Like most people, I was saddened to hear the news of the five men that lost their lives in the Titan Gateway tragedy. My brother messaged me today to tell me that 500 people had drowned near Greece. I was really shocked and heartbroken. Being part Greek, naturally, it made me feel very sad for many who had lost their lives in this tragedy. I imagine drowning would be a terrible way to die. On my FB update, I made the comment, 500 people drowned near Greece along with the newstory. This was my friend's response. She always responds like this. I think she is a Calvnist. She doesn't show much compassion. I reminded her that there may have been saved people on that boat. Maybe children, too. I responded to her in love, but her constant slabs of bible verses really get to me at times.

This is her response to my FB update:-


"When Almighty God, says our time on this earth is up, no one can rescue us, unless He says so. A good opportunity for us all to know what our Maker wants of us. Ecclesiastes Chapter 12 Verses 13 & 14. " The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgement, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil." Also Isaiah Chapter 8 Verse 13. ' It is the LORD of hosts whom you shopuld regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread." And from the mouth of one of God's angels, in Revelation Chapter 14 Verse 7. " and he said with a loud voice, " Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgement has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."

Hello everyone, grace & peace from our Lord!

I wish you all a blessed week!

Philip 1:6....he who began a good work in you is able to accomplish till the day of the Lord

What is the function of christian doctrines, is it just so we can identify like-minded christians who express the same formula? Are we saved by doctrine? What is the relationship between doctrine and christian reality and experience?

Please pray Jesus Christ would carry out the following for you and us(Jung-won, Ui-seop, Ha-young, Ye-young, Eun-tae, In-sook):

1)Please set us and all those who are or will be related to us in anyway apart for holiness in the truth (your word), and please let them be gathered into heaven as our treasure without fail.

2)Lord Jesus, I ask you to make us all your true possessions. I want God to choose us as His peculiar treasure..
; “Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will certainly not turn away. No one can come to me unless the Father — the One who sent me — draws him.” ‭‭- John 6‬:‭37,44‬
“Just as the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, so too the Son makes alive anyone he wants.” - John 5‬:‭21‬
“For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure.”‭‭- Psalms‬ ‭135‬:‭4‬ ‭

3) Here we send our delegation to the Jesus Christ the Lord and seeks terms for shalom with Jesus, and here we ask you to be our only King.
;“Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.” - Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭32‬

4) Sprinkle your water upon us, cleanse us from all our uncleanness and from all our idols. Take the stony heart out of our flesh and give us a heart of flesh, and put your Spirit inside us.(Ezekiel‬ ‭36‬). Grant us the true freedom you promised.(John8:32).

5) I ask that the Son of God designate us as those who directly reveal the Father God. As a result, we all hope to have true knowledge of the only God of truth and of the King Jesus Christ whom He sent.
;“And eternal life is this: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah.” - John ‭17‬:‭2‬-3

6) Please send your angels and command that your intended harvest be accomplished among us.

7) Grant us the sole advocacy of the one and only God against our adversaries.

8) May all our flesh live to keep the commandments of Jesus Christ and witness the Salvation of Elohim.

9) Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

10) Lord Jesus, please take all that we have requested and make it your own work, and may it be fulfilled according to God's will, not man's. May the will of the true God, who knows all our needs, transcends our personal will. Please, directly reveal the name of God the Father to us that we may clearly see Your glory that comes from the only true God.
;‬“I made your name known to them, and I will continue to make it known; so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I myself may be united with them.”‭‭- John ‭17‬:‭26‬ ‭

MY name is Anthony.I enjoy teaching others what i have learned in 50 yrs RE bible.Friendly discussions are welcome.NO debates please.

Christians aligning with Muslims against the sexualization of children and LGBTQ+ agendas sparks concerns over broader consequences, including threats to rights, religious diversity, and the imposition of Sharia law.

Ottawa, Canada – On Tuesday, June 20, approximately 300 demonstrators gathered outside the Ottawa Catholic School Board’s (OCSB) headquarters in the nation’s capital on Monday to voice their opposition to the board’s acceptance and promotion of what they described as the “2SLGBTQ+ community” (Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning). The protest was part of a growing movement against the teaching of radical gender theory and the sexualization of children in the city’s schools.

