those of you who are still delaying surrender of your lives to Christ and who are still holding on to your sin, but while you profess Jesus as Lord, Jesus is saying that if you say you believe in him and that you want to follow him but then you look back, and so you still desire your life of sin, that you are not fit for the kingdom of God, and so you won’t have eternal life in him.

[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]

My Heart’s Desire

An Original Work / June 29, 2013
Based off Rm. 10; Lu. 9:23-26; Ep. 4:20-24

Loved Ones, Oh, my heart’s desire
Is that you might come to Jesus.
Many appear zealous for God,
But they do not trust in Him.
They have not submitted to the One
Who saved them from their sins;
Not forsaken their sins,
Nor have they obeyed their King.

The word of the Lord is near you:
The word of faith we’re proclaiming:
That you must confess your faith
In Jesus as your Lord and King:
Believe in Him as your Lord,
And follow Him where’er He leads.
Share the gospel; be a witness,
And meet others’ needs.

Beautiful are the feet of those
Who bring the good news of Jesus:
Anyone who would come to Him
Must deny himself today;
Die to sin and self, and
Let the Spirit transform you in heart;
Put on your new self in Jesus,
Yielding to the cross.

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Luke 9:23-26 ESV


Now what Jesus spoke here is really a summation of the gospel of our salvation, from beginning to end. So, if you want to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone, share this. Yes, tell who Jesus was and is, and share about his crucifixion and his resurrection from the dead and his ascension back to heaven and the sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell his followers, but if you want to share what it means to believe in Jesus Christ and to have eternal life in him, share this.

Now there are many people here in America making professions of faith in Jesus Christ who do not adhere to this as the gospel of Christ. For they are believing a very diluted and altered gospel message which was created in the minds of human beings in order to appease human flesh and to make allowances for continued sinful practices. For they teach a faith in Christ that is basically nondescript whereby all one’s sins are forgiven, and then heaven is guaranteed them, but regardless of how they live.

But Jesus Christ knocks that down by what he said here. For he never said that you can “believe” (unexplained) in Jesus and now all your sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed you, end of story. Over and over he told the people the cost of following him with their lives and what it means to believe in him as their Lord and Savior, and it was never “regardless of how you live” or “end of story” with no requirements made for how you should now live since you have believed in Jesus.

But since the popular message being taught today here in America is the opposite of what Jesus taught, then we have many people making professions of faith in Jesus Christ who give off the appearance of being Christians (followers of Christ), but their trust is in the teachings of man and not truly in Christ and in his teachings. For they have not submitted to Christ as Lord (Owner-Master) of their lives, and they have not forsaken their sinful practices in order to now follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands.

And largely the reason for that is that they are listening to preachers who are telling them that God requires nothing of them at all other than some undefined faith in Christ. And so they are being convinced that once they profess that faith in Christ that they are now good to go and that they don’t have to repent of their sins, and that they don’t have to obey Jesus Christ, for they are being told that is “works salvation,” and that it is not the gospel, and that it is teaching salvation by keeping the Law and not by grace.

But what do the Scriptures teach about God’s grace? They teach that God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, trains (instructs) us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “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” which God prepared in advance for us to walk in them (Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:10).

So, if you want to come after Jesus Christ and make him Lord and Savior of your life, then please follow what Jesus Christ taught, not what so many pastors are passing off as “the gospel” today which is not the gospel of Christ. For Jesus Christ said the first step is to deny (reject, refuse, negate) self (the flesh, the self-life, selfishness, self-pleasure, self-indulgence, etc.). We have to give up self and what self wants to follow after Jesus Christ and what he wants for our lives.

The next step is to take up our cross daily and to follow Christ. And what was Jesus doing (accomplishing) when he took up his cross and he died on that cross? He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might now live for him and no longer for ourselves. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so we will now honor God with our lives (with our bodies), and so we will now be slaves of God and of his righteousness.

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]

So, if we take up our cross daily and follow Jesus Christ, it means we die daily to sin and to self and we follow our Lord in obedience to his commands, and we live holy and godly lives and no longer in sin. Sin should no longer be our practice, for if sin is what we practice, and if sin is what we obey, and we don’t walk in obedience to our Lord, and thus righteousness is not our practice, then according to the Scriptures, including according to Jesus’ words here, we don’t have eternal life with God but Jesus will deny us when he comes back for his bride, and we won’t go to be with him.