Under the scorching summer sun, the demonstrators held signs adorned with powerful messages, including “Gender ideology does not belong in schools,” “Leave the kids alone,” “Canada is united,” “Let boys be boys and girls be girls,” and “Make Catholic schools Catholic again.” The protesters came from various walks of life and emphasized the unity between Christians and Muslims in their opposition to the government-run schools’ promotion of sexualized propaganda disguised as “equity” and “inclusivity.”

One of the key sources of contention raised by the demonstrators was the Ontario Ministry of Education’s “Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy.” They specifically pointed to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s (OCDSB) initiatives, which were cited as an example of compliance with what they referred to as “sexual dogma” targeting children. The OCDSB had established the communist Rainbow Coalition in partnership with radical community agencies. In addition, the OCSB launched an online campaign titled “#ocsbPRIDE” during Pride Month to promote what the demonstrators viewed as a sexual agenda within the Catholic school community.

Continued below.

One of the prisoners that I am writing to, brought up some issues he is having with his faith in God and prayer. I do not know why he is in prison, and usually, I do not look that up unless I feel the need to. I have done it twice only. His struggles while unique to him, are still very common, though that does not lessen the struggle nor the pain involved. It is part of the human situation. I certainly have the same type of struggles.

When faith in God is strong, and God is seen as personal, which is true in the Christian faith, as well as a loving God, which points to having a loving relationship with God, then it is easy to see why prayer would be important for those serious about their faith, about their relationship with God.

Jesus speaks about our relating to the Father in the same way that we seek relationships with other human beings. Even relationships with animals, and our pets, bring out the need for perseverance, a death to self-centeredness, which forces an end to a self-centered way of life. That takes sacrifice, and a willingness to work through crises, as well as loss. It can’t be helped. No relationship that has any depth is without struggle, and yes suffering.

Below is what I shared with this prisoner. A young man with whom I feel respect for his honesty and humility in talking about his life.

Please pray for him, and other prisoners who are seeking a deeper relationship with God and who want to end destructive lifestyles.

Hello William, (not his real name)

First of all my friend, faith is a gift from God. What gets in the way is our ideas on how faith should look, or work for us. Our faith will not save us from the ‘normal’ problems of life, as many seem to believe. Many of which are very serious and heavy to carry. No one is free of them. Being lonely, suffering pain, separation from loved ones, and depression, all of these very human experiences have to be gone through. Yet faith means that we believe in our hearts that the Lord is with us, walks with us, and loves us no matter how we feel, or think, at the time.

All of our moods, our health, and even our mental health are in constant flux, they all pass. Prayer allows us to stay rooted in the present and to move forward. Fear of suffering can cause us to feel lost and alone, yet to embrace our lives with Christ Jesus infuses all of our experience with meaning.

Prayer can be very difficult. One time a very prayerful woman told me that there are moments for her where all she can do is breathe Jesus. I have often thought of that when I too am in pain, tired, or feel cut off from God.

The reason for prayer is to have a loving relationship with God. All relationships that have any depth to them, come with many difficulties, most of them come from ourselves. Loving relationships force us to grow, to become less selfish, and more other-focused. It is purifying. There are crisis situations that come with all deep, enduring relationships that must be traversed. If not, then the relationship will die. Trust has to grow, and the taming of the ego also has to come into play. Listening is learned, which is also a form of seeing deeply. Friendships do not always make life easier, but they are filled with more joy, love, and intimacy.

So, with God. The more we trust, and navigate with our issues with God, the deeper we can go into prayer. That means that often we pray out of pure love, not for what we can get out of ‘God’, or our ideas of ‘God’ that are literally very childish. These idols cannot survive the ups and downs of our lives. It is when we pray like this because it is an act of the will, we may wrongly think that we are not really praying because we are not ‘feeling’ anything. Nothing could be further from the truth. a normal part of our journey. Always pray the way you can, and do not force yourselves otherwise. Sometimes all one can do is simply sit, and become aware of God’s presence.

All prayer is an invitation from God, when we pray, or think that we attempt to pray, we are responding.

Keep up your journey, and be attentive when you are at mass and the reality of the Eucharist So let us pray for one another, and help to support one another in our desire to draw close to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Be looking forward to hearing from you again, when you have the time.

In the love and peace of Jesus Christ

Br. Mark Dohle

Hello,

I don't mean to be a burden on anybody here, but I could use some prayer and encouragement. I'm 42 years old, I've worked for the same company for 23 years, and I never figured out what to do with my life. I really would like to get out of where I'm working, but sometimes, part of me feels like God wants me to be there for some reason (even though sometimes it feels like some form of punishment). I have a college degree, but when I look at jobs, everything either pays far less than I can live on, requires me to move/travel, or is meaningless, tedious stuff. I also worry about being discriminated against because of my age (which I'm feeling at my job these days anyways).

I have a lot to be thankful for, and even though there's an awful lot not to like about my job, at the same time it's not the worst thing on earth. I just wish I were on a more even keel emotionally and not so unhappy.

Curious, is Mary a co-redemptrix in Orthodoxy too?

I read somewhere on the forum that Catholic and Orthodox believe the same things about Mary. This aspect was the first to come to mind as something with a distinction.

Simple Yes or No question, please let me know.

What is a single or divorced person supposed to do when they see attractive people in church ??

Matthew 5:28-30 tells us to mutilate ourselves. Hebrews 10:25 tells us we must attend Church.

This statement was made by one of our members - it was posted in the devotional section which doesn't allow for replies or questioning.

The use of this devotional forum for promoting controversial opinion is questionable.

==================================================================
"Statistics have it that up to 75% of Christian men are regularly engaged in viewing sexually explicit videos and images and movies, which includes up to 35% (or higher) of pastors. And many women and children are following suit. So sexual immorality in the church is huge! But this is the “elephant in the room” that most people don’t want to talk about, and if you do, you are regarded as the enemy."
===================================================================

Such a claim needs to be referenced so we can see who made the 'statistic' and how.

When ever a statistic says 'up to X%' it sounds more like advertising an agenda than a scientific conclusion.

So for me the quote does not sound very scientific.

Can anyone confirm this claim with solid evidence please.

Romans 8:28-30 says, “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” To the extent there would be varying degrees in terms of the magnitude of what a person is called for that ends in being justified and glorified, this passage applies to each of us.

God does not verbally tell us of His Plans for us; He communicates through our hearts. Our awareness of His knocking on our hearts can be likened to the extent of our awareness of entertaining angels in the Context of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Hebrews 13:2. Better to be safe by being sober and upright enough to receive God in our hearts.

But how may Romans 8:28-30 apply to Joseph in Genesis 37-Genesis 50? Well, those Chapters tell us that Joseph’s brothers, out of their jealousy of him, leave him by the roadside to be at the mercy of whoever comes by. Is this not a form of evil, to abandon your brother? You may ask yourselves at this point, how does this work for good, for Joseph or anyone else? Glad you asked, since Joseph himself provides the answer.

In Genesis 50:19-20, Joseph, whose brothers were before him in his capacity as an Overseer over the land of Egypt as appointed by the Pharoah in Genesis 41:41 (It’s a long story between Josephs being thrown by the wayside and his being appointed Overseer by the Pharoah, but you can look it up!) and who remembered what his brothers did to him and have asked for his forgiveness, says to his brothers “...As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Joseph was referring to helping Egypt deal with the famine in the land by ensuring that Egypt had enough food for themselves and in neighboring lands. This is the “good” that turned out as a result of the evil, to the “thing” if you will, that Joseph’s brothers wronged on him.

Is there a lesson here? The lesson is that God may call on anyone for extraordinary things, but you must love Him to get the message. Another lesson may be that before you sink your head and wallow in self-pity for something bad that was done for you, or before you seek revenge, consider God’s purpose for you and how what happened to you fits in with His Plans for you.

Did Joseph love God? The Bible doesn’t say. Then again, from what we know of John 21:25, there’s a lot of things the Bible doesn’t say. But what the Bible does say is that “The Lord was with Joseph” from Genesis 39:2 on, ensuring that he was cared and provided for in any situation thereafter. There must have been SOME love exchanged between God and Joseph, and others as well, culminating in a good turnout for Joseph and others.

Recently, I had an encounter with Mormon missionaries, and I felt compelled to engage in a conversation with them. After exchanging contact information, I took it upon myself to delve into the works of Peter Mogila and Philaret Drozdov in preparation for our next interaction. It intrigued me to discover that these notable figures in Eastern Orthodox Christianity were often accused of having been influenced by Western thought. While I may not possess a theological or intellectual background to pinpoint the exact presence of scholasticism in their catechisms, it is evident to some that such influences played a significant role in their teachings.