So, don’t buy into the lies which tell you that you can make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ one time in your life and now all your sins are forgiven (past, present, and future) and now heaven is guaranteed you, and it can’t be taken away from you, either ‘end of story’ or ‘regardless of how you live,’ which is really the same thing. For Jesus 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 his sake we lose our lives (die with him to sin and to self and follow him in obedience), then we have salvation and eternal life with God.

[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]

My Heart’s Desire

An Original Work / June 29, 2013
Based off Rm. 10; Lu. 9:23-26; Ep. 4:20-24

Loved Ones, Oh, my heart’s desire
Is that you might come to Jesus.
Many appear zealous for God,
But they do not trust in Him.
They have not submitted to the One
Who saved them from their sins;
Not forsaken their sins,
Nor have they obeyed their King.

The word of the Lord is near you:
The word of faith we’re proclaiming:
That you must confess your faith
In Jesus as your Lord and King:
Believe in Him as your Lord,
And follow Him where’er He leads.
Share the gospel; be a witness,
And meet others’ needs.

Beautiful are the feet of those
Who bring the good news of Jesus:
Anyone who would come to Him
Must deny himself today;
Die to sin and self, and
Let the Spirit transform you in heart;
Put on your new self in Jesus,
Yielding to the cross.

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The Guardian​

Who is Tanya Chutkan, the judge assigned to Trump’s January 6 case?​

Aug 3, 2023

A 2014 appointee of Barack Obama, the federal judge was randomly assigned to oversee the case – and has ruled on a Trump case before

CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/22/us/texas-am-university-president-resigns/index.html

Texas A&M University president M. Katherine Banks resigned Thursday amid controversy over the school’s failed attempt to hire a new professor to lead its journalism program. Banks’ decision came after the Faculty Senate announced its own plans to investigate why the school announced the hiring of journalist and professor Kathleen McElroy, only to change the terms of her proposed employment dramatically. The university announced its decision to hire McElroy with great fanfare last month. A news release from the school said McElroy – who has been teaching at the University of Texas at Austin following a reporting career that included 20 years at the New York Times – said, “A priority for McElroy is to build a curriculum that incorporates innovative ways to deliver news to underserved audiences across Texas and beyond.”

But McElroy told the Texas Tribune earlier this month her offer of a tenured position quickly fell apart after she was told there was a backlash to her hiring because of her work on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. McElroy told the Tribune she agreed to a new offer of a five-year, nontenured position, only to see the school revise it again to a one-year contract, which could be rescinded at any time.

The head of the school’s Department of Communication and Journalism acknowledged the change to the employment offer, saying it happened without his consent. I was shocked to learn an earlier draft of a job offer letter for Dr. McElroy was altered and sent to her without my advance knowledge,” Hart Blanton said in a written statement released through his personal attorney.

In fact, reading other news sources, it seems Blanton's electronic signature was used on the revised job offer without his consent. Responsibility for the e-forgery has not been assigned, but it's not hard to read between the lines.

This FL nonsense speaks for itself.

Some think that these efforts are to cause chaos in public schools.

Surely, these educators can't be serious!

I had a falling out with a friend earlier this summer and after some time apart tried a few times to reach out to this friend to try to renew the friendship or talk. The friend never did respond to me directly but decided to have a mutual friend reach out instead. The mutual friend told me that the other person wants me to let them go and not try to engage with them again. I’m very hurt hearing this as we had a close friendship for 6 years and a big reason it fell apart is due to their relationship with a guy who is struggling with meth addiction. I feel really heartbroken hearing this as I had always been there to provide emotional support when the relationship was rocky and just hurting after hearing this. I’m going to respect this person’s decision and not reach out again but asking for prayers that I can move forward and heal from this.

The bill in question — HR 5135 — is meant “To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose an additional 1,000% excise tax on the sale of large capacity ammunition feeding devices and semiautomatic assault weapons, and for other purposes,” according to its lengthy title.

“An AR-15, the bestselling U.S. rifle according to NPR, can cost between $400 for a basic model to more than $2000 for a higher-end model. The new tax proposal would increase those prices to a range of $4,000 to $20,000,” Just the News stated.