You probably remember that Moses and his brother Aaron were partners as they led the Children of Israel out of Egypt and tried to bring them to the Promised Land. A series of passages tell us that Aaron and his sons were consecrated as priests. They were given the task of taking care of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, as well as making sacrifices to God. It was their job to instruct the people in the Ten Commandments and God’s law.

Aaron had four sons. If there is any such thing as predestination, it looks like the five men appointed by God as the original Jewish priests at the founding of the priesthood would be predestined to heaven. It doesn’t turn out that way.

After being called to serve as holy priests, two of Aaron’s sons die when they are burned with fire “from the presence of the Lord.”

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in
them and added incense; and they offered unauthorised fire
before the LORD, contrary to his command.
So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and
consumed them, and they died before the LORD.
Leviticus 10:1-2 NIV


it, and laid incense on it; and they offered unholy fire before the LORD,
such as he had not commanded them. And fire came out from the
presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

Nadab and Abihu took their censers and,
strewing incense on the fire they had put
in them, they offered up before the
LORD profane fire, such as he had not
authorized.
Fire therefore came forth from the
LORD'S presence and consumed them,

As requested by popular demand I give you the dull thread. For all things dull. Post dull things. Be dull. Be boring. We won't judge. Or don't post & all so there's no activity which is dull. All the dullness your heart desires + more! Now in 1 easy thread.

Do you think that Christianity improves economic wellbeing?

In the scriptures there are passages that say things about economics.
What is said is controversial according to many.

In the scriptures there are passages that say things about laws and freedom.
How will countries that are poor benefit or not from scriptural teaching?

Psalms 25:4-5,10,19-21 ESV


If we are genuine believers in Jesus Christ, then we are his followers, his disciples. And if we are not his disciples, then we don’t truly know him. It is what he taught and what his NT apostles taught, that to know Christ as our Lord and Savior is to walk in his ways and in his truth, and it is not to just give lip service to him. So, we can’t just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and then continue to walk in sin and in the ways of this sinful world.

So, when this says that all the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, this promise is for those of us who are keeping (obeying) his covenant (New Covenant) and his testimonies (the teachings of Christ and of the NT apostles, and the gospel of our salvation, and the teachings of the prophets of old, where they apply to our lives). For all the Lord’s promises to us have spiritual and biblical conditions (stipulations).

So, then, who are our foes (our enemies, our opposition)? They are all those who are enemies of the cross of Christ. And who are they? They are all who will not submit to the Cross of Christ, who refuse to give up their sinful practices, and who refuse to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands under the New Covenant. They will not deny self and die daily to sin and walk in obedience to his commands for they want to still be their own lord.

So they will not only oppose the truth of the gospel, but they may also come against us if what we are teaching is the truth of the gospel. For it appears that so much of what is called “church” here in America has gone the way of the world, and so they have altered and diluted the gospel of Christ to make it more attractive and acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly of this world, so that they can draw in large crowds of people to their “churches.”

Thus, they will also not deal with rampant sin in the church biblically, but so many of them will, instead, coddle the deliberate and habitual sinners in their sin while treating the righteous as though they are the enemy. And this is all backwards, but it is because so many professers of faith in Jesus Christ have now adopted the ways of the world, and so they are also dealing with sin in much the same ways as the ungodly do, but not biblically.

But we who believe in Jesus Christ, in truth and in righteousness, are to be people of integrity and uprightness who follow the teachings of Christ and of his NT apostles, which are for us who profess faith in Jesus Christ. We are to be living godly and holy lives, to the glory of God, in his power and strength, and we are to no longer be walking in sin, deliberately and habitually sinning against God and not living in purity of devotion to our Lord.

[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]

Video Talk:
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My Sheep

An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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This is about as embarrassing as you can get...House Dems support Adam Schiff. Unbelievable. He betrayed his oath of office and lied to the American people...

What is called popular music today is a vitiated compilation of depravity. I'm sure most here know that. But it is still very encouraging to find artists that are spiritual and sing of great subjects and use their talents to God's purpose. Here is one that found its way to my suggested viewing. From a comment in the video: " ... Her style is elegant, luxurious, and delicately feminine. Grace be her habit; blessing be her garment; dignity be her abode ...". We need to support the good ones or we won't have any.

This song is called Popular Music. It is about normal courtship of man and woman and concluding with marriage.

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I am reading in Jeremiah 23

This writing is concerning the shepherds of God’s people and those who preach lies to the people and who themselves are living in adultery and in disobedience to the Lord Jesus. They destroy and scatter the sheep of God’s pasture. And how is this taking place today? They are preaching lies to the people, they are diluting the gospel to make it more appeasing to human flesh, and they are pushing away those who are living righteously, and they are treating the righteous as though they are the enemy while they embrace those who are living wickedly, and they are giving them permission to sin.


They are teaching lies to the people, some of which come out of the mouths of false prophets and those who are living in sexual immorality and who are giving people carte blanche to do likewise.


And that is exactly what is happening in what appears to be the majority of the gatherings of what is called “church” here in America today. For they are turning evil for good and good for evil so that if you teach the biblical requirement for repentance and walks of obedience to our Lord in holy living, you are now the enemy. And those who are giving the people the freedom to keep on in their adulteries have now become the heroes.


And please know here that to prophesy is not just future telling. It means to proclaim, to preach. So this includes all those who call themselves preachers or ministers of the gospel who are teaching lies to the people. And from what I understand, they are in the majority here in America, not in the minority. For they are telling the people that all that is required is that they make a confession of faith in Christ Jesus and now all their sins are forgiven (past, present, and future) and heaven is now guaranteed them upon death.

But the Scriptures do not teach that, not in context. Jesus Christ and his NT apostles taught that we must die with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and that we must walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant), in practice, and that holy and godly living should now be our practice, and sin should no longer be our practice. For if sin is our practice and righteousness and obedience to God are not what we practice, then we will not inherit eternal life, and heaven is not our eternal destiny.

[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]


And that is the essence of the gospel of our salvation, that we must turn away from our sinful lifestyles and we must be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and now we must walk in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord and no longer walk in sin.


And this is where so many professing Christians are today, by their own admission to somebody, for statistics have it that up to 75% of Christian men are regularly engaged in viewing sexually explicit videos and images and movies, which includes up to 35% (or higher) of pastors. And many women and children are following suit. So sexual immorality in the church is huge! But this is the “elephant in the room” that most people don’t want to talk about, and if you do, you are regarded as the enemy.

But the Scriptures do not take the same stance that so many who call themselves Christians today are taking with regard to habitual and deliberate sin, and especially in this area of sexual immorality and adultery. These have become so commonplace that they are being accepted as normal, and in some cases even encouraged. But it appears very few take seriously what 1 Corinthians 5 teaches on this subject, that if they continue in deliberate and habitual sin that heaven will not be their resting place.

So, we need to be people of God who take God and his word seriously, and who do not coddle people in their sins, but who are telling them that they must turn from their sinful practices and now obey God or else they will end up in hell and not heaven, regardless of what faith their lips profess. For this is what the Scriptures teach (see noted Scriptures above). And if we tell the people lies to make them feel good, and we do not tell them the truth, and if they embrace the lies and not the truth, then they will end up in hell. But we should want them to be truly saved and to be in heaven one day.

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

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A fascinating piece on the importance of supervision for those in ministry, here: Professional supervision after the Royal Commission

I think the key paragraph is probably this one:
"Supervision makes visible practices of power and influence, and guarantees a conversation about power in a discursive space. The effect of supervision, if used consistently and authentically, is it ensures that it’s harder to misuse power — not because the supervisor seeks to control, but because supervision offers the space for a person to understand their power, to ensure they do no harm and can become informed so as to withdraw consent from situations in which they are experiencing harm.

From my experience, supervision breeds cultural safety."

My own experience would suggest that this is the ideal, but whether or not that happens is very hit and miss. I'd be interested in others' take on it, and how else we might do the same kind of work effectively?

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 ESV


If we are walking in fellowship with Jesus Christ, and if we are sharing the truth of the gospel, the whole counsel of God, as Paul said that he did, we are going to have enemies, as he did, too, and as Jesus had. For Satan hates Jesus Christ and his gospel and those who represent Jesus Christ in this evil world of ours in sharing the whole counsel of God with the people of this world and with others who profess faith in Jesus Christ.

Especially if we are at all like Paul and like Jesus, which we are supposed to be, in how we present the gospel of Christ (the whole counsel of God), so that we give the whole picture of what it means to be saved from our sins, then definitely the enemy is going to be hot on our trail. And if we are exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are, which again we are all supposed to be doing, then we are definitely being targeted.