Those urging a yes vote on the Aug. 8 Issue 1 ballot initiative, such as pro-life groups, argue that raising the threshold would make such efforts more difficult and put up safeguards to prevent out-of-state money from being used to hijack the ballot initiative process in Ohio.

Pro-life organizations are urging Ohioans to vote yes on tomorrow’s referendum that would change the way constitutional amendments are adopted in the state. Early voting has been heavy, with more than 570,000 votes cast — a high turnout for an off-year August election.

Issue 1 would raise the threshold needed to adopt a constitutional amendment via ballot initiative from a simple majority to 60%.

Although Issue 1 would not directly affect any issues other than the constitutional amendment adoption process, it has become a proxy fight for a variety of political issues, which include abortion, minimum wage, and gun control. Individuals and political interest groups have spent about $20 million for or against the initiative and about 84% of that money came from out of state.

The current 50% plus one threshold has been used by interest groups to push for policies that would likely not pass through the Legislature or be signed by the governor.

Pro-abortion advocates, who have not had success in expanding abortion through the elected Legislature, are trying to do just that in November. Ohioans will vote on a Nov. 7 referendum that proposes amending the constitution to declare “every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions.”

The proposed pro-abortion amendment would only allow the state to regulate abortion once the child is “viable.” This usually occurs at about 24 weeks, but the amendment language allows the treating physician, who will oftentimes be the abortionist, to determine whether the unborn child is viable on a case-by-case basis. The amendment also does not establish an age limit for this right, which some fear would strip away parental rights when a minor is seeking an abortion.


Continued below.

Does God need to repeatedly forgive His children? What would such a need be, seeing He knows all we desire is to please Him; and this He assures (Phl 2:13). There is allowance for babes in Christ, who may yet have a habitual sin to give up, but He eventually brings all to the same knowledge, understanding and application concerning willful sins. If one does not eventually mature enough in Christ, it manifests yet to be reborn.

The sins of Christians eventually become more in the way of impulse, like wrath, jealousy, envy, selfish- pride, etc. which are sins that are not intentional, “presumptuous” (Num 15:30) or “willingly” (Heb 10:25). These spring up out of the moment and are not planned or intended. When believers sin unwillingly they confess, i.e. admit the wrong, or the Spirit will continue to convict until you confess, because now you belong to God, and He will not let you go your own way anymore. We confess, then thank God for His continued forgiveness.

It’s not that God has to go in and out of forgiveness, but it’s a need-only-once application during the initial confession of our salvation—from there on He will always be “faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9). Otherwise this would mean He has to keep repeating His cleansing from our sins, which is not necessary; same principle as being forgiven “once for all (Heb 10:10). Let’s not forget that “by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Heb 10:14).

Our sanctification has to do with no longer being part of the “carnal mind,” nor part of the “flesh” (Rom 8:7, 9). God only sees the believer in Him and His Son, never again after the “old man” (flesh).

The Lord’s Prayer was to the Jew under the Law, which was forgiving to be forgiven. Now, it’s always forgive, and love as He loved, which is different from love according to how you love yourself.

We are never out of His forgiveness, any more than we are ever out of His love in Christ!


God be blessed!

HI, my name is Dan Bruce. I have been a follower of Jesus since being saved in 1950, and in an active outreach ministry to Jews since 2007 (and everyone else, but I adapt my message to appeal to Jews) on my website: goodnewsforjews.org I will spend the next few days looking around and hope to meet some of you in the comments section eventually. May God's blessings on you be abundant.

1 Samuel 10:

9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart,

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but not Saul's inner spirit

and all these signs were fulfilled that day. 10 When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them.

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but not in him

and he joined in their prophesying.

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This spiritual influence was not permanent. Eventually, 1 Samuel 16:

14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.

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Let this be a lesson for those who looked for only outward appearances of being filled with the Holy Spirit and not for the inner peace of the Indwelling Paraclete.

1 Cor 13:10 reads But when ever that which is FINISHED should come , then that which is in PART will be ABOLISHED .

#1 THAT WHICH / HO is a definite article , in the ACCUSATIVE CASE , in the SINGULAR

#2 IS PERFECT / TELEIOS is in the ACCUSATIVE CASE and in the SINGULAR , G5046

PERFECT can mean , full age , finished , perfct , brought to an end , adult , and mature .

#3 IS COME ,/ ERCHOKAI is in the AORIST TENSE , ACTIVE VOICE , SUBJUNCATIVE MOOD

#4 IN PART / MEROS is in the GENITIVE CASE and in the SINGULAR .

#5 SHALL BE DONE AWAY / KATARGEO is in the Greek FUTURE TENSE , PASSIVE VOICE , and passive voice means it is the HOLY SPIRIT doing the action and in the SINGULAR .

When reading verse 8 we all can see what is being ABOLISHED .

When reading verse 11 , that when we are INFANTS , we speak , think , and reason as INFANTS , but when you grow up and become a MAN , we put away those CHILDISH things , and what are they ?

They are in verse 8 .

I believe , what is FINISHED is the writings that the apostle Paul will be WRITING , FROM Romans through Hebrews .

dan p

Hey brothers and sisters,

So, I'm working on fully translating a gospel presentation from English to Japanese. From what I understand, there are not many gospel presentations that are culturally adapted to efficiently preach the gospel to people in Japan, but this one could. It's translated wording-wise, but I still need someone to look over it; someone who speaks/reads Japanese well. Someone who could correct any errors and recommend necessary changes.

Also, my friends, Japan is currently about 0.2% Christian and so this project could really make a difference over there. ANY help is appreciated.

God bless,
Ash

In Romans 3:10 and 3:23 we learn there are none that are righteous, not you and not even the man teaching/preaching from the pulpit. That includes people that go to the building they mistakenly call The Church.
Colossians 3:23-24 NASB1995
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Bill Taylor
Killer Spade 806 CE

Hi everyone- I had an idea for a prayer target. We need to pray against global climate change! If mankind does not get a handle on this in the next few years there could be serious consequences! They are working on it right now, they are also rolling out electric cars in a big way and if we can get everyone in the whole country driving one of these it will help quite a bit! I have been praying, telling God that mankind needs His help, and praying that God will come and save us from this and also for wisdom for our leadership and scientists to know how to handle this!

Lord God the body of Christ agrees right now that mankind needs Your help! We pray for Your intervention in this situation with climate change and for elimination of the problem! Show us what to do to deal with global warming, climate change, and air pollution and give our leadership and scientists wisdom! We pray that the natural world system of the earth would function normally and that there would be no problems! We agree for complete elimination of global warming, global climate change, and the destruction of the natural environment! Hear from heaven and save us from this Lord!

California scientists have used an experimental fusion reactor to produce energy for the second time, this time producing even more power:

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Galatians 5:

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions

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sorcery;
φαρμακεία (pharmakeia)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5331: Magic, sorcery, enchantment. From pharmakeus; medication, i.e. magic.

G5331 was ambiguous. It could be good drug or bad drug, Strong's Concordance:

pharmakeia: the use of medicine, drugs or spells

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HELPS Word-studies:

5331 pharmakeía (from pharmakeuō, "administer drugs") – properly, drug-related sorcery, like the practice of magical-arts, etc. (A. T. Robertson).

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Today the English word "drug" is also ambiguous.

What about the word "pharmacy"? Where does the word come from?

Etymology:

Pharmacy (n.)
late 14c., farmacie, "a medicine that rids the body of an excess of humors (except blood);" also "treatment with medicine; theory of treatment with medicine," from Old French farmacie "a purgative" (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin pharmacia, from Greek pharmakeia "a healing or harmful medicine, a healing or poisonous herb; a drug, poisonous potion; magic (potion), dye, raw material for physical or chemical processing."

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The word "pharmacy" came from the ambiguous Greek word.

Does this mean that pharmacy is bad?

Thinking so would commit an etymological fallacy as when an argument makes a claim about the present meaning of a word based exclusively on that word's etymology.

Despite its etymology, today pharmacy means:

the science or practice of the preparation and dispensing of medicinal drugs.

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My name is Chris, I'm a non-denominational Christian and I'm looking forward to whatever we may discuss here.

https://wapo.st/3qrgmb6

Every day, employees at Aurora Pro Services, a North Carolina home-repair company, would gather for a mandatory prayer meeting, according to a federal complaint. They stood in a circle while leaders, including the company owner, allegedly read Bible scriptures and prayed. In the circle, the owner required Aurora’s employees to recite the Lord’s Prayer in unison and requested prayers for poorly performing employees, the complaint alleged.