And for those of us who are doing this full time, as being led by the Lord, we need your prayers big time! For Satan is fighting against us right and left. And he doesn’t always do what he does outward, but a lot of it is sneaky, underhanded, and deceptive, as he uses other humans as his instruments of attack against the righteous and against those who are telling the people of this world the truth so that they will repent and obey the Lord Jesus.

And we need prayer that the Lord will protect us from enemy attacks so that we can continue to spread the truth of the gospel so that many will be saved before our Lord returns. For the enemy of our souls is looking for any way possible that he can to trip us up with our words so that he would have cause to accuse us, just as he did with Jesus and the NT apostles and the prophets before them and the saints of God who have gone before us, too.

So, pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not all who claim to have faith in Jesus Christ truly have faith, and many are those who are opposing us strongly. Some of them are pastors and elders in gatherings of the church or in what is falsely being called “church.” And some of them are just those who attend what are called “church gatherings,” most of which, it seems, are not biblical gatherings of the body of Christ.

For who were Jesus’ strongest opponents? They were rulers and teachers of the Scriptures in the temple of God and/or they were people of enormous influence in the Jewish faith who professed faith in God the Father, and thus they should have been waiting for their promised Messiah to come. So we should not be surprised if our strongest enemies are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ and who attend what are called “church gatherings.”

And then remember that the Scriptures teach that the evil and the wicked are those who make a practice of evil and wickedness. They are those who make a practice of sin. And righteousness, godliness, the forsaking of sins, and walks of obedience to our Lord are not what they practice. So they can easily be those who make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ outwardly but who are still living for sin and self privately when no one is watching.

But the Lord is faithful! Amen! And this doesn’t mean that he won’t let us be hated and persecuted. He will! His word teaches us that if we follow Jesus with our lives, in truth, and in practice, that we will be hated and persecuted as Jesus was hated and persecuted. And we will have people who are plotting evil against us to try to destroy us and to take us down because they don’t want us spreading the truth of gospel and calling out sin.

So, when this says that our Lord will guard us against the evil one, that is not a promise that no evil will befall us, i.e. that evil people will not ever be able to harm us. Because that would be contradictory to what we are taught in the Scriptures that we will be hated and persecuted and even killed for our walks of faith in the Lord Jesus and for our testimonies for him and for his gospel message. And Jesus and Paul are definitely examples of that.

So, how should we take that promise? I believe it is more of a spiritual protection from the evil one. He will keep us from falling, if we are willing, and if we are cooperating with his work of grace in our lives. He will keep us from getting discouraged and giving up, if we trust him with our lives. And he will give us all the strength and wisdom we need to combat our enemies if we rely on his strength and wisdom and not on our own thinking.

So, please know that following Jesus Christ involves the fact that we will be hated and persecuted for righteousness’ sake. So don’t let that take you out. Trust the Lord with your lives, lean on him for support, and don’t try to get your validation from other humans who may just as well turn against you “on a dime,” with little to no warning at all. And these are people who may be pretending to be your friends and even on your side. But have no fear!

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

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23BURKINA FASO​

Burkina Faso has risen from number 32 to number 23 on the World Watch List. Across the country, violence against Christians is increasing, as is pressure – particularly on the Church and from the community.
Jihadist activity is expanding and many churches and Christian schools are being forced to close. The targeting and killing of Christians have created an environment of fear, with many Christians being too scared to attend church services or send their children to school. Jihadist groups are also replacing the government in areas under their control, so have the power to withhold social services. The threat from extremist Islamic groups has even spread to cities that were previously beyond their reach. There are over a million internally displaced people in Burkina Faso, a significant number of whom are Christians who have fled the rising jihadist violence.
Meanwhile, in addition to being targeted by jihadists, Believers from Muslim Backgrounds face enormous pressure from families and communities to renounce their faith. Many are afraid to express their faith in public because of such threats.

Meet “Salamata”​

“Your prayers have changed many things in my life. I received joy and peace in my heart. Please, keep on praying for me. It does bring change.”
Salamata, whose pastor was killed in attack by Islamic militants

Please pray​

• That God will heal and comfort all those severely traumatised and affected by jihadist attacks .
• For continued wisdom and provision for Open Doors local partners as they seek to serve those who are being persecuted.
• For the protection of believers and local partners in the country, and for strength to stand firm in their faith.

I am a 37 year old male. What is the best group in here to connect with like minded who burns for Jesus?