The meetings became “cult-like,” Mackenzie Saunders, a former Aurora employee, alleged in the complaint, filed in June 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Saunders, who is agnostic, attended the meetings after she was hired in November 2020 but stopped going in January 2021.
John McGaha, another former employee, said the prayer meetings were about 10 minutes long when he started in the summer of 2020 and stretched to 45 minutes a few months later. When McGaha, an atheist, asked to be excluded from portions of the meetings, he was rebuked by Aurora’s owner, who said it would be in his “best interest” to attend, the complaint states. Days later, the company allegedly halved McGaha’s pay. When McGaha asked to skip the meetings a second time, he was allegedly told that he did not have to believe in God but that he had to participate in the prayer meetings.

Aurora’s owner, who is not named in the complaint, twice denied McGaha’s requests to be excused from portions of the meetings that involved prayer, according to the complaint. “If you do not participate, that is okay, you don’t have to work here,” Aurora’s owner allegedly told McGaha in front of other employees. “You are getting paid to be here.”

Aurora fired McGaha and Saunders in 2020 and 2021, respectively, after they objected to the prayer meetings — a move that will cost the company $50,000, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced last week. The company has agreed to pay McGaha $37,500 and Saunders $12,500 to settle the religious discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, which the agency said violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

I made this account 2 years ago, but I haven't had a chance to use it until now. I'm a Christian, autistic, & 21 years old. Excited to be here

The Bible does not record where Jesus said: "I am God". However, he said in (NIV) John 10:

30 "I and the Father are one.”

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Jesus claimed to be one with the Father.

31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

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Jesus' opponents thought that Jesus claimed to be God.

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’?

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Jesus didn't deny the claim.

35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?

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More precisely, Jesus insisted that he was the Son of God.

Elsewhere in John 14:

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

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ESV John 8:58

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

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There is strong evidence that Jesus implied that he was God but he had always preferred to label himself as the Son of Man and the Son of God.

The reason why I am asking is that I have dear friends in Central Asia who are Orthodox, in loyalty to the Moscow patriachate. Things were always respectful but non-compromising with me, a protestant in our admittedly shallow discussions. I did hear that they don't believe all orthodox patriachates are 'sound'.
But then the Ukraine war came along, and they accept the Ukraine is their brotherly Orthodox country, seduced by the West. They may be perplexed by the disastrous violence of the SMO, and have given up watching the internet.
I did say to them, that maybe the schisms in the Orthodox World that have ensued before and after the SMO should be pause for thought, but that was received without reply.
Relationships are distant now, especially with the internet not being used.
How can I understand their own pressures within Orthodoxy?

The judges in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals—all of whom were appointed by Republican presidents—blocked the new rule with a temporary injunction, pending appeal, after a request by Career Colleges and Schools of Texas (CCST), a state-led organization of 70 assorted private, post-secondary institutions that prepare students for careers in the trades.

The rules, finalized by the department in June, would have allowed borrowers to file a claim for relief if they believed a school misled them about their education or engaged in certain misconduct that was in violation of the law—allowing the department to discharge any debt the student took out to attend the school.


While I think schools should be held more accountable for misleading students about how valuable their product offerings actually are, I'm not a fan of federal force (or federal money) for loan forgiveness as the correction mechanism. I'm still a fan of the bipartisan proposal for making the schools themselves be the co-signers on student loans moving forward.

With weak standards for claims like "if they believed a school misled them about their education", it's not terribly surprising that it got shot down. Under those pretenses, virtually anyone who slacked/partied during college, and didn't end up getting gainful employment, could simply fallback on such a claim to get their "mistake" forgiven... essentially making it the equivalent of gambling without the risk of losing money.

"The casino said I had a chance to win big, I spent $300 in that slot machine and didn't win a penny, I've been misled, so I'll be taking that $300 back if you'd be so kind..."


Not to mention, this is a particular sticky wicket because what happens in the scenario where a person files such a claim for loan forgiveness, gets it approved, but then gets a job 3 months later in the field thanks to the education they received, is there any process for "student loan reinstatement" in such a circumstance?


If a student takes out the loan, gets it forgiven under the pretense of "the school misled me, this degree is useless", does the school get to nullify the degree so they can't use for future job prerequisites? Or are they still getting to keep the "product" they originally signed up to pay for?